The Rabbit's Den

Rabbits aren't Native to Australia

"And you know what else Kaleb told me?" Ryan clamored on excitedly. Trixie poked at her oatmeal, "What did the wonderful Kaleb tell you?" His blue eyes widened, "That there are HUGE crocodiles in Australia, and they eat people. Like right by the water. You're washing your clothes one minute and chomp!" Ryan's hands crashed together. She pushed her dish across the table, "Well that's appetizing." He studied her for a minute before continuing, "They have spiders that can kill people!" "Yeah, so Australia sounds hideous." Ryan chewed his lip for a moment, "Trixie?" "Huh?" "Do we have crocodiles or killer spiders here?" Trixie knew to tread lightly on the matter, "No Ryan, but stay away from the black ones. They can make you sick." He nodded slowly.

Kaleb and his family had only been at the compound a couple days and he was already on her nerves. The family had been sent over with relief aid when shit hit the fan, but got lost in the mix and never returned home. They had wondered around what was left of the US breaking away from WOLF after seeing the atrocities they were committing.

"Did you know they have sharks in their lakes and rivers? Like real sharks Trixie!" She scoffed, "Well it's decided, we won't go to Australia when we grow up." He shook his head, his locs style hair shaking violently along with. It had gotten so long, he had gotten so big. Well he was still small for a 12 year old. "Let's go fishing Ryan." He jumped up excitedly and started off, "I'll get the stuff!"

Trixie gathered the items left behind on the table, from behind her came a voice, thick with Aussie accent, "What are you two up to?" It startled her slightly, turning she was faced with Kaleb now. His big brown eyes looking on intently, waiting for an answer. "Nothing." He turned his head to watch Ryan run down the hall, "Kid looks awfully excited for nothing." An irritated deep sigh escaped her, "We are going fishing." A long smug smile crept onto his face, "I love fishing." She walked away from him with the trash to dump it, he followed, "I said I love fishing." Dumping the trash she turned to him, "Who doesn't?" He chuckled a little, "I can come along." "You weren't invited." Trixie bounced away long black pony tail bouncing with her. Kaleb smiled and shook his head.

Ryan and Trixie had just sat down on the dock when Kaleb sauntered over, "How's the water?" "Wet.", Trixie responded dryly without looking up. "Kaleb! Did you come to fish with us?" Ryan was like a puppy with this kid, unbelievable! "Yeah buddy, she invited me." Trixie turned and gave Kaleb a warning look. "But you don't have a pole." Ryan stated. Kaleb looked over the water, the sun was beating down, summer days could be harsh here. "Well I didn't really come to fish Ryan, it looks like a great day to take a dip." Ryan basically threw his pole at Trixie, "I love to swim!" She scoffed, "What about fishing Ryan? You're going to scare the fish?" Kaleb set his hand on her shoulder, "Too hot to fish anyway, best later in the day. Come take a dip with us?" Shrugging his hand off her shoulder she began to reel the lines in.

Ryan and Kaleb were splashing away when she finished packing the gear. As she started toward the compound Kaleb swam toward the shore, "You're not coming in?" She turned making sure to only look at Ryan, "Don't stay in too long you know how Milly gets." He turned back to Ryan, "What happened?" Ryan swam a little closer, "She's afraid of the water, she can't swim. Can you tell me more about Australia?"

Milly, Jacque and Trixie sat together at dinner service while Ryan sat with Kaleb and a group of boys sat at another table. "Baby why don't you go try and make friends with the new boy?" Milly suggested. Jacque huffed, "Milly leave the child alone if she wanted friends she'd have them." She sat back cocking her head to the side at her husband, "It's not normal for a girl her age to not have friends." He laughed out loud, "Tell me dear what is normal now? Is any of this normal?" Waving his hands around, "She likes to study and she spends time with Ryan." Trixie looked up at them from her food, "I'm literally right here. Besides Kaleb's brandish." Milly raised an eye brow. "Besides Jacque's right, I'm going to go study." She stood up and kissed them both goodnight before headed to her room.

The room she had shared with Ryan since they were small was bigger than most of them. Two beds, two tables, two chairs, and two dressers. Trixie and Ryan had decorated the room with their drawings. She hadn't really wanted to study, she just wanted to get away from everyone. Ryan wasn't just her brother, he was her best friend. Yeah, he would spend time with the other kids in the place, but they always had their time, and Kaleb was intruding. All the kids at the Den were Trixie's age or older, Ryan was the youngest. The entire time she had been there not a single baby had been born.

"Trixie?" Ryan's voice was a little above a whisper, but it was shaky. Her eyes flew open, the weather outside didn't help with her confusion. Rain was pounding heavy against the window while thunder and lightning crashed outside. "Yeah? What's wrong?" He was staring out the window, knees drawn up to his chest. "What would happen if there was a tornado?" She squinted at him, "What?" "A tornado?" He repeated. She sat up sighing, "I don't know Ryan, blow out the windows maybe? Why?" "Kaleb was telling me about Tornados he had seen when they were traveling in Texas. He said the sky looked like they did when they happen." Letting out a low growl she shook her head, "Ryan we don't get tornados like Texas, I don't even think we get tornados. Go to bed."

Thunder crashed again shaking the window as the sky lit up. Ryan let out a yelp. Trixie shoved herself against the wall and pointed to her bed. Blanket in hand he bound across the room in two strides and bounced onto her bed. "Just lay down Ryan, try to sleep." He snuggled down, "Trix?" Her eyes flew open to see his staring back. "Could sharks make it up to our river?" "No." He pulled the blanket up higher, "What about crocodiles?" "For fucks sake, I'm going to kill that kid." "Could they?" Trixie sat up again, shaking her head, "No Ryan it gets too cold here for sharks, crocodiles, man eating spiders and snakes and whatever that else that bonehead told you!"

After several more paranoid questions Ryan finally slipped off to sleep. By then Trixie was so furious she almost couldn't sleep herself.

The next morning Trixie struggled to unwind Ryan from her and slip out without waking him. Her initial intention was to talk to Kaleb, but by the time she got to the cafeteria she was livid. He was sitting at one of the tables with a few of the boys. She stopped at the table, just to the side of him. "Kaleb, can we have a word?" Spinning on the bench he turned to her smiling, "I knew it was only a matter of time till you would come to me." An explosion went off inside her brain. Trixie's fist crashed so hard into his face that it knocked him off the bench. He sat up and grabbed his eye, "What the hell was that for?" She took a step forward, "Stop telling my little brother your stupid horror stories!" Sputtering ,"What? I don't even know who your brother is!?" Another step closer and he scuffled away from her on the ground still. "One black eye or two Kaleb?" He held his other hand out, "OKAY!"

One of the boys had started chuckling at the table, as she turned and walked away both were hysterically laughing as they help Kaleb up. "What the hell?" He said as he sat back down, "Jesus I don't know who her brother is!" Zach looked at him with surprise, "Well you should you hung out with him all afternoon yesterday." Kaleb straightened up, "Ryan?" Zach nodded, "Yeah, her, Ryan, Milly and Jacque are a package deal dude, you really didn't know?" Pulling his hand away from his eye, he shook his head, it was already beginning to swell.