Habit's little Rabbit

Stranger or friend?

I sit at my dining table, a laptop playing a movie in front of me. I lean back in the chair and let out a deep sigh. Tilting my head back, memories start to flood my mind, and flashbacks begin to play.

-Flashback-
"You will never be strong enough to get me on the ground, Y/N," Evan says with a laugh.

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that," I reply with a grin.

I move closer to Evan and use all my best moves, trying to bring him down. I almost succeed, but he's too strong and manages to stand back up.

"Damn it," I mutter, out of breath.

Evan chuckles. "Told ya."

Jeff and Vinny watch us, their smiles broad and encouraging. "You can do it, Y/N!" Jeff cheers.

My smile widens. With one final, determined move, I tackle Evan to the ground. "Yeahhh! I got you!!" I exclaim, cheering and doing a little victory dance.

I reach out a hand to Evan so he can get back up.

"Good job, Y/N. You finally got me," Evan says, clearly proud.

-End flashback-

I can hear their laughter fading away in my head. Anger boils up inside me, and I slam my fists on the table. The almost empty bottle of vodka next to my laptop nearly tips over.

"WHY!" I yell, the frustration and sorrow bubbling over. "Why us?"

I grab my laptop and open YouTube, typing in "Everymanhybrid." I watch the videos with mounting horror, seeing how our good times slowly unraveled. Evan becomes possessed by a demon called Habit. Jeff is killed by Habit. Vinny is forced to aid Habit and then just disappears. Tears start rolling down my cheeks as I get lost in my thoughts.
After a while, I hear my front door open. Footsteps approach, but I don't care who it is—whether it's Habit or another threat. I don't care if someone is here to kill me. I lay my head on my arms, resting on the table.

"What!" I sneer, my voice heavy with despair and anger.

  

"Hey," I hear a familiar voice say. Slowly, I raise my head. My eyes widen in shock when I see Vinny standing in front of me.

"V-Vinny?" I stammer.

"Yes, Y/N. It's me," he replies softly.

I try to stand up and move toward him quickly, but my balance isn't great because I'm a little tipsy. I end up stumbling right into his arms. I hug him tightly, tears streaming down my cheeks. Vinny gently cups my face.

"It's really me," he reassures me softly.

Vinny glances at the dining table and notices the nearly empty bottle of vodka.

"Rough night?" he asks.

I look up at him with a weak smile. "Rough life," I reply.

"Why are you here?" I ask, pulling away slightly.

"He asked me to take you to him. So please, don't fight me," Vinny says, his voice trembling a bit.

"N-No. Why would I?" I respond, a bit irritated.

"If you don't, he'll kill me," Vinny says bluntly.

I become serious, standing up straight and looking him dead in the eyes. "Wait, are you serious?"

"Yep," Vinny confirms with a disappointed expression.

"He just doesn't stop, does he?" I say, shaking my head in frustration. "Fine, I'll come." I head to my room to gather some things.

"Where are you going?" Vinny calls after me.

"Just grabbing some stuff for protection, in case he tries something with you," I explain as I gather a few knives and some water. I need to sober up a bit before heading out. After a short while, I feel more coherent.

"Okay, let's go," I say as I return to the living room.

Vinny takes a deep breath and heads toward the front door, and I follow him. We walk to his car, ready to face whatever is waiting for us.