Richardson has sworn up and down after he created The Order of the Hare that he would never let any harm befall his group of misfit female rabbits, and he was dedicated to keeping that promise, no matter what it took. Even if it meant rationing his own food intake when they couldn't find enough for everyone, he would gladly give his shares to another simply so they could eat. Richardson could barely live with himself for, not only what he'd done, but what he'd lost as well, and he was going to make sure that, no matter what, he didn't lose anyone else ever again. Sitting here with Gerald, the room filled with female rabbits too, all of them eating together...Richardson was as happy as a rabbit of his problematic nature could be, given his shame. He'd tried to right his wrongs, and by the end of the day...
...he'd really be put to the test. *** "Are we almost there?" Kevin asked loudly, sounding irritated, "My feet are starting to cramp. The ones I still have, anyway." "We're almost there, yes," Paw Paw said, answering him over her shoulder before looking back at Mipsy and continuing their conversation, "So you and Richardson were friends before he left?" "Kind of," Mipsy said, stuttering, "We kind of friend, he always nice to me." "He said you got brain damage from an experiment in the lab," Paw Paw said, "Sorry to bring that up if it's a sore subject, I just wanted to clarify it was true. Not that I have any reason to disbelieve him, he's never been anything but honest with us." "Yeah, I got brain damage," Mipsy said, looking at the ground as she walked now, almost as if ashamed of this fact, "I not happy 'bout it, but I do okay. I not talk real good no more, but I...I still have thing to say, you know? I still have a voice and opinion." "That's right, and you should never let what happened to you make you feel bad about yourself. It was out of your control, and frankly, you seem perfectly capable to me. Much more than Wingus and Dingus back there. I mean, you're the one up here holding a conversation with me, so that says a lot right there. I think you're perfectly fine." Mipsy blushed and looked away. She'd rarely had the chance to speak to any of the female rabbits in the lab before her accident, and afterwards she was so afraid any of them would always make fun of her that she essentially steered clear of them entirely, only really participating in conversations with Ellen and Six. But Paw Paw...she was different. She was kind and open and very funny. Mipsy liked her more and more as the minutes passed. "You think Richardson be happy to see me?" Mipsy asked, and Paw Paw nodded eagerly. "Definitely! He always spoke very highly of you. I think he admired your strength, which I certainly now, having met you, understand," Paw Paw said, "You're quite inspirational. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. The Order is all about lifting up other female rabbits, but I'm not being nice to you because of The Order. I'm just doing it cause I like you." Mipsy blushed harder and looked away again. She was starting to really enjoy this day. Just then, they all stopped and looked over the crest of a small hill. "There it is," Paw Paw, as Kevin and Number two approached. "There what i...whoa," Kevin said, surprised. Whoa, indeed. Below them was the field that surrounded the burrow that The Order had built together under the guidance of Richardson, and it was like nothing they had ever seen before. Certainly Stone's Hollow was impressive, but it had nothing on this. This was on a whole other level. Paw Paw smirked and jerked her head in a 'follow me' motion, leading them down the hillside. "Welcome to The Order of the Hare," she said. The rabbits continued down the hill, now knowing for certain that this was clearly not a trick of some kind, and were in utter awe at what they saw around them. They had all worked so hard together to create The Collective, to work merging their group into Stone's and moving into The Hollow, and here, Richardson had done it all by himself. What kind of sick irony was this, actually? Walking through the field, heading toward the main entrance, Kevin and Number Two exchanged concerned, but hopeful, glances. "Please don't be afraid," Paw Paw said, "This is a safe place. This is a place for friends. You are all more than welcome here. Please come inside with me. I'll take you to Richardson and your friend. I believe everyone is about to eat, if you're hungry." The three followed Paw Paw inside and were astounded by how grand the inside was, once more feeling outshone by the rabbit they'd essentially exiled. Inside, everyone was bustling about, just as happy as everyone outside had been. Ironically enough, this only made Kevin and Number Two feel even worse about their efforts. Hell, it had only been mere weeks before that Melvin and Crisp had left The Collective because they were tired of the drama and were unhappy. "It so pretty in here!" Mipsy said. "We wanted to make it cozy and inviting," Paw Paw replied, "I think we achieved that." "It feels like hug," Mipsy said, making Paw Paw chuckle. "This is a huge fucking bummer, dude," Kevin said to Number Two as they walked a bit behind the girls, and Number Two nodded. "Yeah, I...uh...I feel it, man, it's kind of a reminder of how bad we are at what we do," Number Two said, "I really hope Gerry's actually here. We need to bring him back and show him how important to us he still is. He isn't useless." "Nobody ever said he was," Kevin replied, "It's more that...that he thinks he is. And that he hasn't been fighting as hard to keep everyone together as he used to and that he doesn't seem to believe in an eventual happy outcome. He gave us all hope and now he's making us question that hope because he's questioning it himself." "You're not wrong, and I do agree and understand, but we need to make sure that he knows he's needed," Number Two said, "We need Gerry. We need him to finish this with us, not for us." Just then they heard the sound of laughter, and as they turned a corner and into another deeper burrow, they saw it. The feast these rabbits were having; laughter filled the cavern and warmed their hearts, as everyone seemed so blissful and happy. And there, smack dab next to Richardson, was their friend. Laughing, eating, and enjoying himself like they hadn't seen him do in ages. Number Two smiled, because simply seeing Gerry be happy was more than enough to make him happy, but Kevin...Kevin grimaced. How could he be so okay here and not okay at home? "Gerald," Number Two said, catching his attention. "Paul!" Gerry shouted, "Paul, come here! Kevin! Mipsy!" The four rabbits wandered past everyone else and sat around Gerry, all each giving him a hug. "What are you guys doing here?" Gerry asked. "What are you doing here?" Kevin asked coldly. "We came looking for you," Number Two said, "We were worried about you. You haven't been very okay lately and we just wanted to make sure that you were alright. Kevin grew concerned when he couldn't find you, and nobody else had seen you, so he came to get me because he knew I could track you down. Lo and behold, it wound up being this nice rabbit here who did the job for me." "Paw Paw, you're back!" Richardson said, giving her a hug as well, "Yes, Paw Paw is the best tracker we have here. If someone needs to be found or needs something found, she's the gal for the job!" "We need you to come home," Number Two said.. "Do we, though?" Kevin asked, catching a glare from Number Two as he said it, "I mean, he seems so happy here. Why not just let him stay here?" "What the fuck is your problem, man?" Number Two asked, turning to face Kevin now. "Hey, hey, calm down," Richardson said, stepping between them, "There's no need to be angry or upset. Everyone just cool it. This is my home, my girls home, and you will not bring this attitude of negativity into it. Hasn't there been enough anger between you all to last a lifetime?" "Oh that's rich coming from the guy who got my girlfriend killed," Kevin said, "Coming from the guy who nearly got Number Two killed on a waterfall, coming from the guy who sold us down the river to a mouse all because he wanted his own family back. Yeah, no, there's never enough anger, because none of us ever talk about the problems we have with one another. We just accept things, we just think 'oh, we're a family, we have to work together' but guess what you can't work together if you have too much unspoken pain between you. So, Gerald, Richardson, you guys wanna stay here or what? I'll lead the goddamned Collective myself if you want to stay here, I don't care anymore." "I know you will," Gerry said, surprising him. "Wh...what?" Kevin asked. "I said I know you will," Gerry repeated himself, "Because I taught you to be a leader. You lead them really well when I was still stuck in the lab, and look, you got Number Two and you managed to find me. I have no doubt that you'd finish what's been started if I were to choose to stay here." "...you can't...just leave," Kevin said, stuttering, "You...you started this. You started all of this. You can't just-" "I don't intend to leave, Kevin. Actually, after the bit of conversation I had with Richardson while being here, I think I fully acknowledge that it's my responsibility to, yes, see it through to the end. I made myself in charge of everyone, I put our plans of escape into motion and I agree with you that we need to save the new rabbits and take THEM out once and for all. So you and me, we're gonna make fire, and we're gonna burn THEM to the ground and we're gonna leave. And then it's all gonna be over." Nobody spoke for a moment as the rabbits stared one another down. Paw Paw leaned into Mipsy and lowered her voice. "Boy, are things between you guys always this tense?" she whispered. "Yeah, kinda," Mipsy said back. "But what if you hadn't run into Richardson?" Kevin asked, "What if you hadn't? You would've killed yourself, or left, and nobody would've ever admitted it but we all would've known that you just gave up on us." "Suicide is rarely that simple, and you know that," Number Two said. "Abandonment is abandonment!" Kevin said loudly, "He abandoned us, and without Richardsons surprising help, he likely would've stayed abandoning us!" "Kevin, just calm down. It doesn't matter what I would've done because I'm not doing it, so who cares," Gerry said. "I care! Because you put so much trust in me! You..." Kevin looked at the floor, "...you're not the rabbit I once knew or admired. I don't...I don't know who you are anymore, but I do know that I don't like whoever it is you've become." And then, breaking everything up, a rabbit raced into the area, out of breath and covered in dirt. Everyone turned to look at her. She waited for a few moments, then inhaled and screamed at the top of her lungs, "RUN!" And with that multiple black hoses pushed their way through the ceiling. The rabbits screamed and scattered. Richardson turned and shouted loudly to this flock to use the emergency tunnels, and most did just that. He then turned to Gerry and told him and the others from the Collective to follow him. They did. As they raced down through the tunnel, taking one turn after another, more hoses were breaking through, and behind them, they could see rabbits starting to collapse. Richardson stopped and started to go back, but Gerry grabbed him and pulled him. "You have to get out! There's nothing you can do!" he said, "Just keep going!" Richardson nodded and they took off again. Kevin and Number Two were at the front of the pack, dodging falling debris from the roof of the tunnel as it collapsed all around them and arms had begun to reach in, grabbing for, and pulling out, rabbit after rabbit in every direction. "This is it!" Number Two said, "This is what those rabbits were talking about! The one at the Hollow and the one I met in the woods!" "What?" Kevin shouted back. "The black snakes! These are the black snakes!" Number Two replied, and Kevin understood, yes, he was right. These were indeed the black snakes. Just then a large rock fell and separated them, leaving Kevin in a more collapsed part of the tunnel with Gerry and Paw Paw. The three of them, now shrouded in darkness and unsure which direction to go, quickly began digging as fast as they could, pushing through to a nearby tunnel. When they broke through, Paw Paw jerked her head in one direction, motioning for them to follow her. Kevin did, but soon heard Gerry screaming behind him, and turned to see Gerry had been grabbed by an arm. "Kevin!" Gerry shouted, "Kevin, help! Help me!" Kevin stood there, and watched. He waited, and watched, hoping this would rectify itself. Paw Paw raced back to his side. "What are you doing!?" she screamed, quickly racing past him to grab Gerry's paws and tugging him until his body broke free of the gloved hands and together they tumbled back down the tunnel. She quickly got back up, helped Gerry back up and they continued down the tunnel. As they passed Kevin, Gerry slowed down and they locked eyes. "You didn't help me," Gerry said. "I thought you could help yourself," Kevin said. "You better watch it," Gerry said, snarling, "You better watch your goddamned back." "I better, because I can't trust you to, it seems," Kevin replied, and with that they continued down the hall. As they reached the end, they broke free and into an exit of the woods. The Order of the Hare's tunnels had run long, and rabbits were scattering all around them into the woods. Paw Paw, Gerry and Kevin stopped and looked around. Some rabbits were slowing down, throwing up, collapsing, their eyes or noses bleeding profusely, while others held them in their last moments, sobbing as their friends drew their final breaths before them. "This is THEM," Gerry said, "This has to be THEM." "Where's Richardson?" Paw Paw asked, "And Mipsy? Where's Mipsy!?" she walked forward a bit, stood on her hind legs and shouted loudly, "MIPSY?! MIPSY, WHERE ARE YOU?!" No answer came. Number Two was also nowhere to be seen. Finally, from a nearby brush, Richardson emerged, and hissed at them to follow him, which they did. They continued through and hid within the bushes branches and leaves, catching their breaths. "You tried to kill me," Gerry whispered to Kevin. "I didn't try to kill you," Kevin said. "You certainly didn't spring to help," Gerry replied, "That was a deliberate pause, you were debating whether or not to save me." "I...I was mad, I would've helped you," Kevin said, his voice cracking, clearly feeling bad now, "I would've-" "It doesn't matter what you would've done," Gerry hissed, "What matters is what you did do." "We need to gather as many of my girls as we can and head to your home," Richardson said, "We need to return everyone back to The Hollow, where they'll be safe. Then we can discuss what to do about THEM at greater length." Just then, Number Two stumbled into the brush, dragging Mipsy behind him. Paw Paw quickly turned her attention to Mipsy, nudging at her with her nose, but Mipsy wouldn't open an eye. Number Two laid her down and looked around at everyone. "She's fine, don't worry, she didn't breath any of that stuff. She got hit in the head with a rock. She's just unconscious. Gerald, those were them, those were the black snakes. THEY are trying to kill us. THEY'RE trying to kill all rabbits. It's...genocide." "Let's just get Richardsons group and head home," Gerry said, "Once we're home we'll be safe." Paw Paw had Number Two put Mipsy on her back and she, Number Two and Richardson headed out of the brush. While Kevin tried to leave, Gerry grabbed him and pulled him back, their pink noses a mere inch apart. "If you ever do that to anyone else," Gerry said, "You'll be with Ellen again, do I make myself clear?" "You better not make threats you have no intention of keeping," Kevin said, shaking free of his grip and leaving the brush. Gerry sighed, and followed suite. *** Walking through the woods, in the dark, heading back to The Hollow (having gathered a good majority of Richardsons girls), Gerry just couldn't shake this feeling that the final problem wouldn't in fact be THEM like he'd always presumed it would be. That the final problem would, actually, be one of his closest friends. He'd need to keep a closer eye on Kevin from now on, that much he acknowledged. Mipsy eventually woke up lying on Paw Paw's back, being carried through the night. "You save me?" Mipsy asked, slurring her words. "Naw, Number Two saved you. I just was insistent on carrying you home," Paw Paw said, "Just go back to sleep. We should be there soon enough." "Okay," Mipsy said, snuggling her face into Paw Paw's fur, shutting her eyes once again, whispering, "I like you. You nice." "I like you too," Paw Paw replied, blushing. Number Two fell back to join Gerry, having been leading Richardson towards The Hollow for a while now. As he and Gerry walked side by side, he could tell something was bothering his friend, and he lowered his voice so nobody else could hear. "Everything okay? I'm glad we found you," Number Two said. "Paul," Gerry said, "You're my best friend, you're...well, more than my friend, as you're aware." "Well aware," Number Two said, smirking. "...whatever happens, however this ends, make sure Kevin doesn't kill me," Gerry said, "And if he does...kill him." "...you got it," Number Two said. It was a promise he intended to keep, no matter what the cost.
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The Rabbit Collective follows a group of lab rabbits struggling with their purpose, and hopeful eventual escape. Archives
October 2020
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