𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 | Kim Taehyung //DISCONTINUED

02

Chapter 2
▌ Down The Rabbit Hole

"I'm doubting this moment between dreams and reality."
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Alice, your cream colored cat, purred as she rubbed lovingly against your leg. You leaned down to stroke her, smiling slightly. Alice's blue-green eyes blinked up at you, something playing behind them that you couldn't decipher.

She'd always been a weird cat.

You glanced up and to the long expanse of crops, making up almost four acres. The rest of land around you were full of dark oak forests, pine trees, and ponds of all sizes.

This was your little slice of heaven, so long as you didn't have to maintain it. You didn't want to know the struggle your stubborn father endured in the long hours he worked on the farm.

He and your mother wouldn't return home from their market until three days later.

Suddenly, the soft warmth of Alice's body disappeared, making you look down. The growing-cubby (but don't tell her that) female cat was padding along towards the darkening forest. Her tail was high, ears up, as if she were headed to the Queen of England's ball.

Curious, you followed, wondering where this strange cat was headed to.

Alice often had a habit of wandering off, but she always seemed to know where she was going.

Though, this time appeared to be different.

This time she seemed to be looking for something.

The day was growing darker, light purples and streaks of gold painted sky. The tall trees cast menacing shadows across the ground, making spiny fingers and long teeth.

Alice continued on, though, head high and unafraid.

You followed more hesitantly. It'd been a while since you explored the woods surrounding your home. You hadn't been back in a long time. And those trees seemed more ominous than before, which was a difficult feat.

A flash of black shifted in the corner of your vision. A twig snapped. You whirled around and Alice stilled, her nose sniffing at the new scent cautiously.

Something was there.

You scooped up Alice carefully, eyes not leaving the trees around you. The cat bristled in your hold, ears back now. She hissed.

Again, the flash of black appeared, zooming behind a thick tree, leaves crackled under the unknown's weight.

Strangely, you had a feeling this thing wasn't an animal. You were half wrong.

"Who's there?" you called out, holding Alice like a lifeline.

A small gasp could be heard. Then, two large black ears appeared from the tree, and then a face. A rabbit. No, wait—a man? The figure had a sharp jaw, strong nose, and a plump lower lip. Two doe-like eyes stared back at you, darker than what seemed to be possible. He was a—beautiful—man, but also, protruding from his head were large silky ears.

A delicate, metal pocket watch was clutched in his hand.

Everything about him was odd, but very, very intriguing.