Page 1 of Run, Rabbit, Run

Chapter One

The forest was hauntingly still outside of her frantic panting. Everything seemed hopeless, but Bunny had to believe. The thrashing heart in her chest set a steady beat to which she moved her aching limbs.

Just get to the clearing… get to the clearing… You can do this, Bunny. She soothed herself with words she knew fell empty. Bunny’s only hope for escape lay beyond the treeline, which was two miles out according to her captor. It was a distance she cleared easily during her early morning runs.

However, that was at a relaxed pace on flat, even pavement, courtesy of her secluded suburb. Currently, she was carelessly crashing through overgrowth over winter-hardened ground, desperately trying to outrun the danger.

The situation served to cement her long-held belief that nature wanted you dead. The weak perished immediately. The strong lasted longer but died all the same in the end. And what was she? The weak, or the strong? As of yet, Bunny couldn’t determine the answer.

The cold air ripped at her raw throat as she sucked in frigid lungfuls. Trees crowded her on all sides, with their thick, looming boughs blocking all moonlight.

Although her eyes had adjusted to the velvet dark, she felt no relief from the fear. It would almost be better if she were still blindfolded. At least then she wouldn’t have to face the danger closing in, the hungry wolf nipping at her heels.

If she stopped, he’d swallow her whole.

The thought spurred her faster, mind spinning with the possibilities of how he might decide to use her body. Before setting her loose into the woods, her captor had made clear that she was no longer her own person if he caught her. Instead, she was a possession—something to be used however he saw fit.

Abruptly, Bunny felt herself pitching forward, tumbling to the ground with a shock that took her breath away.

She paused, her breath held tight in her chest, taking stock of her body, still numb with adrenaline. Her arms were raw from the impact with the frozen ground, since she had instinctively thrown them out to protect her face. Thankfully, they weren’t too badly damaged. Even so, the building pain proved the ground was still unrelenting in its rigidity even as the warmth of spring was budding.

This was proven further by her feet, which had gone numb after what must have been over a mile. Her sneakers were crusted in spring-time mud, which was also splattered up her legs.

On the bright side, it meant she didn’t have far to go, should her internal compass serve her right. And, with burgeoning hope in her heart, Bunny realized she hadn’t seen a trace of her kidnapper yet.

But realistically, that thought brought little comfort. He was sure to know these woods while she didn’t know them at all, and Bunny had the creeping suspicion he was toying with her. These were his hunting grounds, after all. From what she knew of sadists, half the fun would be raising her hope just to watch it drain.

As if on command, she heard dry twigs snapping from behind her, and something inside of her snapped, as well, as panic shot through her. “Oh, my poor Bunny,” A deep voice crooned, “I do hope you didn’t hurt yourself. Damaging my property is a punishable offense.”

Fuck, fuck, oh fuck, she thought, tears pricking at her eyes, cold on her face.

Bunny whipped her head around, sending auburn hair flying in limp, sweaty strands, desperately gauging his distance from her.

“I’ll give you one more chance, Bunny, and a thirty-second head start. You’re very close. I’m impressed, honestly.” There was humor in his voice, and it turned her stomach. This was nothing but a game to him. For her, it was likely life or death... or a fate far worse.

Bunny scrambled to her feet, catching herself from falling again when her stiff legs gave way. Once she had her bearings, she took off, dashing madly. It couldn’t be more than a half mile to the finish line.

Her captor had told her there was a break in the trees only two miles out from where he had let her go. She could go free if she made it there before he caught her. If not…

The thought made her tears flow freely.

She wore the smile of a person who couldn’t believe their fate as they were led to the gallows, a hysterical grin that made her breath come out in waves of steam rather than puffs.

Finally, salvation could be seen through a clear patch of sky in the distance: a thinning of trees, where moonlight touched the earth. It was the push she needed to run harder, even as everything around her stilled to slow motion.

And then, something was wrapped around her midsection.

An arm. His arm.

“Gotcha.” His voice dripped with glee. It made Bunny feel sick. She twisted, pushing hard against his steely hold on her, to try and ram her head into his face.

The headbutt landed, and the shock loosened her captor’s grip. Bunny pushed away, turned on heel, and shot forward. Her eyes were alight with fear and quickly fading hope as she desperately careened toward the clearing.

But then she felt herself in free fall, landing with a crushing weight pressing her into the hardened earth. Pain exploded through her already aching body.

“Oh, my poor, frightened, Bunny,” His breath warmed her ear as he panted from the exertion, but she shuddered even as the chill of the night faded, “I would say you don’t have anything to fear... but after that stunt, I think that would be a lie.”

Bunny struggled, but it wasn’t any use. His weight kept her spent body pinned, and she was losing her will to fight back. Why bother? She didn’t think it even mattered anymore.