Bunny in Arcadia

As the moon crested in the black sky, only the silent twinkle of stars and wisps of clouds joining it on this night, a woman appeared at the end of the lane of houses. This lane was lined with identical houses with well kept lawns and flower beds. There was no nonsense here, and this woman most certainly wouldn’t be welcomed here if the inhabitants were awake. She limped down the lane, her left hand hanging limply and dripping blood down it and in her right arm was a baby bundled in a blanket that was a reflection of the night sky. This woman wore gauntlets, heavy metal boots, a chest plate and under the armor was a blood red dress that was torn and dirty. She had one eye closed against the blood dripping down her face into her eye from her hair line. Her sunset-colored curls were matted with blood, ash, and dirt. She stopped at the end of the walkway of number thirteen and hobbled up to the stairs. She looked down at the baby in her arms and smiled gently.

“I am so sorry my beloved baby girl. I won’t be there to see you grow up into the fabulous child that you are meant to be. However, I know that you will be safe here until the time comes to join me in the world you were born into. Please forgive me my sweet child.” She gave the child a kiss and then set her down on the front step with a letter peaking out of the bundle of blankets. The wind blew and then the woman was gone in a blink, leaving the child to slumber on in the dead of a warm spring night.

It was ten years later inside that same house where a baby was found on the porch that a knock was heard throughout the house.

“Get up you miserable child! You have work to do!” It was six in the morning when the knocking came, and a girl sat up in the bed that she was allowed to have in the small closet of a room in the far back of the house.

“Yes Mrs. Karen. I will be down in a moment.” She heard the heels of the woman clicking away on the wooden floor. The girl brushed a black bang out of her face and reached up on the shelf to grab a new set of clothes to change into. Well new was a relative term, they were oversized and worn through to almost having holes in them. She changed and opened the door, careful not to let the door bang on the mattress that she slept on and slipped out of the tiny room. She made her way to the kitchen where Mrs. Karen was standing and had her arms crossed and was tapping her foot.

“Lazy child, get to work on breakfast and don’t you dare burn one thing or eat anything. Then you will eat your own food and then begin on your chores. Don’t drag on about it either.”

“Yes, Mrs. Karen, right away.” The child walked over to the fridge and got out the bacon, eggs, sausage, butter, milk, and biscuits. Then walked over to the stove to warm up the oven before getting the pans and started on the breakfast. When she was almost finished the other child of the house came waltzing in. Rosalind was a beautiful child that was thin, blond, beautiful, and had a horrible personality. She was the popular child in school and if her sharp blue eyes caught anyone paying her miserable house guest any attention, she made them the target of so much bullying that the kid usually dropped out.

“Ugh, Mom, why did you let Bunnera make breakfast, are you trying to poison us?” She complained but took her seat before tapping away at her smart phone.

“I am busy this morning darling, so it had to be her.” Mrs. Karen said as she took her cup of coffee and her eyes never moved from the window over the sink, her noisy eyes always keeping watch over the next-door neighbors. Bunnera took out the plates and served up the breakfast quickly as she heard the last occupant of the house come down the stairs. In came a large man, beefy and tall, with a large beard and mustache. Dressed in an informal suit he was a big shot at his company and was even up for a promotion for department head at the hardware company that he worked for. He terrified her for a very specific reason and she made sure that everything was perfect for him when he entered the kitchen.

“Good morning my beautiful wife and child. What do we have on today’s schedule?” He asked as he sat down and began eating. Bunnera sighed inwardly in relief that he ignored her and shrank back into the hallway that connected her bedroom to the kitchen. She sank down to sit and yawn as she tried to wake up fully and to prepare herself for the long day ahead. Although today was a special day to her, not that her family would ever celebrate it. Today was her eleventh birthday and she was excited because it was one more year closer to being able to leave this house. Once everyone left the kitchen, she reentered the room and washed all the dishes before she made herself two pieces of toast and a cup of water. She ate on the floor in the corner and then cleaned her dishes up as well. Mrs. Karen came into the room again as she finished and glared at her. She had her purse, which meant she was going out.

“I am dropping Rosalind off at cheerleading practice then going out with the mother’s from my book club. I want this house spotless upon my return, do I make myself clear?” Bunnera nodded her head and Mrs. Karen huffed before turning on her heel and walked out of the room. Bunnera held her sigh as the monster of her nightmares looked her over.

“Everything will be done by the time we return Bunnera,” his voice got low and dangerous at her name, “because I am having partners over tonight and you will not be seen. Or else.” She couldn’t hide the shiver of fear or the widening of her eyes at those words that were growled out.

“Yes, sir.” She whimpered out and he nodded before leaving the room. She listened as he got his keys out of the bowl next to the entry way and she knew that he picked up his briefcase that was always placed neatly by the door before exiting the house. She heard Rosalind and Mrs. Karen leave shortly after. Clutching the edge of the sink she sunk down to her knees. Why, why had she been placed in this home? Chad Porter, for that was the name of the man that haunted her dreams, and Karen Porter were her adoptive parents. She was told when she got older that Chad’s sister had dumped her on the doorstep, unwanted, and she should be grateful that they had taken her in. It was hard to be grateful however when she had nothing. Sure they gave her a roof over her head and some food to eat, she even got to go to school, however as her bandaged hands suggested, there was more horror here than what meets the eye. Sighing and fighting back her tears, for they would not help anything, she stood up and got to work. She started with scrubbing the kitchen down and then moving to do the living room. As the day passed, she hummed to herself, she liked singing. She couldn’t sing or dance in or out of the house, there were cameras installed to watch her. If it looked like she was having fun, she was punished severely. She was there to work for the generosity of her family, not to have fun. Bunnera had the suspicion that it was actually because Rosalind wasn’t very good at either. She was captain of the cheerleading team, but those were routines practiced over and over and over until perfection was achieved. Dancing was fluid and ever changing depending on the music and your partner, if you had one. Luckily choir was demanded by the school as a class, so she had to take it, no matter how the Porters didn’t want her to sing. She eventually made a small name for herself in singing as that her teachers praised her relentlessly, she wasn’t allowed to participate in any contests, but she took the praise with grace and tried to dissuade them whenever Rosalind was in ear shot.

Going to school with Rosalind was, tedious to say the least. To say the most, it was a great pain. She wasn’t allowed to attract any attention, score greater than Rosalind on any test, be prettier, or even talk to anyone. The last person that tried to pay any attention to Bunnera had been bullied relentlessly until they transferred out of the school. Rosalind was behind it, she was the most popular girl in school, so everyone did what she said or kept their nose down. Being good in choir was her only outlet for her love for singing, all other classes she had to be worse than Rosalind. She was allowed to hum at home if no one was there, but that was it. It wasn’t much, but she clung to that very small thin thread of hope to keep her aloft. Soon she was outside the house, tending to the flower beds, mowing the lawn, and picking up any sticks. It was sun was setting by the time that the Porters arrived back home at the same time. This is when something quite unusual happened, something that never had been heard of. She was raking up the last of the lawn clippings when she looked up to a hoot. The Porters were getting out of their cars and were watching her with a mixture of looks. Mrs. Karen – pure horror, Chad – complete fury, and Rosalind – curiosity. There hovering just above her head was a tawny owl holding a letter with her name on the front in its talons. She reached up and took the heavy envelope from the owl, her name and address sparkling on the front with blue ink, and the owl regarded her once more before turning and flying off to wherever it had come from. She looked down at the letter and realized with a dreading jolt what it said.

Bunnera Roserain

Utility closet at 13 Waymouth Drive

Little Katskill, United States

There was no mistake that it was for her, but how in the world did they know that she slept in a utility closet? Chad ripped the letter out of her hand and read the cover of it with furious eyes.

“Who have you talked to?” He growled out and she shrunk away, using the rake as a small shield between them.

“No one, sir, I promise.” Rosalind took the letter and ripped it open.

“Congratulations Bunnera Roserain, you have been accepted to Academia Arcadia. We are more than excited to have you at our exceptional Academia. Since you are from the mortal realm in two days a chaperone will accompany you to go shopping for your school supplies. He will meet you at the end of the road at sun set. Please be prompt as he does not like to wait.” She finished up and scoffed at the letter. “Please, what kind of trash is this? Mortal realm? What kind of freak did you talk to set this all up?” She sneered at Bunnera with contempt. Chad took the letter back and read it for himself before sneering.

“House. Now.” He grit out while crinkling the letter up in his hand. Bunnera jumped and took the rake back into the garage before entering the house and going back to her room. She waited on pins and needles as the time passed, she knew he would be coming. She heard them host the guests from Chad’s company and also heard them leave. She heard him approach and her stomach dropped as she knew what was coming. He opened the door and somehow squeezed into her tiny room. She didn’t dare look at him, she was too afraid.

“Shirt off, lay down.” He grunted out and she followed his orders as he took off the belt that he wore. “You make a sound, there will be more.” Was all he said before the first strike came and she bit her lip to try not to make a sound, the punishment lasting well into the night.