Page 23 of Run, Rabbit, Run

It was this emotion that drove her toward success. She feared that she would fail at finding independence above all else, that would become dependent on another human being. Some stayed for companionship, others for finances, and still more for a myriad of other reasons. Bunny had the opposite problem: she didn’t stay.

Her life was comprised of many lonely years in self-imposed isolation. It was too dangerous to let others inside. What if they didn’t like what they found? Regardless of her outer beauty, Bunny often struggled with her lack thereof on the inside. She thought often about her humanity and how much of it she applied or, more importantly, didn’t apply to her daily life.

Consistently, she felt that she failed to deliver on the unspoken societal promise to do well by others.

Was she enough? Could she be enough?

She decided to be enough for herself, even if that fell short under a different lens. She didn’t need another human being to confirm her goodness and she railed against any confirmation given to her. It was nobody’s place to judge her, whether positively or otherwise. Taking compliments wasn’t her strong suit.

Bunny sighed, head falling forward as she crossed her arms. She had paused to breathe and get her bearings.

She felt terribly exposed; emotionally, rather than physically. While standing there stark naked, Bunny began to shake despite the high-noon sun slipping through the canopy. It wasn’t bitterly cold, but there was a subtle chill leftover from the recent winter. The running had kept her warm. Now, the cool was creeping into her skin.

Nearby, she heard rustling. Bunny whipped around, attempting to locate the origin of the sound. She wasn’t certain it was him. No, it could have been shifting debris or a small animal. But it wasn’t, because not a second later did her captor step out from behind a thick tree.

“Boo,” He said, smiling hungrily.

Bunny stepped back, heart picking up an uncomfortable pace. Her melancholic musing was long forgotten as every part of her psyche locked onto the present threat.

“You know, Bunny, you’re still the most beautiful fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

At this, she snarled, teeth bared in a way all too animalistic, “Fuck you.”

This outburst earned a hearty laugh, deep and barking. Demetrius then began moving forward, stalking toward her with all the powerful confidence of a jungle animal. He was no longer wearing his riding habit. Bunny briefly realized that she must have been wandering through the woods longer than she thought if he had time to change his clothing and come after her. How long had it been? She had been so lost in her thoughts that she couldn’t tell.

He now donned a fully black outfit; shirt, jeans, boots. It made him look less like a leopard and more like a cat burglar. She giggled.

“Something funny, little Bunny?” Demetrius said with a cocked eyebrow.

“Oh, you just look absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes I have to wonder who dresses you and why your taste never evolved past what was obviously a dark, dark time in High School.” Immediately, his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed. Bunny gulped while a chill crept along her spine.

And then she turned and ran.

The ruckus behind her made it obvious that he had taken up the chase, and she mentally cursed him for having the advantage of protection in the form of clothing. The ground was battering her already bruised and bleeding feet. Tree branches and bushes snagged at her skin, leaving abrasions in their wake. Bunny could hear him not far behind, but it seemed he was keeping the same pace.

What is he doing? She asked herself, exasperated.

And then she realized that he was running her down like a prey animal. Often in the natural world, predators would give chase and run their victims until ragged. Large herbivores were easier to take down when exhausted.

This went on for what felt like forever. It was a true test of her endurance and she knew she was going to fail. Her heart was hammering at this point, lungs burning. She was losing steam. He was winning.

Finally, her wobbling legs gave out and she fell to her knees, wincing out a yelp as her skin made contact with the rough forest floor.

Her heavy panting nearly covered the noise of his approach. She was close to coughing and choking in desperation for more oxygen. It wasn’t a foreign feeling for Bunny. No, she often went as hard as she could while exercising. In this context, it only made her head spin harder while her heart pistoned.

Bunny whimpered in anticipation, pussy beginning to throb even while her brain battled against the purely physiological reaction. He had effectively trained her body to expect sexual gratification whenever he was near.

She didn’t like this. She didn’t.

Demetrius was crouching beside her, his proximity bringing another wave of shivers. “It’s okay, Bunny,” He murmured, reaching a hand to stroke her cheek with a single finger, “I’m not going to hurt you. Why would I do that? You’re mine, and I’m not the type to destroy my toys.”

She heaved a gasping, dry sob, empty of tears but painfully filled with overwhelming frustration.

“Come here, Bunny,” He whispered, gathering her shaking body into his arms. Demetrius held her to his chest, her head tucked under his chin, hand stroking her hair. At first, Bunny struggled in the embrace but gave up quickly when she realized his iron grip was unrelenting regardless of her efforts.

Bunny instead collapsed in on herself. She had thought she didn’t have any more tears to cry, but her body began to dredge up whatever remnants were left.

She choked on her sobs as her life began to slowly unroll in her head like a scroll, revealing scene after scene of horror and heartache. Even while she was brimming with revulsion at his touch, she buried herself into his chest and let herself yield to his embrace.

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