Chapter 2 – Unwanted
Fourteen years earlier…
"Where are you, you little good-for-nothing?" A child's voice called out.
Judith, or Judy to those who knew her, found herself running along a windowless hallway. No more than ten years old at this time, she held a leather-bound book close to her chest. Glancing behind her, breathless, Judy turned and ran through a doorway leading into a narrow corridor. Knowing what awaited her at the hall's end, she slowed down before reaching an oak-inlaid door. Turning the handle, Judy opened it, allowing only enough room to slip into the room beyond. Her ears raised, she listened as she stood in a small open space.
The warmth of the evening sunlight felt eerily to the little doe as it bathed the room, its walls colored in a cream beige. Once used by Judy's late uncle as a small office and personal library, the room felt unused and forgotten. Its finely carved bookcases held numerous dust-covered ledgers and favorite books collected during his life. She glanced a moment at the two high vaulted windows on one side. She bent slightly to one side, peering out on the adjoining area leading to the house's greeting room. Unwilling to linger too long where she stood, she dashed toward the closest windowsill. Hung from the tops of the window frame, a set of cardinal-colored curtains draped on either side of the windowsill. Moving behind one, set near the corner of the room, she wrapped her body within it, hiding her from view. The book still held to her chest; Judy raised an ear as the sound of running footsteps along the same corridor she had entered stopped suddenly.
The door to the corridor opened slowly, revealing a small golden-colored buck bunny, no more than thirteen years old. Focused on the room, the older buck stepped forward. Dressed in matching olive-colored pants and jacket, the buck's right paw concealed something behind his back. Judy watched as the figure of her cousin, Johnathan Footerton, moved close to where she was hiding. "I know you're in here." His voice sounded malicious as he moved his right paw forward, revealing a fencing practice foil. As if a hunter stocking his prize, his actions brought fear to the young doe. Johnathan began to move about the room, scrutinizing everything. Hesitant to make any sound to alert her cousin, Judy held her breath as she watched him through a small slit in the curtain. "If you come out now and return what you took, I may grant you forgiveness if you're lucky." Johnathan turned in a circle, a grin of pure disgust on his face.
As the sound of the fencing foil slashed through the air, Judy felt a shiver run along her back. Johnathan approached a small end table and chair next to where she was hiding. She watched in horror as her cousin began to stab the chair repeatedly. Turning in a circle, Johnathan swung the foil in the air, causing a small glass vase on the table next to him to crash to the floor. "En garde!" Johnathan shouted as he looked over the broken vase.
"What was that?" A deep female voice spoke from somewhere outside the room. "Johnathan, dear, is that you?" Hearing her aunt's voice, Judy made her feeling of dread only deepen.
Ditching the foil on the chair, Johnathan rushed over to an enormous mahogany desk. "Yes, mother."
"What on earth are you doing in there?" Mrs. Footerton spoke as the sound of footsteps approached the room. "What was that crash I heard?"
"I don't know. I think something or someone knocked over a vase. I just came in after hearing it." He lied with an evil grin on his face. "I'm just getting a book from father's library, that's all."
"Well, be careful, dear. Come into the parlor when you are finished in there." Judy's aunt, seemingly abandoning her pursuit of the cause of the breaking glass, called out once more in the distance. "Have Bessie clean up the mess if you see her. We are expecting a visitor soon."
Judy, unable to help herself, hiccupped before covering her face. Scared, she noticed her cousin, as he passed where she was hidden, stop and look around before exiting. Judy, exhaling, lowered her head. Releasing the leather book from her chest, she shifted her legs into a better sitting position. The book, embossed with the words, 'North Meadowland Illustrations,' she began to flip through a few the pages. Admiring the book's colorful landscapes and examining a richly colored forest painting, the world around her seemed to disappear. In one picture, with lush green and brown fall colors, she began to move a paw along the surface of the page.
"There you are!" Her cousin, Johnathan, yelled out, pulling the curtain and revealing her. "I knew it. Give that to me, now, you little thief!" He reached out for the book but could not because Judy blocked his paw.
"It's not yours. It was my uncles." Judy pressed herself against the wall to rise, desperate to hold on to the book.
"My father is dead," Johnathan replied, inches from her face cruelly. "Which means it is now rightfully mine." Angered by this defiance, Johnathan struck her hard across the face.
With the force of the slap burning across her cheek, Judy's head bounced off the edge of the window frame. With her cousin hovering over her on the ground, he bent down to laugh in her face. Deep within her, rage seemed to boil over as she suddenly leaped to her feet and onto her cousin. Johnathan, stunned by this, could simply do nothing as the pair wrestled on the floor, Judy clawing and punching every inch of her cousin.
"Help…mother!" Johnathan desperately called out, the blows from Judy muffling his voice as he struggled to breathe. Tears began soaking the fur around his face as he struggled to hold her off.
"What are you…get off him, you horrible, you evil creature." A sharp female voice shouted above the two bunnies. Judy felt a strong paw suddenly grip her shoulder painfully, causing her to stop the attack. "Right now, you good of nothing…." Judy's aunt continued to shout, preventing her from hitting Jonathan further. Mrs. Footerton was a tall, heavyset bunny with reddish-brown fur. Dressed in a flowing yellow-colored dress, she continued to apply added pressure on Judy's shoulder. "Bessie…Mrs. Abbot!" She turned her head around to get someone's attention. She looked back at her son, blood clearly dripping from his nose and lip.
Within seconds of her shouting, two female mammals appeared before the scene. A doe bunny, the same grey color as Judy but older, arrived first, followed by an elderly brown-haired beaver. Bessie, the doe, dressed in a white and black dress, was one of the four maids currently employed in the house. Mrs. Abbot, the beaver, was the housekeeper dressed in plain black.
"Both of you," Judy's aunt spoke to them as they entered the room. "Take this savage creature upstairs. I want her locked inside the Crimson room." She released her firm grip on Judy and shoved her into Mrs. Abbot's waiting paws. "Leave her there until I say otherwise. Do you understand me?" She gazed at each of them. "This thing is not to be released. No food, nothing!"
"Yes, Mrs., at once." Mrs. Abbot, a firm hold on both of Judy's arms, turned and out along the open floor to a set of stairs, Bessie following close behind Mrs. Abbot.
Moving along a second-floor passageway, neglected and bare, shouts and pleading broke the silence. Judy continued to struggle from Mrs. Abbot's firm grip on her. "It wasn't my fault!" She kept repeating, turning her head back toward Bessie and crying. "Johnathan started it!"
"Bessie, take her." Mrs. Abbot shoved the young doe at the young housemaid. Reaching to her waist, she withdrew a ring of metal keys. Judy, her cheeks wet with tears, immediately embraced Bessie. The young maid was the only mammal in the house that seemed to show her any form of kindness. Mrs. Abbot, in her haste to be rid of her, unlocked a door at the end of the passageway. The door, set within the wall, blended in with the deteriorating walls of the passage. Hearing the sharp click of the lock, Judy watched as the door let out an eerie groan as Mrs. Abbot forced the door open.
The Crimson room, one of the house's original bedrooms, had been a subject of talk among the house staff for years. Forgotten and neglected, like the passageway leading to it, it would be the first time anyone had occupied this part of the massive house in over sixty years. Its peeling, stained, and moth-eaten walls turned the noses of many who ventured around it these days. All of the current staff members had yet to learn why this section of the house would be left to deteriorate. A thick layer of dust covered everything, from the cracked and peeling ceiling to the floor. The dark interior brought a sudden chill through Bessie as she walked cautiously with the young doe still in her arms. Mrs. Abbot hurriedly stepped into the room, lighting an old, tarnished, brass oil lamp on a tiny pie-crusted table by the door. Lifting it, she proceeded to walk further inside. "Get her inside, quickly!" Mrs. Abbot called from within. Bessie, following this command, led Judy into the open room. The two doe's each looked about the room as they entered, neither saying a word. A large single, bear-sized rod iron bed, its bare mattress covered in stains and insect holes, filled most of the room. Next to it, an antique wooden chair and table were placed next to a small brass coal fireplace held within the wall. No other pieces of furniture appeared to occupy the unpleasant room.
"You!" Mrs. Abbot shouted at Judy as she turned around, standing beside the chair. "Sit down."
"No!" Judy shouted back.
Mrs. Abbot, reaching out, slapped the young doe hard across the face. "What did I just say?" She waited a few seconds as Judy's eyes swelled with more tears. "I said, sit down, now!" Mrs. Abbot spoke, again slapping Judy across the face. "Or I swear I will tie you to this chair myself."
"I don't want to be here, please. Just let me go back to my room, please." Judy looked up at Bessie, pleading with her, even though she knew her attempts were useless. She felt Bessie's warm arms encase her before letting go of her. The older doe gently sat Judy on the old chair.
Bessie held her paw in her own as she lowered herself down to the dirt-covered floors. The older doe wiped a few tears from the little one's cheek. "Ms. Hopps," Bessie spoke in a soft low voice. "You need to be careful. Mrs. Footerton has been talking about sending you away for months now." She moved her paw around and brushed the back of Judy's head. "I don't wish to see you leave us, young Ms. But if you continue to act out or harm master Johnathan…." She stopped speaking, hearing Mrs. Abbott clear her throat from behind her. Judy looked over to the aged beaver as Bessie got to her feet.
"Now, while you are here, little creature, it would be best for you to think about your choices in this life." Mrs. Abbot, adjusting her belt, brushed a few specks of dust from her dress. "If I were you, I would ask God for forgiveness. Or mark my words," She pointed to the empty fireplace. "Evil will feast on your bones and carry you away into darkness." Grabbing Bessie's wrist, she turned and walked to the door, leaving Judy sitting alone by the light of the burning oil lamp.
Looking at the brass fireplace, Judy listened as the sound of wind moved along the open flue. The vent within the chimney rattled as if a creature cackled in it. The bedroom door immediately swung shut, followed by the scraping of the lock. Racing for the door, Judy struggled, breathing rapidly, to cry out. She hit the surface of the locked door rapidly with her paw. "Let me out; I'm sorry!" Tears falling down her face, she continued to cry through the empty keyhole, "Don't leave me in here, please!" Only the sounds of footsteps moving away, followed by an eerie silence, answered her pleas.
The room's cold air engulfed her, and panic quickly filled her mind as she gazed around the low-lit room. She ran back to the small table and the safety of the oil lamp. The tips of her paws began to tremble as she slowly wrapped her arms around herself. Desperate to find some form of warmth, she noticed something just under the large bed frame near her by the lamp's flickering. She lowered herself to peer under it, the oil lamp in her paw. An old, tattered bed rug appeared before her, tucked unknowingly under the bed. She immediately dropped to the floor, the bottom ends of her dress becoming covered in dirt. One paw still holding on to the lamp, she crawled on top of the old rug. The tattered cloth was a warm barrier from the cold floor. Judy slowly curled into a ball with the oil lamps' little but welcomed heat. Exhausted, wishing only to be free of her aunt and cousins, she struggled to remember her own parents. She closed her eyes and fell asleep within minutes, her parents' faces welcoming her.
The following day, the sound of a lock clicking, followed by the door's groan, seemed to stir the small doe from her sleep. Judy, shivering on the floor rug, curled up tighter as she slowly opened her eyes. "Ms. Hopps?" A soft voice spoke in the room. The floor creaked as the feet of the individual moved about. Dressed in her maid attire, Bessie lowered herself, peering under the bed. Smiling, her ears low to her shoulders, she laid down on her cleaning apron, trying not to get dirt on her dress. She moved the now empty oil lamp from under the bed. "There you are, young Ms.." The housemaid's brown eyes looked into the small lavender ones as she gave her a smile. "I need you to come out now. I've been given orders to fetch you and clean you up." Bessie held a paw out for Judy to take.
"Why?" Judy crawled off the rug and to her feet, taking hold of Bessie.
Bessie's face changed almost at once from cheerfulness to regret. "There is a visitor downstairs who wishes to see you, young Ms. He arrived only moments ago, so we better hurry, Ms. Hopps." She paused for a moment. "Your aunt will not take kindly to you keeping the guest waiting." She wiped off a few specks of dirt from Judy's face before rubbing her paw under the tiny doe's chin.
Within a short time, Judy, with the assistance of Bessie, was able to wash, dry, and dress quickly. She now wore a long, simple, light yellow dress, her ears laid behind her head. Holding the maid's paw, the two descended the staircase, the older doe directing Judy toward the house visitor's sitting room. As the two entered the sitting room, decorated and furnished with expensive furniture, Judy noticed the unknown visitor standing alongside the room.
"Leave her right there, Bessie." Mrs. Footerton spoke from a dark orange and mahogany Victorian sofa positioned near the center of the room. Bessie did not respond but simply nodded as she squeezed Judy's paw and let go before turning and leaving. Judy stood alone before her aunt and the visitor, a tall cape buffalo. The buffalo, dressed in a black clergyman's suit, had his white clerical collar wrapped around his thick neck. She gazed at her visitor, wondering as to the reason for him calling on her.
The buffalo stepped towards Judy, placing his fingers behind his back. "Step forward." His voice, deep and heavy, called out in an ordering tone. Judy, unsure how to respond to the look he gave her, simply took a step closer. "My name is Reverend Idris Bogo. What is yours, child?"
"Judith Hopps, sir," Judy replied, rubbing her left arm with her paw.
Bogo breathed sharply through his nose as he gazed down at the tiny doe. "Tell me, Judith Hopps, are you a good child?"
Judy's aunt let out a fake laugh from the sofa where she sat, holding a paw to her chest almost immediately. She looked at Judy, then over to Bogo, who turned to face her. "Maybe a question simpler and direct, Mr. Bogo. She reached over next to her, where a small teacup sat. Picking it up, she gazed back at Judy from the corner of her eye. "This creature before you can be very deceitful."
"Liar!" Judy shouted, a look of pure hatred bursting on her face. "When have I ever…."
"Silence, child." Bogo cut her off, his voice echoing off the walls, forcing Judy to fidget and lower her head. He waited for a minute before speaking again, raising his fingers to his chin, thinking. He cleared his throat and asked. "Tell me, Ms. Hopps, where do sinful mammals go after death?"
Thinking of the question, Judy quickly glanced at her aunt before answering, "Hell, sir."
"Tell me about it." Bogo looked down at her, raising one of his brows. "What is hell?"
Her head still bowed, Judy, once again rubbing her left arm, felt nervous about answering the question. "Fire, sir. Hell is full of fire."
Bogo exhaled through his nose at hearing this answer. His face remained emotionless. "Hell is full of fire, you say?" He stepped back and walked to one of the small tables before facing Judy. "So tell me, Ms. Hopps, would you like to fall into that fire and burn forever?"
Judy answered, "No, I would not."
"So, what must you do to prevent this from happening?" Bogo looked over at Mrs. Footerton as he asked Judy this question.
Judy raised her head to look up at Bogo as she dropped her arms to her sides. "I must pray for good health, Mr. Bogo." She then looked over at her aunt as she said, "And not die like my uncle and parents. Or at least by the paws of my aunt."
Mrs. Footerton jumped to her feet at these last words. "Insolent creature. After all that I have done. You…" Judy could not help but grin a little at the look of frustration now on her aunt's face.
Bogo straightened himself to his height, observing the two doe's interaction. He looked over at the aged doe as he tapped his hoof fingers on the table next to him and addressed Mrs. Footerton. "What other family does this doe have?"
"No one." Judy's aunt moved along the back edge of the room. She turned around and addressed Bogo. "Her selfish mother was the sister of my late and honorable husband. She has no other family, to my knowledge." She looked at Judy, who had moved beside a large globe map near a corner. "I was forced by my husband on his deathbed against my own objections and better judgment. I broke down and promised to care for her." She turned away from everyone and stared through the room's single window. "But I knew it was all in vain." Knowing her aunt, Judy watched as she performed the act she had used countless times before. Mrs. Footerton inhaled suddenly as if she was suddenly crying. "I have shown nothing but love and affection to this child. Yet, she is the most destructive creature I have ever seen." She looked over at Bogo. "Just last evening, would you believe it? She attacked my son, Johnathan." A few tears seemed to form in her eyes. "There she was, on top of him, clawing and punching him like a savage." She moved over to where Bogo was standing, grabbing his arm. "Please, Mr. Bogo, I don't know what else to do." She lowered her head on his massive frame. "Please accept her at Ravenswood." She turned her head toward Judy, afraid she might lash out.
Bogo, releasing her paw from him, began to step away. "Mrs. Footerton, rest assured that such destructive acts are severely punishable at Ravenswood." Judy, her body shaking in rage from her aunt's lies, felt pure hatred toward her aunt. Noticing the young doe's body language at once, Bogo cleared his voice. "If what you have said, in your letter and before me, is true about this one," He motioned to Judy. "We may be unable to help her. But I feel that something can be arraigned with a helpful paw."
"And, sir," Mrs. Footerton called out. "I would insist she remains there during the full year. I bear the thought of her doing something here during school breaks." Bogo replied to this by bowing to Mrs. Footerton before turning to leave. Not saying a word, she and Judy observed the buffalo retrieve a small hat and exit, making his way to the main entrance.
Judy turned to face her aunt, the color of her face going redder by the second. "You pass me off as some…some savage thing. Telling others I'm a liar!" She yelled at her aunt.
"A child such as yourself," Judy's aunt spoke casually, no longer faking her tears. "Hopeless, like your mother before you, with her own life."
"Shut up!" Judy screamed at her, her paws closed into fists. "No matter what you do or say, to me, know only this. I thank God, every day, that you are no blood relation of mine." She took a step closer to her aunt. "God will seek justice for me in due time. From you, my cousins, you all will be held accountable in the end." Judy turned and stormed out of the room with one last look at her aunt, wishing to be as far from her as possible.