Trap
Just a One Shot Story I did and couldn't get out of my head.
Snow covered the fields as the forest drifts to sleep for winter. Flying about happily Jack waves his stick frosting everything and anything along the way.
This was the moment he enjoyed the most. Encompassing the world in areas welcoming winter, he couldn't help but laugh as he playfully continued doing his job as the Winter Guardian.
Stopping he notices a familiar bunny hopping about in the forest.
A wicked smile escapes him as he joyfully flies down to meet with the Pooka.
"Bunny!"
Looking through a couple of bushes, Bunny rolls his eyes upon hearing the voice of the joyful teenager.
"Good day Snowflake."
"What are you doing?"
Focused, he continues to look through the bushes.
Smiling he reaches down and grabs an egg.
"Gatherin' me googies. Funny this area used ta be crawling with ankle-biters. Word got back that none of me eggs were gathered so I figured I collect them now when things were a bit more relax at the Warren."
Looking around, Jack did notice that the area had recently changed.
The place was beginning to carry an eerie feel to it.
It was quiet, maybe a bit too quiet.
Bunny was paying no mind to the boy who was intently checking out his surroundings.
A flock of birds take to the sky.
There was something obviously wrong with them. They were afraid.
Bunny's ears perk when he hears a sound coming fast in their general direction.
Bunny ducks as a doe and her fawn hurryingly jump over the Pooka.
"What the bloody hell?"
Growing nervous the boy walks over to the Pooka.
"I think…I think we should get out of here."
Stepping on his hinds legs, the Pooka takes a whiff of the air.
Getting down on all fours, his ears fall back.
"I reckon your right. Time ta go."
Gathering his basket, the pair turn around just in time to hear a twig snap.
Bunny's eyes widen.
"Run!"
Not asking why Jack flies out of there with the Pooka in close pursuit.
He had never felt so scared. He could feel his heart racing.
Brushing past the trees and bushes at full speed he is beyond happy when he reaches the end of the forest.
"Phew! That was close! For a second there I didn't think you'd be able to catch up Cotton tail…"
Looking back he is surprised to see himself standing there alone.
"Bunny?"
He could feel his stomach turning when there is no answer.
"BUNNY!?"
In the distance you could hear the Aussie crying out for North. Bunny was only known to cry out for the man whenever he was in a state of panic. It was relatable to a child crying out for their mother.
"Bunny…"
Flying back he quickly flies towards the voice.
He was getting closer to the cries.
"NORTH!"
Pushing pass a couple of bushes, the boy is not prepared for what he sees.
The Pooka was violently thrashing about as his mangled foot lied inside a bear trap.
Panicking, Jack rushes over and tries to remove the trap.
Bunny continued to thrash about in a frenzy.
His body was instinctively pulling him in survival mode.
The area grew horrid as the Pooka's blood began to scatter everywhere.
"Bunny! You need to calm down!"
Clawing at the floor Bunny continued to cry out for their leader.
"North!"
Using every bit of strength Jack tries to pull the bear trap out, but he was helpless.
"I got to get help. Bunny I need you to calm down. I'll be back! Ok? I got to get North!"
The Bunny continued to thrash about ignoring the boy.
Even his eggs had walked over trying to calm their Guardian.
Pulling hard the Pooka screams in agony.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!"
The man's ear twitches as he hears the cry of an animal in the distance.
"Looks like we've got something."
His dogs were barking madly to be released of their chains.
The man unlocks a chained link gate revealing a yellow bright WARNING sign with a list of dates headlining with the words HUNTING AREA.
The man gets on his knees and unchains his hunting dogs.
"Go get em boys."
The dogs viciously snarl and bark as soon as they are released.
Jack was flying as fast as he could.
North was attentively working on his newest project smiling at the results.
"Ah! Beautiful!"
A violent burst through his porch doors startle the man as Jack tumbles into the room.
"Jack? What are you doing here?"
He stops when he notices that the boy is covered in blood.
"Jack! What has happened!?"
Taking a deep breath he shouts.
"It's Bunny! He's in trouble!"
Not wasting anytime North rushes over towards the sleigh.
"Where is he!?"
"Red Oak Woods."
Stopping he turns around and rushes back to his office.
"Where are you going!?"
Grabbing a snow globe, North puts on his jacket and grabs his swords.
"There is no room for my sleigh there. We go by ourselves."
He whispers into the globe before smashing it on the floor.
The pair jumps in with the portal closing behind them.
Whimpering, Bunny continues to claw at the snow.
His ears perk up when he hears the sound of dogs barking in the distance.
Crawling he attempts to hide under a bush with his mangled leg still exposed.
The dogs close in surrounding the Pooka.
Completely terrified at this point, he desperately tries with all his might to crawl back as far as he can, but instead hurts himself even further.
The man cautiously walks up with his gun drawn.
Looking around he could determine from all the blood that this was a big catch.
Smiling he spits out a mouthful of tobacco before approaching the bush.
"Now what have we got ourselves here?"
Pulling at the chain the man is surprised to see a Bunny trembling at the end of the trap.
"What the!?"
A sound coming from around the corner catches the man's attention.
Looking over he is surprised to see a man along with a boy standing in front of him.
The dogs bring their attention to the pair and ferociously bark at them.
Jack looked down at Bunny who was cowering away from the man.
"Who in blue blazers are you two?"
Jack was amazed.
"He…he can see us."
North reaches down and pulls out his swords.
"Barely."
Bunny shakily says,
"North…he's got a gun."
"Everything is going to be alright Bunny."
The man gives North a quizzical look before looking down at the struggling rabbit.
"This your pet or something?"
Jack finally understood. The man could see them, but he didn't see them for what they really were.
"A dear friend of mine actually."
The man lifts his gun towards the pair.
"You should know better than letting your pets wonder off into my hunting grounds. He may be a wee thing, but he'll do for a nice dinner."
Jack has never seen North so focused and determined as he continued to stare down the man who was pointing a gun towards his face.
His eyes continued to flicker back and forth between the pair.
Grasping his swords North warns,
"I don't want to hurt you John."
The man's eyes widen.
"How you know my name?"
Raising a sword he points it directly at the man.
"I know everything about you John, I even know about this."
North gently taps the side of his head.
Fear fills the man's eyes.
"How did you-not even my family knows!"
"It's my job to know and to remember each and every person I meet."
Wierded out by the conversation the man trembles as he brings his gun back towards the pair.
"What the hell do you keep jabbering about old man? You need to shut your trap and get off my property! YOU HEAR ME!? GET OFF MY PROPERTY!"
"I will as soon as you let me take care of my friend here."
"I SAID GET OUT!"
Scared Bunny looks up at North and frightenly says,
"North. NORTH!"
With all of Bunny's squeaking, the man grows annoyed and suddenly points his gun down at the Pooka.
"SHUT UP!"
"NORTH!"
The man fires.
Jack lets out a gasp.
With Bunny cowering in fear, North stands before the frightened man as he grasps the barrel of gun, pointing it straight up in the air.
The man is faced with a pair of fierce blue eyes.
Pulling the gun away, North passes it over to Jack who nervously takes it.
Raising a sword to the man's throat, North threateningly says in a low growling tone.
"Get out."
North pushes the man causing him to brutally fall back into the snow.
The man manages to get up and runs off with his dogs.
Satisfied that the man was gone, North removes his jacket and tends to the Pooka.
Reaching down he angrily pulls open the trap, releasing the Pooka's mangled foot.
Placing a caring hand on his cheek, North tenderly says,
"You're going to be ok my friend."
"Th…thanks mate."
Exasperated, Bunny nearly collapses into his arms when he is wrapped in the man's thick signature red jacket.
Lifting the Pooka, North turns around to look back at where the man had just ran through.
Tossing the gun to the side, Jack joins North.
"Ho-how did he see us?"
"It's because he's dying Jack."
" Dying? From what?"
"A brain tumor."
The boy sadly looks in the direction North was looking at.
"Did you really know him?"
"I never forget a face Jack. No matter how old they get I remember the face of every boy and girl. Naughty or Nice. I remember."
Reaching into his pocket he grabs a spare snow globe and throws it down towards the ground.
Giving the Pooka a loving pet North quietly walks through the portal with the teen in tow.
Snow gracefully falls from the winter skies gradually covering the bloodied bear trap.