The Dark Knight
Kinsey Couture
Snap! Lola jumped from her cage and ran to the doggy door. Oh no he’s following me! Lola thought as Mark the family mutt leaped at her. Lola kicked her back legs and put as much power as she could into every jump, she didn’t want to live in a hunter’s house, in a house where she would have been supper if William wasn’t there, but now William was gone, lost to the past, Lola cringed at the thought. It wasn’t his fault, it wasn’t his fault. Her body hit the door with a thud and she rolled and stumbled, forcing herself back up as she ran, into the woods, far away, away from her fears, away from death, away from danger, she ran, her body shook with exhaustion, but she didn’t quit, then finally, she fell, into sleep, falling hard to the dirt, grass, and roots, far, far, away from her past.
Pebbles and the Myth
As she woke she heard humming, and the sound of mushrooms being picked. “Uuuggh.” A silhouette appeared above her. “Where am I? Is Mark still after me? Am I still alive?”
“Well, you’re under a tree, in the woods, and if you’re here either we’re both dead, which I don’t think I am, or we’re both alive, which last time I checked I was, and uh, whose uh, that?” Lola stood up and studied the bunny looking back at her. He was a straight eared bunny (unlike her) who was white with black spots all over. “Oh, yeah, I’m Pebbles,” the so called Pebbles informed.
“Oh, I’m Lola, nice to meet you.” Lola looked around at her surroundings and decided, I could live here, this bunny seems pretty friendly, and I could forget about everything and start over. “So you like mushrooms?” Lola motioned towards the pile in the grass. “
“Oh, no I was picking them for medicine, for you, I saw you fall, you were in a coma for a long time, I got kinda worried,” he blushed at his kindness.
“Oh, why, thank you for being so kind.” Lola replied.
“So, uh, what brings you here? I got out of a pet store, the only place I could remember. I wanted to be free, out of a tiny cage, into the big world, a world full of mystery, excitement, the forest, and the woods of yonder!” Lola could see excitement gleaming in Pebbles eyes as he told her.
“I rather not talk about my past, but what did you say about mystery?” Pebbles could tell he had caught a spark of interest in Lola when she asked.
“Well there’s a rumor about a ‘dark knight’ who used to save creatures like us. He even helped them build a rabbit village!” Pebbles began.
“So, what happened?” Lola wanted to know more.
“The village was burned down by rats, a whole army of them. Rabbits died. The dark knight was never seen again. Word is that he is now in a huge rock cave with rats guarding it. They don’t want such a powerful force destroying them again. The dark knight swore on his life to destroy all rats who were there on that fateful day,” Pebbles seemed a little saddened by the ending, his hero had been captured, a free spirit put in a cage by some rats.
“Why, we both need homes, don’t we?” Pebbles nodded as Lola began, “If this guy made a village before, why can’t he do it again? We are going to go find this dark knight in all his glory, free him, get some bunnies, fight some rats, and make us a village that bunnies can live in and be safe, wild or tame!” By the time Lola finished, Pebbles looked ten times happier and excited than he was when she met him. “Sir Pebbles, do you know the way?” Pebbles nodded, “Well then, lead the way!” Pebbles turned onto a dirt path that led into the woods, out of their small clearing.
A Journey through Woods
As they walked through the woods, the trees became thicker, the air darker, the path less worn, Lola thought she would never see the light again. “So where did you come from?” Pebbles questioned.
“I really don’t want to talk about it, I thought I told you that!” Lola spoke loud and harshly.
“Oh,” Pebbles whimpered looking quite frightened. The walk continued in silence, long enough for Lola to start to remember, things she didn’t want to, things meant to be forgotten.
Pa was standing in front of the truck with William, yelling about how Lola ate too much, cost too much, took up to much space, how the family was too poor to keep her. William yelled back about how their money went to Pa’s drinking and how poor Ma was sick due to Pa’s reckless money habits. “Well that rabbit’s caused too much problems, she ‘ought to be dead!” Pa yelled. “You won’t ever get your hands on her! You ain’t ever felt love! You ain’t!” William loved Lola, too much to let her get shot. “Boy, you shut-up!” anger raged in Pa. “No!” William yelled. Pa had gotten in his truck and rammed William. Ma had shrieked and cried, but William was gone. Ma took care of Lola, but a few weeks later the sickness took over and she too was gone, faded away, left to the past. Lola escaped the day after, the day before today.
“Hey, um, Pebbles?” Lola tried to sound as soothing as possible.
“Yeah Lola?” Pebbles still sounded scared.
“I, I’m sorry I yelled at you. I came from a hunter’s house and my owner died.” Lola stared at the ground as she spoke.
“Oh Lola, if I knew it was so tragic I never would have asked, no wonder you got mad!” Pebbles seemed a little ashamed that he asked and a little sad that Lola’s earlier life was so tragic.
“So Pebbles, are we still friends?” Lola felt like a little kid asking.
“Of course, I was hoping you were still my friend!” Pebbles was so happy he looked as if he was going to burst! The trees became thinner, light shined bright, and they could see a meadow, grassy and green.
Hawk Meadows
As they entered the meadow, Lola almost cried with joy, man, that forest was dark and scary, but she felt cold, dark, hungry eyes piercing her, like she was being watched. “Hey, Pebbles,” her fear was getting to her voice.
“Yeah?” Pebbles seemed almost care-free.
“Do you think we’re being w-watched?” Lola hated how she sounded like such a scaredy-cat.
“Maybe we are, but it’s probably just a little creature like us.” Pebbles reasoned and Lola agreed and forgot all about her little scare. The two bunnies hopped and played their way across the field. They were right in the middle of a contest of who could jump further, with Lola winning each time, when it happened.
Pebbles was in mid-jump when it came. It swooped down, speeding up to super speeds. Pebbles was its target. I can’t let another go, I can’t have all who love me end this way, I can’t let him die too, among the others who care. Not due to one stupid hawk, no! He would do the same for me, so I will do the same for him. Lola jumped as hard as she could, knocking Pebbles out of the air. She pulled him up and he ran off to the side of the meadow, Lola next him, the hawk a foot behind, less. The two scrambled into a hollow tree trunk with an opening just big enough to fit. The hawk stuck in his head and tried to grab them, man he was close. The two had to keep backing up so the hawk couldn’t get them until; there was no more room left. “Pebbles, he’s gonna get us!” Lola screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Wait, Lola, I know you can jump, so jump up to the top of this thing and hit him with stones, just enough to make him leave! I’ll distract him!” Lola couldn’t believe it, brave little Pebbles was risking his life to save hers! She stared at him wondering how such a little rabbit could be so brave and willing. “Go Lola, go!” Pebbles yelled over the shrieks of the hawk. Lola leaped kicking her back legs as hard as they could, kicking the trunk walls for extra boost, her long ears fluttered against her brown and white fury body. She grabbed the top, but it was so slippery and moss covered, her paws began to slip, she scraped t
he top with her hind legs, pushing herself up, getting higher and closer each time. She pushed with one final effort, pushing all her strength, and she was up. She found some stones and pebbles on the mostly rotted top. One by one she pushed them off and hit the hawk each time, until she only had a single stone left. This is it. I have to make him leave, if I don’t he’ll kill me, and Pebbles. She threw her stone, and, smack! She had a direct hit to the head causing the wretched hawk to fly away. “Hey, Lola great job, jump on down!” Pebbles was sticking his head out of the hole in the bottom as he spoke, at least 6ft below her, the sight of her jumping gave her a queasy tummy, but she decided if little Pebbles can stand up to a hawk, I can Jump down 6ft, I did jump up here didn’t I?
“Look out below!” Lola jumped down, the wind rushing past her, THUMP! Lola landed in a clumsy stance, on her bottom.
“Wow, Lola! That must have taken some true grit to jump from that high! Ha, ha, good thing you had your bottoms to save you!” Pebbles teased.
“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. Now let’s continue our journey with no more hawks… or falling on our bottoms.” Lola had to add in that last part, or Pebbles might have told the dark knight himself about her ridiculous landing position! They soon left the meadow and headed back into the woods, yet much softer, kinder, softwoods like cottonwood and birch and hardwoods like oaks and maple.
The Rats, the Cave, and the Knight
Light poured down through the tree’s orange spotted green leaves. It was that wonderful time of the year, late summer, when the leaves start to show color, yet green is still everywhere, and it is not too hot, nor is it too cold, where the breezes come back, but they stay light, and sunlight and dark share the same amount of time, with more sun than rain.
“So, um, Pebbles, I think you were pretty brave in that tree, holding off that hawk so I could throw stones at it without having it fly up and eat me while I was in the open.” Lola admitted to Pebbles.
“Hey it’s fine Lola. I thought you were pretty sweet when you jumped up there and didn’t die doing so. And it was even cooler how you actually got the hawk to leave just throwing stones at it. And then how you jumped down from the tree, awesome! All I did was get an idea because you’re an awesome jumper, and then I shouted and made funny faces at the hawk. You did all the hard stuff!” Pebbles complimented.
“Thanks, Pebbles that’s really kind!” Lola couldn’t believe Pebbles was complimenting a scaredy-cat like her for being brave.
Rustle, rustle, rustle, swish, swish, swish. The two rabbits could hear light noises, as if someone was whispering and moving, from behind a nearby mess of bushes and vines. “Let’s go check it out, it might be the place!” Pebbles loudly whispered. Lola hesitated for a second but then decided, if Pebbles is that brave, than I can be too. The two peeked around the bushes to see three rats marching back and forth talking to each other in front of a rock cave about 1/8 of a mile away. “Come on, Lola let’s go get our knight!” Pebbles started to hop over to the three rats.
“Wait!” Pebbles halted and faced Lola as soon as she’d spoken, “Pebbles they might want to kill us. They don’t want us freeing this guy. And I don’t want to die, and I really don’t want you to either!” Lola feared stopping Pebbles in his tracks.
“You know what? You’re right. We should go around, behind those bushes, come back out and take them by surprise.” Pebbles declared looking quite surprised in Lola’s care for him. So the two rabbits went behind the bushes and peeked out on the other side. “Come on, they’re still just standing there talking,” Pebbles said looking around. The two hopped over to the three rats who turned around when Lola and Pebbles reached them.
“And who might you be?” one of the rats asked in a snobby British accent.
“Oh, I’m Pebbles and this is Lola. Who are you?”
“Why I am Bonzo, and these are my coworkers, Ronzo, and Cheese. We are the guardians of “The Cave of the Rabbit One” as us rats like to say it,” the snobby rat Bonzo declared.
“What are you rabbits doing here, you weren’t trying to free the knight, were you?” Ronzo, the most muscular of the three rats asked.
“Of course we are!” Lola yelled. Lola then proceeded to knock-out Ronzo and Bonzo and make Cheese run for the hills using only her hind legs and teeth.
“Whoa!” Pebbles sighed as they entered the building. “Oh, Lola, it was pretty sweet what you said about me getting killed and how you cared back there, did you really mean it?” Pebbles questioned.
“Of course I meant it Pebbles, friends care about their friends. Now let’s go free this knight, Cheese is probably going to get a whole rat army after us and I want to be far, far away when they get here!” Lola exclaimed starting off to a darker corner of the cave.
“Huh, guards, Cheese, is it lunch time, who are you? Rabbits?” a dark shape in the corner asked.
“Oh, my gosh! Dark Knight? Is that you? Sir?” Pebbles questioned.
“My, it is rabbits. I can’t believe you would get me after those rats, oh well, yes, I am the Dark Knight. Could you come over here and untie me?” the Dark Knight motioned to his tied up legs. Lola and Pebbles untied the knight and led him outside, where he squinted at the bright sunlight.
“Why, miss, since when have ladies come on missions?” the knight asked in a questioning tone.
“Ever since ladies learned how to kick butt and save guys lives.” Lola commented annoyed by the question. The three continued on in the direction they had seen Cheese run in, with Pebbles telling the Dark Knight all about Lola and his adventure (making sure to leave out any falling on bottoms).
The Cousin Pika
The three rabbits still hadn’t reached the rat base when the sky grew dark. “Why did they hide you so far away?” Lola interrupted Pebble’s story of his life at the pet store and their journey to save the dark knight.
“Probably because they were scared of me. Anyways, it’s getting dark. So we probably should set up camp for the night, we’ll need rest if we want to be able to breech the rat base, alive,” the Knight seemed glad to have an excuse for Pebble’s stories to end. Pebbles ran off to get some food and Lola and the Dark Knight made a small lean to and fire pit in a nice spot, hidden away from the eyes of hungry predators, under a leafy tree . “Lola, you can just call me my name, Marshmallow. That’s the name my owners called me by, until they ended up in a horrible car accident.” Marshmallow’s face had changed from a somewhat mocking look to a kind trusting face, yet Lola still cringed at the word car. Pebbles soon came back and the three conversed while eating dandelion leaves on a stick over a fire.
After the three ate a breakfast of sweet honey grass they headed off again. It wasn’t long until they came across a large rocky cliff, for they had been trudging uphill for an hour. “Hey look it’s the Knight everyone, it’s really, truly him!” Lola had to look closely to see the small gerbil like creature who was blending into the large, gray-brown rocks.
“It can’t be, Jimmy. He’s probably dead now, those evil rats, those scoundrels.” The second voice came from another small creature that was standing on the opposite side of the rocks. Jimmy grumbled something and walked over to the trio.
“Hi. I’m Jimmy. I’m a pika. That’s a lagomorphs, like you. Oh, Dark Knight, sir. You must be his friends. A girl expeditionary, hmmmm. Oh it must be wonderful. I heard of your oath, you swore it on your life. I would love to join you, please?” Jimmy was able to get this all out in one breath, not missing a single beat.
Lola looked at Marshmallow then at Pebbles who both gave approving looks looked back at Jimmy and replied, “Sure, why not?”
“Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. Bless us all. I shall be back in a minute to tell my pal Erinson where I shall be. My destiny has callen! Oh yes, oh yes! Halleluiah!” as fast as Jimmy could talk he ran off, and came back singing the Bon Jovi song, “It?
??s My Life”. And as soon as they got there, they were off.
Up the Mountain and Through the River
The four traveled up the mountain for awhile as Jimmy told them about his life. Wow, he had it pretty good. No fears, a nice family, a home, and friends. I never had friends till now. He had it real good. Why would he ever want to join us? To be a hero, win a heart, help the goodwill of others? I started this thing for Pebbles, and for me. I can see my future though. It’s with these guys, in that village. Yet still I would have stayed with my family, if I had one. At least I have a family now. A family of four. Lola couldn’t believe how good Jimmy had it.
When the four reached the top they could see a lazy flowing river so clear and blue surrounded by green grass and short birch trees. All the land around them as far as the eye can see was like this. “Wow! What a beautiful place. You guys should really build the village here if you’re gonna have like families and all. It’s just so beautiful and calm. If only the whole world could be like this. And you know what? It’s not that far from where I live, so we could still hang out and do cool stuff together, and I would still be able to live with my family!” Jimmy interrupted bird calls and the sweet sound of the water and the breeze blowing on the grass.