Chapter Text
The rabbit was scared.
It had ran as far as it could, moving by instinct, by some distant and half forgotten memory, until its legs had given out. When it curled up beneath the bush, there had been no thought, only exhaustion. It had heard the dogs barking and the steps of someone approaching and had done what rabbits do: stay still, don’t move an inch.
Even when the pigman had picked it up, the rabbit hadn’t moved. It didn’t move as he carried it, dogs that would surely rip it to shreds nipping at his heels. It had only moved when he brought it somewhere that smelled of metal and fire.
The rabbit knew what those smells meant – pain, never ending – and knew it had to get away but there was no strength in its kicks and when pigman spoke, the words were soft as were his touches.
A memory pricked somewhere in the back of the rabbit’s mind.
People weren’t to be trusted. People would hunt, catch, and maim if they could. It knew that well. There were pieces of it missing now and people had been the ones to cut those pieces away.
But the cabin was warm.
I haven’t betrayed you, the rabbit thought and didn’t know why.
It let the man clean it up if only because it had no energy to do anything else. And the bedding that it lay on was soft so maybe it would be alright if it rested for a moment. Not long, just enough to gather its strength, to be able to run again if needed.
The rabbit closed its eyes.