(Next: https://redd.it/12hqane )
Last Easter I went through an experience that changed my life and ruined my family. I think it’s best to finally say what happened, and hopefully, warn others.
Times have been tough for everyone over the past few years. I’ve been working two part-time jobs on top of making crafts to sell. It started as small resin projects that turned into almost an entire side business. If I wanted to make more money, I needed to invest in some equipment and supplies. Mostly I needed a decent camera and editing program to make videos to boost online sales. After buying a few things, I realized I would not be able to pay rent at the end of April unless I picked up a lot of shifts, or sold extra items.
I normally avoid signing up for local craft shows if they were for holidays besides Christmas. I didn’t want to sink supplies into Easter items if they didn’t sell well and I would be stuck with them until next year. A friend of mine said an Easter market was good for sales and the table cost wasn’t much. I bit the bullet and signed up for the table. Then I spent a week of nearly sleepless nights scrambling to make products.
The market gave me a table outside. The weather warmed up, so it wasn’t a problem. The market soon flooded with people because of the nice weather and most people had the day off work. I did well in sales and got too busy for the first three hours to notice the other tables and booths around me. I normally see the same people at each event. Most of them I was friendly with. I looked around to see if I knew anyone. Around lunchtime, I made a quick washroom run. I took my cash with me, and I asked the people running the table beside mine to watch over my stuff. I’ve never had any issues leaving my table for a few minutes before.
As I walked back, I paused at a table with a small pen set up. It was the source of the cardboard boxes with air holes people had been carefully carrying around that day. I assume some sort of cat adoption event might have been going on at the market. I adopted my cat from one and he came home in a small box. Instead of cats, a table was selling rabbits. I stared at them, not liking the idea of rabbits being sold over Easter weekend. Each only cost about ten dollars, with a deal to buy two. The person at the table noticed me staring at them and gestured to me to come closer.
“Would you like to see some of our cute bunnies?” He offered.
I looked over at my table, seeing no one waiting to buy something. I had a few minutes to talk.
“Don’t you think it’s not a good idea to sell rabbits right now?” I asked trying to keep the judgment out of my voice.
The man wore a pastel blue suit that wasn’t tailored properly. He held a fake smile on his face. Something about his expression set alarms off in my head. His brown hair was the same color as the rabbits he was selling.
“What do you mean? Isn’t this the best time to get one?” He answered.
“That’s the problem. Parents think it would be a great idea to buy this kid a cute bunny because it’s Easter. It’s an impulse buy in some cases. They don’t put the right amount of research into what kind of care a rabbit might need. And selling an animal at a market like this isn’t best either. How do you know they’re going to a good home?” I pressed.
His expression changed, and I got embarrassed for chewing him out like this. I normally never talk to people in this way. But for the sake of the poor rabbit sold today, I wanted him to be aware of these issues so he might not do it again. Or he simply didn’t care and wanted the easy money selling rabbits near Easter might bring in.
“I inherited a rabbit farm from my uncle. These rabbits were being bred and raised for meat. After he died, I didn’t want them to be killed but to be raised as pets. I don’t have too many options for where they go. Any shelters around here do have an animal limit and I didn’t want to overwhelm them. Any profits are going to shelters, and I just hope some of these rabbits go to a good home. If they don’t, I figured they may have a slightly better life than getting slaughtered.” He explained in an honest tone.
Now I felt bad for chewing him out. I understood why he decided to unload them at a market, but I didn’t overly agree with it either. There was nothing I could do. I saw a few people stop in front of my table. I didn’t have the time to talk with this man.
“I do hope they all find good homes today.” I told him and he gave an odd smile.
I didn’t dwell on his expression and rushed back to work. When I got closer, I regretted going back. I wished I could stay away until this group moved on. I never expected to see them here, but we lived in the same city so it was understandable we would cross paths again.
My aunt and uncle with my niece were looking over my items. For a second my aunt was tempted to buy something, but their faces dropped when they saw who ran the table. My uncle gave me a dirty look, but my aunt didn’t hide her pity.
“Are you running this booth for your girlfriend? Men don’t make crafts.” My uncle said, causing me to sigh.
“Good thing I’m not a man.” I said with a shrug.
His cheeks tinted a slight shade of red. He wanted to go off, but my aunt stopped him. My niece wasn’t paying attention. Her tiny hands were playing with some of the resin unicorn trays I made. If she wanted one, I would have given it to her. I tried sending over some Christmas presents but they would always get sent back or end up on the Facebook Marketplace the next day. My aunt placed a hand on his shoulder, and he scoffed. He grabbed their daughter’s hand and forced her to walk down the row of tables away from mine. They stopped at the rabbit booth while my aunt stayed behind to speak with me for another minute.
“How about you go to this church I found? Everyone is pretty accepting. They do have a few… people like yourself.” My aunt said as she scrambled to write down a name and address.
I was tempted to tell her no, I wouldn’t. But I just smiled and took the paper from her. She was still family. They had their issues, but I understood their reasoning. At least she still wanted to help me in her own way. She hurried away to her husband not to upset him by staying around me for too long. The encounter wasn’t the worst one we’ve ever had.
I kept an eye on them in case they came back this way. They left the rabbit booth with a cardboard box in hand. I doubted they had their house ready for a rabbit and just bought their daughter what they thought to be a cute Easter gift. I felt tempted to call them to tell them what they needed for their new pet. But the crowd picked up for the rest of the afternoon and I got too busy to think about them.
At the end of the day, I started to pack up my displays. I still had some Easter items left over, but not as many as I feared. I also needed just a little bit more for rent. At least I still had the entire month to cover what I needed.
As I packed up, a person stopped in front of my table. I heard him call me a few times, but it didn’t register he was talking to me.
“Miss? May I ask you a few questions?” He asked once again with a kind expression.
I met his eyes and realized he wanted to speak with me. I quickly put aside what I was doing to focus on him.
“Oh right. Sorry, what do you need?” I asked him.
I looked him over wondering what on Earth he wanted. He wore a dark suit making him appear out of place in the nearly empty market. His skin dark and his hair was done up in dreadlocks he pulled back in a thick ponytail. His face was clear of wrinkles, but his hair had grey mixed in with black. His eyes were the most stunning color of gold that I’ve ever seen.
“I’m Agent Kamotho Jan. I’m looking into the man who sold rabbit today. A few tables said you knew some people who bought one. Is that correct?”
He showed an official-looking badge, but I didn’t catch what agency he was a part of. His voice was deep with only a hint of an accent to show his roots. His eyes and kind face made me start fiddling with my hair like a damn schoolgirl. He patiently waited for me to collect myself enough to answer back without embarrassing myself.
“Yeah, they were my relatives. Is there something wrong with the rabbits?” I asked, starting to get slightly worried.
He paused to smile again, debating on what he could tell me.
“The rabbits may be carrying some sort of illness. However, we doubt it can spread to humans. But, it can pass along to other wildlife. We would like to avoid such a thing. You should contact your relatives to advise them to humanely dispose of the rabbit they purchased today. Burning the body is also recommended.”
His voice remained friendly, but I shrank back a little from what he said. I hated the idea of needing to kill an innocent animal. I then got angry at the fact I trusted the man who sold the rabbits in the first place. I should have gone to the event coordinators to ask them to kick him out. The jerk knew he had sick rabbits. He just sold them to people to get some fast cash not caring about how devastated all these kids would be after their new pet died after a few days.
“That’s just… wrong. Who would do such a thing?” I asked, getting more upset the longer I thought about those poor bunnies.
“I wish I could have come sooner. I doubt the rabbits are going to live this weekend. We’ll be getting the word out and hopefully, the families can do the dreadful task of disposing of their new pet before the poor thing dies painfully from an illness.” The Agent explained.
I wondered how the community would react to this news. There was going to be a massive uproar after this got out. I bet parents would be flooding the hospitals concerned their child caught some sort of mystery illness even if they didn’t come in contact with one of the diseased Easter rabbits. The Agent pulled out a card with his name and number. Oddly enough, the card didn’t say what company he worked for.
“Please tell your family to call this number. If you’re comfortable giving out their address, we can send out some agents to deal with the rabbit. However, it may take until Monday. They should take care of the issue as soon as possible.” He mentioned.
I looked down at the card debating on if I should give my relative’s address out to a stranger. I wanted to trust him. He acted professionally and if I didn’t give him information, I would risk my niece getting sick. I disliked my uncle. Not enough to punish his daughter. I wrote down their info hoping I made the right choice. The event coordinators were pushing people to get packed up. The temperature started to drop making others move faster to leave. The Agent thanked me again. He gave a few polite parting words. I saw him walk over to one of the people who ran the event to ask more questions. I left a message for my aunt before I finished packing up.
I should have called her. Or done more. By the time I got back home and unpacked I was too tired to do anything. I left her another message along with the Agent’s number asking her to contact him. I then collapsed into bed for the night. The week before I overworked myself to get ready for the table. I always pushed myself too hard before an event.
I didn’t have a shift the next day. I slept in and did nothing. No messages came in from my family which I expected. As the day crawled on, I started to get worried about them. I almost went over to their place but decided not to. I would give it one more day before meddling in their business. I wonder if I had gone over sooner and if I could have changed what happened.
When Sunday morning rolled around, I decided to go over. They might still be at church, so I planned to go inside and steal the rabbit to hand over to the Agent I spoke with. Hell, if I acted fast enough, I might be able to adopt one from the shelter and replace it. The local shelter had a few brown ones that looked a lot like the one they bought on Friday.
My plan fell through when I pulled out in front of their place to see their car still in the driveway. This wasn’t right. They never missed church. I worried they somehow already got sick. I stayed in front of their house to try calling first. No one answered. I then called the Agent hoping to get more information about what I was dealing with. His line was busy. I debated calling an ambulance but held off. I didn’t know if they were sick or not just yet. And if they were, did they need to be collected by a certain agency so they wouldn’t spread whatever they caught through the local hospital? Or was I just overthinking all of this?
I needed to see them first and then figure out what to do or who to call. My knocks on the front door when unanswered. I knew where the spare key was hidden. I would be breaking in, and my uncle could call the police on me if he was angry enough. Still, despite all the risks, I needed to see if they were alright.
I found the key, pausing to gather myself before I opened the door. No answer came back when I called out. Their shoes were on the rack by the door showing they were still home. Fear rocked my body and yet I pushed on. I thought I heard a sound I couldn’t figure out the cause coming from the kitchen. I made my way closer, stopping in the living room. My eyes landed on a still shape in the middle of the carpet. My stomach turned at the sight. The rabbit they bought was on its side, its neck broken, and its face covered with blood. Trails of blood lead to the kitchen. I then noticed some fresh scratch marks on the small door under the stairs.
The handle rattled causing me to jump. I should have left then. The whimpering sounds coming from behind the small door made me forget what I should have done. My niece was in there most likely scared and hurt. At the very least sick from whatever her new pet carried into the house. I made the mistake of opening the door.
The light blinded what waited inside for a second. I stared dumbfounded at the small creature I almost recognized. The body was covered in brown fur, the legs bent oddly. An open wound showed on the poor creature’s arm. It looked to be a bite mark from something with large teeth. The dress the creature wore was one my niece owned. Red eyes landed on me, and the thing let out a heart-stopping screech. I reacted on reflex. I slammed the door at the same time it jumped at me. The small body slammed against the wood and collapsed on the other side of the door. I locked the door, then took a few steps back to figure out what the hell I just saw. There wasn’t any way that thing was my niece. Or anything natural for that matter.
A snapping sound came from the kitchen. I really should have left. My mind wasn’t working properly after what I just saw. I wanted answers. That led me into the other room to see a sight I will never be able to forget.
My aunt was on the floor, her stomach missing from the monster sitting over her body digging into her flesh with sharp teeth. The sound I heard was him snapping off a rib to chew on. The beast had the same brown fur and large ears as the small monster locked away under the stairs. His legs were also an unnatural shape. Almost like animal legs that ended in paws with sharp claws.
The creature was so focused on the meal in front of it, it didn’t notice me until I let out a noise of horror. The head raised to meet my eyes. An open bite wound on his arm showed he could be harmed. We both moved at the same time. The monster charged forwards, and I ducked towards the counter. My hand landed on the handle of a wooden cutting board I made for my aunt. I swung into the monster’s face with such force, pain traveled up my arm. It was good to know my aunt cared enough about me to keep one of the gifts I’d given her. Tears started in the corners of my eyes when I realized I could never see her again. I needed to take care of her killer. Breaking down wasn’t an option.
The smack from the cutting board gave me enough time to grab a large knife out of the wooden block. I didn’t hesitate. The knife made a wide arc in the air, slicing off the monster’s large ear. He screamed, backing away for a moment. Regardless of how many lucky hits I got in, I would not be able to win the fight against this thing.
I ran towards the back door knowing I needed to get the hell out of there. The front door was too far away. And the monster got caught behind the dining room table long enough for me to get outside. I tripped over a scooter, landing hard on the ground. That saved my life. The beast burst out of the door after me and sailed over my head when I fell over. He landed on the grass, his feet getting tangled up in more scattered toys. I took a chance to stab my only weapon into the back of the monster. He cried out in pain, sharp-clawed hands reaching up to remove the blade. It was far too hard for me to pull it back out. I left the knife and made another run for it.
My legs carried me around the side of the house, fear making my head swim. I heard the monster behind me and yet didn’t dare look to see how close. A person turned the corner making me nearly run right into him. At the last second, I caught myself and corrected my path to run behind him. The Agent I met at the market stood facing the creature charging at us without any sort of weapon in his hands.
His face appeared calm, almost relaxed. I expected him to pull out a gun. Instead, he started to raise his hands in some sort of flowing practice movements. His voice was low saying words I didn’t understand to punctuate each short pose of his hands. He raised his arms, so his hands made to corners of an imaginary box he was looking through. Those sharp claws were a hair away from slicing his fingers off.
Then a golden light appeared in front of him. The oddest explosion tore through the area in front of the strange Agent, the shock wave knocking me back. The golden light blasted the monster away to nothing, and it tore apart the side of the house along with the grass. I sat on the ground, breathing hard in shock over what I had just witnessed.
Instead of addressing what just happened, Agent Jan looked over his shoulder toward me. An amused expression on his face.
“Are you alright Miss Cora?” He asked.
I opened my mouth, but no words came. I did call him, but I wasn’t expecting any of this. Another man in a suit came rushing over. His black hair was a mess. He quickly helped me to my feet to look over for any injuries.
“What… what the fuck happened?” I finally asked.
I tried not to swear if I could help it. I think I earned being able to voice my frustrations. The other Agent looked towards Jan silently saying he didn’t want to tell me what was up. He cared about keeping all this under wraps. Jan didn’t. He pulled out a package of chocolate-covered biscuit sticks. He offered me some, but I refused. After a few bites, he went on to explain what I saw.
“There are some supernatural things out there. It’s our job to take care of them. The man who started all this is part of a species very closely related to rabbits. We aren’t entirely certain why he released infected rabbits into your human population. The theory is to get revenge on the ones who buy live Easter bunnies only to mistreat them.” Jan explained, then went back to eating as he let the information sink in.
All of this happened because of a reason like that? A wave of emotion came over me. I didn’t know how to feel. I mostly felt pissed off.
“It’s a shame that your family didn’t listen to your warnings. I apologize for not getting here sooner.” Jan commented in a suddenly serious tone.
I didn’t blame him for any of this. I was still alive because he arrived on time. I assumed he had a lot of rabbits to track down.
“I can’t believe they would rather hate me for what I am enough to risk their lives.” I said bitterly.
I wondered if we were on better terms, then I might have been able to save their lives. A cell phone rang, and the black-haired Agent turned away to answer the call. He quickly spoke and then turned to Jan to fill him in.
“They found the farm and the ones who started all this. They want you to arrive right away to take care of it before they get wind we know their locations. Other Agents can take over checking up on suspect families.” He explained.
I hated to think of how many other people became victims over the past two days. From what I could tell, the bites from the rabbits turned humans into monsters I’d seen. And those monsters could infect someone else. A lot of people were in danger if this wasn’t taken care of quickly. That reminded me that my poor niece was still under the stairs. I dreaded the idea there wasn’t a cure for her. I told the Agents about her, and they grimly nodded. They wouldn’t dispose of her in front of me though.
“I’ll head out now to take care of the farm.” Jan announced.
He turned to leave. I took a hold of his sleeve making him stop.
“I’m coming with you. These bastards killed my family.” I sternly told him.
“They didn’t care for you enough to listen to your warnings. And yet, you want to risk your life to avenge them?” He pointed out.
“They were family. I don’t need to get along or even like them to love them.” I corrected.
He looked me over for a few seconds then gave in. The other Agent didn’t like the idea though. He started to get between us wanting to talk me out of the suicide mission.
“She’s human. I don’t think-” The man started.
“She lasted long enough against a monster for us to arrive without any weapons. If I borrow something powerful a human can use, I’m positive Cora here will be useful on this mission.” Jan vouched for me.
I doubted how useful I was going to be. At least someone believed in me. The other Agent frowned and chewed on his bottom lip not wanting to give in.
“We do not have time to call our boss to approve the temporary partner request. Knowing Lupa, he’ll sign off if it’s a human risking their life. I can grab a weapon, then get to the farm within a few minutes. I’ll take any of the blame if Cora dies on this mission.”
With a long sigh, the Agent gave in. It was two against one. And risking my life was my choice. He caved, then got moving with Jan. I followed behind them wondering how the hell we would get to a farm in a few minutes. We weren’t anywhere close to one.
The other Agent explained a few things. They could use magic to transport them to where they needed to go. He also said he evacuated the neighborhood before they arrived to save me. That explained why no one called the police when Jan created an explosion. He then disappeared into their car for a minute. When he came back out, he held a long sword with a deep red polished scabbard. He handed it over and the golden handle felt almost too hot to hold.
He then warned me about what the mission to the farm would be like. Jan was just going to charge in to fight whatever he saw. I wasn’t strong enough for this sort of thing. And yet I refused to stay behind. At least he made his best effort to change my mind.
Jan called my name. The man stood in the middle of a circle he drew with dark chalk surrounded by odd symbols. He looked calm, which helped me deal with my fear. I oddly trusted a man I’d barely spoken with.
I stepped forwards ready to fight for my life to avenge my caring, yet misguided aunt. And for my niece who should have kept growing. Maybe a little bit for my uncle as well.
I never would have expected doing a simple Easter craft table would lead to fighting were-rabbit monsters alongside an Agent who dealt with supernatural threats every day. Life was weird like that. No matter how scared I felt, I refused to give in. With a borrowed sword at my side, I was ready to face some nightmares not knowing if I was going to come out on the other side.