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They were at it again: starring in the clearest example of the food chain, a rabbit running away from his natural predator. It had always been this way, and it always would be. But the years passed and Rabbit was still very much alive, and Fox didn’t seem all that hungry.
Most rabbits would have moved away by this point, yet he was the type who thrived on a little dose of adrenaline every now and then. Being hunted had become such a routine part of his life that it was hard for him to imagine living without it. Even if, yes, he had a family to take care of, and being neighbors with his main predator wasn’t exactly the safest option. Besides, the ego boost of always getting away was a nice incentive.
Sometimes he would slow down a little, just to see what would happen, yet Fox never even got close to catching him. He could never catch him, not even with the most convoluted traps, which Rabbit found strange. Not that he pitied him for his failed murder attempts, but something felt off. Any other animal that had tried to eat him would have lost interest by this point. Was it part of some unnecessarily complicated plan, or was Fox just that stubborn?
It really was weird. Fox would try to kill him, then return to normal life as if nothing had happened. They would see each other running errands in town, and neither of them would ever bring up their dangerous little game. Rabbit sometimes wondered if Fox’s heartbeat also sped up whenever he saw him. He quickly discarded the thought. Fox had that mocking smile that felt like he could read all of his embarrassing thoughts.
Rabbit was really scared that day when the Wolves flew in from Canada. He liked the thrill but he was still a creature of habit. He didn’t handle change well, especially not if it meant more animals trying to eat him… and wolves, of all things. Thankfully, the new neighbors didn’t seem like the sharpest examples of their species. It didn’t take long for everything to settle back into some sort of status quo. Rabbit still worried about his kids and Terrapin’s safety, yet the wolves didn’t seem nearly as threatening as he had first thought. But there was that thing that got stuck in his mind, much to his own annoyance: Fox and Wolf had started working together to catch him.
Fox certainly was an opportunist, willing to take any chance to get what he wanted… but he had never seemed like the type who would share his prey. Not that it should have mattered anyway. How many idiots did it take to catch a rabbit? Apparently, more than two. Yet, like almost everything Fox did, it bothered Rabbit more than he wanted to admit.
He hated how happy Fox looked around Wolf.
When Fox was with Wolf, his smiles didn’t have that cunning edge Rabbit was used to seeing whenever Fox tried to frighten him or get on his nerves. He could hear their weird laughter through the walls whenever they loudly discussed their plans, as if Wolf’s house didn’t share a wall with his own. He wondered if Fox coming over more and more often was just another way to get closer to his prey… or if he had “other” interests in mind.
Still, everything always returned to the same routine: stealing cabbages and running away from two predators who never got close enough to catch him. At least, it stayed that way until Rabbit found himself trapped inside the net of an outdated hanging trap. He felt like an idiot for getting sloppy and feared Lucy and the twins might also lose their dad… all because of the oldest trap in the book, which made it even worse.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps crunching over dry leaves caught his attention. It was Fox, with his wide grin.
-Getting rusty, aren’t you?- he teased, sounding a bit incredulous that he had fallen for a trap he had managed to avoid so many times before.
Rabbit didn’t answer back. What could he even say? Fox was right. Besides, he was already too concerned with the idea of being eaten and his kid becoming orphans.
-Not even giving me the satisfaction of hearing your desperate pleas, huh?- Fox stepped closer, bringing his sharp claws near Rabbit’s face. Rabbit shut his eyes tightly, waiting to feel the pain.
And he did feel pain, just not the kind he expected. Instead of claws tearing him apart, it was the sting of landing on his butt. Fox had torn the net apart, setting him free. Rabbit froze in place from sheer confusion.
-W-why?- he managed to mumble. Was the question directed at Fox? Or at himself, wondering why he still hadn’t taken the chance to run away?
For a moment, Fox looked frustrated by the question, but his expression quickly shifted back into his usual teasing smile.
-I just don’t feel like eating rabbit right now,- he said playfully. -I’m craving mutton… or maybe beef.
The confused herbivore wondered if Fox didn’t actually want to kill him… or if he was only keeping him alive as an excuse to keep hanging around Wolf.
-Do you even want to eat me at all?- The question escaped Rabbit’s mouth. He was almost sure he saw Fox’s eyebrows raise slightly.
Before either of them could say anything else, they heard heavy footsteps and tired huffing approaching from nearby. It was definitely Wolf, loud as ever. For a second, Rabbit wondered what would happen if he stayed until Wolf arrived. Would Fox let the bigger canine eat him, or would he try to stop him? But the thought vanished quickly. He had a family to return to, a much important matter than indulging his curiosity and getting himself killed.
Rabbit turned to run, but Fox suddenly grabbed his wrist.
So it had all been some cruel joke after all? Fox hadn’t really intended to let him go?
Before Rabbit could even try to pull away, Fox licked his forearm. Rabbit froze even harder than before. He glanced down at his arm. There was a little blood there, but not from a bite. He must have scratched himself on a branch when he fell from the trap. Fox simply licked his lips, tasting his prey’s blood while staring mockingly at Rabbit’s bewildered expression. At this point, Rabbit was convinced Fox genuinely enjoyed making his head spin.
Wolf’s footsteps sounded even closer.
Fox finally let go of Rabbit’s wrist, and Rabbit bolted away as fast as he could before even attempting to process whatever the hell had just happened.
-The trap didn’t catch him?-asked the exhausted Wolf.
-This damned net broke under his weight. I told you it was too old…-
Rabbit could still hear part of their conversation before getting far enough away.
So not even Wolf was safe from Fox’s weird games?
Eventually, Rabbit managed to make it back home. Terrapin was there taking care of the twins while he was gone.
-Did something happen?- asked Terrapin, probably noticing his not-so-subtle wariness… and the lack of cabbages in his hands.
-I’m not feeling like talking about this right now- Rabbit sighed as he collapsed onto the couch.
He still couldn’t find the words to describe how much he hates that fox.