The Rabbit's Den

Snow Bunnies

Shortly after the incident in the cafeteria with Kaleb, and the conversation in the corn, the three kids began to grow inseparable. It was Kaleb newest hobby to poke at Ryan, not in a way that would cause him to get a black eye but a torment of its own kind. "You still share a room with your sister? That's kinda weird Ryan." Trixie scoffed, "Shut up Kaleb it's not that weird." He looked up at her with surprise, "Uh yeah it is Trixie, there're plenty of rooms here." Ryan had a slightly embarrassed look on his face. He didn't not want to share a room with Trixie, she was the rock he needed since he was little. Even at twelve there were some nights he still snuck into her bed, her brutally honest responses always comforted him. And even though every single time since he could remember she would tell him this is the last time, it never was. She was always there, she was his sister.

"I said shut up Kaleb, just drop it already." They had been walking outside of the compound, here there was a small cluster of apple trees growing. For years Trixie and Ryan had been coming here bringing back supplies of red and green apples to the Den. Kaleb dropped the plastic tub on the ground. "This really isn't that far, how long have you been coming here?" Trixie shaded her eyes as she looked up into the tree, "I don't know, six years maybe. We found them by accident, we weren't even suppose to be out here." She smiled a little thinking of the mini craze that it brought Milly when she found out.

Ryan may have been small for his age but he could climb, within minutes he was perched on an outward stretching branch in the old tree plucking apples. They hit the ground with soft thud. "Won't that damage the apples?" Kaleb asked as he and Trixie started to climb. Trixie shrugged, "Hasn't before, at least not to too many." "Trix, look at how many are here!" Ryan was shaking his branch pulling and dropping apple after apple. Soon all three kids were pulling and rolling apples to the ground. "What happens if we pick too many to carry?" Asked Kaleb. "We come back, try to beat the deer to them."

Ryan began climbing higher, "Look at all these!" He exclaimed. Trixie looked up, "Wait I'll come too." Reaching up she braced herself on another branch and began climbing up. The loud snap that followed made both boys heads shoot in her direction. Kaleb couldn't have grabbed her if had tried, she was just too far from him. Her eyes were open as she fell, but she didn't make a single noise.

Her eyes fluttered open as Kaleb shouted her name in her face, slapping her several times until she threw one of her hands up. Ryan coward by the tree, he was borderline hysterical and crying. "Ryan?" She began coughing when she tried to call out his name, she couldn't catch her breath. Kaleb rolled her on her side and pulled her arms over her head, "Relax Trix, knocked the wind out of ya, that's all." Ryan ran to her side, "I didn't think you were going to wake up Trixie." He held on to her hand. The boys sat on the ground surrounded by fallen apples and a broken splintered branch until she could take a breath in normally.

The tears in her eyes were from the panic she was suffocating. Standing up she brushed the grass and twigs that caught in her hair. "That was scary." She managed to whisper, still sounding winded. The kids picked up the fallen apples and began to carry them back. Trixie rubbed at the welt that had formed on the back of her head. "Are you okay?" Kaleb asked concerned. "I think so, my head and my back hurt. I think I should go tell Milly when we get back." Ryan shot her a concerned look. "I won't tell her you were in the tree." His eyes relaxed.

Other than a few bruises Trixie was fine, Milly was sure she didn't even have a mild concussion. "You kids need to be careful out there, there isn't a hospital we can take you to." Trixie agreed painfully, "I know, the branch just broke. It scared Ryan more than it actually hurt." Milly pulled some more grass out of her long black hair. She nodded in agreement with Trixie, "He's a sensitive boy. And he loves you very much." Trixie smiled, "I know." "Do you want something for the pain?" Trixie shook her head, "No, save it for the fevers. Never know if we will have it when we need it." Milly smiled, "I can get you some willow tea." Trixie shook her head again, "No thank you, that stuff is nasty." Milly laughed.