Bunny

This story is a mix between romance and magic. Can a Bunnies save a man's tortured soul? Constructive comments are very welcome. EVERYONE in the story is at least eighteen years of age and willing participants.

Thanks to Headitor for editing support and creative assistance. Without them the story would never have made it - any remaining errors we missed - we don't need to be told.

*

I was headed home from my cousin's house; they had thrown their yearly Easter cookout. Food and drink had been heavily indulged in for most everyone - but me. I'd drunk a few of course, but never having been one to drink much, I was still on the right side of sober; most of the others had drunk enough to make up for my lack. I'd downed well over a gallon of water - I'd retired a year ago, but still drank gallons of water like I was in the desert somewhere.

Our family had got together today over at Patricia's and Eddie's to cook, let the kids hunt Easter eggs and such, Patricia preferred everyone to call her P.P. I'd missed so many of these over the years. P.P. and Eddie had a few folks I did not know there also, fact is I did not know a lot of people, having been gone twenty years.

P.P. was my older cousin on my mom's side, but we'd almost become brother and sister along the way when we were young. A lot of folks got confused because she'd call me Bubba all the time, making them think we were actually brother and sister.

The majority of folks had left when it got dark, but a few of us stayed and hung around enjoying being outside till late. Outside is where I spent a lot of time anyways; believe it or not, having a roof over your head is something odd at times when you've spent a lot of your life without one.

I'd decided to leave just before eleven. Not like I had to be up and at work tomorrow; my pension covered what little we needed, and I'd been smart enough to avoid marriage and kids while in the service. I'd got out at thirty-eight with my twenty and a few months in, so my retirement was that, mine.

Thorns and I were taking our time heading home, driving down some back-country roads about fifteen miles from the house. It was April in Texas, which meant you might get snow, heat, rain or like tonight just warm enough that when you hit low lying areas in the road you got that quick chill.

My granny would say it was 'haints crossing'" when you'd get the chill. To her it meant you drove through a misplaced spirit, sending their deathly cold through you.

I had the windows down enjoying the night air, Thorns with her head out her window. Thorns is my Belgian Malinois. I'd had one named Gunner a few tours in overseas and fell in love with the breed. I'd found a reputable breeder just before my Final Out, took a few days leave and picked her out when she was three weeks old.

By the time I got back home and found a house to rent it was time to pick Thorns up from the breeder at three months old. I'd done right by her and made sure she, and I went to training daily as soon as she was ready. She was as good as Gunner maybe even better. Her one flaw, she was jealous.

My mom had even said Thorns was more jealous than any girl I'd ever dated. She wouldn't harm anything or anyone without command, but let another animal near me and she'd whimper, whine, pout and carry on like you never heard.

Her actions alone were about to make tonight an odd one, even without what I was about to step into. It would leave anyone to question their own sanity, and trust me, twenty years much of in one third world hot spot or another, I needed what sanity I still had.

We'd hit the bottom area where Bogey Stanley lived when I was a kid, when my bladder got the best of me. Old Farm to Market road this late there was no traffic, so I pulled the truck over to drain the vein. I'd made it to the passenger side when Thorns went to raising sand. She was barking her head off, but it wasn't an aggressive bark, more of a pleading bark. Maybe she needed to pee with daddy, so I opened the door and she shot out like she'd been dropped out the door of a helo. Problem is I had Johnson out and had started pissing.

I could hear her moving through the woods barking, but it still wasn't aggressive, so I figured I'd let her stretch her legs while I peed. Finished up, I went to calling her to come back. Her bark had turned into a whine. I'd never heard her whine quite like this, but for some reason my brain knew it was an urgent begging.

I grabbed my light from the glove box and started toward where I heard her. She'd made it about one hundred meters in. My light hit the reflective strips on her vest up ahead. She was laying down just whining. Thorns never looked at me or the light as I came toward her through the briars and branches.

There were damn Aralia spinosa, devil's walking cane as my granny had called it, and it was everywhere. Whatever Thorns had found had protected itself with briars and trees that tore at my clothes and flesh.

Thorns may not have sounded aggressive or been postured that way, but I'd still unholstered my Glock 15 about fifty feet from her. Something had her like I'd never seen, and as I got close my light hit what had her attention. I had no idea what it was. All I could see was a strawberry-pink colored ball of fur rolling around. What the hell kind of animal had pink fur?

"Thorns Komm her, Komm her!!"

She would not move, so I had to go to her. I was down on my hands and knees getting under the brush to get there.

"What the fuck?!?"

It was a rabbit. A pink rabbit. The poor thing had been snared at some point and had managed to pull the snare free, but the wire was caught in the briars.

"Easy girl. Easy", I told the rabbit.

Why it was a girl in my mind I had no idea, maybe because it was the pink, maybe... Fuck who knows, it's damn near midnight, I'm cut and scratched to pieces, and on my knees in the woods, with a loaded pistol in one hand and an attack dog who's acting like a worried mother. It's a girl, alright.

Soon as I touched her, she went still and let me work the wire off her leg. I set the animal down to try and crawl out so we could go home. Thorns wasn't having it. She just whimpered and nudged my hand then the rabbit. My hand then the rabbit. The rabbit just sat there, why had it not run?

I sighed, "OK girl she comes with us."

Picking the rabbit up again, I got the bark I wanted, the happy 'let's go home' bark.

"OK girl take us home," I said undoing her lead attached to her vest straps and clicking the light off.

I held the lead with the hand I used to walk on with my knees, the other clutching the still rabbit to my chest, Thorns guiding us out. I was covered in sweat and ripped to shreds by the time Thorns led us back to the truck.

Only then did I realize it had been a good thing nobody came along, the passenger door was open, and the keys were in the ignition, my truck ripe for stealing. Thorns loaded up; I closed the door behind her. 'What the hell am I gonna do with this rabbit I wondered. If I set it down Thorns is gonna raise sand again.' I looked the rabbit eye to eye in the dark.

"OK girl you're coming with us. What's your name huh?" No answer. Was worth a try, I mean it's a fucking pink rabbit, come on, you know.

"How about Bunny," I asked. Her ears just twitched.

I know, creative. Again... it's a pink fucking rabbit, midnight in the woods of East Texas, I was stone cold sober, and I don't do drugs, cut to shreds by trees and briars, so gimmie a break.

Bunny rode snuggled into the side of my leg the rest of the trip. I'm not sure what amazed me more, the pink rabbit in my seat or my usually jealous dog licking it and not bitching about another animal near me.

Getting out in the garage, I realized both myself and Bunny had blood on us. A quick gentle cleaning of the pink fur proved all the blood to be mine. I'd been punctured a few dozen times, still had a few thorns in me thanks to the Devil's Walking Stick and a bunch of scratches from the briars. I cleaned Bunny up, sat her on a towel on the floor, then stripped and showered. Some peroxide and a few Band-Aids here and there for me and we were clean.

Thorns just sat watching the whole time, looking at me like 'dude it's a pink fucking rabbit, what'd you expect'. I ended up laughing which made Thorns tilt her head like I was crazy, which made me laugh harder.

I was with the girls in the kitchen when P.P. texted.

"Hey Bubba, you make it home OK?"

"I think so," I text back.

"What the hell does that mean LOL".

"Tell you tomorrow" I text. "Nobody there spiked the drinks, did they?"

"Naw, you OK?"

"Yeah P, I'll call you tomorrow if you're gonna be home".

"Hell, I'm here every day," she sent back.

I sat Bunny on the floor and opened the fridge. 'Do rabbits really like carrots,' I wondered. I felt Thorns nudging my leg. I looked down, she pushed Bunny towards me with her nose. I sighed and picked up Bunny. Thorns sat watching me.

"Girl, you OK," I asked? She looked at me like yeah, you're the one holding a pink rabbit, I'm fine.

Listen, I know if you have an animal you make up what they are saying when they look at you too, so don't act like you don't.

Well I had some baby carrots, I liked them in stew. Bunny seemed to agree and worked on one with her paws and teeth. I put her down by Thorns' bed, about to head to bed myself.

More whimpering and nudging Bunny from Thorns. I knelt and loved on Thorns, she just leaned into me licking as usual.

"You OK baby girl," I asked? She just licked my face. "OK girl, I get it." I picked up Bunny, and Thorns laid down in her bed.

"Looks like you're with me," I said to the... Pink fucking rabbit. I've lost my damn mind. Someone spiked my drink, slipped me some shrooms, I'd finally flipped...

'Well when I wake up it should be worn off, till then I'm sleeping with a pink rabbit...'

To say my sleep was restless would be an understatement. It was never too great, due to some issues hanging on from the service, but at least the dream tonight was filled with a beautiful girl.

She had long, pink, curly hair spilling outside the hoodie on her sweatshirt. Wearing cut-off shorts, her legs looked really long and shapely for her height. I'd guess maybe 5'5". From the few glimpses I could catch of her face she was beautiful, and well-proportioned up top and bottom, as I chased her through the woods.

Well chase is the wrong word, more followed her. She'd turn her head and smile now and then, and just as I would be about to place my hand on her shoulder, she'd be gone. I'd catch movement out of the corner of my eye, and she would be going through the trees somewhere else and I'd move toward her. This played over all night, me in constant pursuit of this elusive beauty.

I came to a clearing; there was a small white building in my dream, the paint weather-worn on its exterior. Somewhere in my brain I remembered it was ol' man Kollier's dairy barn, I'd played there as a kid. He'd chase me off cursing. The barn, even then, was old and dangerous.

The girl was standing in the doorway just peeking out. She extended her arm and wiggled a finger to make me follow. As I headed into the clearing in front of the dairy, I heard a melodic giggle as she stepped back into the door and disappeared.

Inside was dark, but a search of the barn turned up nothing. Again the melodic giggle and I saw her move past a window outside heading in the woods again. Time had stood still in the dream; it seemed to always be dusk.

I woke up hearing the theme from the Good, the Bad and the Ugly on my phone.

"Hello," I managed feeling groggy.

"Hey Bubba."

"Hey P."

"You OK," she asked.

"Yeah, just waking up," I said.

"Waking up now? You? It's almost eleven"

"It's what?"

"Eleven. You sure you're OK," she asked again.

"Yeah P, had a weird dream..." I spun, looking in the bed - no pink rabbit. Shit it had all been a dream or hallucination.

"Bubba? Bubba?"

"Uh- yeah P. Say you sure everyone there last night is on the level I asked?"

"Yeah, I know them all well, why?"

"I think I've been hallucinating since last night," I said.

"You ain't taking no meds from the damn V.A., are you?"

I laughed, "no they say I'm fit as a fiddle."

"I'm gonna get dressed, feed and let Thorns out, shower and come on over. I gotta tell you about last night," I said.

"OK Bubs I'll be here."

It was weird Thorns had let me sleep that long, usually she'd wake me up wanting to be out or fed if I stayed in bed past five.

I heard her yip somewhere in the house, she seemed to be playing probably with one of her toys, so I figured I'd just shower. The hot water hit me and burned. Shit I did have scratches and cuts. I had been in the woods last night. I guess chasing a hallucination. No wonder Thorns left me alone, she'd probably been freaked out by my actions.

Dried and dressed. I put my watch on, a Zero Tolerance pocketknife in both front pockets of my jeans and slipped my Glock 15 inside its IWB holster. It was a damn comfy inside the waistband holster too. I'd managed to quit showering with it since discharge, but I still felt better with it on me. Better to have and not need than need and not have. For all you that don't understand, when your life revolves keeping yourself and your friends alive basically for twenty years, just not carrying a gun is impossible. Carry your ass through someone else's shoes for a bit.

Thorns was still happily yipping now and then when I headed into the kitchen getting her food bowl ready, filling her water dish.

"Come get it you hungry hound," I called. She didn't come but was yipping in the living room where her bed was.

I went in the living room sipping a glass of orange juice and froze, cup hitting the floor. Thorns and Bunny both just staring at me. There was my dog and a pink rabbit playing on the floor.

I actually said out loud, "you are real."

Bunny hopped over to my feet and raised her front paws up on my leg. With a shaking hand, I picked her up. She nuzzled into my chest; Thorns rubbed on my leg then headed to her dish.

I took Bunny to the counter and sat her there, "stay" I said. I got her two baby carrots and a small bowl for water. She eagerly attacked the food and then the water. I stood watching this pink rabbit, forgetting about the juice on the floor.

How do rabbits let you know they need to potty I wondered? I ran a quick search on my phone, Google suggested newspaper. I had a stack that was delivered daily: I guess the previous resident had a subscription. I decided on a spot and placed some down.

Both girls finished I told Thorns, "Weg hier".

She headed to the back door, while I scooped Bunny up and we went out the back. Thorns headed to her normal spot over at the back corner of the fence. I put Bunny down and watched her hop around till she found a spot to relieve herself. It dawned on me: I wasn't sure if she was a she. I'd need to check.

She hopped back to me, I picked her up and checked. Nothing male, just the tiny slit, she seemed to be a girl. I examined her fur. I'd been sure it had to be pink dye but could find no evidence. I put her back down, leaving her and Thorns to play around. In the storage building I and found a chest rig I'd worn in the service. A few adjustments, Velcro pouches removed, and I was confident Bunny would fit just fine.

"Wanna ride girls," I asked? Thorns bolted to the door, she knew riding, she loved it as she got to hang out the window. Inside I got her vest on her, packed her lead in the straps on the back, removed thorns and briar burs from it, and put a spare pistol mag and knife in the pockets of her vest. I put the chest rig on me: it normally would have carried spare rifle mags, first aid and a smoke grenade, and tourniquet it now carried a pink rabbit.

I packed a few bottles of water in my backpack and grabbed a hank of paracord from a drawer, figuring I'd make a collar and leash for Bunny today. Putting the items in my backpack, I realized with a little reluctance, that I had accepted the fact I now had a pink rabbit. I mean what else was I gonna do with her. I couldn't turn her loose, Thorns would lose her mind. Thorns was at the front door sitting, while Bunny, seemed comfortable with her front feet and head hanging out the chest rig.

I just needed a minivan and I'd be mister mom to animals. Maybe I needed a blue cat and orange hamster to round this family out, I laughed to myself, still unsure I wasn't losing the rest of my sanity. We headed to P.P.'s, Thorns hanging out the passenger window and Bunny peeking over the chest rig.

I pulled up; P.P. heard me slam the doors.

"I'm around back," she called, "come through, I'll get you some tea."

I made it around the back and sat Bunny on the patio table, while P. was inside making me a glass of tea. Thorns had hopped up in a chair, P. always let her sit in a chair at her house. I didn't at home, but I let P spoil her.

She came out, "hey Bubba," she hugged me handing me the iced tea. Her eyes got big, "where the hell did you get a pink rabbit?"

"Thank god," I cried out.

"What?" P asked.

"You can see her."

"Hell yeah, I can, it's a pink rabbit."

I felt my hands start shaking as I sat down.

"Bubba you OK?"

"P, I was sure I was losing my mind, I thought she was a hallucination."

"Naw, I see her plain as day."

I filled P. in on the trek to get her.

"Sounds like some kind of fate," she said.

"Fate?"

"Yeah sure. Think about it. You peed over there," she pointed at a tree across the yard, "right before you left. You went a route you don't normally go and had to pee again. Thorns," P said reaching over to pet her, "hears Bunny and takes off making you go get her. Fate she said, or destiny, whatever you wanna call it."

"For what though?"

"Baby we don't know yet, but I feel like it's right. You hurt inside. You won't say it, but I've known you since the day you were born. Something happened your last tour and you still got it buried inside. That's why you retired. You didn't have to tell me, I knew," she said as I just looked at her. "I mean you're still young, strong, capable, and shit. Maybe Bunny is here to fix it," she said.

I told her about the dream; she nodded along as I explained.

"It's Bunny," she said.

"It's what," I asked as Bunny hopped across the table and into P's lap.

"Such a pretty girl," P said petting her. "You went and got a pink rabbit from the woods."

I nodded.

"Then you follow a pink-haired pretty girl through the woods in your dream."

I nodded.

"Two pretty pink girls? Case, it was Bunny."

"OK, but even if I accept that, and I'm not sure I do, what does it all mean?"

"I don't know," she said. "Let me call Linda Sue."

Bunny seemed happy in P's lap. I got a ball out of the truck. Thorns would chase it down, she brought it back, and I'd throw it again, while P talked to Linda.

I felt weight on my foot, looked down; it was bunny. I picked her up and nuzzled her. The fur was so soft. It was then I noticed her eyes in the light the first time. They were a violet color.

"She's on her way," P said.

"Who?"

"Linda, she wants to see Bunny and you together."

"Oh P... I mean... what the hell."

I sat down with Bunny.

"Let me see her," P said.

She examined her. "Her fur does not seem to be dyed, it's really pink," she said.

"I thought so too," I agreed.

"Case, nobody ever heard of a real pink rabbit. Fate," she said matter of fact. She handed Bunny back to me.

"Why are you here?" I asked Bunny as I looked at her. Her ears twitched.

Linda Sue was there in less than ten minutes.

I'd known Linda most of my life. She was P's aunt on her dad's side.

"I be damned," she said sitting down.