Meeting Tahoe
Everything had been going astoundingly well until Stormy began to grunt and tug at her harness. The grey-furred doe jerked with all her strength, the suddenness of her gesture nearly sending me sprawling. We were somewhat deep in the heart of a secluded forest, sunlight struggling to shine through. Stormy let out a strange, high-pitched squeal and shoved harder. Warily, one eyebrow raised in confusion, I pursued the somewhat frantic rabbit. Straining ever harder, Stormy's speed became quicker and quicker.
After just several minutes, it loomed into view.
A worn down, tattered shack stood directly ahead of us. It leaned heavily to one side, chunks of what I assumed was insulation dangling from several areas. The grungy building was surrounded by rusted, ancient barbed wire fences that were twisted in multiple places. The shack itself seemed barely capable of standing without aid. Yes, this was a strange sight- but what had made Stormy behave in such a fashion?
The doe led me into the shack, of which I was reluctant to enter. What if there was some killer or horrid thing lurking behind that door? Slowly, warily, I pushed the scarcely intact door inwards; it swung open with a dull creak before toppling from the rusted hinges. I winced slightly and stepped within. Stormy strained harder and ripped the leash from my hands. I didn't care. I knew she wouldn't run away. The smell was horrible, causing me to gag; that's when I knew whatever was in here could not possibly be good.
It took a mere several seconds for my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, and when they did I was filled with horror.
Dozens upon dozens of rabbits, all of them crammed into cages far too small to accommodate them surrounded me. Yellowed, filthy pieces of paper with hastily and sloppily scrawled prices were tied to some of the cages. As I stepped forward, walking quietly, all of the rabbits that had strength to cowered away. It seemed a quarter of these poor animals were dead or dying, and the others were scarcely strong enough to stand. "Oh my God." I whispered. "This is a black market." I felt anger mix with the horror within me.
Moving quickly, I withdrew my cell phone. Surprisingly, I had service all the way out in these woods. I tapped open the keypad and hammered in the number of Fair Run's rabbit association; a man picked up. "Hello, how may I help you?" Breathlessly, I explained to him what I'd come across. Once I had finished speaking, there was slight hesitation on the opposing end. "Alright ma'am, please stay there. We are sending out groups to remove the rabbits from their surroundings. They will be adopted out as rescues." I thanked him warmly and ended the call, turning to search for my Fae.
She was nudging gently at one of the prisons closer to the filth covered earth, occasionally nipping at the wires as though attempting to break them. I crouched down beside her and gazed inside. A red charlie Fae was huddled in the farthest corner, hazel eyes wide. It squealed and stomped a footpaw weakly. Stormy bit at the wires harder, becoming desperate with every passing moment. "Hey girl, easy." I tugged the rusted cage open, breaking the poorly crafted door off in the process. I flung it violently away, hating whoever had done this. "Stupid idiots," I snarled.
I gently reached inside, removing the terrified and malnourished rabbit from the tiny, crappy cage it had been forced to live in. Instead of frantic movements, the Fae nestled close to me, almost as though it knew I would not harm it. I gently stroked the red charlie with my left hand, cradling it with the other. I glanced back at the cage. This time, a chewed scrap of musty paper caught my eye. I gently reached forward and tore it off, tilting my head to read the poorly scribbled words. No. 70- Was born w/ both male and female parts.
I let the paper flutter from my grasp, just as the people who were here to help aid with the rescue of the bunnies arrived. The swarmed the shack, removing rabbits from cages and placing them into spacious ones. Stormy nestled close to my legs, gazing up at the Coloradan Fairen I held within my grip.
One of the people here to aid strode over to me. It was a woman, clutching a clipboard tightly. "Ma'am, you seem to have developed a liking for this poor little fella." I nodded. "You're more than welcome to adopt it if you'd like."
"I'd like that, very much." The woman offered the clipboard to me, accompanied by a pen.
"Sign here, and it's yours." Still holding the rabbit, I signed my name hastily and returned both of the objects. The red charlie had not fought once, simply huddled against me without protest. I gently ran my fingers along the rabbit's back.
The same woman who'd helped me adopt the rabbit offered me a cage to keep it in until I was able to get it home. I slipped the rabbit within, closing the door on them gently. I helped the workers rescue the rabbits, careful with each and every one of them. Each time there was a rabbit lying lifelessly in one of the pens or one too far gone it broke my heart. None of them ever deserved this.
While I'd worked, my mind had searched for a name for the Coloradan Fairen that was mine. The first one was Tahoe. It seemed to fit; it was a unisex name. The rabbit was technically neither male nor female. It fit as well; I decided on the name Tahoe for my new rabbit.
Several hours later, I had managed to make it home. I decided to let Stormy stay the night inside with me to keep the new addition company; Tahoe still seemed somewhat cautious around new things. I gently patted the rabbit, gazing into those hazel eyes that'd drawn me in.
