Vyse of Arcadia
03-02-2007, 12:21 AM
So this story I wrote just got published in my university's student literary journal. Enjoy. You can also see it, and another story I've written, at the Xenogears God and Mind forums, if you're interested. I may post a link later if I'm not feeling too lazy.
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Rabbit
Jake ducked outside for a smoke. After fumbling to get his cigarette lit, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the calming effects of the nicotine. It's been a long day, he thought. When he opened his eyes, he saw a rabbit. It was just outside the shade of the hedges surrounding the building, munching on a dandelion. How odd, Jake thought. Rabbits aren't usually this cozy with humanity.
He shifted his weight from one leg to another. Having finally noticed him, the rabbit looked up at the towering bipedal monstrosity. There it goes, thought Jake. The rabbit looked for all the world like it was about to run for the safety of the neatly trimmed shrubs. Instead, it hopped closer to Jake.
That's definitely abnormal, thought Jake as the rabbit looked up to meet his gaze. It must be sick. The rabbit opened its mouth. Jake backed off. Rabies or whatever the hell rabbits carry isn't what he needs right now. “Hey buddy, how's it going?” the little brown bunny said in a deep, gravely voice.
Jake felt his jaw drop. The cigarette fell out of his mouth. Rabbits don't talk. He worked his jaw, trying to speak. “You got laryngitis or somethin'?” the rabbit asked. “Eh, well, I gotta run,” it concluded before hopping across the parking lot and into the woods.
“Hey, Jake, did you finish filling out those forms?” Mary asked, poking her head out the door. He turned to stare at her, jaw still slack. “You okay?” she asked.
He shook his head a little, closed his mouth, and nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he replied.
“I just thought I saw something.” It's just the stress, he though. Stress will make you see things.
Jake got home, warmed up a TV dinner, and poured a glass of cheap wine. He needed to relax. Seeing rabbits was a bad sign. Seeing talking rabbits was a worse sign. Tomorrow he'd call in sick and then hit the gym, the pool, and the sauna. That would get him back on his feet. After he ate, he picked a book off the shelf and fell asleep reading.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap. “The hell?” Jake muttered groggily. He rose from the chair in which he had fallen asleep, looked out the glass door to the backyard, and shuffled into the kitchen to make some coffee. Three seconds later, he ran back out of the kitchen to stare out into the backyard wide-eyed. There was a brown rabbit. Tapping at the glass door. Jake rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was still there. Yelling something. “Hey, buddy, you gonna let me in?” Numbly, Jake crossed the room and let the furry brown creature in. “Thanks, you got any gin?”
The man stared at the bunny. “It's seven o'clock in the morning.”
“Hey, just because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I can't tell time!” the rabbit retorted angrily. Wordlessly, Jake went into the kitchen and poured the rabbit a drink. He poured himself one too.
“Thanks, buddy,” the rabbit said as Jake set the drink down next to him. “Seven in the morning and the missus and kits are already driving me crazy.”
“Crazy,” Jake said.
“Yeah, insane,” replied the rabbit.
“Completely nuts,” said Jake.
“Yeah, stark raving mad. You know the feeling?” the rabbit inquired.
Jake sobbed.
“Hey, buddy, don't sweat it,” the rabbit consoled. “I gotta go get to the daily grind myself.”
Jake looked up when the phone rang. Apparently, he had drained his glass between sobs. He reached for the phone, and held it to his ear. It was his mother. “Good morning, Mom. Yes, you can come pick up the pictures. No, I probably won't be home. Okay. Bye, Mom. Love you too.” He hung up the phone, before picking it back up to call in sick. Afterwards, he got dressed and left for the gym.
His drive home was enjoyable. He was sore, but relaxed, having ended up spending the whole day swimming, walking, or sitting in the sauna. He had also come to the conclusion that most of the events of the morning had been a dream. He must have been woken up by the phone.
When he got home, he went into the living room. The coffee table was free of gin. It had indeed been a dream. Jake laughed to himself. It was such a silly dream, now that he thought about it. The phone rang. It was his mother again. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie,” his mother said through the tinny little phone speaker. “I came by to get the pictures. Say, did you have company last night?”
Jake's heart stopped. “Why?” he asked cautiously.
“Oh, I found a couple of glasses on the coffee table. One was still full; I don't think your guest touched it. I went ahead and cleaned them up for you. Oh, and you left the glass door open.”
“Oh, okay, Mom,” Jake said, his right eye twitching involuntarily.
“Well, I just wanted to let you know I got the pictures,” his mom concluded before wishing him a good night and hanging up. Jake hung up the phone, sat down, and for the second time that day, sobbed.
Tap-tap-tap. Jake jerked up and hit his head on the coffee table. “Dammit!” he yelled. When the hell had he fallen asleep on the floor? Tap-tap. Jake whirled out from underneath the table and around to face the glass door, still on all fours. There was a brown rabbit. It was yelling something again. Jake got up, laughing. “Hahaha, come, haha, in,” he said as he opened the door for the bunny.
The rabbit looked up at him. “You okay, man?”
“Oh, heeheehee, yes, it's just that I, haha, think that, haha, I'm talking to a talking rabbit!” Jake managed to say through fits of laughter.
“You been smokin' somethin', buddy?” the rabbit asked.
“Haha, oh, man, I wish, hahaha,” Jake replied. He couldn't stop laughing, for some reason. Still chuckling, he went to find a phone book. He found it on top of the coffee table, which amused him to no end. The rabbit asked him if he was going to make coffee. That also amused him to no end.
Jake made himself stop laughing long enough to flip through the phone book. Larry Duncan, Psychologist. He wrote down the address and looked at the rabbit. “Say, wanna hang out with me today?” he asked.
“Sure, why not,” the rabbit replied. “It's my day off; not like I got anythin' better to do.” Nodding, Jake started chuckling again as he called the psychologist.
“You have an opening at ten? Wonderful, I'll see Dr. Duncan then, then.” Jake hung the phone up and got ready to leave. As he was stepping out the door, the rabbit right behind him, he looked down at his feet. His socks didn't match. Well, I don't care anymore anyway, he thought. And I forgot to call in sick. Eh, oh well. He was humming as he let the rabbit into the car, before getting behind the wheel and pulling out onto the road.
When they arrived at Dr. Duncan's clinic, the rabbit slipped out of the driver's side door with Jake before darting under the bushes in front of the building. Jake gave the bunny a thumbs up as he walked opened the door and walked into the lobby.
It looked as though Jake was Dr. Duncan's first patient that morning, because the doctor decided to give him the standard psyche evaluation questionnaire himself. “So, before we start this questionnaire,” he said, as he pulled a white sheet of paper out of a drawer and a pen out of his pocket, “Why don't you tell me why you're here today?” Jake looked across the desk at the psychologist, and then around the room. The man has a comforting voice, he thought absently, and this looks more like a library than a clinic. He took a deep breath. “Well, doctor, I've been seeing this rabbit. He talks to me.”
“I see,” the doctor said in that comforting voice as he discreetly put the white form back in his desk and pulled out a pink one.
Outside underneath the bushes, the rabbit couldn't stop laughing. “Man,” he said when he stopped, “People are so easy to screw with! That one only took three days!” He stepped out of the bushes and looked around. Hmm... he thought, There's a Starbucks not too far from here.
Alex stepped out of Starbucks, a heavy textbook under his arm and a drink with a name he couldn't pronounce in his hand. The exam's in just a couple hours, he thought, and I haven't had any time to study.
“Hey buddy,” he heard a deep, gravely voice say, “Could you spare some change?”
He looked around. “Who said that?” he asked.
A brown rabbit hopped out from underneath some bushes in front of the building. It looked up at the man. Alex looked back, curious. “You deaf or somethin'?” the rabbit asked.
*************
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Rabbit
Jake ducked outside for a smoke. After fumbling to get his cigarette lit, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the calming effects of the nicotine. It's been a long day, he thought. When he opened his eyes, he saw a rabbit. It was just outside the shade of the hedges surrounding the building, munching on a dandelion. How odd, Jake thought. Rabbits aren't usually this cozy with humanity.
He shifted his weight from one leg to another. Having finally noticed him, the rabbit looked up at the towering bipedal monstrosity. There it goes, thought Jake. The rabbit looked for all the world like it was about to run for the safety of the neatly trimmed shrubs. Instead, it hopped closer to Jake.
That's definitely abnormal, thought Jake as the rabbit looked up to meet his gaze. It must be sick. The rabbit opened its mouth. Jake backed off. Rabies or whatever the hell rabbits carry isn't what he needs right now. “Hey buddy, how's it going?” the little brown bunny said in a deep, gravely voice.
Jake felt his jaw drop. The cigarette fell out of his mouth. Rabbits don't talk. He worked his jaw, trying to speak. “You got laryngitis or somethin'?” the rabbit asked. “Eh, well, I gotta run,” it concluded before hopping across the parking lot and into the woods.
“Hey, Jake, did you finish filling out those forms?” Mary asked, poking her head out the door. He turned to stare at her, jaw still slack. “You okay?” she asked.
He shook his head a little, closed his mouth, and nodded. “Yeah, I'm fine,” he replied.
“I just thought I saw something.” It's just the stress, he though. Stress will make you see things.
Jake got home, warmed up a TV dinner, and poured a glass of cheap wine. He needed to relax. Seeing rabbits was a bad sign. Seeing talking rabbits was a worse sign. Tomorrow he'd call in sick and then hit the gym, the pool, and the sauna. That would get him back on his feet. After he ate, he picked a book off the shelf and fell asleep reading.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap. “The hell?” Jake muttered groggily. He rose from the chair in which he had fallen asleep, looked out the glass door to the backyard, and shuffled into the kitchen to make some coffee. Three seconds later, he ran back out of the kitchen to stare out into the backyard wide-eyed. There was a brown rabbit. Tapping at the glass door. Jake rubbed his eyes and looked again. It was still there. Yelling something. “Hey, buddy, you gonna let me in?” Numbly, Jake crossed the room and let the furry brown creature in. “Thanks, you got any gin?”
The man stared at the bunny. “It's seven o'clock in the morning.”
“Hey, just because I'm a rabbit doesn't mean I can't tell time!” the rabbit retorted angrily. Wordlessly, Jake went into the kitchen and poured the rabbit a drink. He poured himself one too.
“Thanks, buddy,” the rabbit said as Jake set the drink down next to him. “Seven in the morning and the missus and kits are already driving me crazy.”
“Crazy,” Jake said.
“Yeah, insane,” replied the rabbit.
“Completely nuts,” said Jake.
“Yeah, stark raving mad. You know the feeling?” the rabbit inquired.
Jake sobbed.
“Hey, buddy, don't sweat it,” the rabbit consoled. “I gotta go get to the daily grind myself.”
Jake looked up when the phone rang. Apparently, he had drained his glass between sobs. He reached for the phone, and held it to his ear. It was his mother. “Good morning, Mom. Yes, you can come pick up the pictures. No, I probably won't be home. Okay. Bye, Mom. Love you too.” He hung up the phone, before picking it back up to call in sick. Afterwards, he got dressed and left for the gym.
His drive home was enjoyable. He was sore, but relaxed, having ended up spending the whole day swimming, walking, or sitting in the sauna. He had also come to the conclusion that most of the events of the morning had been a dream. He must have been woken up by the phone.
When he got home, he went into the living room. The coffee table was free of gin. It had indeed been a dream. Jake laughed to himself. It was such a silly dream, now that he thought about it. The phone rang. It was his mother again. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetie,” his mother said through the tinny little phone speaker. “I came by to get the pictures. Say, did you have company last night?”
Jake's heart stopped. “Why?” he asked cautiously.
“Oh, I found a couple of glasses on the coffee table. One was still full; I don't think your guest touched it. I went ahead and cleaned them up for you. Oh, and you left the glass door open.”
“Oh, okay, Mom,” Jake said, his right eye twitching involuntarily.
“Well, I just wanted to let you know I got the pictures,” his mom concluded before wishing him a good night and hanging up. Jake hung up the phone, sat down, and for the second time that day, sobbed.
Tap-tap-tap. Jake jerked up and hit his head on the coffee table. “Dammit!” he yelled. When the hell had he fallen asleep on the floor? Tap-tap. Jake whirled out from underneath the table and around to face the glass door, still on all fours. There was a brown rabbit. It was yelling something again. Jake got up, laughing. “Hahaha, come, haha, in,” he said as he opened the door for the bunny.
The rabbit looked up at him. “You okay, man?”
“Oh, heeheehee, yes, it's just that I, haha, think that, haha, I'm talking to a talking rabbit!” Jake managed to say through fits of laughter.
“You been smokin' somethin', buddy?” the rabbit asked.
“Haha, oh, man, I wish, hahaha,” Jake replied. He couldn't stop laughing, for some reason. Still chuckling, he went to find a phone book. He found it on top of the coffee table, which amused him to no end. The rabbit asked him if he was going to make coffee. That also amused him to no end.
Jake made himself stop laughing long enough to flip through the phone book. Larry Duncan, Psychologist. He wrote down the address and looked at the rabbit. “Say, wanna hang out with me today?” he asked.
“Sure, why not,” the rabbit replied. “It's my day off; not like I got anythin' better to do.” Nodding, Jake started chuckling again as he called the psychologist.
“You have an opening at ten? Wonderful, I'll see Dr. Duncan then, then.” Jake hung the phone up and got ready to leave. As he was stepping out the door, the rabbit right behind him, he looked down at his feet. His socks didn't match. Well, I don't care anymore anyway, he thought. And I forgot to call in sick. Eh, oh well. He was humming as he let the rabbit into the car, before getting behind the wheel and pulling out onto the road.
When they arrived at Dr. Duncan's clinic, the rabbit slipped out of the driver's side door with Jake before darting under the bushes in front of the building. Jake gave the bunny a thumbs up as he walked opened the door and walked into the lobby.
It looked as though Jake was Dr. Duncan's first patient that morning, because the doctor decided to give him the standard psyche evaluation questionnaire himself. “So, before we start this questionnaire,” he said, as he pulled a white sheet of paper out of a drawer and a pen out of his pocket, “Why don't you tell me why you're here today?” Jake looked across the desk at the psychologist, and then around the room. The man has a comforting voice, he thought absently, and this looks more like a library than a clinic. He took a deep breath. “Well, doctor, I've been seeing this rabbit. He talks to me.”
“I see,” the doctor said in that comforting voice as he discreetly put the white form back in his desk and pulled out a pink one.
Outside underneath the bushes, the rabbit couldn't stop laughing. “Man,” he said when he stopped, “People are so easy to screw with! That one only took three days!” He stepped out of the bushes and looked around. Hmm... he thought, There's a Starbucks not too far from here.
Alex stepped out of Starbucks, a heavy textbook under his arm and a drink with a name he couldn't pronounce in his hand. The exam's in just a couple hours, he thought, and I haven't had any time to study.
“Hey buddy,” he heard a deep, gravely voice say, “Could you spare some change?”
He looked around. “Who said that?” he asked.
A brown rabbit hopped out from underneath some bushes in front of the building. It looked up at the man. Alex looked back, curious. “You deaf or somethin'?” the rabbit asked.
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