Vile Rabbit

Three days had passed since Mother Rabbit was injured. She was almost fully healed; she could already walk just as good as before, and even her missing fur had started to regrow.

He also grew a lot during this time, now measuring two and a half feet long. His sister, who usually looked at him in confusion, had started looking at him normally; guess she just accepted that he was special.

The days had gotten even colder, and Mother Rabbit started leaving the burrow less frequently compared to before. At first, he thought it was due to her injury, but now it seemed it was because of the temperature. Fortunately, she had stocked up enough grass that could last them for a good while.

Another day went by, unlike the previous days, this one was different.

As usual, he woke up to the nudging of Mother Rabbit. To his surprise, Mother Rabbit then expressed to them that today they would be going outside; he was shocked and excited. She led him and his siblings to the entrance of the burrow.

With a flick of her ears, Mother Rabbit gestured for them to follow as she climbed her way out of the burrow. Excitedly, he followed, easily copying her movements, lodging his paws into the dirt wall.

It felt natural, as if he had been doing it for years. His two siblings followed behind him, also copying Mother Rabbit's movements. Soon, they emerged above ground.

"So bright!"

His eyes widened with shock as he took in the sight before him: the ground blanketed with snow, and endless trees stretched as far as his eyes could see, their branches spread out almost blocking the sun.

He reached out one of his paws, to catch falling snow flake. He watched as the snow fell on his paw, then melted away the next second; his eyes flashed with fascination

…

Looking at the endless forest, he felt a strong urge to explore. But before he could move forward, his mother gestured for him and his siblings to stay close to her, follow her movements, and be alert.

Mother Rabbit lowered her body; her nose twitched as she sniffed the air, and her ears were also perked up. He did the same, lowering his body and sniffing the air. He smelled multiple scents, one of which he was familiar with: grass. He wanted to immediately follow the scents, but he held back, he had follow his mother's orders and stay close to her.

His siblings struggled to mimic the posture at first, but after a few tries, they managed to do it; his sister caught on first, then his dumb brother.

With a soft nudge, Mother gestured for them to follow her deeper into the forest. The little rabbit felt the thrill of adventure flowing through him as he followed his mother. Soon they vanished, leaving paw prints in the snow, the only reminder that they were there.

As they journeyed through the forest, occasionally his mother would stop, stand on her hind legs, and sniff. Her ears would also twitch, and she would even change direction sometimes. She led them through the snowy landscape with purpose. He had a sense of safety in her presence, knowing that she would always watch over him.

After a while, they arrived in front of a large tree. Mother then gestured for them to dig at its roots. Curiosity bubbled inside of him; he eagerly pawed the snow, and soon he reached the soil beneath. He was greeted with a familiar scent: grass, wonderful grass. After digging a little deeper into the soil, he saw it—grass, so green and beautiful.

He was almost drooling, and without a second thought, he pulled out a handful of grass. He then raised it above his head and stared at it intensely; his jet-black eyes sparkled with joy.

'So,This is where grass came from,' he thought, then stuffed it in his mouth. His siblings were also stuffing their cheeks as well. Mother smiled at them, then reminded him to always be vigilant, even while eating.

They continued to explore the forest. Mother showed and taught them many things: places to avoid and things not to eat. As the sun began to lower itself, Mother gestured it was time for them to return to the burrow. Reluctantly, he followed her. During this adventure, he felt their bond grow closer.

On their journey back, something caught his eyes: about twenty meters east of him stood five deer-like creatures, their heads was lowered, they seems to be eating. Their fur was the same color as the snow, they had large ears, a short tail, and long and slender legs. The one leading them had large antlers on its head. He gazed at the creatures with maximum curiosity; it was his first time seeing another creature other than his family.

The one leading them, as if sensing his gaze, raised its head and glanced at him for a second, then at his mother, then lowered its head back down. The moment he and the creature's lock, he felt his entire body become abnormally cold. He thought it was because of the the weather. But little did he knew…

His mother also looked at the creatures for a second, then gestured for them to continue the journey home.

Soon, they reached the entrance of their burrow and crawled inside. The familiar warmth of their home enveloped him. They snuggled together; he nestled close to his mother, absorbing her warmth.

The day's adventure swirled in his mind, and he felt a deep sense of contentment, having finally explored the outside world. Soon he sank into deep sleep.

The next morning, as he looked around, he noticed that his siblings were curled up together, but something didn't seem right. Their bodies were trembling even under the warmth of their mother. Worry filled his heart.

He nudged his sister gently with his nose. She opened one eye; looking at her eye, he worried even more. Unlike her usually bright eyes from before, they were now dull. He also nudged his brother, but he didn't move at all. His heart raced.

He nudged his sleeping mother; she woke up and looked at him, then at his siblings. Noticing his siblings' condition, her eyes flashed with worry.

She then licked their fur, trying to comfort them. Then, with an anxious look, Mother gestured to him to stay there and that she would soon be back. Before he could react, she turned into a blur towards the entrance of the burrow.