Rabbits

By: Leah Liao

Campaign: Anything and Everything

A short novel intertwined with horror, romance, and mystery exploring raw issues of abusive relationships and mental health.

#shortnovel #horror #mentalhealthawareness #realisticfiction

Chapter 1— Dirty

The thumping, chopping sound of knives on the wooden cutting board thundered loudly in this small, dimmed, kitchen. The cold weather outside made the mid-18th-century floor kitchen tiles cold on the feet. So bare, that you can feel the sandpaper-like texture in between the gaps of the concrete line separating each, square to square.

The tiles are furnished clean, so clean it looks glossy as if it’s wet. Patterns of yellow flowers with green leaves and a cream base are placed chromatically precisely. 

The concrete lines between the tiles have brownish splatters; you could tell it’s an old house. The thumping sound of the chopping knives continues; the woman holding the knife looks very slender. Her burgundy brown hair was tied back in a low bun, bangs tucked behind her ears, out of her yellowish face. The brownish-red spots on her face splattered, under her eyes up to her cheekbones. She has a crooked nose and very large eye bags that are colored in tints of purple and brown, the thin skin is transparent in some ways, the green veins piercing through. She looked around her 20s, but her eyes looked old, 80, exhausted, and a bit mad. Looking at her, she’s very dirty-looking, but not from oily hair or unwashed skin. She’s hygienic, but never enough, she’s always going to be dirty.

The woman doesn’t blink, she just keeps chopping. As she lifts her cutting board–a loud THUMP! Immediately, her cutting board dropped, and so did the carrot pieces, scattering on the ground. She looked down at her elbow, a clean rip of flesh, she could see a few of her bones, and mahogany-colored blood clots starting to form. Her eyes scamaging around her, trying to find what had injured her. Her rolling eyeballs stopped when her vision lay on the corner of the counter that was once behind her, it must have been that. As the pain started to dig into her nerves, she began panicking, her heartbeat rising, beating, louder and louder and louder.

She runs out of the kitchen, opening a door, as the smell of rat poison gushes in her face tearing her eyes up. Still, she grabbed a chug of bleach off the shelves, quickly, slammed the door shut, and rushed back to the kitchen, grabbing a mop on the way back.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She wiped down the corner of the island in the kitchen where she bumped her elbow in. Every inch of the surface, she checks and double checks and checks again. Then drop. Down, to the ground.

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. She wiped down the flower tiles that were blemished by the blood of hers. Every inch of the surface, she checks and double checks and checks again. Then stands. Straight, upright.

Swooshily, she places back everything from its origin. Carefully checking if there’s a spot she's missed.

Then she stood there blankly, as the ringing in her ears stopped she could no longer hear her loud obnoxious heartbeat or her heavy breathing. The sounds of Christmas music and children’s laughter floated through the mustard yellow, dirty wallpapers. She stood there blankly, trying to let her surroundings sink in.

A tiny fluffy, white Rabbit hopped in her vision. The creature started munching on the carrot pieces on the ground. The woman's face softened, and her once tensed brows relaxed. Slightly she tilted her head, “Hello, cute thing,” she whispered in a high-pitched voice.

THUMP! The door opened. THUMP! The door closed. The woman shrugged a bit in fright, standing up speedily and walking to the door. A tall man with thick tensed eyebrows, brown eyes, and slicked-back hair walked in. He looked way older than the woman, perhaps he could be her father even. He was dressed up in a heavy dark brown coat, the shoulder of it covered with bits of remaining snow from the outside.

The man turned around. And like a trained animal, the woman took off his coat and hung it next to the door. The man took off his hat. And like a slave, the woman took it and hung it in the right place. She turned around, finally facing him. 

Locking eyes, he smiled and held his arms out for a hug. The woman's face burst into a large soft smile. She rushed into his arms. 

They hugged tightly, as he lifted her up, waddling her around a slight bit. 

While the women stepped away walking towards the dinner table, “Marry?” the man said to the women. 

Marry turned with a sweet smile on her face, which soon faded as she saw his expression scanning down, stopping at her bloody elbow. “What’s that?” he asked, now standing face-to-face with her. 

“I-” Marry didn’t get to answer. 

“I swear to god, WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MARRY.” The man’s voice raised into a loud demanding growl putting a strong emphasis on the “hell”. 

“I accidentally bumped into the kitchen’s island while preparing food for the Rabbits, Albert.” Like a child getting punished, Marry was looking down at those beautiful flower tiles.

The tiles are furnished clean, so clean it looks glossy as if it’s wet. Yet Marry’s watery eyes formed a grey fog in her vision covering the patterned flower tiles, dulling out the cream, yellow, and green.

“You didn’t get my table dirty did you?” Albert asked sharply, staring straight at Marry. 

“No, I didn’t. I made sure to clean up with bleach.” Marry answered. 

“It’s clean, it's clean, it’s clean…” she started repeating again and again under her breath as Albert approached the kitchen, annoyed. Marry is still standing there looking down at the ground.

Thump, thump, thump. A pair of sharp-pointed leather shoes entered Marry’s vision, she lifted her head up, tensing the muscles in her face trying to make a pleasant grin at the tall man standing in front of her. 

The second she lifted her head. SLAP! What follows after is the loud ear ringing and the burning sensation on her left cheek. The slap startled the small white rabbit on the ground, as it hopped out of the kitchen, that’s when Marry realized: She had forgotten to clean up the carrots.

“Eat it,” Albert said. The silence in the room was so loud.

“I said, EAT IT CLEAN,” Albert yelled again, his eyes wide, the muscles of his thick eyebrows twitching. 

Marry slowly kneed down to the ground, crawling towards the scattered carrot pieces, and started picking it up, chewing, then swallowing it piece by piece. Albert looked at the woman with a cold stare, he bent down his mouth next to her ears. 

As he whispered, “Don’t you dare make my house dirty.” you could smell the strong dense scent of alcohol on his breath. 

Thump, thump, thump, thump, geek, swoosh. The man walked to the dining table, pulled the chair out, flagged the napkin on the table, and started dining.

An Hour or two passed, and Albert stood up from the dinner table, passing the kitchen on his way upstairs. Thump, thump, thump, and stopped. 

“I got you a gift, it’s by the door.” Albert stood as he stared down at the woman kneeing on her fours on the ground not daring to move. 

Silence again, the man stared at her. Tick, tick, tick, so quiet you can hear the ticking of the clock. Thump, thump, thump, thump, Albert had left.

After minutes, Marry collapses to the ground on all fours. She lifted herself up, carefully walking to the door. A green rectangle gift box wrapped with green silk ribbons looks so nicely wrapped up. The gift box glowed bright yellow like a treasure. She slowly and carefully approached the gift box. Looking down at her feet, and the box in front of her Marry looks like a curious little girl.

The tiles behind the corner had collected a small pile of cream-colored dirty snow from the outside. Yet in front of the gift box, to Marry, it seems so insignificant.

She smiled and squatted down on the ground. Her finger gently brushed her hair back behind her ears. Then she carefully pulled on one end of the red ribbon, unfolding the bow. Nervousness started thumping her heart, as Marry lifted the lid of the box. She waited a moment still covering the gift. Gently she moved the cap out of her way.

“Oh my.”

With curly messy paper cutout confetti, right in the center of the box is a living naked infant. His’ purple skin suggested his suffocation inside that sealed box. Who in their right mind would put a naked infant in a gift box at a -15 degrees winter night? However, that doesn’t seem to concern Marry at all.

Marry seemed happy for the first time in forever, she lifted the tiny infant with both her hands under its armpits, holding it as if she was holding a rabbit. The baby’s body hung lifelessly, its hairless purple-colored body, and scrunched-up face. It looked disgusting.

“Aren’t you a cute thing?” Marry said blissfully, grinning.

Chapter 2— Obsession

The golden glob rises, and daylight comes along. The cold weather outside the house made the flower tiles extra cooling, fogging up the windows. The sizzling sound in the kitchen catches ears, while the smell of coffee and toast expands like a dough. 

“Morning honey,” said Albert his voice still rusty, while giving his beloved wife a kiss on the neck. 

“Morning,” Marry responded, on the other side of her face you could see a large dark spot, green in the middle blending out into dark purple; a bruise on her face. 

The man picked up the container from the table, carrots in hand he said: “Did you like the gift I gave you?”. 

The woman’s vision was covered in gray once again, “Yes, I loved it.” she said her hands not stopping in motion. 

“Glad you liked it,” Albert replied, hist of satisfaction of succeeding in his tone because he knew Marry could never leave him.

The cracking sound of the slippers moved into a corner in the living room, 4 new metal cages with thin lining painted in white, placed alongside each other. Each cage was filled with only white rabbits.  2 with babies and 2 with grown-ups. They are so populated, from afar it looks like a cage of white fluff. Albert stood there above, looking down at them packed in the cages. The dark brown pupils reflected the white bunnies huddled up together, sometimes screaking, sniffing, and their little noses moving. 

“Albert?” Marry called out.

The man replied in silence.

 “Albert?” Marry called out again, raising her voice a slight bit. 

“Albert! Are you feeding the rabbits again?” Marry asked, raising her voice even a bit louder.

It’s a bit odd, Albert had never liked Rabbits, and even so, he found them disgusting. He never understood why Marry loved them so much as if it was her children. The obsession of Marry with her Rabbits started off small. 1 rabbit, she begged and exchanged for multiple beatings from her husband. Then 1 turned into 2, and 2 turned into 4, then 10 til now 20. In fact, a new batch of babies had just been birthed. Rabbits are seemingly the only thing Marry has in her present life that’s in control of her.

Something that she could take care of and pour all the love she’s got to give. Even one bit, her delusions believe her rabbits love her too, as much as she loves them. Marry would do anything for her Rabbits, even if it means disobeying Albert. 

Albert hated them, he never allowed them in on the flower tiles, they were only allowed in those cramped cages. But the importance of her Rabbits outweighs the consequences of her disobedience, she lets them out when Albert leaves for work. Watching these white fluffy creatures hopping around on the pretty tiles is every bit of happiness in her, the only thing keeping her sane.

Recently, Albert had been acting odd. Since a few weeks ago, Albert developed a hobby of feeding the Rabbits. Perhaps he’d finally grown a liking to them like Marry hoped. But Marry sometimes wonders, is that really the case?

Snapping back, Albert blinked and tossed pieces of carrots separately inside the cages. The second the carrot fell, FLOP the carrot fell into the cages. The cracking sound of the metal moving busted and echoed loudly to the kitchen. 

“If you were you would have said so,” Marry mumbled under her breath. It sounded even quieter than a Rabbit’s sniff. 

“What did you say?” Albert was stern. Marry didn’t answer, and she saw through gray-tinted glasses. 

The crackling sound of the slipper approached the kitchen, Marry’s toes curled up against the cold tile floor. 

“I said, WHAT DID YOU SAY.” Albert bellowed in anger, as he threw the container of carrots towards Marry. 

Carrots scattered on the ground, a splashed of blood dripped down as well. Hand on her head, Marry started wimping, her head was cracked, and the hair on the puffy cushion-like scalp looked dramatically defined. Little dots of hair roots lifted slightly, with trails of blood wetting the hair. 

“You’re dirty, clean yourself up,” Albert said lastly, slapping the door shut.

Chapter 3— Count

Music traveled out of the record player, soft jazz followed by out-of-tune singing.

“Oh sweet baby, oh sweet baby.” Marry’s sang, sitting on the couch, baby in hand, it looked malnourished. 

Rabbits hopping around on the pretty tile floors. 

“1 and a 2 and 3 and a 4!”

“5, 6,7,8 and 9.”

“10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.”

“16, 17, 18 and-”

Marry stopped her counting.

She was in fraught, “1 and a 2 and 3 and a 4…5, 6,7,8 and 9” 

She counted again this time faster and more anxious as the number rose. Marry’s eyes grew wider, her brows scowling, her breath more rapid and loud.

She was certain, her Rabbits were missing.

She started panicking, this can’t be it. 

She placed the baby on his back and started stroking the baby, grooming it as if it were a Rabbit while she repeated; “It’s fine, I’m fine, I’m alright.”

Chapter 4— Not My Rabbit

“Marry, have you fed the baby?” Albert asked his legs crossed sitting on the sofa reading a newspaper. 

“Just did, I fed the baby milk,” Marry replied while her hands were busy washing the dinner plates, the baby lying aside on the sink counter wrapped up in a thin blanket. 

“Good,” Albert terse.

Marry’s busy hand stopped. Silence in the room, only the sound of the running tab and the acausal exhale from Albert’s cigar. A slight shine on the kitchen sink. Marry moved closer, bending herself down her face almost in the whole sink. Looking closely at the kitchen sink, using just the tips of her fingers, she picks up the thing she spotted. Moving it to the yellow deemed light, a strain of white fur glistened. 

Marry’s eyes grew wide and large, her pupils shrinking. 

“My Rabbits, my Rabbits, my Rabbits.” Marry cried louder and louder, her voice grew desperate and insane. 

“Oh…oh… no…no” she tried to force her words out inside her whimpering, rusty cries. “No…my Rabbits.” Marry’s cry grew louder, in historic. 

Picking up the baby, beside the kitchen sink, placing it face down, with only a hand on his stomach, she started grooming it again like it was a Rabbit.

“Marry? What’s wrong?” Albert asked approaching her, the intense smell of cigars followed him. 

“Oh…my Rabbits… They’ve they’ve fallen inside the sink.” Marry cried looking down at the baby, continuously, grooming it. 

Albert looked down at the baby, burping and hiccupping as his little hands and feet slightly struggled to move. Albert’s face grew serious and frustrated.

There's no way a live Rabbit fits inside a sink whole? 

“That’s impossible Marry,” Albert replied seriously.

“HOW DO YOU KNOW? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM?” Marry suddenly snapped. 

With all her ability, she shouted in Albert’s face. So close he would see the saliva strains at the back of her throat, the sickly colored snot sliding out of her nose, and her teary, wide, eyes. This was the first time she had ever raised her voice at him. 

“Give me the baby,” Albert demands like it’s a punishment for her. 

“No…” Marry murmured under her breath after the breakout. Large fat tears started falling down her face wetting the baby’s back. 

“I said, give me the baby.” Albert’s voice grew more serious, and a slight bit louder. 

Marry didn’t reply, but she held on to the baby harder, stroking the baby’s back harder. The pressure forced the baby’s soft dainty stomach in Marry’s hand, as the baby let out a little “hump”. Following the pouring, vomit ejects out of the baby’s mouth straight down to the ground.

The pretty flower tiles were no longer clean and glossy. It is now covered in yellow and lime-colored infant vomit. Sinking in the concrete lines, covering it. The vomit flowed outwards like liquid, spreading from square to square between the pretty flower tiles.

Albert held out a hand, trying to force the baby out of Marry’s hands. Marry’s hand clutched on tighter, almost mushing the baby’s fragile body. Albert felt her power, looking back at her, the woman’s face was facing down at the baby. And his face was confused, growing concerned, peeking a bit of disbelief at the woman. He attempted again, forcing the baby out of her hands. 

“No don’t take my Rabbits,” Marry said shoving the baby towards her body. 

Albert gripped her hands tightly, pulling them off, and then taking the baby away. 

“No…no… not…please NOT MY RABBIT.” her beg turned into a loud scream like a little girl without her doll, the second Albert took the baby.

Marry collapsed straight into the ground, into the vomit. The thick vomit was all over the end of her nightgown and her bare feet. Albert looked down at the woman. Thump thump thump thump, baby in hand, he headed up the stairs.

Chapter 5— Barefoot

He made sure no one heard him. Not even the baby. Barefooted, he stepped slowly and carefully down the stairs. Marry was lying still on the kitchen floor with dried-up vomit around her, yet asleep. He peeked at her, and a sudden feeling of disgust overcame his body. Taking a turn, moved to the living room where the sofas, tables, and Rabbits were. The room was extremely dark, you could barely see your own fingers.

Albert managed and squatted right down in front of the white cages. Gently and quietly, he opened the cages of the baby Rabbits. Reaching his arm inside the cage, like a blind person he swung around until he felt the touch of warmth and fur. Grabbing one with both of his hands squeezing it tightly. The back leg of the Rabbit twitched trying to kick, kick, and kick, its tiny mouth wide open showing its two front teeth, nose still sniffing trying to breathe.

CRUNCH, Albert bit it’s head off.

Spitting the fur out of his mouth, as he chewed and chewed. Slowly, he decapitated the Rabbit. The smell of the clean taste of Rabbit blood mixture with the meat of the Rabbit. Lightly flavored, lean with very little gamey taste. An umami taste exploded in his mouth. The burst of flavour blossomed and flourshied between his wet wiggling tongue and crushing teeth.

The pretty flower tiles are now blemished by green vomit and red blood. Even if wiped, it could never be cleaned. The house is dirty now.

“Ha…” Albert let out a gasp of breath, opening his mouth with the fleshy meat still in his mouth. The chunky white fur, thick chewy muscles, and soft flesh were all visible, mushed together.  

Albert had been eating Marry’s Rabbits.

After his feast, he headed upstairs. Not knowing the woman who was once lying in the vomit, was gone.

Chapter 6— Ruby Red and Ripe Grape Purple

Looking down at the baby in its crib. It’s a lifeless weak body lying. Marry picked it up, supporting the baby’s neck and it’s body. Holding it upside right, on her chest. Marry hoped he could hear her heartbeat while she hope she could hear his.

The baby had dark purple lips. And Marry’s eyes were gray all over again.

THUMP THUMP THUMP, timorously Marry headed downstairs. Opening the cage of Rabbits, watching the white fluffs squish through the tiny cage door.

STOMP

The Rabbits were startled, shook one bit, then swishy hopping away. Barefootedly, Marry smashed a baby Rabbit’s body. Slowing and lifting her feet, the Rabbit’s body looks twisted and mushed. Its bones spiked through slightly cutting Marry’s foot. The stomach popped open like a ripe zit, the organs flooding out. She looked down at it, then looked towards the other Rabbits.

STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP

The pretty flower tiles were now dirty. The dried-up infant vomit was the sour smell marinated in the house. The brownish color between the concrete spread while the blood dried up. And now, dead bodies of Rabbits mushed against the ground.

A knife and a needle. In and out, in and out, in and out. Poorly stitched sew with black threads combining skin and fur. It was extremely disfigured, ugly, and messy. The direct opposite of an exquisite gown, it’s so ugly it’d bring you to a frown. Glue and staples. On and in, on and in, on and in. Forcefully put together to present an unpleasant grotesque.

“Done.” The woman said. She was the only person in the room, in front of a wooden table of a mess. The table was delicately protected with nude-colored linen-like fabric, from the madness above. Tools of yarn, glue, needle, knives, saws, hammers. Her hands were ruby red, all the way up to her forearm.

Chapter 7— Them

The room was dark, you could barely see a thing. The dried-up vomit was still on the ground, uncleaned. A woman-shaped dark figure placed a Rabbit back inside the cage. Her hands were ruby red, all the way up to her forearm.

Albert sneaked downstairs once again. Marry was gone, but he couldn’t bother. All he wanted was the Rabbit. Squatting down at the white cage, the night is oddly quiet. The town is oddly quiet. And just a slip second everything was still, everything was calm. Like a peaceful afternoon, right before a thunderstorm.

Albert waved his hands. Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. It took him a while, until he felt it, the fur. It’s cold and stiff. He grabbed the Rabbit. It’s denser, but again he didn't mind.

CRUNCH, Albert bit it’s head off.

CLICK, Marry turned the lights on.

Albert stood in shock. His face was horrified, and his body jumped and dropped the Rabbit in his hands. Looking down at his hand, hide, hide, hide, was what he wanted to do. He looked down at the Rabbit. His heart dropped like an anchor in the ocean, deep.

The pretty flower tiles were no longer clean and glossy. The lime-colored vomit dried up yellowish, and the stick steamed in the room. The once gray concrete between the tiles is now stained in dark brown blood stains. And there lay, a poorly sewed together baby with patchy skin of a white Rabbits’ fur. The infant was breathless, with black large threads combining the skin to fur. Some part of the body isn’t holding up, ripping apart. 

“You killed them.” a voice of a woman. Alert turned to see Marry standing behind him, bloody.