For Love of Mister Cotton Tail: An Apocalyptic Fairytale (Single) (8 page)

He had everything. Cotton had everything, and he let it slip away because of the wolf.
He needed to tell Candy who he had been, but he wanted more reassurance. That fault was supposed to turn her away and toward Big Bunny, but it didn’t work out the way he had pictured it.

What
doe rabbit really wanted to come live underground with a buck like him? He saw realization pass in her eyes and it freaked her out. She wasn’t ready yet.

Nor would she
be. Cotton promised on day five he’d come to her. If he didn’t, Darren would get his wolfish hands on her sooner, and she’d lose Sweet Meats.

“Cotton, the storm is getting extra heavy,” Matt said as he came over again. “The first fleet of Easter Bunnies can’t even get out. What should we do?”

Stalled before they even started. It didn’t matter though, it was the fifth day, and he had to get back to Candy.

* * *

“That weather is flat out crazy,” Poured said as she strolled over to Candy. “Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll still come.”

Candy barely looked at her. Ever since that day with Cotton, Poured and Momma became more reasonable again. Saying they were sorry that it didn’t work out, but at least he would be her first. Strange thing was neither of them ever recommended Darren to just take over. Marriage, yes, but never outright find another way to keep him and take Cotton’s place. That had been unlike them.

“Momma said tonight should be the night,” Poured said as she handed Candy a glass of water. “Poppa isn’t looking so well.”

Candy wouldn’t know. She hadn’t seen ‘Poppa’ Marlen in so long. She never even really saw him sick. . .no, her imagination was getting away from her. Her father and her were like strangers, and she hadn’t actually tried to see him when he was sick. Losing father would be devastating toward the business, so why would Momma be making something like that up? It was just an eerie feeling. Poured and Momma smiled too much in her direction. “Poured?”

“Yes, Candy?” Poured said as she came back over.

“I want to see father.” Candy watched Poured’s eyes.

“Why? You never cared to before? He doesn’t do much.” Poured didn’t meet her eyes to her again. “You’re just worried about Cotton. Don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll show.”

Candy wasn’t half as nervous though as Poured was about him showing up. She could see it. Sweet Meats was holding something back. Everything in her life, someone was always hiding something. Couldn’t anyone be straight with her, just once?

“Psst.”

Candy looked at her feet and almost flipped. What was he doing there? “This is a highly dangerous area.” She picked up Big Bunny and set him on the table. She meticulously checked his paws, worry overcoming her. She hadn’t seen him in five days.

“Today is the big day.  A little rough start, but come. It’s your vision
, you should be a part of it,” Big Bunny said.

“I have to wait for Cotton.”

“We’ll go visit him if necessary. Please, Candy?”

Those big, sad rabbit eyes.
Even now, she just couldn’t say no to them. Not after being gone for so long.

Just one more time as a rabbit
, that was it. Just for him. Then, no more rabbit life. She could keep the real life in focus. Sweet Meats.

Just one more time.

She drove the truck he always seemed to have.
A very good reason she would just wish she would tell him if he was human. She’d watched him drive it one time completely with magic though. Steering wheel and gas pedal ran on their own. The windows were quite tinted though so no one could see it was a rabbit driving.

Did he always drive it with magic? Did he become human and drive it? A guessing game, that’s all it ever had been. As she drove
though, she saw her phone ringing. Big Bunny took over with his magic on the driving as she answered. “Hello?”

“Candy, damn it! Where are you? Are you with Cotton? No one saw him come in.”

“No.”

“Then get back here! What if you miss him? Do you have any idea how bad that would be?”

Candy lifted her ear away from the phone’s shouting. “Something came up.”

“They sure are obsessed over that guy.” Big Bunny moved closer to the phone, eyeing it suspiciously. “We haven’t even been gone five minutes.”

“He’ll be back.” Candy touched her forehead. “I am hanging up now, Poured, I will be back later. It’s not the end of the world if I miss Cotton.”

“Yes it is!”

Candy groaned and hung up, but Big Bunny shook his head. “What?”

“That ‘yes it is’.”

“It is to her. She wants the twenty percent of Sweet Meats.”

“I just can’t shake the feeling it’s more.” Big Bunny wiggled his paws extra hard at the wheel. “If I
form a bubble around the truck, would people see it in this blizzard?”

“Oh
just let me drive.”

* * *

Candy hopped her familiar hop toward the hole on Bunny Hill. She’d done this several times, but it felt bittersweet knowing this would be the last time. She moved down the darkness without fear and came out toward the light.

The doe and buck rabbits were all smiling right beside the hen and roosters. In the corners, bunnies and chicks were playing with each other. The baskets were filled
and it was a sight beyond compare. These were no ordinary baskets someone would mistake as fruit.

They were dreamy. The colors. The unique combination of elements, and topped off professionally with a chocolate bunny. Kids would go
ga ga for these magic baskets the Easter Bunnies would be bringing. “Easter Bunny baskets.” She was happy that she decided to come back. All of the work transforming this place, she had to come see it.

Big Bunny would be safe no matter what life threw at her now. Not only that, her life felt like it had a purpose these last two weeks. Sure, some of her ideas could never get through, but the ones that she believed in the most did. “Throughout the world.”

Oh, Bunny Hill was definitely bigger.

* * *

Hop by hop, she was doing the last part to help her bunny. Although small, each bunny had a set of houses they would hit that morning. Too small to hold the real baskets, they had strange magical packets that would be placed in an open area. When no eye was looking at them, they were supposed to change into baskets.

Candy had to admit that magic before really didn’t have much appeal anymore. But the rabbits, those Easter Bunny rabbits, they had real magic. Duplication, multiplication, transformation, transportation, etc. The list went on and many had more than one power. The children, when they saw these baskets, they were going to be mystified.

The trip to their first home was not easy. Magic did not completely work like clockwork. Unless they were in a bind, they were
expected get into the house themselves. Only when it could not be contained were they supposed to hit another packet standing right next to the house. It would take them five feet to the left. Although inside the house, Candy’s first try almost had her falling off of a chair.

There was something else strange about the baskets. Before she left, half the time, some of the eggs went missing. She knew how many had been in the baskets, so it was no surprise when she finally saw magic working against her.

Big Bunny tried to hide it, but it was no use. She moved over to a vase in the room, and searched around for the egg. Feeling it with her paw, she left it there, but shook her head. “Why are you hiding the eggs?”

“Because no kid needs a dozen eggs to eat.”

“We have been through this. They won’t eat all the eggs at once, and most will share with their family.”

“Yes, but
, candy is already right there.” Big Bunny gestured to the basket. “That is your magic candy, that is fine, but twelve eggs? Eggs are eggs. No one should eat twelve eggs at once.” He gestured around himself. “Instructions were given to hide at least half of them.”

“From who?”

“My mother.” He didn’t say it with a ton of pride, and a bit of shame. However he was following her instructions, so Candy had to admit defeat. At least the children could get up and go look for the eggs. They were clearly easy to spot, and no kid would miss them for long.

* * *

“It would not be full time.”

Candy
looked back at Big Bunny as he spoke. They were on their last house. So far, the day had been fun. She didn’t return back to Sweet Meats yet, choosing to play the part of Easter Bunny with her bunny. However, she knew it would be coming to an end soon.

“It would not be full time,” Big Bunny said yet again as he hopped over to her. “Stay.”

“What do you mean full time?”

“You do not have to be a rabbit
full time,” he said. “There is room down in the holes for bigger creatures. You could change back and forth.”

No, she could not. Candy closed her eyes. “I would be a human rabbit.”

“There is nothing wrong with that.”

“How could you know?” Candy hopped away. “Life would just get twisted. Can I eat meat,
or will I turn vegan? Can I run Sweet Meats or do I let Momma take charge while I hop around?”

“You are happier here,” Big Bunny stated. “You are happier with me than you would ever be at Sweet Meats.”

“You hate wolves!” Candy turned around and yelled.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It is their way of life,” Candy said, “and I do not see you rebelling against nature.” She hopped a little closer. “Why do you hate them that much?”

“Because they are vicious killers. The wolf gene is still out there, but the pure wolves are not. That wolf gene
, that makes hunters. People who want to kill us. They are wolves. With their shotguns and ammo, they are just modern day renditions. We still die to them. My father died to them.” Big Bunny went silent. “They take everything away.”

“Then I cannot
stay.”

“Why?”

“Because I am giving myself to a wolf.”

“What?”

Candy tried to his smile, but it was hopeless. “Darren Manner.”

“You cannot go to Darren M
anner.” His emerald green eyes turned red again. “You are waiting for Cotton.”

“For what? To hurt him even more?” Candy began to hop away. “I am tired of hurting the ones I love. Momma. Poured. Cotton. For my own selfish need. Seeing him again, it would just hurt both of us.” She stopped. “Change me back, I need to get going.”

“No.”

“You cannot stop this.” Candy’s voice broke.
“I didn’t help you for the apocalypse, I helped you find a better home. I will not make you live with the wolf. Now, change me back.”

* * *

Candy waited at the first table at Sweet Meats. Poured came over again as she had done before.

“I am glad you’re back. You don’t want to miss your Cotton,” she said. “Do you want something to eat?”

“It’s Darren.” Candy turned to look toward Poured. “I can’t deny facts, it’s the way it has always been. Darren will be coming. We’ll elope first, I talked him into it for a fifty fifty cut. Then, we’ll go from there.” Poured should have been thrilled by the news. Instead, she dropped her tray.

“You can’t do that.” Poured touched her shoulder. “You have to be with Cotton.”

“I am saving Sweet Meats either way.” What else did Poured want from her? “Watch out for Posh trying to interrupt his way over, please. I want to get this done as soon as possible.”

“But you can’t!”

“Why not?” Candy groaned as she glared at her sister. “You hated Cotton, what difference does it make?”

“An apocalyptic difference.” Momma Sweet came to Candy’s other side. “Candy, you don’t get a choice. You have to be with Cotton.”

“Apocalyptic?” Candy looked from Poured to Momma. Why would they use that term? Her mother and sister sat down and shared it. They shared everything. The dream when she was five. Tricking Cotton and Posh to come in at the right time.

“Your father isn’t even ill, I told him to take six months off at a beach resort somewhere. He knows the dream too,” her mother revealed.

“You.” Candy sat there, frozen. This whole time. Her family had been scheming for her to get taken by Cotton, but marry Darren for the company. “Your translation isn’t even right,” she said as she sat up from the chair. Then, Cotton came in. Poured and Momma tried to rush her over toward the door, but she didn’t move. He would just have to come to her.

“Candy.” Cotton bowed politely toward her. “We have some unfinished business.”

“No, we don’t.” Candy gestured to her mother and sister at her sides. “It was all an elaborate setup by them. I refuse to fall for anything more. I am getting married to Darren and that’s final. Leave.”

“Candy,” Cotton tried again. “We need to talk.”