Author's Note: Another chapter revision! Stay Tuned for more! Please Review and tell me what you think. Thank You!
The both of us came back up from the dark pit. I had my arm around Captain Holly, as he was limping on his left hind leg. My shirt was on my shoulder until we got back to the group. Hyzenthlay went into the pit next, as the others, whom already been marked waited.
"Are you in any pain?" Captain Holly asked me.
"Somewhat, mostly stings." I answered, as I put my shirt back on.
"You, human! General Woundwart is also expecting you." Captain Vervain spoke. "And your friend, is not welcomed."
Captain Holly growled from Captain Vervain, before he looked back at me. "At least I'll be able to walk with you half way. Than I'm afraid I have to leave you."
"I understand." I spoke, as Hyzenthlay limped her way back towards the group. "Are you okay?" I asked.
"I'm fine. However, I'm more worried about you facing Woundwart. Most of those encountered him, they wouldn't come out alive." she said.
"Remember... we're still planning the escape tonight. Feel free to join us and bring many as you can." Captain Holly approached to her.
She sighed. "I'll try to consider it." I knew that they may have starting to like each other. Captain Holly than spoke to Blackberry and Bluebell briefly before returning to me.
"Kevin, are you ready?" Captain Holly asked me.
"Yes." I answered.
The two of us started our half of the journey, as Captains Vervain and Orchis took lead. The tunnels were more darken than before that we almost couldn't see a thing.
"Kevin, you don't have to answer my question. Who has done this to you?" Captain Holly asked me about the belt marks on my back.
"My brothers: Mark and Mack." I answered. "Most of that happened when I got into high school. My first was back in eighth grade. My first whip by the belt was when I got home and started doing my homework. My brothers came home with their girlfriends. They despised what I was doing, as I was inwardly focused with my homework assignments. My brothers bust into my room, as they demanded me to feed them dinner, but I had homework to do. From that point, I forgot it was either Mark and Mack who started. One of them had a belt and he carries his bottle of Bud-Light..." I couldn't remember entirely what happens next. It was too painful to remember what happens afterwards, but you could figure out the rest though.
Captain Holly closed his eyes and shook his head. "If you were a lost young buck and dealt with this abuse, it would be a honor to take you in to be my son."
"But you already did." I said.
"When?" he asked.
"When we first met in Sandleford, you welcomed me warmly and treated me kindly more alike to Hazel and Fiver. Especially, after getting water out of me of course." Captain Holly chuckled, as I remembered the fall at the river. "If I had to run away and even now that I came to your world, I would wanted you to be my father." I answered. "You have my parents' personality, mostly my father's and my older brother Dan's traits."
"Oh, Kevin. I'm not the kind of father you may consider of me." he doubted.
"You already proved it to me. Being by my side, is good enough to show your fatherly personality. You're a wonderful Captain and a father." I smiled.
Captain Holly warmly smiled, until we finally reached back at the waiting chamber. Captain Vervain glared at me, as Captain Vervain went off ahead. "Alright, human... off you go."
I was taking deep breaths, as I was bit frightened to go face to face with Woundwart by myself. I really wanted Captain Holly to be by my side. As a son wanted his father by him. However, in most times in my life I learned in a hard way that I should never run away from my fears.
"Everything is going to be alright, Kevin." Captain Holly warmly assured me. "Be humble, stay strong, and finally be faithful. Frith will be by your side."
"Thank you Captain Holly. Although where I come, it's God being by my side. I still haven't been able to believe in his Son." I feared.
"Perhaps it's best to say a prayer, as if I would be praying to Frith. However, you'll have to pray like you really mean it."
I closed my eyes, as I took a deep breath. "Okay. I'll will."
"I'll be here waiting for you, until you come back here." he promised.
"You promise?" I asked.
"If I have to die and be sent to The Black Rabbit of Inle'." he meant it, however I warned him not to say that. He than just simply promised. "Also, like Hyzenthlay said, think of something happy." I held onto his paw, until I let it go. Captain Vervain began taking me across the bridge again, before arriving back at the council chamber. However, no council member was present, as they may already be asleep or on duty for the night.
"You wait here." Captain Vervain headed towards Woundwart's burrow.
Alone... in the dark, with only the stars were the only light to shine the council chamber. I pulled out my Bible and read my favorite verse that my parents taught me, whenever I face my fears from the Book of Philippians Chapter 3.
I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
I went down on my knees and with my Bible closed, looked up towards the night starry sky. "Dear God... I understand I'm not worth of mentioning your name. I'm praying to you now for you to be by my side Lord. I'll admit that I'm sinner and have done terrible things in my life. I now decided to put my trust and believe your Son, Jesus Christ came to the Earth to preach of your ways Lord, died on the cross for humanity's sins, and rose again from His grave. I'm willing to trust in you Lord and Jesus Christ and welcoming you to my heart. I need your light to shine bright, during my troubled times ahead. Please give me strength and guidance Lord. In Jesus's name I pray... Amen."
I finished my prayer, by the time I noticed Woundwart exiting out of his burrow and hopped his way down towards me slowly.
"What is your name, human?" Woundwart questioned me.
"My name is Kevin Marcus. Sir." I introduced myself.
"How did you ever come to our world?"
"I don't fully understand how I got here, but all I know that The Black Rabbit brought me here." I answered once more.
"The Black Rabbit of Inle' welcoming a human to our world? Preposterous!" Captain Orchis mocked, as he and his brother entered the chamber.
"Silence." Woundwart ordered, before he turned back towards me. "Now where are you staying at?"
"With some friends away from here." I answered. Captain Vervain slowly approached towards me, as Captain Orchis evilly smile with his eyes bit widen, and received a strike on the cheek, by Captain Vervain.
"You lie." Woundwart doesn't believe me.
"I mean, when I met them. They welcomed me very well." I spoke up, but than received a strike again by Captain Vervain.
"A human such as yourself don't belong in our world." Captain Orchis knocked me to the ground and I dropped my Bible. The bucks looked at my Bible that I dropped. Woundwart stepped towards and lightly touched it with his paw.
"What's this? A human thing?" Woundwart questioned me, as the Captains sniffed at it.
"More than that, It's God's words which is called The Bible. My parents give that to me." I got up and walked towards it, but Woundwart pulled it away from me.
"Do you understand it?"
"I took a great deal out of it. Especially now, I need it back. The Bible means a lot to me." I asked for it back. He than opened The Bible with his paws and started to rip some of the pages. I gasped in horror.
"I suppose it's falling to pieces." Woundwart taunted.
"Oh please don't! It's from my parents!" I begged.
More pages started to rip from Woundwart's paws. "It's now falling to bits." Even Captain Orchis started tearing the pages and they scattered throughout the chamber.
"It's nothing but curses that brought down our kind!" Captain Vervain cursed, as General Woundwart and Captain Orchis chuckled.
I held back from my tears, but a bit of anger boiled inside, but I couldn't and refuse to go into rage. "How dare you..."
"How could we other wise. Not a single rabbit, even that captain of yours won't be able to have any association with you. It'll ruin our ways and prospects." General Woundwart spoke.
"My new friends may be real, but you're nothing but villain from a story book." I stood up.
General Woundwart growled and jumped onto my chest and held me down. "Vervain and Orchis proceed with the punishment of twenty cuffs by his mark."
Captain Vervain hopped towards me and held me down, as I struggle to free myself. Captain Orchis continues to smile, as he was the Devil himself. He continues to walk towards me to give me the frightening smile... the evil smile... and the evil eye. I did my best to look away Orchis' smile, but Vervain's paw pressing down on my head makes it difficult to turn away. I could only do is to close my eyes.
"Look at me... look at me." Captain Orchis whispered.
I began to whimper and wail, before Captain Vervain started to strike me in the back, as I screamed in pain. It wasn't like being whipped by a belt, but it was slow and steady strike that he would make.
"Look at me... just one little blink. I see how you and that Captain Holly of yours gazed at each other." Captain Orchis spoke.
I opened my eyes to see... he was close to my face, like a horror movie character staring at the victim before murdering them. I screamed for Captain Holly. "CAPTAIN HOLLY!"
A strike came at me again by Vervain. Woundwart let me go, as Vervain took over to hold me down.
"Squeal for his name... shout for him." Captain Orchis taunted me.
"CAPTAIN HOLLY! HELP ME, PLEASE!" I cried out for him to help me.
Another strike came down at me. "You see your Captain Holly won't be saving you. Perhaps sing a song... it'll pass the time."
"Do what my brother says, or we would make it a forty cuffs." Captain Vervain lay down an ultimatum.
My voice became weak from my crying that I sob, while trying to sing.
Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination
I started to sing Pure Imagination hauntingly, as I was receiving more lashes. I than turned over to see Woundwart tossed my Bible to the bottom pit, where I crossed over to the chamber. Tears fell out of my eyes, as I lost The Most Important Book of All Mankind, which is The Bible, as it was also a gift from my parents.
Find me here, and speak to me
I want to feel you, I need to hear you
You are the light that's leading me to the place
Where I find peace again
You are the strength that keeps me walking
You are the hope that keeps me trusting
You are the life to my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything
And how can I stand here with you
And not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms and you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall
You steal my heart and you take my breath away
Would you take me in, take me deeper now
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
Cause you're all I want, you're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
Everything, everything
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better-any better than this
And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this
I sang tearfully Everything by Lifehouse, because I started to remember watching the Christian skit of the song on YouTube. I felt like I just accepted Jesus to my heart and now I faltered my spiritual growth, as Woundwart destroyed pages of The Bible and tossed the rest to the pit. I than continued to scream in pain, as I was still giving thrashes from Captain Vervain. And Captain Orchis terrorizing me from his scare tactics. I continued to cry for Captain Holly, until I started to shout for Jesus Christ to help me. A strike on the head knocked me out. I would have to thank God for that, so that I wouldn't have to feel another pain, while unconscious.
Minutes later, I woke up to see no one was there. Apparently, I was unconscious from my injuries and a blow to the head. I was relieved that Woundwart and the Captain Brothers are no longer in the chamber. I struggled to get up, until I give about a few more seconds to stand myself up. Pages from The Bible started to fly. I had to grab them, before it would fly away forever. I only managed to recover the six pages from different parts of The Bible, as the whole scriptures are now in the pits, as I have no way of getting it because it was pitch black. Blacker than the Droopy Rabbit's pit.
I started to feel emotional that I let God down, as I burst into tears. "I'm sorry, God. I'm truly sorry!"
After I cleaned my tears, I found my favorite verse from Philippians 4:13... I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength. I'm trying to rely my strength on Christ. However, since I let Him down from Woundwart destroying pages of The Bible and tossing it to the pit. I was already losing myself and my faith. I started to cross the bridge, as I looked down to see my Bible all the way at the bottom of the pits.
After I crossed, I saw Captain Holly was still awake, as heard me crying out to him while he waited for me. "Captain Holly..."
He noticed me. "Kevin! What have they done to you?!" He than hopped towards me.
"I tried. I failed. I'm sorry." I sobbed into tears. "I tried to be brave, but I couldn't. I'm weak."
Captain Holly hushed me, as he comforted me. "You have done nothing wrong, you been through the worst. And don't you ever say anything like that! You're not weak!"
"I called for you, but you never came!" I sobbed.
He was bit heartbroken that he couldn't be able to come to my aid. Since Woundwart ordered me to show my face alone. It would have gone worst, if Captain Holly intervened.
"I'm truly sorry, Kevin. If there was another way that I could have joined with you, I would do anything. In the end, it's over and you been through it. That makes you strong. You're alive! Hyzenthlay stated that not many rabbits would leave the chamber alive, as they face Woundwart."
"But that's for rabbits. I'm not a rabbit." I stated.
Captain Holly lightly chuckled. "Yes, but to say if you were. You held yourself together."
His words of encouragement and comfort made me gave Captain Holly a embracing hug, as my tears made his fur wet. He continues to calm me down, as well kindly stroking me gently on my back with his paw.
"I need to grab my Bible. Woundwart dropped it to the bottom. It's too dark and I can't see it." I than heard a crack, as I almost forgot about my necklace. Another part of the gem cracked. I went to despair. "I already let myself down, as I can't be able to figure out about the next task.
"'Aid the does to the new warren.'" Captain Holly remembered the third task. "Go outside and meet Blackberry and Bluebell. I'll stay back to find your... what's it called?"
"The Bible. It was a gift from my parents." I finished.
"Right. I'll go find your 'The Bible'." Captain Holly hurried off, as he started to search through different burrows to help me find my Bible. I started to head my way outside of the warren.
