Nana Ana's Secret Hideout

Chapter 9 - The Cake Baking Bunny

After 250 meters of adrenaline-fueled flight, Anders and Eirik raced for the safety that hopefully awaited behind the cottage's slate grey door on the far side of the field. They shouted as they approached -- screaming "hello!" There was no need to look back. They knew the creepy evil thing was still behind them by the increasing volume of the panda's wails. It was closing in on them as they closed in on the cottage. 

But the cottage's door remained shut. 

If nobody opens the door, thought Anders, we'll go through it. 

Just then the cottage door creaked and flung wide, and the men barreled across the threshold at the same time at full tilt. Anders' pants pocket caught on something on the doorpost, tripping him up and throwing him headlong across the hardwood floor. 

The heavy door slammed with a resounding BANG. 

Abders rolled quickly to his back and stopped to listen, and realized they were in a kitchen. A cozy little kitchen. Measuring cups and spoons, stacks of baking pans, and bags of flour and sugar cluttered shallow countertops. A whisk stuck out of a bowl of batter, incompletely mixed, along side several broken eggshells and a 12-cup cupcake pan on a flour-dusted table for four. The aroma of fresh bread in the air was not unpleasant. 

Eirik offered him a hand up with a big smile on his flushed face. 

Grinning, too, Anders rose to his feet. 

Together they went to a window and peered through the pale pink curtains. 

"I don't see it," said Anders, catching his breath. He noticed the panda had fallen oddly silent in Eirik's arms and nodded to it. "Is he okay?" 

Eirik glanced down. "Panda, hey." When it didn't answer, he tried to peel the animal from his body but to no avail. He dropped his arms and the bear remained attached to his torso like a koala. "He might be broken."

 "That was close," said a young boy's voice behind them. 

"You have no idea, kid." Anders turned, with a wry chuckle. "That was some great timing, you really saved our -- you're a rabbit." 

A brown-and-white domestic rabbit, the only other living thing in sight, looked up at them from the ground. "Alfred doesn't usually chase hikers," said the rabbit. "He never did when Nana was around. The butterflies always did make a mess, though." 

Eirik whispered aside to his friend, "Talking rabbit." 

"Yup." And this isn't even the weirdest thing we've seen today. Anders studied their fluffy little ally, amused. "Why not."  

"I'm Amanda," said the rabbit. "I don't get many visitors out here..." 

"Actually," said Eirik, "he's Nana's grandson." 

Anders waved with a crooked smile. 

Amanda's black eyes lit up. "You're him?! You're Anders? Wow, hello! Forgive the mess, I'm baking." Binking over to some drawers, she tugged out two bright yellow kitchen towels and tossed them in the direction of her guests. "Use these to clean up, I'll be back in a moment." 

The rabbit scampered away down an ordinary human-sized hall. 

Anders plucked up the towels, handing one to his friend. "We need about fifty of these and a shower. Or a pool. I've never worn this much filth." 

Eirik thanked him and added, "What we need is something green." 

We do. Anders glanced around. 

The kitchen connected to a living area in which sat a single uncommonly large, tall-backed sofa with matching beige pillows facing a cavernous, cold fireplace. The whole room twinkled with pastel pink and yellow with whimsical blue accents. Glass figurines adorned every surface: tiny statues of deer, owls, bunnies and blue ferns. The charming wooden décor framed an enormous handwoven rug of warm ambers  and royal reds. 

Wiping bug guts from his jawline, Anders paused. "Is it just me or are there no green things in here?"