It was a lazy not so hazy day on the green. Feathery balls of cotton slowly morph into dreamy shapes, ever changing against a sky five shades shy of the hope diamond. Not too hot, for a golf tournament fundraiser for Pro-choice, just right. The crowd waited for the doctor to take his swing.
Todd licked his finger and held it up in the air, a slight westerly—nothing his trusty nine-iron couldn’t handle. Both spectators and players were silent. Eying the eleventh hole off in the distance, Todd pulls back with both hands on the nine. He takes a deep breath and swings as he exhales. “FORE!”
The ball soared high in the air, destined for it’s mark until the westerly took a sharp easterly and sent it deep into the woods. “Damn!” Todd shouted. “Just my luck! Go on ahead guys. I’ll catch up in a minute.”
The woods were dark, dank and earthy smelling, mocking the beautiful day on the golf course. Todd searched through leaf and thicket to no avail until he heard a loud crackle from behind. He’d travelled too far for too long into the woods; the players must be looking for him.
“Okay okay—I give up!” he said, throwing his hands up, turning around. “But that was my last ba—” No one stood behind him in the coppice. “Hmph. Must’ve been an animal.” Todd said to himself. He looked around and realized that he truly had wandered off too far. He could no longer see the green. He turned about to try and retrace his steps when he felt a sudden shiver. Standing in front of him was the largest, starkest white rabbit he’d ever seen standing on its hind legs. Dead blue eyes locked his stare.
“Follow me.” The rabbit said in a sullen voice. “There is something you must see.”
Before Todd could remember if he’d eaten any mushrooms during his search through the woods, the rabbit hopped off down a trail that he couldn’t remember being there before. In for a penny, in for a pound he thought, trailing after the bunny.
The odd creature led him down the wooded path, which slowly turned to cobble. “Can I ask where we’re going?” Todd called out to the furry oddity.
“Adahy Hill, a place long forgotten. Few bipeds have travelled this path with great concern. The ways of man are cold, unjust. Empathy has been replaced with apathy and greed. Your lack of consideration must be atoned.
The cobble path grew thick with nightshade as they approached an old wrought iron gate. The air grew thin and cold as a breeze blew back Todd’s hair. Daytime was nonexistent as he looked up to find a sky full of darkened gray remorse.
“What the—” Across the hill, beyond the gates, stood thousands of tiny crosses made from little bones. Todd didn’t understand, few ever did.
“Take from us no more.” The rabbit said as he turned and walked away.
Dean Kutzler 