Could It Be a Trick?

Freckles:

I’d rested without moving for a very long time before I heard a sound I recognized. The High-Voiced One always makes that scratching sound before it enters the Other World from the fresh-smelling portal. I jumped to my feet and ran to the middle of the clearing, ready to greet it. But then I thought better of that plan. What if the invaders were returning? They might try to trick me by coming in a different portal than the one they had left through.

No, it was better to be cautious until I had a chance to assess the situation. There wasn't time to hop back to my tree, so I chose a nearby bush to hide inside.

Coming Home

Deb:

I spied a few yellow dandelion blossoms in the corner of the lawn as I approached the front door of the house. I set down the grocery sacks I was carrying on the front porch and wandered over to the weeds. I plucked the blossoms, gathering a few of the green leaves as well. Freckles will love this delicious treat!

Back on the porch, I lay the blossoms and leaves down on the top of one of the sacks and unlocked the door. I couldn’t wait to get inside to see how Freckles was doing. She’d probably been sleeping all day. I wondered for a moment if her days were too boring for her. Maybe we’d have to find some way to spice up her life.

The Invaders and the Other World

Freckles:

As I lay under the tree waiting, I listened to the sounds of the invaders in the tunnel. I could hear the thumping of their huge smelly feet as they approached the Other World. Closer and closer they came. Would they see me? They ran through the Other World without a look in my direction as they headed into the Slippery Ground Land.

I heard a loud bang.

Then nothing.

I waited to see if they would return.

Arrival

Deb:

It was hard to shake the vision of that accident scene I'd passed on the road, but I managed to put my mind at rest thinking about what I would make for dinner for Freckles. She’d love the organic carrots with their lovely green tops that I’d purchased at the store. Maybe I’d find some dandelions blooming in the corner of the lawn. She’d be so thrilled with her treat. As I pulled into the driveway, I craned my neck in search of the little yellow blossoms.

Safely Hidden?

Freckles:

The Other World was a wreck. Objects had been tossed everywhere. As I streaked across the Other World to my safe place under the strangely shaped tree that rocked in the wind, I had to dodge assorted obstacles that the invaders had left on the ground.

I made it to my tree without tripping once although I’d had to hop my highest in a couple of spots. I slipped into my favorite resting place. If I held my body perfectly still, they might not notice me there.

Leave Your Emotions Outside the Car

Deb:

Once I had made it past the wreckage of the automobiles, I worked hard to put the accident scene out of my mind. The old adage from my early driver’s training instruction of “leave your emotions outside the car” became my mantra. I couldn’t do anything for those people and I certainly didn’t want to cause a new accident. I took a deep breath and I drove down my street towards my home where I knew Freckles awaited my return.

Hide, Freckles, Hide!

Freckles:

Once in the tunnel I peeked into the world where the invaders rampaged. Seeing them from this angle gave me second thoughts about attacking. At this range they seemed huge and knew that I didn’t stand a chance. I veered down the tunnel and searched for a place to hide in the Other World.

Suddenly, I heard voices from behind me. They were coming! I had to get out of sight right away. Frantically, I scanned the room and my eyes rested on the perfect hiding place.

Past the Wreckage

Deb:

The accident scene was littered with broken glass and metal parts from the two crunched cars. As the traffic finally moved under the direction of one of the police officers on the scene, I slowly careened past the wreckage. Everyone gawked as they drove beside the ruins of the automobiles, but I had seen enough. I kept my eyes on the road ahead thankful that it hadn’t been me.

The Risks, the Odds, the Plunge.

Freckles:

What was I to do? The creatures were invading our territory and it appeared that I was the only one here to defend our lands and property. Even though I was the only queen around, the creatures did not seem to recognize my authority. They were tossing things around with abandon. Should I rush in with a surprise attack and frighten them from the land?

I took many things into consideration as I watched from my portal – their size, their power (they were able to lift things up and dump things out without much exertion), the numbers (being alone was a distinct disadvantage for me), and the risks – and figured my odds were not good. However, even with the odds against me, how could I live with myself if I didn’t at least TRY to stop them? I took a deep breath and plunged into the tunnel.

Victims

Deb:

I sat in traffic watching the action at the intersection. A police officer talked to a woman standing next to a car with a smashed front end. The accident had caused a v-shaped crunch in the engine of the car. The woman wouldn’t be driving that car anytime soon. She looked shaken but uninjured.

The other car faced sideways in the road and sported a smashed back end. Must have been a rear-end collision. I didn’t see anyone who looked as though they were occupants from that car, but they could have been some of the people standing around or were possibly occupants of the ambulance.

Poor people, I remember thinking. They were just driving along, minding their own business, and all of a sudden they became victims. What a strange world we live in.

Decision Time

Freckles:

I hopped over to the edge of the portal and peered out into the tunnel. I could hear the creatures nearby, shifting more objects and dumping stuff on the ground. They were in a world I had not yet explored, a place that Big Guy and the High-Voiced One disappeared into at night. I had assumed that it was their Home Place.

As I glanced into the strange world across the tunnel from my own sanctuary, I glimpsed their feet moving around the area. I had to make a decision. Should I stay where I was or should I hop into this unexplored land and attack these invaders over there?

The Accident

Deb:

Traffic moved so slowly that day! It seemed like I hit every red light in my path. Then, just as I was about to turn onto the street that would lead to my house, I saw what was causing the jam. Two cars had crashed into one another at a major intersection. Police cars, an ambulance, and a fire truck all assisted the victims. Guess I was going to be sitting here for awhile.

The Rath of Freckles

Freckles:

The creatures with the big feet were making a mess in my Home Place, tossing things around and moving boulders. I decided to show them who they were dealing with. On the count of three, I told myself, I would rush from my cave and bite their feet. I plastered the most ferocious look I could conjure onto my face and counted. One…two…three. I charged into the middle of the clearing – just as the big feet left the Home Place through the portal. They were in such a hurry, I don’t think they even saw me. Or, perhaps they did glimpse my anger and decided to flee my rath!

On The Way Home

Deb:

I finished pumping the gas and got back in my car, tired and ready to head for home. It had turned into a long day and I needed to get home before my ice cream melted! I checked traffic and pulled onto the road that would take me back to my darling little Freckles. Wouldn’t she be happy that I had picked up some organic carrots (with nice green tops) for her at the grocery store.

Don't Make the Bunny Mad!

Freckles:

The feet that belonged to the strange creature were not the feet of anyone I had ever met -- of that fact, I was sure. Wait – it was talking to someone else in the tunnel, and I didn’t recognize that creature either. What were these strange creatures doing in MY Other World and MY Home Place? Not only were they invading my space, but they were making a mess -- throwing things on the floor and shoving the boulders and trees in my Home Place around. That must have been what they were doing in the Other World earlier. Don't they know that making messes and shoving things around is MY job!

I couldn’t let them get away with this! I knew that they must be stopped! As the Queen of the Other World, I demand that all creatures respect my space! They were making me mad! They should have read the warning sign posted on the portal of my Home Place.

Low on Gas

Deb:

Leaving the grocery store with my ingredients for dinner, I continued driving home from work. While stopped at a light near my home, I glanced at the gas gauge. Darn it! I’d forgotten to get gas and my tank was almost empty. I pulled into the nearest Shell station and jumped out, credit card in hand, to pump my gas.

Big Feet

Freckles:

I searched with all my senses to try to figure out who was in the Other Place. Usually, I’d wake up in the morning and the High-Voiced One or Big Guy would give me something delicious to eat. Then I would go to visit the Other Place for a while. Before long, one of them would entice me back to my Home Place with a treat, and then they would close the portal. I would hear a couple of loud thumps and there would be silence for a long time before the High-Voiced One would return to open the Home Place portal again.

On this day, the pattern had been broken by these strange creatures with strange voices and strange noises. As I was trying to figure out who they could be, the Home Place portal suddenly opened and from my place deep in my cave I could see two giant feet rush into the room. These feet were as big as Big Guy’s or Nice Guy’s, but I did not recognize them or their unusual smell.

Deb's Activities That Fateful Day

Deb:

There wasn’t anything unusual about that particular day at work. I arrived early, handled the usual business, and headed for home late in the afternoon. Stopping at the grocery store, I picked up some items for dinner. I remember that it was August and the weather was hot. I decided to purchase ice cream and surprise my husband with a milkshake for dinner to go with the grilled steaks and vegetables I planned.

I loaded the groceries in my car and headed for home.

A Puzzling Development

Freckles:

Still groggy from sleep, I shook my head in an attempt to think more clearly. I pointed my ears towards the door, but didn’t move from my place deep inside the cave in my Home Place. There were definitely strange sounds from the Other World. Things were being moved. Even with the soft ground in the Other World, I could hear that objects were sliding around. And -- there they were again – strange voices. They sounded deep like Big Guy and Nice Guy, but these were voices I didn’t recognize.

Sure, other creatures had visited from time to time and their voices had seemed strange. But there was always the sound of Big Guy, Nice Guy, or the High-Voiced One mingled among those voices. This was different. These voices were talking fast and I couldn’t hear the sounds of my familiar creatures talking with them. Hmmmm. I decided to remain where I was and try to figure out this puzzling development.

Off to Work

Deb:

Freckles slept all through the night, She was so sound asleep when my husband and I got up for work the next morning that she didn’t even come out of her room for a breakfast treat. We showered, dressed, and headed out the door for work. As I shut the front door, I thought that maybe Freckles would be well rested when we came home that night and would want to play.

Thumping and Bumping

Freckles:

There I was, having a lovely dream about flowers and sunshine and eating lots of yummy dandelions, when a loud thump woke me from my sound sleep. I was instantly alert, every one of my senses questioning the sound. What could that noise be? I stayed where I was deep back in my cave and listened carefully. A lot of activity was going on in the Other World – all kinds of thumping and bumping sounds. Was that high-voiced one moving the boulders and trees again? No, these sounds were different. And there were voices -- voices I didn’t recognize.

Freckles Returns to Her Home

Deb:

Freckles ate the whole plate full of salad, leaving the broccoli on the floor beside the plate. When she finished eating, she stared at the doorway into the living room, and then suddenly jumped through it, hopping down the hall to her room. I guess all of that ball throwing and leaf eating had worn her out.

When I checked on her later, she was under the bed sound asleep.

Food and Contentment -- All a Bunny Needs

Freckles:

I ate and ate until there wasn’t anything left on the plate except this weird green tree that the high-voiced one had hidden under the leaves. No matter how many times I don’t eat it, the high-voiced one can’t seem to understand that I think it’s yucky. It just keeps showing up time and time again.

After eating my meal, I realized that I was sleepy. I hopped through the portal into the Other World and down the tunnel to my Home Place, crawling into my big cave where I quickly fell asleep.

Freckles Finally Eats

Deb:

Freckles danced around my feet as I prepared a salad for her consisting of assorted lettuce, carrots, and broccoli. She won’t always eat the broccoli, but I thought if I hid it under the lettuce she might eat it by mistake. I placed the plate of salad onto the kitchen floor and she dove for it, eating as though she hadn’t eaten in months!

Still Hungry...and Getting Hungrier!

Freckles:

I was hungry! I saw the high-voiced one preparing something from a sack that made a rustling sound. But, it was taking FOREVER! Why wasn’t it hurrying! Didn’t it understand? I was starving!

Finally, it placed a white disk filled with yummy leaves on the floor. I jumped to the disk and grabbed some of the leaves in my teeth. I wouldn’t be hungry for long!

WE'RE BACK!

Sorry, we were gone a bit longer than we had planned. That nasty cold really knocked the energy out of Deb. But, we're back now!

We'll post the next installment of our story starting tomorrow...and stay tuned, there's a really scary part coming up in a few days. Check back -- you won't want to miss the shocking event that changed everything!