Chapter Text
With your arms wrapped around yourself, you place one foot after the other, your eyes searching. Conifers loomed over you in the hazy autumn night. Your stomach grumbled in complaint, and you quietly hushed it despite no one being there to hear. At some point, as you walked past the trees, they revealed to you a battered house in the midst. You stood, blinking, before your feet took you towards the run-down property. The lawn was unkempt, the long and unruly grass tickling your legs. The tacky wallpaper was torn around the edges, the unlit windows boarded up. You raised your hand and knocked on the wooden door, then stepped back in wait.
You weren’t sure why exactly you did it, since you doubted anyone lived in a house that looked downright abandoned. Perhaps it was a false hope, or desperation. To your surprise, the door opened soon after. You were face to face with tattered orange fur, and you looked up to a long and unreadable smile directed at you. You blinked again, openly staring back at the orange rabbit as your mouth fell slack, a feeling of unnerve overtaking you.
“Hello, there, little one…” comes a low and gravelly voice of a man, “What brings you here?” The rabbit is peeking his head out of the doorway, not opening the door enough to see inside. Still with that unwavering smile.
You lower your head and give it a shake to rid yourself of the odd feeling, chalking it up to you being nervous at the new face. Stranger danger, after all. But you have no choice in this situation. You fidget with the straps of your backpack. “Um…”
You look back up at him. “You have super cute floppy ears, mister!” you blurt out, since it stood out to you the moment you laid eyes on him.
His answer is silence, as he stands completely motionless. You follow suit. You still can’t tell what he’s thinking even when looking into his dark beady eyes. His hand raises to feel one of his ears, and that’s when you realized how random the statement was, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
You rock on your feet as you scramble for an answer to his question. “I mean! I wanted to. To…” you mumble before trailing off. “I’m not sure, actually… Oh! I’m lost. Can I stay at your house, mister?” You slowed to a still and looked at him innocently.
There is another moment of silence, and his head tilts to the side with a few cracks. It sounds painful. “You… want to stay here?” He drags out his words, then pauses. His smile twitches, and you swear you see it lengthen, if that’s even possible. “Of course, little one. Come in.”
He slowly opens the door with a creak, removes his metallic hand from the handle, and steps back. The tall stranger stands patiently in front of the doorway, watching, waiting for you to take his invitation. You hesitate.
“Um, actually, I can’t come in yet…” He doesn’t budge. You inhale a breath. “I don’t know you, and I have this big rule that I can’t trust strangers.” Stepping closer, you stand right at the sill of the door, a cheeky smile slipping on your face. “So I have to know your name first! What’s your name, mister?”
“You don’t know?”
The man towering over you bends down, his eyes boring into you. A strong smell came from him that you couldn’t pinpoint. It was sort of sweet, but unpleasant. You shake your head, brows furrowing. He chuckled quietly, as if he found something funny.
“The Pumpkin Rabbit.”
You huffed, before giggling. “Very funny, mister! It’s awesome that you’re dressed up for Halloween, and… And I love your costume, but I need to know the real you!” you explained, “Or I can’t trust you. I don’t make the rules.”
There was a pause, before he caved. “Lorenzo… Lorenzo Waterman. I live here with my wife, Rachel… I’m sure you’d love to meet her as well. I… just… know it.”
“You have a wife?!” You exclaimed with much more interest than you meant to. You scrambled to move on from the conversation. “Um! Thank you!” You quickly introduced yourself. “You’re right, Mr. Waterman, I’d love to meet Mrs. Waterman.”
“Come in, come in… She’s dying to meet you.”