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[Laufey]

Rampant Rabbits

The bunnies filled the world, blotting out the sun and the sky above, monstrously large creatures with spiky green skin and empty, shadowy eyes. Their mouths were halfway open, wooden teeth visible, and as the five big bunnies reared on their haunches, or crouched with their ears flattened, they all looked poised for attack.

“Mommy?” The small boy who was standing in the shadow of the largest rabbit was maybe four or five years old, with a chubby little face, round and curious brown eyes, and very fine, light brown hair. It was slightly curly, and currently in bad need of a cut. “Mommy, what’re those?”

The woman standing on a stepladder, trimming the largest rabbit’s ears with a large pair of hedge-clippers, smiled down at her son. She had the same soft brown hair that he did, currently gathered up in a bun from which a few loose strands had escaped. Although she wasn’t a dazzling beauty the smile seemed to light up her entire lively face, making it even more animated than before. “Why Xzar, there you are!” she said. “These are just the same old bushes we’ve always had here on the southern lawn, except now I’ve shaped them into bunnies. Don’t they look marvelous?”

The boy nodded, but he kept looking up at the rabbit looming over him. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was looking very hungry. “But…s’pose the bushes don’t want to be bunnies?” he tentatively asked, and his thumb gradually crept into his mouth as it always did when he got nervous. “S’pose…s’pose they get mad?”

His mother smiled again, and climbed down off the ladder. Carefully putting the hedge-clippers aside on the ground, she took off her gardening gloves. She then used one hand to gather Xzar into a gentle hug while the other firmly extracted his thumb from his mouth. “Don’t do that, dear, your teeth might go crooked. And the bunnies won’t get mad, I promise. They’re only bushes, they can’t hurt anybody. All right?”

“I guess,” Xzar said, but he wasn’t really convinced. The bunnies might only be bushes, but they were so big, and he didn’t think they looked friendly at all, not like bunnies should. “Mommy? Will you play with me?”

She shook her head regretfully, and tousled his hair. “I’m sorry, Xzar, I can’t right now. I want these ready in time for your birthday party tomorrow, and I can’t let the gardener do it, he simply isn’t good enough. Tell you what though, when your father gets home in an hour I’ll ask him to play with you. And in the meantime, just think about all the fun you’ll have tomorrow when all your friends come to see you!”

Xzar nodded, but his heart was sinking already. Birthday parties meant cake and candy, which was good, and presents, which was even better. But it also meant other kids, and he was no good with other kids. He was too small, too shy, and tended to be thought of as ‘weird’, and despite his young age he knew better than his mother did that his so-called ‘friends’ weren’t really friends at all. They only came because their parents were friends with his parents, and they usually paid far more attention to his toys than to him. I wish I had a real friend, he thought as he ambled across the lawn, his thumb once again stuck in his mouth. Somebody even smaller than me would be great. Somebody who’d go everywhere with me, and play with me forever and ever.

But in the meantime, how could he amuse himself until his father got home? I wish I could do magic like Daddy, he thought. Then I’d always have something fun to do. And I could make things happen, wonderful things, and I’d show all those other kids so they wouldn’t be mean to me. He didn’t know exactly what kind of wizard his father was, only that he was a very powerful one. If anybody had told him that his father not only held in awe by many, but also feared, he would have been surprised. Daddy was Daddy, and as far as Xzar knew all Daddies could conjure up fantastic beasts, or make fire come out of their hands. It was the same thing with the house. He’d never been to any other house, so as far as he knew fifty rooms in the main building was perfectly normal for a house. It was just home. And part of home was the park of course. He loved it, completely and totally, especially the cool and shady places beneath bushes or behind trees where he could hide for hours, playing or telling himself stories. Mommy loved it too, but that was because she enjoyed planting pretty flowers and that sort of thing, things that were bright and sunny and meant to be seen. Xzar preferred the shadows and the cool places where the glaring sun couldn’t give him one of his bad headaches.

The boy winced as he thought of the headaches. He’d been having them on and off for as long as he could remember, but they seemed to be coming more often lately, accompanied by a nasty orange light and a loud and keening sound. Like from a metal bug. And then the pain would be there, grinding itself into his head, making him want to cry with pain. That wasn’t the worst of it though…the worst was that sometimes he couldn’t remember what he’d done during the headache. He’d find himself in a room that he couldn’t remember entering, with no idea of how he had got there. And this past week he had thought he heard a voice calling out to him every time the headache stopped, a voice that he couldn’t quite hear. Worst of all was what had happened the last time. He had been locked in his room after supper, for misbehaving. Then the headache had come. And once he woke up his fingers were bloody, and there were scratches all along the door. I was trying to go someplace…somebody wants me to come see them. I wish they’d just ask.

But I am asking you, little boy.

Xzar started violently, looking around. It was the Voice! The voice he had heard before, only this time he could hear what it was saying. “Who are you?” he asked, his own voice trembling. “Where are you?”

In here. Behind the gazebo, and through the blackberry bushes. Come to me, Xzar. I am waiting for you. You are just the one I want to see. I have been calling you for quite some time.

Xzar hesitated, chewing on his thumb. The Voice didn’t sound mean as such. And it was the voice of a grownup, somebody he should listen to. It was a man, at least he thought so, but sometimes it warbled upwards and almost sounded like a woman’s, and it always sounded like it was about to giggle. That was good, wasn’t it? Happy people were friendly people, weren’t they?

Come here right now, Xzar. At once!

“All right,” Xzar said, making his mind up. He was curious, and he wanted to see who the Voice belonged to. And grownups were meant to be obeyed, he had been taught that good boys were respectful to adults and he wanted very much to be a good boy. Xzar walked around the small gazebo, a building of light pink and gray stone with a pointed roof crowned by a stone eagle with spread wings. It was the same eagle as on the shields hanging in the house, and on Daddy’s chair. Behind the gazebo he found the thick cluster of blackberry bushes, and hesitated again. The thorns looked long and sharp. Mommy would probably take them away when she had the time, but that wasn’t any help right now.

Come, Xzar. Do not worry about the pain, it will only hurt a little bit as long as you are careful. And I have such wonderful things to show you…power you can’t imagine.

Xzar pressed on, trying to hold the tall branches out of the way of his face as he pressed into the bushes that were far taller than he was. He choked back a few tears as one of them tore his cheek open nevertheless, but he went on. When that Voice spoke, there was no denying it. Even thinking about disobeying made his head start to hurt again. Finally, finally the bushes came to an end, and he found himself inside a small clearing, in the midst of the thorny blackberry bushes. It was like a small oasis, hidden away by the thorny branches, a spot where the surrounding bushes gave way to an open space of flat and dry earth. And there, right in the middle of the open space, there was an old well, with a crumbling lid of rotting wood on top. It was very quiet in here, Xzar noticed. Before he had heard birds singing in the trees, and bees buzzing. But in here, the only sound he could hear was his own heavy breathing. “Hello?” he asked. “Are you here?”

Down here, Xzar. Inside the well. Come closer, I swear I will not harm you.

Xzar took a few steps closer, drawn by the Voice. “Inside the well?” he asked. “How? Did you fall in? Mommy says I’m not supposed to go to close to things like wells, I could get hurt. Didn’t your Mommy tell you that?”

I didn’t fall in, the Voice said, and now there was a low hiss to it. I was pushed down, and then imprisoned here. You seem like a good little boy, am I right?

Xzar nodded his head emphatically, brown curls bouncing. “Yes!” he proudly stated. “I’m a very good boy, Mommy says so. Except when I’m bad, but I always say sorry and then it’s all right again.”

Well, that is good. That is very good. And I bet you are clever too. The Voice became very smooth, almost purring. And since you are a good little boy, I’m certain you want to help me out of here. Good little boys help others, don’t they?

“Yes…but the well…I’m not supposed to…”

Oh, your parents will understand that it was an emergency. And do you know what else I will do? If you help me up, I will reward you afterwards.

Now this sounded good, better than good. “Reward me?” Xzar eagerly asked, stepping even closer. He was close enough to touch the lid now, and he noticed that there were strange marks on top of it, symbols scratched in chalk. “How will you reward me?”

Why don’t you make a wish, young one, and we will see what I can come up with.

There was a hungry note in the Voice now, but Xzar didn’t notice that. Nor did he notice the two pinpoints of dirty orange light that shimmered deeply within the dark well. I could wish for a friend of my own…or a pet…a puppy maybe…or to be a wizard, like Daddy…Finally, he had an idea. “I want my Mommy to stop working on those big bunnies, and leave them alone, ‘cause I don’t like them, and I don’t think they like it either, and they scare me. And I want to be a really, really powerful wizard too, just like Daddy, and make things happen that nobody else can do.”

There was a moment’s brief silence. Very good. Now open this lid, and your wish will be granted. The rabbits will be left to their own devices, and with the power of your mind backing me I can assure you that you will make things happen.

Xzar nodded, and started pushing the lid aside. It was heavy, despite its rotting state, and he tried to avoid looking at the symbols on top of it. Looking at them made his eyes hurt and water, and made it feel as if the headache was about to start again. He pushed as hard as he could, determined not to give up, and finally he managed. “It’s all right, you can come up now!” he called down into the well.

Oh, I am coming, little one, the Voice called out. I am free! Free at last! And now I will take my vengeance on the descendants of those who dared imprison me here! Be certain of it, I AM COMING!

Xzar stood transfixed, unable to tear himself away from the well, shivering with dread as he stared into the dark depths. There was a great wind rushing out of it now, one that was cold and smelled of old mold and dead things, and now there were eyes coming towards him, large eyes of dirty orange, and he wanted to scream, but the noise wouldn’t come out. Then he fell backwards, and a huge something passed over him, something that seemed to be made of black and foul-smelling smoke, with enormous wings that enveloped him in shadows. Xzar cowered on the ground, crying silently as he tried to draw some comfort from the thumb in his mouth.

And now, the Voice said, close by his ear, I believe it is time you had your REWARD, my little pawn, child of the children of my captor. I seem to remember you mentioning something about bunnies…and your mother…

“No!” Xzar screamed, still not daring to look up. The headache was fierce now, practically splitting his head in two. “Not Mommy! You leave her alone!”

There was laughter, a cold and contemptuous giggle. Oh no, little one. I always keep my promises…one way or another. And some rampant rabbits seem a fine start to a new century of mayhem. You’re quite right. I don’t think those bushes really want to be that shape. Then the Thing soared into the sky, still shrieking with laughter and with a foul smell trailing after it, and it was gone.

For a few seconds, Xzar remained motionless, paralyzed with dread. The headache was so bad…he could hardly think. And then he heard a shrill scream of utter terror, coming from the southern lawn. “Mommy!” the boy yelled, stumbling towards the blackberry bushes. “Mommy, NO!” The thorns tore at his face, at his hands, biting into his flesh. By the time he emerged from the bushes there was blood streaming down his cheeks along with the tears, streaming into deep gashes that looked like claw-marks. He ran then, ran as fast as his short legs could carry him, until his chest constricted painfully and his muscles felt like they were about to burst. “Mommy…mommy…please be all right! Please stay away from the bunnies…”

They were still moving about as he reached the southern lawn. Five large, green shapes, made from wood and leaves, but infused with malignant intelligence. The bunnies turned towards him, their teeth bared and still dripping blood, the dark hollows of their eyes devoid of all compassion. They rustled in the wind, hopping slowly towards Xzar, their noses twitching hungrily. As they did so, they moved aside, and he saw.

Saw the hedge-clippers, lying on the ground, in the middle of a red pool. Saw the dark and lumpy shape lying next to it. Saw…saw… Mommy…mommy…nose like bunny…face…ears…bunny ears…they didn’t want to be bunnies so they made mommy into a bunny instead…Mommy bunny…Bunny mommy…

The headache was building, building, to the point where it felt as if something was about to break inside his head. He kept watching, as the bunnies returned to their original places and settled back into immobility, and as he did, a silvery giggle built up inside his throat and forced itself out between his lips. He was shaking, shaking on the bloody ground, and now something did burst inside of him, and it felt so lovely, so free and exhilarating, and everything was suddenly so funny and made so much sense.

That was how his father found him, an hour later, still giggling, crouching down next to the mutilated corpse, and playing with the dripping hedge-clippers. “Hello Daddy!” he said, smiling brightly with a face that was covered with disfiguring scratches, and smeared with grotesque splatters of blood. “Look Daddy…look what I did!”

Slowly, and unseen to the boy and the screaming man, the largest of the bunnies winked.