As Judy ran across the sand, her head was full of questions: why didn't the childrens' chewables work for Nick? How much ground will she be able to cover before she is caught? And, if caught, what on earth will Nick do to her?
Panting, the rabbit reached the beach itself, the water gently washing away the tattoo paw prints left by various animals throughout the night and day. She slowed down and stood at the surf's edge, her nose burning from the heavy, cool scent of salt. Beside her was a pink starfish with six legs. Moved with pity, Judy bent down and eased the creature back into the water where it wiggled away. Free.
Standing by the car, Nicholas stared off at the beach, hungry, blind with pain. He took a step forward and staggered, his stomach rolling along with his eyes. The fox groaned, his mouth moist with blood; he had accidentally bit a small hole in his cheek. The taste of himself only made him crave blood even more; he wanted the thrill of the hunt, and the satisfaction of the kill.
"Judy..." He mumbled, sniffing. On the wind, he caught the scent of otters, squirrels, mice. A thought entered his head: Does it have to be Judy?
The answer came quicker than lightning: No.
Getting down on all fours, Nicholas Wilde stuck his head in a bush and sniffed heavily; a mouse couple broke away from kissing and stared up at the fox, confused.
"Excuse you!" Snapped the male mouse, stepping in front of his girl.
Nick's face broke out into a savage grimace; he dove forward into the bush, snapping up the male mouse; his teeth mutilated the little rodent in quick, merciless chomps, the female screaming in horror below his bloodied muzzle.
"Mmm..." Nicholas licked his lips. "I bet you taste just as good as the other one."
The female, thankfully, readers, faintly. So she felt little to no pain at all as Nicholas gobbled her up.
When these acts were committed, the fox sniffed greedily, hungry for more. His headache wasn't near as bad anymore; he was curing himself!
Laughing, the fox stood up on his hind legs and strolled towards the beach. He would choose his next victim carefully- and savor every fruit-gushing bite.
Judy's ears picked up the familiar sound of Nicholas' laughter and turned, expecting him to run into her arms and tell her the good news- that it was all a joke, a mistake. Any excuse would be better than their current reality.
Nicholas spotted Judy. At once, his mouth began to water. He waved and ran over, his bushy tail swishing. "Judy, I've done it! I know what the cure is!"
"He's lying." Judy muttered to herself, her whole body on edge.
As the fox got closer, Judy leaned back, raising her front paws close to her face, ready.
"Judy!" Nick was all smiles.
Blood coveted the fox's face and chest. She could even smell it. Judy whispered: "Holy cheese crackers..."
Judy sucked in a breath, and, when Nick dove straight at her, she punched the living daylights out of him, knocking the fox out cold.
Breathing hard, Judy knelt down in the sand next to the fox, brushing a paw across his finally-calm face.
"Don't worry, Nick... I don't know how many you've killed. But I'm not going to let anyone find out. I'll protect you; I promise."
She scooped handful after handful of salt water into her paws and washed the blood out of Nick's muzzle, being careful not to get any water in his nose or eyes. Once he looked decent, Judy stood up and looked around the beach.
Nearby was a pair of zebras, walking along the coast.
Judy ran over to them at once. "Help! Please help! My friend, he's collapsed. Can you help me get him back into the house?"
"Your friend is hurt?" Asked one of the zebras, exchanging a look with his companion.
The other zebras nodded. "Sure, we'll help you, little bunny."
"Thank you so much!" Judy said, nearly crying with relief.
It wasn't until the next morning that Nicholas awoke on the couch, his vision hazy. He sat up slowly, sniffing, learning things his eyes failed to inform him about: Rose tea had recently been brewed. Judy was somewhere nearby.
Nicholas licked his mouth, tasting the chalky texture of grape. "Did you drug me, Carrots?" He asked loudly.
Judy hopped into the den. "Did I force-feed you your medicine?" She asked. "Yes." She stood still and stared at him, her whiskers twitching.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Asked the fox.
"I'm just wondering if you're going to go crazy psycho again."
Nicholas jumped to his feet. "Wh-what did I do last night?" He demanded. "What did I do?"
Judy fell quiet, thinking for a long time. "When we got home last night, you weren't feeling well, so ... So we went for a walk on the beach. That's all."
"That's all?"
Judy nodded. "That's all."
"Oh thank goodness..." Nicholas sat back down on the couch. "It was only a dream..."
Judy walked around and sat next to him on the couch. Gingerly, she laid a paw on his arm. "You're going to be okay, Nick. You have nothing to worry about."
"Have you always been such a sweet, lovable bunny?" Nicholas asked, smiling gently.
"Only when you're around."
Nick smiled and leaned over, his breath heavy with grape-scent. "You're such a tease..." He tapped her playfully on the nose, then stood up, stretching his arms high above his head. "I'm hungry."
"What are you hungry for?" Judy asked carefully.
"Anything; I want to get this awful chalky taste out of my mouth."
Judy laughed softly and got up off the couch, taking hold of his paw. "How about we make fruit smoothies?"
"Mmm. That sounds refreshing. It's so hot in this house."
"We can sit outside and eat in the shade, if you like."
Nicholas smiled down at the rabbit. "That sounds nice."
