Chapter Text
The rabbit was scared.
That was nothing new for a rabbit. Their bodies are built to handle fear; tiny hearts that beat as fast as hummingbird, keen eyes and ears to alert to the danger, fast legs to flee it, and a scream that only sounds in the most dire of situations.
But there was a sense of urgency in this particular fear that drove the rabbit on, despite how tired it was, despite the pain, despite the blood that matted its fur. It had to get it out or it would be caught and killed because that’s how the game worked, didn’t it?
The rabbit had played the game before. Never in this way, never with these stakes, never in a way that wasn’t really a game but a desperate attempt to keep it from thinking about reality. The reality that was full of hurt and metal and—
No. Focus.
Rabbits don’t think, the rabbit thought. Keep going.
It seemed as if the black stone tunnel would stretch on forever and the rabbit would be lost in the twisting maze. There was a way out, it knew that much. The scent of dirt was strong and dirt could be burrowed through, it just had to get there. It had no other choice.
Somewhere in the distance was a grinding noise and then a loud, rhythmic pulsing. The loudness seeped through the stone and into the dirty fur of the rabbit’s feet, making its heart pound even harder. It skidded across the stone as it broke into a panic driven run. The rabbit was exhausted, it was in pain, it was leaving a trail of blood as it ran, only adrenaline keeping it from collapsing.
There was dirt ahead. Its nose never lied.
Now all it had to do was dig.
Dig and ignore the pain in its paws, body, heart. Dig and ignore the way the dirt clumped awkwardly in the blood coating its fur. Dig and be ready to run.