Instincts

Amelia's Beginning

I cough uncontrollably and feel my mind slipping out of unconsciousness.

There is so much smoke, I think.

Just as I thought I was going to die in my own house, I feel thick furry arms pick up my little body and carry me out the house.

One arm is wrapped under my head with their hands over my eyes and the other is placed under my knees.

I try to move my head so I can get a good look at the person who saved me, but their grip is firm over my eyes

My body decides to give up and I collapse in their arms.

***

I wake up in the hospital and immediately search the room for my mommy, but I don't see her anywhere.

Panic spreads throughout me until I notice Hazel, my rabbit, sitting at the end of the hospital bed, staring at me.

"Hazel..." I whimper, opening up my arms. She hops towards me and nuzzles up against my chest, her ears grazing my chin.

The nurse, who is a female deer, judging by her scent, comes in shortly after and runs some tests on me, but I still don't know what is going on, or why I'm here.

"Hey, honey," the nurse says in a soothing voice. "Your mommy is not feeling well, okay? We are trying to make her feel better right now but I'm afraid she's not..." The nurse turns her head away from me and lets out a deep sigh before looking back at me.

"She's not what?" I say, nervous.

"She's not living here anymore, she's living in a more peaceful place," she says, tears swelling up in her eyes.

"Why did she leave? I wanna come with her!" I yell, about to cry.

The nurses lips quivers and she holds a hand over her mouth shaking her head. She removes her hand and says, "Honey, you can't. You can't go there."

"Why not!?" I scream. Now I'm full blown crying.

"Because, it is a place that only very sick people can go to," she says.

"I wanna be very sick!" I yell. "I'll be very sick just to see her! Just...give me something that will make me sick enough to be with her!"

"You're only nine sweetie. The smoke didn't get to you like it got to your mom. And even then, I wouldn't ever do that to you," she says, rubbing my head. "You have some close relatives who want to take you in."

I peek over her shoulder to see Josh, my mom's friend. He's not a relative but they were close like siblings.

I look down at Hazel and rub her back to calm myself down.

This is where it all changes.

***

I kick off my shoes by the front door and place Hazel down gently on the floor.

She stares up at me and wiggles her nose back and forth while she sniffs the air.

I do the same.

My bunny senses are out of wack ever since the fire. They messed up my senses and I can't smell the same so I rely on Hazel.

"How do you like it?" Asks Josh.

I stare up at him. His dark brown eyes. That ugly hairstyle. Those ugly wolf lines that are permanent.

Probably from him howling like an idiot on a full moon, I think.

I laugh out loud then quickly place a hand over my mouth.

"What's so funny?" he asks, lowering his eyes at me. I swear I could hear a deep growl in his voice as he said it and it sends chills up my spine.

"N-nothing. I think the house is lovely." My nose twitches and I pinch it with my fingers. That's a bad lying habit I developed.

"Hmm..." He squints his eyes and I whimper.

"Don't eat me..." I say in a low tone.

He steps back immediately. "Oh no... I'm technically a herbivore, believe it or not. I won't lay a finger on any meat. Not even crab."

"O-oh... that's good." I bounce on my toes, unaware of what I should say next.

"Your bedroom is upstairs if you wanna go see it," he says, putting on his prescription glasses.

"Okay!" I say as I run up the stairs.

"To the left!" He yells up.

I look to the left and a white marble door greets me. I've never seen a door in marble before. It feels illegal to even touch it.

Oh my gosh! The door knob is glass! Is this the right door? I don't think this one is for me. I don't deserve something so elegant...

I slowly turn the door knob and my ears pop up, my eyes widen. Everything, and I mean everything is either white silk or pink satin.

"Look Hazel!" I exclaim. "The bedsheets are pink! The dresser is pink! The fuzzy rug is pink! Even the window is tainted pink!"

I jump around, twirling the white dress Josh gave to me. He also put my hair into a surprisingly good braid, considering how long his claws are.

I remember when he came over for Thanksgiving last year how he said he was making a room for visitors, so this must be it. Am I a visitor? Or is this really mine?

Hazel jumps up on the mini bed by the window sill and lays down. I've always wondered why Hazel is different from all other animals. Most animals have a human form and can speak, but maybe she forgot to evolve.

"I agree, Hazel," I say, walking over to her. "Going to bed in such a luxurious room seems like the best thing to do when you first walk in."

I lay down, with happiness that goes away as soon as it came when I think of my mommy. I pick Hazel up for comfort and kiss her on her forehead, then I lay back down.

"I wish mommy were here to see this," I mumble before I doze off into sleep.

Who knows what awaits me when I wake up.