Chapter 3
Back at my parents home, I'm sure they would be asleep by now. I use to know that Alice would be on her phone probably calling some of her new friends that she met back in school. My parents probably be up trying to get some work done before going to bed, at the same time thinking about me.
"Honey what's wrong." Dad said.
"Just kept thinking about our son." Mom worried.
"I'm sure he's alright. Before you know, he promised to come with his own kids." he said.
"I know, but it has been awhile. Usually they would come around the Spring." she said.
"Unless there's a plan for them." he said as he closed the laptop.
"Only God knows." she said. She than turned off the lamp and pulled the covers to her and started to sleep after giving Dad a kiss.
My father remembered the promise that I made, however at the same time they worry that it won't happen or something happened. He decided to not to worry about it and embraced her and closed his eyes.
A knock woke him up. Mom was still asleep and he didn't want to wake her up.
Alice I'm sure you bringing friends over, in the middle of the night. he said to himself.
He grabbed his phone, as a flashlight and checked on Alice. She was already fast asleep and he looked at his phone.
"Who would be knocking our door at 4 o'clock in the morning?" he asked himself.
The knock became a bang seconds after three knocks. He hurried upstairs to his room.
"Honey, wake up." he started to shake his wife and trying to speak to her.
"Wake up!" he said a little louder and Mom woke up.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Go wake up Alice and try to stay in her room until I come back." he said.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Just do it! I think we may have an intruder." he said.
Mom got out of bed and woke Alice. They managed to call the authorities as they reported for a attempt breaking and entering into their home. Dad went down on the steps to the door and opened the door. As he slowly opens the door, he gasped to see the man was.
"Where's your son with that rabbit?" he said.
"He's no longer here and I don't see why you had to knock on the door that early in the morning." Dad said.
The man drew a firearm at him. "Don't say anything to attract attention."
Dad opened the door and the man stepped in and turned on the light to reveal himself.
"What are you doing here?! You should be in jail!" Dad exclaimed.
"Of course I had a little help from my son to break me out." the man said.
"Clayton?" Dad started to remember.
"Now you're remembering." Clayton's father complemented. "You could just call me Hugh."
"I still won't tell you where my son is." Dad said.
Hugh pulled the trigger and fired on Dad's shoulder. Mom and Alice heard a gunshot and she instructed Alice to stay. She opened the door to see Dad was lying on the floor wounded and moaning in pain.
"Well... it's nice to see you again too my dear." Hugh aimed at her.
Dad kicked him on his ankle and fired into the air. She screamed and ran back into Alice's room. Hugh regain back on his feet and fired repetitively.
Meanwhile
I woke up, as I felt something jolted my heart. I turned around to look around the burrow, but nothing was wrong. Rose was still peacefully asleep. However, I decided to head outside of the warren to see for myself. When got outside of my warren, it was not even close to dawn yet. The night was still a bit young, crickets chirp, as owls hooted. I remained close to my warren in case I won't try to go out further and be caught by an owl.
"Why do you always have to wake up in the middle of the night?" Bigwig came out with Tyler.
"I felt something is wrong." I said.
"Like what?" Tyler asked.
"I don't know. I'd rather be up just to keep a lookout for anything." I said.
"Well in that case, we'll stay with you." Bigwig and Tyler agreed, as we lie down and watched the stars.
We started to have our usual chat about stars and life.
"Anything new about having kittens?" Bigwig asked.
I shook. "I can't tell yet, we're definitely prepared, however never came for us yet."
"When the time will be right, it'll be right." Tyler said.
"What about you Bigwig? Since seasons back, any luck?" I asked Bigwig.
"As a matter of the fact, me and Spartina would be having kittens soon." he announced.
"Really!" Tyler was thrilled.
"Congrats! I know it's been a long way with you and Spartina." I congratulated.
"Been trying, however we've been busy and I prefer to keep it to yourselves until we could be able to get the news out." Bigwig added.
"Of course." Tyler and I promised.
An ambient gunshot was heard. I tried to listen to it carefully where it came from. "Don't you guys heard that?"
"Heard what?" Bigwig asked.
"I heard something further away." I tried to move towards the sound.
Another gunshot went off. I gasped.
"What is it?" Tyler asked.
"It's a gunshot." I said.
"I don't see anybody up that early to hunt." Tyler said.
"Whatever it is, we need to head back into our warren." Bigwig said.
"What about my family, it wasn't far from where they're too." I protested.
Bigwig sighed. "Let's just head underground we'll see about your family in the morning."
I decided to agree and we headed back into our warren. We just stood a little further from the entrance and waited. At the same time, we wondered who could be firing off rounds early in the morning.
"It's certainly not 'man' doing it as it seems." Bigwig said. If it wasn't hunting, than a crime would be taking place.
The sun began to dawn an hour after the shooting was over. I was the first one exited out of the warren. I decided to head towards my parents to see if they're alright.
"Mason! Where are you going?!" Bigwig shouted.
"I'm heading to see my family, if they're safe. Just tell Rose I'll be back shortly." I hurried off with no time to lose.
Bigwig just shook his head. "If something happens to him, we don't know what to say."
He hurried and woke up Tyler, who was sleeping by the entrance.
"Alright, lad, get the Owsla together for a search party to go after Mason." Bigwig instructed.
"Where did he go?" Tyler asked.
"To see his family, but get the Owsla up and meet by the tree, as I get Hazel." Bigwig hurried off.
Tyler went to wake everyone, who is in the Owsla to get into groups and they head outside.
Bigwig called for Hazel. He than went by his burrow.
"Hazel, wake up!" Bigwig called for him.
Hazel was still sleepy when he got up. "What is it?"
"Hazel, we need to have the Owsla do a search for Mason." he said.
Hazel became shocked. "What happened?!"
"Early this morning we heard as they said 'hunters', but Mason thought something different and he hurried off after Frith started to rise." Bigwig explained.
"I'll come along." Hazel didn't hesitated and joined with Bigwig.
I hurried like a bat out of hell. I didn't even look and had no one to guard me. I thought at the same time, I was reckless because I should have waited, but it was urgent. I passed by the walking trail and I made it to the backyard of my house and noticed the screen door was broke opened. My heart started beat as I saw that the house was broken into and someone must have flee.
"Mason!" Hazel and the others were calling for me.
"Mason, what were you thinking, leaving like that?" Bigwig asked.
They dropped the question as they saw the house. I rubbed my cross and I was turned back into the 15 year old boy that I once I was. I ran to the front door and saw the house was thrashed. All the pictures that were on picture frames are now cracked on the floor. The TV was lying face down. The books and movies were scattered. Then I saw a trail of blood across the floor. I followed it to see my father lays lifeless on the door mat.
"Dad?" I said. I started to nudge him, but he didn't move. "Please don't die!"
My heart than just dropped into my stomach. I looked back to see the stairs. I got up and went upstairs and saw that Alice's door was opened.
"Mom! Alice!" I called for them, but they weren't there.
I left the room and went to my parent's room and saw Mom and Alice were on the floor. Rushing to their side, I shook them and they didn't even stir. I started to let out tears to only know that my family is gone.
Hazel and the Owsla than arrived upstairs to see me crying over my mother's body. Tyler didn't had words to say along with Fiver. Hawkbit put his paws around Tyler. Bigwig was shocked and shook his head. Hazel hopped over to my side.
"Mason..." he shook his head. "I'm so sorry." Hazel rubbed the necklace and it turned me back into the rabbit.
I paws clinched onto my mother's nightgown, as Hazel gave me a hug and whispers with comfort. My tears fell onto his fur and mine, as I went over to him and hid my, face from this scene, onto his chest.
It wasn't until ten minutes later the police arrived with a constable. I transformed into a human, before they even arrived of course. Hazel and the Owsla watched from the front-yard grass without revealing to attract "humans", as I watched my parted beloved parents and sister I once knew, being loaded up and driven off.
"Son... do you need anything?" the constable asked.
"Who could have done this?" I asked in grief.
"Well son." he pulled off some warning papers. "We believe that this man was responsible."
I took the papers to see the man was named Hugh, but I recognized his face immediately.
"The councilman?!" I remembered.
"You know this man?" he asked.
"I did, he was the father of a bully I knew named Clayton. Also a councilman, but I guess after he was arrested his title was dropped I supposed."
"Well he did managed a escape and we're out searching for him." The constable said.
My hands started crumble the paper, as anger started to burn. However, I let it go.
"We may need you to send you back-"
"No! I prefer to be here and I have family too looking after me. I can't go back to California and leave what I have here." I said.
"Well son, I don't how you'll manage, but a best luck to you sonny." he tipped his hat, got into his vehicle and left.
