✩⁺˚ Chapter 1 ˚⁺✩
⊹ ₊⋆ ☁︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆₊⋆☁︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎ ⋆₊ ⊹
The garage door rumbled shut downstairs.
Elias waited until the noise faded completely.
The house remained silent.
No footsteps.
Nothing.
That was when he finally sat up in bed.
Elias Hale—the younger brother—pushed himself to his feet and walked toward his bedroom door.
He opened it gently before stepping into the hallway.
Quietly, he made his way downstairs.
Slow. Careful.
Like making too much noise would ruin something.
He reached the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge.
Moving around the house like his life depended on it had become normal by now.
As he turned to leave, he paused.
A mug sat beside the sink.
His older brother’s.
Still warm.
Elias looked away quickly and headed toward the front door.
Two pairs of shoes rested by the entrance.
One pair was his.
The other...
He looked away before he could think too much about it.
Slipping his shoes on, Elias quietly stepped outside.
Cold wind immediately brushed against his face.
The sky above was dark and grey, heavy with storm clouds.
His messy black hair blew into his tired brown eyes, making him squint slightly.
He pushed it back with one hand.
At least the oversized hoodie kept him warm.
Elias shoved his hands deeper into his hoodie pockets and pulled the hood over his head as the wind picked up.
His posture straightened automatically as he walked.
He didn’t even realise he was doing it anymore.
It was a silly habit, really.
One he had copied from his older brother years ago because he thought it made him look cooler. Stronger.
Even now, he still hadn’t quite let the habit go.
The wind picked up now.
Colder. Stronger.
Elias kept his head down, not really paying attention to where he was going.
Anything was better than staying in his room all day.
Eventually, he wandered toward the small patch of trees behind the neighbourhood.
The area was usually empty this late in the evening.
Quiet. Unnoticed.
A soft rustling sound suddenly came from somewhere nearby.
Elias slowed.
Another rustle.
Frowning slightly, he stepped closer to the bushes near the old fence.
Elias - “Hello?”
A sudden howl of wind swept through the trees, blowing the remaining leaves across the ground.
That was when he saw it.
A small white bunny hidden beneath the branches.
Only a few thin twigs still covered it now.
The bunny froze the second it noticed him looking.
Wide dark eyes locked onto his immediately.
Then it shifted farther beneath the branches like they were some kind of shield.
Its fur was covered in mud and dirt, trembling badly in the cold.
Elias carefully crouched down.
Elias - “You’re okay,” he said softly, though he wasn’t sure if he was trying to calm the bunny or himself.
The bunny attempted to move away—and instantly stumbled.
One of its back legs looked slightly hurt, lifted awkwardly off the ground.
Clearer now.
More noticeable.
Not broken.
Just strained, maybe.
Elias winced.
Elias - “Right. Definitely not okay.”
He carefully reached toward it, gently checking the injured leg the same way he had been taught years ago.
The memory came naturally.
Wrap the injured area first.
Keep pressure light.
Don’t scare it more than it already was.
The bunny stared at him for a long moment before weakly nudging against his sleeve instead of trying to run.
Elias blinked in surprise.
Elias - “...You’re kinda weird for a bunny.”
Carefully, he lifted it into his hands, holding it close against his hoodie to warm it up.
Then he started walking again.
This time, he actually had somewhere to go.
Home.
He walked faster now, more purposeful than before.
Soon, his house came into view.
Rain finally began falling from the dark sky above.
But he made it home in time.
Dry.
Only slightly cold.
Elias quietly stepped inside.
The house felt warmer than outside, though not by much.
He headed straight for the kitchen, grabbing a towel before gently placing the bunny down on top of it.
Elias knelt beside the kitchen counter, gently adjusting the towel so the bunny could lie more comfortably.
It didn’t resist anymore, but it didn’t fully relax either.
Just watched him.
Carefully.
Like it was deciding whether it could trust him or not.
Elias exhaled softly.
Elias - “Alright,” he murmured. “Let’s clean you up a bit.”
He filled a small bowl with lukewarm water and tore a corner of paper towel, hesitating for a second before gently dabbing at the dirt on its fur.
The bunny twitched immediately.
Elias - “Hey, hey—easy,” he said quietly. “I’m not hurting you.”
It didn’t seem convinced.
A soft, disapproving sound came from it as it shifted away slightly.
Elias paused.
Elias - “Yeah... I know. You don’t like that.”
He tried again, slower this time.
The bunny stayed still, but its ears kept flicking back whenever he touched a sore spot.
After a moment, Elias let out a small breath of relief.
Elias - “Good. You’re not too bad, then.”
He glanced down at it.
Elias - “Still don’t think ‘bunny’ really suits you,” he added, half under his breath.
The bunny immediately turned its head away.
Elias blinked.
Elias - “...Okay, yeah. Not a fan of that either, apparently.”
A faint, tired smile tugged at his lips before fading again.
He carefully wrapped the injured leg with a strip of clean cloth, working slowly the way he somehow still remembered.
When he finished, the bunny shifted slightly.
Not struggling anymore.
Just... watching.
Elias leaned back against the counter for a moment.
The house was quiet again.
But it didn’t feel quite as empty as before.
After he was done, Elias quietly washed the used cloths and put everything away.
Trying to hide any evidence before his older brother noticed something suspicious.
The only towel left out was the one the bunny was sitting on.
And the smaller strip wrapped around its leg.
The bunny watched Elias quietly the entire time.
Not nervous anymore.
Just... observing.
Elias - “You kinda stare a lot for a bunny,” he muttered.
The bunny immediately turned its head away.
Elias blinked.
Elias - “...Okay. Weird.”
Despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
Once he finished cleaning up, Elias carefully picked the bunny back up along with the towel.
Elias - “You’re staying upstairs,” he decided quietly. “Safe and hidden.”
The bunny remained unusually calm in his arms as Elias headed toward the stairs.
The house felt silent again.
Heavy. Familiar.
The moment Elias stepped out of the kitchen, the bunny suddenly froze.
Completely still.
Elias noticed immediately.
Elias - “What?”
Its eyes were fixed somewhere ahead.
Toward the door near the end of the hallway.
The garage door.
One small ear twitched.
Then the other.
Like it was listening for something.
Elias’s expression faded slightly.
He glanced toward the door for only a second before quickly looking away again.
Elias - “Don’t even think about going near there,” he muttered softly. “Trust me. You don’t want to.”
The bunny didn’t react.
Didn’t move.
It just kept staring toward the garage door as Elias carried it upstairs.
And somehow...
That unsettled him more than it should have.
⊹ ₊⋆ ☁︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆₊⋆☁︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎⋆⁺₊⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎ ⋆₊ ⊹
