Dead or Asleep?

"Is it dead?" Olivia whispered, her eyes wide open in shock and amazement.

"Dunno. Maybe, just sleeping?" Emilia whispered back, mirroring her sister's emotions.

"Do you wanna check?"

"How?"

"Go there and touch it!"

"I don't wanna! Why don't you do it?"

"Are you afraid?"

"Maybe. You?"

"Of course not!"

"Then go do it!"

"I don't wanna! What if it jumps on me?"

"So you ARE afraid!"

And on an on they went, taunting and daring each other. The twins were watching the rabbit lying on the carpet from a safe distance, hiding behind the sofa in the middle of the living room.

They were six, old enough to know that living beings die, but not old enough to tell the difference between a dead and sleeping living being.

For the past year or so, they've been begging their parents for a pet, a dog or a cat. Instead, they got a hamster. "When you show us that you can take care of it, we'll think about getting a bigger pet," mom said. They've been doing a great job so far, with the help of their dad, by cleaning the hamster’s cage and giving it food and water on schedule...

"Let's call mom and dad!" Olivia suggested.

"Great idea, but what if it runs away?" Emilia responded.

"You stay here, keep watch, and I'll go find mom or dad!" Olivia said.

Unbeknownst to them, their mom and dad were hiding behind the living room's corner, watching them and giggling quietly. When Olivia headed toward them, they scattered to the kitchen. Olivia went upstairs first, to check the parents' bedroom and office. She didn't call for them as she was afraid loud noises might startle the rabbit, if it’s alive. Not finding anyone, she quietly came down to the kitchen.

"Here you are!" she whispered at them. "I've been looking for you!"

"We've been here all the time, honey, but why are we whispering?" mom asked.

"Shhhhhh, there's a bun...." Olivia started when they heard Emilia crying. They all rushed into the living room.

"What happened, sweetie?" Mom asked, rushing to Emilia.

"The bunny... it jumped... and then... it ran awaaaaaay!" Emilia said between her sobs.

"Bunny? Which bunny?" Mom asked while dad was searching around the room.

"That's what I was telling you, mom!" Olivia said while Emilia was sobbing uncontrollably. "There was a bunny on the carpet!"

"Are you sure? Where?" Mom asked.

"Over there!" both twins pointed at the spot. "And now it's gooooone!" Emilia cried again.

"Do you mean this bunny?" dad said, pulling the rabbit carefully from under the console and petting it on the back.

"Yes!" both twins jumped for joy. "It's alive!"

"Of course it is alive! Why wouldn't it be?" Dad asked, cradling the rabbit and sitting down on the sofa so that the girls could move closer and pet it.

"We didn't know! It was on the floor, sleeping, and we thought it might be dead!" Olivia and Emilia explained, carefully striking the rabbit's back.

"Where did it come from?" Emilia asked, having finally wiped her tears and smiling happily.

"Well, you girls have done such a great job with the hamster that we decided you've graduated to a bunny!" Mom said excitedly.

"It's ours???" the twins asked at the same time, wide-eyed with disbelief and excitement.

"Yes, it is!" Dad and mom confirmed.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Olivia asked.

"We've been told it's a girl," mom said.

"What's her name?"

"You can name her whatever you want!" dad said.

"Ruby! Roo! Bumper! Rooster! Jane!" the twins were shouting out the names of their friends and bunny names they heard in the cartoons, as if trying them out.

And then Olivia stalled as if she remembered something, and said, "So, no dog or cat?"...

***

Backstory of the image provided: "Ruby-June, aka Roo, Bumper, Rooster was a Midsummer gift. Her papers said she was a female however in two months something popped up that made me wonder. New neutered, litter box trained and spoiled she is my constant companion. Her pronouns are up to her to choose."

This story is written for Mackenzie Davis' photo challenge that can be found here: