In The Dark. We Pray

Bambi

'Is this how I die?'

The leaves crumpled in the distance under the weight of them.

Crunch... crunch... crunch...

"Bambi... I know you're here Bambi. We just wanna finish our little conversation."

'I need to move.'

The thick August air made her lungs struggle to grab breath. The foliage thick with green, making it hard to determine the hazards in her way.

She'd sought refuge behind an Oak tree

Bambi had gained distance from them. If she kept this up, she knew she'd find help.

In the distance, a clearing, a farmhouse. 'People.'

Her quiet stealth had to go.

'Crunch... crunch... crunch.'

"Bambi."

'Oh no that one's close..'

The thinner of the two was close. He'd stumbled upon the hill quietly, without ever making a sound. He was only two trees away from her.

Bambi held her lungs still. Burning for air. Begging to live.

'I have to go.'

All grew silent. After a long moment... Bambi creeped her head around the tree and scanned the area. He was gone...

With relief and several tears her lungs released and grasped for life. Fighting wails, she turned and broke away from her hiding place beneath the oak frantically pushing for the opening in the trees.

'There it is.'

Bambi saw a young boy. No older than 6, chasing a small dog around the yard of the farmhouse. Her eyes stung with desperation.

'Yell, make him run in and get his mom or dad.'

But she couldn't, she was terrified of screaming. Her legs were ablaze as she ran them beyond their limits. Briar gashes and bruises stinging.

She pushed the last little bit. Any moment now she would burst through, into safety and yell.

'I'm safe! I'm safe!'

Just as Bambi made her leap for the opening.

''Wack"

A flash caught her. and the world went white.

'What happened...?'

"Wack. Wack"

'Wh-what is...'

"Wack... Wack. Wack."

The slender man pulled the bat from the hole where her face had been with a loud 'Clunk'.

"What the fuck? Do you get her?!"

The heavier man huffed at the bottom of the hill, leaning on the oak tree Bambi had only moments ago used for safety.

"Yeah... but she's dead now. Poor thing won't be much fun, unless you're tryna fuck this new hole I made."

The slender man reached down and dugout a finger around in Bambi's face, making slopping noises with his mouth and laughed.

"You're fucked up. You know that's not how this works. We need them alive."

The heavy-set man leaned back and dug in his pocket for an old flip phone. Removing his Rabbit mask. He hit a speed dial. The call was picked up almost instantly.

"No... no. We'll have to find another. I know... perfections hard to find around here. Especially twice."

The slender man cocked his head up at the farmhouse, noticing the little boy staring down at the men.

"Shit, hey, we have a problem."

The heavier man looked up, pulling down his rabbit mask.

"God damn it. Did he see your face?"

"Of course, he fucking did. I don't have a mask yet mother fucker."

The Rabbit nodded and pulled his pistol from the holster on his hip. Blasting a hole into the slender man's head; and then

returned to his phone call.

"Yes sir, yes. It's been handled. "