Echo

Come back to me in dreams, that I may give

Two Rabbits Asleep by Jean-Baptiste Huet, 1784

Pulse for pulse, breath for breath:

Speak low, lean low

As long ago, my love, how long ago. 

Christina Rosetti

They spent many afternoons deep within the cool damp refuge of Schatz’s warren. He had graciously welcomed her and would calm her with his peaceful nature and tenderness. Guiding her through the network of tunnels Flitzen was enchanted with Schatz’s ability to conjure a story from a single prompt. He was a watcher, a listener and had a mild manner like no other. On those sweltering summer days, the dampness of the warren was a welcome refuge. Flitzen could easily lose herself in the environment, absorbing the coolness of the soil that surrounded her, the scent of the underground roots and wetness that hung in the air. Sometimes, she and Schatz would just lie side by side for hours enjoying the stillness and silence while the world above teamed with life under the hot blazing sun. She longed to return to that space. The time in which the world seemed to melt away and there was nothing left but a sense of synchronistic peace. She closed her eyes and travelled back as Betrüger’s claws tore into her side. The searing pain of the attack dulled to a throbbing pulse like the palpitating rhythm of her heart as each beat brought her closer back those moments with Schatz.

Betrüger

Several months had passed since her first meeting with Schatz, yet they remained closely linked as he was deep within her heart. Their parting was one of sweet sorrow as she watched him slowly disappear in the haze of a warm summer sunset. He hopped along slowly and turned one last time to meet her gaze before he vanished into the thicket. Although they were no longer side by side in body they would remain inner life companions. This bond was one that seemed to traverse distance and was felt deep with Flitzen. 

As time went on, Flitzen paired with another buck when the colder month began to creep in. It had been a chance meeting, but Betrüger had watched her from the distance for a few months. He had seen Flitzen play in the fields nearby but stayed in the background until he found the perfect moment to enter her world. Betrüger was a playful and passionate hare with a flair for the dramatic. But, like a true Belgian Hare, he was highly excitable and had a nervous energy that kept him in constant motion. Much like Schatz, Betrüger had the ability to create a world in which Flitzen could lose herself. She and Betrüger had played for months into the cold nights before the winter crept in. Although Flitzen was initially hoodwinked by Betrüger’s spell, it would eventually dissolve, and the bond they had would scatter like dandelion spores in the breeze. She was weary after spending hours trying to pacify the unrest that had arisen from the impromptu attack of another buck. Her unexpected freedom from Betrüger’s ensnarement came sooner than Flitzen had anticipated and she had been initially caught off guard.  Flitzen’s ear was in ribbons from the encounter with the other buck and as she sat licking her bloodied wounds she felt the sudden intense sting of Betrüger’s teeth as they pierced through her…