《I Never Left Without Saying Goodbye》 Chapter 1 – For whom the bell tolls ¡°¡­ h¡­¡± a soft feminine voice was heard accompanied by the sound of bells jingling, ¡°¡­ Hey!¡± ¡°Wakey, wakey! Come on, you aren¡¯t dead yet!¡± By the sound of bells and a persistent voice, a man grumbles as he opens his eyes, his vision blurred, he sees a smudge of grey and red. He notices he lays flat on the ground, and looks over to where the voice came from. He lifted his head slightly up to see a white blur on top of his chest. ¡°Oh! Hey, you¡¯re up!¡± As the man¡¯s vision starts to clear, he sees a bunny wearing a coat standing on its feet attaching a bell onto its arm. The bunny looked at the man, it smiled and clapped it¡¯s hands, ¡°Finally! I almost really thought you were a goner there!¡± The bunny joyfully says. The man looked at the bunny with a blank face in silence, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? You okay? You hurt or something?¡± the bunny asked. The man coughs, then repeatedly blinked, as he proceeds to scream loudly in disbelief. In reply the bunny too screamed back. The man quickly shifted himself away, while the bunny jumped off holding her ears with tears in her eyes. ¡°Wha¡­ ho¡­ WHO or WHAT are YOU?!¡± the man asked frantically. The bunny still holding onto its ears, looked at the man, ¡°Me!? You first jackass!¡± the bunny stomps its feet in annoyance.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°I was being nice and all to check on you and what do I get? You screaming at my face!¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry! But how else would you think I would react to a TALKING RABBIT!¡± ¡°Really!? That¡¯s what you¡¯re shocked about? Not the fact where we are!¡± The bunny pouts, angrily stomps her feet and waves its arms in annoyance, ¡°Look around you dummy!¡± ¡°What are you tal- !?¡± the man shifts his attention as to what the bunny was pointing at. As he looks around, he sees in shock at the dreamlike world they where in. The sight of darkness enveloped the whole area, with small lights bouncing all around as though fireflies where having a play. Not much can be seen other than a door at one end. ¡°WHERE THE HELL AM I!!¡± The man shouts in disbelief, as his face gets kicked by the fluffy feet of the bunny. ¡°Stop shouting!¡± The bunny says as it holds onto her ears once again, ¡°Anyone told you to be nice to girls! I can hear you way too clearly, and that¡¯s what I want to know!¡± ¡°How am I supposed to know that!¡± the man replies teary eyed as he puts a hand on his face. ¡°I mean what is this place? I feel like I¡¯m in a dream or in one of those children¡¯s fantasy book¡± the man says as he stands up. ¡°I have no idea, I¡¯m as clueless as you are,¡± the bunny replied as she massages her ears, ¡°This feels too real to be a dream that¡¯s for sure.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I can agree on that,¡± the man rubs his cheek. ¡°Hmm¡­ that¡¯s weird?¡± the man ponders. ¡°What?¡± the bunny asked. ¡°My head¡¯s pretty blank!¡± the man scratches his head ¡°What do you mean?¡± the bunny confused. ¡°I mean do you remember anything before all this?¡± the man exclaims, looking at the bunny in distraught. ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± the bunny ponders, ¡°I don¡¯t remember a thing!¡± ¡°I woke up just like you, first thing I know was I was like this and had a bell on my arm,¡± the bunny points, ¡°the next was what I thought was a dead guy next to me, but was actually rude screaming jackass¡± the bunny glares. The man lifts up his arms, ¡°Yeah, sorry about that,¡± the wryly smiles, ¡°can¡¯t blame not to panic in this situation¡± The bunny pouts. ¡°Anyway,¡± the man points at the door, ¡°Best see what¡¯s over there rather than just standing here don¡¯t you think?¡± The bunny looked at the door, ¡°I was gonna ask the same thing. Shall we?¡± The man nods, the man walked over while the bunny hopped to the front of the door. There they see the door clearly, it was a plain modern looking door, not much can be said. The man knocked, to no reply. The bunny pouts, ¡°Well good to see you actually have some decency to knock¡± The man sighs as he then grabs the and turns the handle, ¡°It¡¯s unlocked¡± he says. The door was then opened, the two went in. As they enter, they see a room filled with trophies and games ranging from table top to consoles. As they continue, they spot something on a chair. Both stare in grimace as they see a lifeless, pale, hollowed eyed, mouth agape, skeleton headed person wearing a tracksuit, sitting on the chair. Chapter 2- Chilled to the bone The skeleton head sat lifelessly on the chair. ¡°Is he dead?¡± the man asks, the bunny shrugs in reply. The skeleton notices the two, and moved his gaze upon them. The man and the bunny where disturb to see the skeleton head actually move, more so when it spoke. ¡°Name¡¯s Benial¡­ Hi¡­¡± the Skelton head somberly says as he returns back to his original state. The bunny composes herself and looked at the man. She gave him a thumbs up and points towards Benial, ¡°You deal with him¡± she says with a sweet smile. The man sighs, ¡°Righty¡¯ho¡­¡± The man approaches Benial, ¡°Hi Benial! What¡¯s seems to be picking your bone their buddy?¡± the man smirks at his pun, in reply the bunny kicked his head. ¡°What? I couldn¡¯t resist¡± the man shrugs, as the bunny glares. Benial begins to mutter a few words, ¡°I¡­ that¡­ ¡­. this¡­ can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be what?¡± the man asks. ¡°Dog¡­ buddy¡­ gone¡­ ¡­ I forgot¡­ ¡­ to play¡­¡± Benial say as he increasingly becomes more lifeless as he already looks to be. The man scratches his head, ¡°So you want us to look for your dog?¡± ¡°Nah¡­ He¡¯ll¡­ be back¡­ he¡­ always¡­ does¡­¡± ¡°How long since was your dog gone?¡± the bunny asks. ¡°Not¡­ long¡­ 5¡­ ¡­¡± Benial pauses for a bit longer. ¡°Hours?¡± the bunny guesses, ¡°Minutes?¡± the man guessed. ¡°Days¡­¡± Benial states. ¡°oh¡­¡± the man distress. The man looked at the bunny, ¡°Can¡¯t you help?¡± The bunny blankly stared, ¡°I¡¯m a rabbit not a dog, idiot¡± ¡°Bunnies got a good nose, right?¡± the man says, to which the bunny shook her head to deny.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The man sighs, ¡°Alright then¡­¡± The man then comes near Benial, to which he slams his hands onto his shoulder. Benial jolted in surprise as the man looked at him straight in the eye socket. ¡°Listen here Benial,¡± the man says with a deep tone, ¡°You fucked up, your dog¡¯s probably gone, deal with it.¡± In reply Benial further delve into listlessness, to the point his actual soul can almost be seen leaving his body. The bunny looked confused as to what was the man doing. But he simply stops her from saying anything as he continues. ¡°But this doesn¡¯t mean this is the end, you¡¯ll just have to accept the truth and move on. Yeah sure, you made a mistake, a big one, but nothing will change if you just keep on thinking all will be fine.¡± The man smiles, ¡°Listen, everyone has a moment in their lives where they mess up something, that¡¯s nothing new. It¡¯s up to them on what they want to do,¡± the man let¡¯s go of Benial and smirks and shrugs, ¡°You¡¯re one of the types that have regrets, that¡¯s better than what most had to choose to be. I mean some just chose to forget and go on with their lives, I mean that¡¯s not bad and all but they tend to forget their mistakes and end up doing the same thing again.¡± The man sighs. ¡°These regrets you have right now, the reason why you can¡¯t accept the truth. Is because your kind,¡± The man smiles at Benial. Benial listened, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t¡­ think so¡­.¡± He meekly replied. ¡°Well that¡¯s probably true¡± the man bluntly says. The bunny then in turn kicked him. The man rubs his head, ¡°What I mean is, I¡¯m not you, I won¡¯t know what you really think. I can only guess from what I know on hand. The only person who knows you best is¡­¡± the man points at Benial with a smile, ¡°you right?¡± Benial places his hand on his chest as he ponders. ¡°Now I¡¯ll ask you, would you just sit there and do nothing let all that regret eat you up to a husk¡­ or¡­¡± the man held out his hand, ¡°would you wake up and live to remember your mistakes and to avoid doing them next time?¡± Belial scowls, lowering his head, ¡°Heh¡­¡± he begins to chuckle and slowly as though given new life, Benial laughed and with much energy took the man¡¯s hand. ¡°Sure, I think I¡¯ll choose to live with my regrets and hopefully not mess up again!¡± the Skeleton head clackers. The man and the bunny smiled to the lifted up Skeleton head. Just then, Benial began to glow and release small balls of light. Making the two freeze up in amazement. A moment later a huge white flash occurred making the man let go of Benial, as a piece of memory returned back to the man and the bunny. The two remembered their childhood, they where playmates. The bunny was a girl that often bullies the boy who was the man. They would often meet each other, they would argue with almost anything as the girl would state smart remarks while the boy counters with solid reason and logic. But no matter how many times they argue, they were good friends. As the two remember, the man comments first, ¡°I¡­ remember¡­¡± ¡°Me too¡­ I¡¯m not a Rabbit¡± the bunny replied. ¡°Yeah you weren¡¯t, you were a snotty cheeky lonely rich girl that followed me around¡± the man nods. The bunny blushes, as she kicks the man again in the head, ¡°I WAS NOT!¡± she lands on her feet and pouts, ¡°I remember a lonely boy who had no one to play with, so as a nice person, I went ahead and gave him company!¡± ¡°yeah, I wonder why,¡± the man retorts rubbing his head. The bunny in turn jumps at him annoyed, to which he catches her and laughs. She tries kicking her way out, the sound of a bell jingles as she does. ¡°Excuse me, it¡¯s best you two get going¡± Benial states as he is seen standing up and putting a sports band over his head. The two compose themselves and as the man coughs, ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. So, mind giving us directions?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly from around here¡± the bunny continues. Benial chuckles, ¡°Sure, the exit is that way¡± he points to another door at the far corner of the room. The man looked at the door, ¡°Thanks!¡± he says with a smile. ¡°Thanks as well, bye-bye!¡± Benial waves with glee. The two move towards the door, seeing up close they notice its gothic design. ¡°Well this looks fancy¡± the man states. ¡°shall we?¡± the bunny asks. The man opens the door, ¡°Yes we shall¡± he replies. The two enter, to see a very messy and dim lit room, filled with red velvet cloth placed all around the ceiling, and stuff scattered to what looks like women¡¯s accessories among other things. The two continued onwards, only to stop when they heard a woman¡¯s cry, ¡°That sent a chill down my spine¡­¡± the man comments. The bunny shrieked and jump on the man¡¯s head. ¡°You scared?¡± the man smirks. ¡°No!¡± the bunny replied, while hiding with every cry of the mystery woman. As the two move closer to the sound, there they see a winged creature. Its wings lay flat on the ground as it cries. The man nervously moves closer and accidentally kicks a round object towards the crying creature. ¡°Oh¡­ boy¡­¡± the man nervously says with a broken smile, while the bunny pulls on his hair. The crying creature hears and turns her gaze towards the two. They saw a face with two red glowing eyes with what they seem to see with hairs made of snakes. They couldn¡¯t tell whether it was true or not, because the next thing they did was scream in fear as the creature lunges at them. Chapter 3 – Lost Flame The man and the bunny screams, as the creature lunges at them. As she comes close, the man instinctively covers the bunny in his arms, trying the best as he could to protect her. But to their surprise after hearing a thud, a few seconds pass but nothing happened. ¡°Eh?¡± the man and the bunny cautiously peeked as to what happened, seeing the creature lay face flat on the ground, pounding her fist on the floor weeping and whining. The two see the creature has ruffled mossy black wings with a voluptuous female human body. She wears a long velvet dress; her hair can only be described as having one of the worst bed hairs a woman with long hair could have. She looks up at the two, tears in her beautiful sharp violet feathered raven like eyes. Slowly her eyes fill up with tears, as she again cries like a child having a tantrum. ¡°Whhhhhyyyyyyy!!¡± the bird woman cries. The man and the bunny, whose ears are held down by her hands, looked in confusion at the weeping bird woman. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! Even a bunny has her lover, while I lost mine!¡± the bird woman wails, slamming her fist on the floor childishly. ¡°What!?¡± the two says in unison. The bunny and the man looked at each other, the bunny kicked the man¡¯s face directly from the chin upward, as to separate herself from him. Both of them having their face flush red. ¡°I¡¯m beginning to think you¡¯re the reason I lost my memories¡± the man exclaims rubbing his chin. The bunny glares at the man, face still red. But the moment is interrupted when the bird woman cried even louder. In reaction to that, the bunny covered her ears and the man flinched. ¡°STHOP RHUBBING YHOR LHUBERS SPAT ON TCHU MY FACE ALREADY!!¡± the bird woman wails. The man grimace, ¡°Your turn¡± he points at the crying bird woman. The bunny approached the bird woman, ¡°H-Hey¡­ Miss¡­ Bird, Lady?¡± ¡°My name¡­ hic¡­ is¡­ Lyssa¡± the bird woman replies in tears. The bunny smiles, ¡°Hi Lyssa!¡± she says as she grabs her hand. The bird woman was surprised but she did calm down, ¡°Hi¡­ hic¡­¡± Lyssa looks at the bunny eyeing her whole figure, ¡°That¡¯s a cute coat¡­ and bell¡­¡± she meekly replied. The bunny blushes, ¡°Thanks!¡± she chuckles. The bunny¡¯s smile was short lived as she sees Lyssa¡¯s eyes again begin to well up in tears. ¡°It¡­ looks like¡­ WHAT I WAS SUPPOSE TO WEAR ON OUR DATE!!¡± she again wails out as her wings flutter wildly. The bunny tries to calm her down, ¡°Hey! Hey! Calm down now, we can¡¯t help you if you don¡¯t tell us what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lyssa pauses, ¡°I¡­ hic¡­ missed our date today¡­ hic¡­¡± ¡°A date with who?¡± the man asks. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The bunny glares at him, ¡°Who do you think? It¡¯s with her lover you idiot!¡± The man just shrugs, ¡°You don¡¯t know that¡± The bunny ignores the man and looks back at Lyssa, ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll understand if you talk to them about it¡± ¡°I¡­ did try to talk to her about it, but she was mad¡­ when¡­¡± Lyssa¡¯s lips tremble. ¡°Hey! Come on, hold it in together,¡± the bunny consoles her, ¡°When what?¡± Lyssa breathes in, ¡°When¡­ she found out that I actually missed it because I went on a different date with my boyfriend!!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± the bunny smiles wryly. The man smirks, ¡°Told you¡± The bunny ignores the man, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure anyone will be mad at that, be it lover or friend¡± the bunny states. Lyssa starts to cry once more, but before that the bunny interrupted her, ¡°But! Hear me out here, she¡¯s probably your best friend, right?¡± the bunny asks. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± The bunny smiles holding Lyssa¡¯s right hand, ¡°Then I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll forgive you! Just give her time¡± Lyssa holds tighter on the bunny¡¯s hand, ¡°I¡¯m very sure she¡¯ll forgive, I¡¯m just¡­ mad¡­ at myself for doing that to her¡± Her eyes all round and teary, ¡°I¡¯m such a mess!¡± she says as she hugs the bunny tightly surprising her. ¡°uh¡­¡± the bunny struggles as Lyssa burrows her in her chest, ¡°Yeh¡­ I ghet ith¡± the bunny struggles to get herself free. The man notices, ¡°Ease up bird lady¡± the man points with his eyes at the pale bunny. Lyssa notices and pulls her out of her chest but still holds her up with her two hands, ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so sorry miss bunny!¡± The bunny breathes heavily, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ fine¡­¡± As the bunny regain her strength, she insisted a plan, ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we clean up a little? It¡¯ll help take your mind off it¡± she smiles. Lyssa looks around, notices the mess she made, and as she looks at the man who¡¯s currently holding a mirror he grabbed somewhere. She sees her face, ¡°Yeah¡­ I think, we should¡± she blushes in embarrassment. The man and the bunny sighs in relief. The trio then begin to tidy up the room, the man arranges the knocked down tables and chair, the bunny picks up the things on the floor and places them where they should be, while Lyssa picks up all the clothes and cloth scattered around then folding and tucking them neatly. As they finish up, the bunny calls for Lyssa¡¯s attention as she points out her face. Lyssa looks at the mirror on the table in shock, the bunny hops on to it, ¡°Let me!¡± she says stars on her eyes. As the moment pass, where the bunny fixed Lyssa¡¯s face and hair. The bunny insisted she closes her eyes. ¡°Ok! We, are, done!¡± the bunny states, ¡°You can open your eyes now!¡± As instructed, Lyssa slowly opened her eyes. As she did, she sees herself in the mirror, ¡°Ohh myy!¡± she screams in glee while covering her mouth. She saw a fresh new face, her hair all silky, her eye feathers and her wings all smoothened out, and overall, she had a much cleaner complexion. Lyssa looks at the two, wherein she sees the bunny on the man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You feel better?¡± the bunny asks with a smile. Lyssa nods, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that childish banter earlier¡± she blushingly says. ¡°No biggie, you were just frustrated and needed to let off some steam¡± the bunny explains, ¡°After that, you just needed someone to fix you up when you were down. Luckily we were here!¡± the man continues. And in the state of pure bliss, Lyssa hugs them both tightly, ¡°Thank you very much!¡±, she hugged them so tight that the man¡¯s back made a cracking sound. ¡°You¡­ can¡­ stop¡­ now¡­¡± the man pleads. ¡°oh!¡± Lyssa let¡¯s go of them and as she did, the bunny pops out with almost losing all her color, ¡°I apologies, I tend to forget my own strength!¡± she chuckles. ¡°I think¡­ I saw the light there¡­¡± the bunny dazedly says. The man stretches his back, ¡°Probably true, look¡± he points at Lyssa who was glowing and started to release balls of light. ¡°Just like with Benial¡± the bunny states, to which the man nods in reply. As a flash of bright white light occurs, the two see another memory of theirs. * * * The man remembers from a time when he was a teenager. He was still with the girl, still bickering about things, still teasing one another, what only change was they constantly try to best each other. From tests to mundane things, they always seem to find something to bet on. The bunny at the same time remembers those as well, but another thing they remember was when she ran away from home one time. She was crying somewhere, and at that time the boy was the one who found her at the middle of the night. She was at the park they would often play together when they were kids. They both remember that moment, but couldn¡¯t remember what they said to one another. The last bit they saw was both of them shared a loving embrace and a kiss. * * * ¡°AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The bunny and the man screamed with their face matching the color of the cloth on top of the room, which was velvet red if you forgot. The two met each other¡¯s gaze, the bunny quivers as she hides her face in embarrassment. The man smirks trying to act tough, ¡°Wonder who asked for it?¡± ¡°Probably you did jackass! Because I was such a nice person I¡­¡± the bunny stops as steam comes out of her ears. The man chuckles, ¡°yeah sure¡­¡± he murmurs. The bunny glares at him, ¡°HEARD THAT!!¡± Lyssa on the other hand tilts her head in confusion, ¡°I apologies, but why are your faces so red?¡± ¡°It¡¯s better for me you wouldn¡¯t know¡± the bunny frustratingly says. Lyssa chuckles, ¡°I understand¡± ¡°So, we all good here right? Mind pointing us to the exit bird lady?¡± the man requests. Lyssa claps her hand, ¡°Yes! Of course! The exit is that way at the back of that curtain over there¡± Lyssa points at the far corner of the room with a curtain. The bunny and the man looked at the corner, ¡°Thanks!¡± the man says as he looks and waves back to her as he walks towards the corner. ¡°Take care! I¡¯m sure everything will work out just fine!¡± the bunny says as she waves with her hand with the bell, jingling as she did. ¡°Thank you and goodbye you lovebirds!¡± The bird woman says playfully. The man grimace and blushes, ¡°She definitely saw¡­¡± ¡°NOTHING! She saw nothing!¡± the bunny exclaims. As they move on, the man moves the curtain blocking the exit. There they saw a door; this one has a more ancient wooden style. It has carvings all over it, looking like a door from a fairy-tale witch hut. ¡°This looks welcoming¡± the man comments. He put his hand on the handle to open the door, as he did, he gestures, ¡°Ladies first¡± he smiles at the bunny. The bunny smiles, ¡°Now you¡¯re nice?¡± she says as she enters. ¡°I remember I¡¯m always nice to you¡± the man chuckles. ¡°Suuure¡± the bunny retorts. Both of them entered the room, to which they look in awe as they see a huge room filled with stacks of books. Some were in bookshelves, while others were all pile together. Continuing on, the two heard the sound of paper being crumpled and someone writing. ¡°No¡­ ¡­ this¡­ ¡­uhh¡­ how about¡­ no¡­¡± a frustrated deep voice was heard. Chapter 4 – Writers block The bunny and the man move onward through the maze made of books. Following the sound of paper being crumpled and the vigorous sound of someone writing. skrrt¡­ skrrt¡­ skrrt¡­ ¡°This place is huge!¡± the man comments while walking and looking around. The bunny stops for a moment and picks up one of the white covered book with a drawing of a strange doll on the front, ¡°le Petit Mirai¡­¡± she murmurs reading the title. The man looked at the bunny holding the book, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked. ¡°Just a book that caught my attention¡± she says as she opens it up and begins reading as they go. A moment later, the man sees something that caught his attention, ¡°Well, hello¡­¡± he says as he picks up a wooden cube, ¡°What¡¯s this supposed to be?¡± The man looks at his companion, seemingly lost in her own world reading the book she picked up, the man sighs. They continue onward, stopping from time to time. Encountering wacky antiques, strange bits and bobs, and at times small wooden and silver toys. The man usually picks one up and fiddle with it as they move along, while the bunny was glued into reading the books she picks up, from the array scattered everywhere they go. * * * Time passes by as the man and bunny move on through the maze of books, closer and closer they near the origin of the sound that echoed all throughout the area. ¡°I wonder how long we¡¯ve been here¡­¡± the man sighs, seemingly exhausted from all the walking, while playing with a cube snake like wooden toy. The man looks at the bunny, who¡¯s reading another book. The man frowns and sighs. He then spots something that made him smirk. The bunny was reading, then she pauses as the man taps her ears. She looks around not seeing where she though he would be, then she looked at her back. There she saw a goofy yet creepy looking mask, ¡°Boo!¡± the man says. The bunny just looked at him unamused, ¡°Really?¡± she says with a blank stare. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Tough crowd¡­¡± the man says removing his mask. ¡°Mind sharing what you¡¯ve been reading?¡± the man asks as he places the mask on an empty space on a shelf. ¡°You seem to be fixed into those books, are they that good?¡± The bunny closes her book, ¡°Not all, just some¡± the bunny states. ¡°Yet you still read most of them?¡± the man exclaims. The bunny places the book she was holding onto a pile as she picks up another one, ¡°Well, the first few where definitely interesting, but the others I just wanted to see where the story would go¡± ¡°Oh?¡± the man says gazing at the book the bunny just left, ¡°What were they about?¡± ¡°The first book I read was about a doll who doesn¡¯t speak and kept getting lost in a weird places, the doll also kept on meeting weird people,¡± the bunny explains. The man smiles, ¡°Just like us!¡± ¡°Yeah, just like us but the doll actually meets actual people, not what we¡¯ve seen,¡± the bunny and the man laugh wryly remembering Benial the skeleton headed man and Lyssa the bird woman. The bunny continued, ¡°So the doll meets these people, each one saying something about life and stars, this continued on for the most part,¡± the bunny sighs, ¡°But around nearing the end, the doll meets the last person, who was a living shadow.¡± ¡°A living shadow?¡± the man tilts his head, ¡°That¡¯s different¡± The bunny nods, ¡°Yeah, that was weird. I think I get what the author was doing, but what really stuck to me was the ending¡± ¡°What about the ending?¡± the man asks. ¡°That¡¯s the thing!¡± the bunny vigorously says, ¡°There was no ending! It was just an image of the doll meeting the shadow in front of a bright light!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it¡± the man says with a blank stare. ¡°I didn¡¯t too, that is until I started reading the other books!¡± the bunny gleefully explained. The man looked at the bunny, seeing stars in her eyes, ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°So! I pieced things together,¡± the bunny motioned her hands as if combining something together, ¡°and from following his other stories pattern¡­ I think, that the end of that story, the doll was given a choice!¡± the bunny puts her arms on her waist boastfully smiling. ¡°A choice?¡± the man being more confused as ever. The bunny frowns at the question, ¡°Well that¡¯s my current issue, the more I read, the more I get confused. It¡¯s like the author kept playing with the ending of each different story! But all had the same pattern, someone gets lost, they meet people and at the end they have a choice!¡± ¡°Maybe that was his thing?¡± the man states. The bunny nods, ¡°Yeah, I thought so too at first, and its probably true. But, I noticed something weird, that is for most of the stories that¡¯s how it works, except one,¡± the bunny picks up the same white book she first picked up, ¡°This book seems to be special, like the rest where just copies,¡± she points at how common the white book seems to be seen all around, ¡°I believe the author is trying to change something, but can¡¯t do it in this story¡­¡± the bunny ponders looking at the white book. The man picks up a copy, he flips through the end to see the image of the doll meeting the shadow. The man notices that after the page where the image was shown, there was nothing else, ¡°That is weird¡­¡± ¡°Like I said!¡± the bunny yells in frustration, ¡°Now try looking at the end of the other books!¡± The man puts down the white book, and picks up a different coloured book, he again flips through the end, he sees a similar image but not an exact copy, but this time it has something on the end, ¡°This one got something to tell at the end¡± the man points. ¡°All of them do! It¡¯s just this one white book who doesn¡¯t have any!¡± the bunny yells again in frustration, ¡°You see what I mean! It¡¯s like the author wants the ending to change for this one white book!¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t he just change it directly? Rather creating similar stories, and giving them different endings?¡± the man asks. The bunny sighs and shrugs, ¡°I have no idea¡­¡± The man and the bunny sighs, then a deep quite voice was heard, ¡°Because I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± the man and bunny flinched. The two looked at the surrounding area, noticing the sound they where following was gone, ¡°Hello?¡± the man says cautiously. Just then a creaking sound was heard at one of the shelves. The bunny jumped on the man¡¯s back. As a hairy creature, literally a creature mainly just made of hair, comes out, ¡°Hello¡­¡± It waves, ¡°My name is Joan¡­ Welcome to my study¡­¡± the hairy creature hospitably says. ¡°Hi¡­¡± the man replies with a wave, as did the bunny. ¡°Come¡­ follow me¡­¡± Joan gestures. The bunny and the man looked at each other and both nodded. Chapter 5 – Writers folly The man and the bunny leaded by Joan the hairy creature, reached an area where there was a table. On it were stacks of papers, a jar of quills, and multiple ink pots. All around they see numerous crumpled papers, as much as would snow could cover in one night. ¡°Tea¡­ cookies¡­?¡± Joan offered, pointing at the ones on a cabinet. ¡°yes please!¡± the bunny replied politely. Joan then prepares the tea and takes a jar of cookies on a tray to serve the man and the bunny. He then goes to the chairs occupied by books and papers. He then cleared two of the seats and places them next to the table with treats, ¡°Please¡­ Sit down¡­¡± he points at the chairs. ¡°Thank you¡± the man says as him and the bunny took their seats. As the two help themselves to the tea and cookies, Joan returned to his desk and continued writing. The man and the bunny took a bite at the cookie and a sip of the tea, ¡°These are pretty bland¡± the man says, to which the bunny simply nodded. The two then again hear the sound of writing. The man and the bunny looked at Joan, writing at his desk. ¡°I think we found the author¡± the man states. The bunny became excited, she quickly finished her tea and hopped of the chair. She then tries to pull the man with her to talk to Joan, ¡°Come on! Now we can ask about that book!¡± she says excitedly, her bell jingling with each tug. The man sighs, he finishes his tea and the two approached Joan the hairy giant. As they reach the desk, the bunny asked a favour from the man, ¡°Lift me!¡± she requests. The man chuckles, he then lifts up the bunny onto his shoulder. As the bunny secures her footing on the man¡¯s shoulder, she then coughs in hopes of getting Joan¡¯s attention. Which works, as Joan stops writing and looks at the two, ¡°hmm¡­?¡± ¡°Excuse me Sir Joan, but we would like to ask about that book of yours. The one about a lost doll, titled¡­ Le Petit Mirai,¡± at hearing the books title, Joan¡¯s demeanour changes from a gentle giant to a quivering sasquatch. The bunny¡¯s excitement turns to fear at the sight, while the man just became confused. ¡°That ending¡­¡± Joan murmurs ¡°Y-yeah¡± the man replied, as the bunny was unable to speak. ¡°It was a mistake¡­ It wasn¡¯t supposed to end like that¡­¡± Joan says slamming his quill onto the desk, surprising the man and the bunny. ¡°But I can¡¯t change it now¡­ It is already been read¡­ already set it the minds of many¡­ I cannot change what has already been set¡­ I want to fix it¡­ I really do¡­¡± Joan holds his head with both his hands in grief. The bunny hops onto the table, ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just move on?¡± she asks. ¡°I tried writing¡­ something new¡­ yet I could not¡­ the idea¡­ of what ending¡­ I could have set¡­ just kept on haunting my mind!¡± Joan says frustratingly. ¡°I could have¡­ done this¡­¡± Joan picks up a piece of written paper, ¡°or this¡­¡± he says as he picks up another. Joan then crumples both, ¡°uhhh¡­¡± as he grimaces. The bunny saddens at the sight of the distraught writer, as the man just holds his chin and ponders.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Joan throws the crumpled paper on his hands, ¡°I just¡­ have to write¡­ something better¡­ If I change¡­ this¡­¡± he then picks up another written paper, ¡°or¡­ maybe this¡­ and that¡­¡± his gaze darting from one written work to another. ¡°Maybe if we give you an outside idea, just to move you off your slump¡± The bunny suggests, ¡°I¡¯ve read some of your books, I can see that you¡¯re fighting and you haven¡¯t given up!¡± she smiles, ¡°We¡¯re here to help, just tell us what you need!¡± the bunny states with excitement. The man listens, ¡°given up¡­¡± he murmurs. Joan looks at the bunny, ¡°Can¡­ you share¡­ your story?¡± he asks. The bunny thinks for a moment but as she remembers the latest memory she got, a puff of steam comes out of her ears as she blushes and stutters, ¡°a-aba abat¡­ ah¡­!¡± The man sees and chuckles, ¡°Well you see, that¡¯s something, we, can¡¯t say. As we don¡¯t really have much,¡± the man air quotes, ¡°Experience at the moment¡± ¡°Y-yeah! just as he said!¡± The bunny says face flushed red, ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, even though I suggested it!¡± she bows. Joan raises a brow looking at the bunny bowing and the man holding a laugh, ¡°hmm¡­¡± he chuckles. As the man and the bunny who¡¯s holding her ears in embarrassment, composes themselves. The man coughs, ¡°ehem¡­ So, I¡¯ve been thinking about something,¡± he says as he snaps his fingers. The bunny and Joan look at him, ¡°Why not, you know,¡± he shrugs, ¡°Give up?¡± he bluntly says. ¡°huh?¡± the bunny and Joan simultaneously react. ¡°I¡¯m saying, the way I see it. You¡¯re pushing yourself back, you never messed up from the beginning,¡± the man picks up the white book from a pile, ¡°this, is good! Not the best for you, but it is what is, accident or whatever. And you clearly said you can¡¯t deny that, right?¡± Joan nods while the bunny smiles and listens. ¡°You just didn¡¯t see it coming at that time, and now that you saw it,¡± the man then picks up a written paper on the desk, ¡°you¡¯re having all these ideas that you THOUGHT you could have done¡± he laughs, ¡°but how could you? You were distracted, probably exhausted, or was swept in the moment!¡¯ ¡°Not everything can be prevented, accidents happen, mistakes were made, but in the end the choices and actions are already done. You just got to know what to do after it all¡± the man shrugs and smiles holding both the white book and the written paper. ¡°You say that¡­ But¡­ someone like me¡­ should have¡­ been able to see¡­ the next pages¡­¡± Joan holds his hand together and rest them on top of the table, ¡°I¡­ should have¡­ thought of it¡­ before it happened¡­¡± he explains. The man sighs, ¡°Come on¡­ wake up dude¡± he bluntly says. ¡°Let me,¡± the bunny interjects, ¡°Sir Joan, listen, It doesn¡¯t matter if you can see the next page¡­ there will be always others that can write over those,¡± she smiles, ¡°What¡¯s written can be something good or bad, and you can¡¯t see that!¡± the bunny looks at the man and blushes as he smiles back. ¡°I see¡­¡± Joan murmurs, ¡°As long¡­ as I have¡­ time¡­ my story¡­ failure¡­ or success¡­ I can¡­¡± the hairy creature begins to glow, ¡°I can still write my story!¡± he says with a beaming smile, flashing the man and the bunny with a bright white light as another memory returns back to them. * * * The man and the bunny this time remember their journey to adulthood. They remember the time where they graduated together, the time they live together, the adventure they had with their friends. The man remembers his good friend, who forced him to go almost anywhere he can think of. A guy who was always so hyper, so active, and extremely tiresome to accompany. He remembers all the pain he had gone through with each journey they took, but were always worth it in the end. The bunny remembers her good friend, who taught her all secret power of women. A woman of fierce demeanour, she was the one who stepped up when the girl does something stupid. She remembers all the time she got teased by her. The man and the bunny laugh as they see their important memories, no matter how chaotic some were. As they pass those memories, they see a memory of the time when the boy led the girl to a cliff, an area that he and his friend had found. There he kneeled before the girl and proposed giving her a beautiful wooden ring. Once again, they said something to one another but they still couldn¡¯t remember. Quickly, the bunny and the man see all the things they have done, all the happy times, all the sad times, they were rarely apart. The bunny cried as she sees, while the man smiles contently. As a final bit of memory, they see themselves going up a mountain in a van with their two friends, another was on the way as the girl says from a text she received. They see themselves enter a mountain cottage, where they are welcomed by an older man. They know this man, he was their best friend, the maker of their wedding rings and second father to them. The last thing they see is him handing them a small gift and someone calling the girl on her phone and she replied with ¡°We¡¯ll meet you there!¡±. * * * The man and the bunny looked at each other, seeing both smiling with a torrent of tears running down their faces. ¡°Y-you should see you face!¡± the bunny laughs. The man simply chuckles, ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± he says as he wipes of his tears. Joan looks at the two in delight, ¡°Follow me now¡± To the surprise of the bunny, the man picks her up and places her on her shoulder, ¡°Free ride missis!¡± he jests, to which she chuckles in reply. The three then begin to move to another section of the library. ¡°Hey Joan, what where all the wooden toys and stuff for?¡± the man asks. ¡°Inspiration, they become a symbol for the stories I create¡± The hairy creature named Joan says. The man ponders for a bit, ¡°hmm¡­¡± his face grows dark. The bunny notices, she uses her bell at his face, ¡°You okay?¡± she asks worryingly jingling the bells on her arm. The man snaps out of it, ¡°Y-yeah, nothing just thinking¡± he smiles. The bunny doubts but smiles nonetheless, ¡°Come on, I feel like we¡¯re nearing the end! We can go home!¡± The man nods, ¡°Yeah!¡± A moment late they stop in front of a bookshelf, ¡°Give me a moment,¡± Joan says as he shuffles through the books, as he finds the right one. ¡°Here we go!¡± as he pulls book out, the whole bookshelf begins to move, revealing a bright heavenly looking door. ¡°This is your exit!¡± Joan smiles and points towards the door. ¡°Thanks!¡± The man says as he shakes Joans hand as so did the bunny. Just before they could open the door, Joan gives something to the man, ¡°These are for you two!¡± he hands over a small wooden box that seemingly cannot be opened, ¡°It will open later¡± he smiles. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± the mans says as he takes the box. Joan smiles, ¡°Thank you as well and goodbye!¡± he says with a wave. The bunny and the man enter the door, waving back to Joan as they go. As they enter, they look around the area. This was a smaller area, everything was bright but not enough to hurt the eyes, there were plant life all around. At the centre they see a huge tree. ¡°This is relaxing¡± the man comments. The bunny notices something at the bottom of the tree, ¡°Hey! I think someone¡¯s over there!¡± she tugs on the man¡¯s hair and points. The two continue to the massive tree, as they near it they see a pale woman in a church attire, not acting very holy though. She sits in a very sleazy manner, having her arm on the side and holding her head up. ¡°Sup¡­!¡± the woman in white nonchalantly says with a wave. Chapter 6 – Reason and Madness The man and the bunny see a pale woman dressed in holy attire. But acts nothing but in unholy manner. ¡°Sup!¡± the pale woman says as she sits sleazily on the chair. Staring blankly at the two with dead fish eyes. The man and the bunny look in confusion, they try to comprehend the situation but to no avail. ¡°Not what I expected¡± the man says as the bunny just blankly stares in disbelief. The pale woman gets up from her chair, she stretches her arms out upward and yawns. She stares back at the man and the bunny, ¡°Priestess¡± she says pointing at herself with her thumb. ¡°Eh?!¡± the man and the bunny simultaneously say dumbfoundedly. ¡°Follow me,¡± the priestess beckons them as she walks along a broken brick path leading to the back of the gigantic tree. The bunny and the man sighs. As they reach the back of the tree, the priestess leads the man and the bunny at the front of a large rusty metal door. ¡°Give a moment¡­¡± the priestess says to the two, to which they nod in reply. The priestess then begins seemingly randomly knocking on the metal door. ¡°You need help?¡± the man asks. The priestess stops for a moment, her attention still at the metal door. ¡°Nah¡­¡± she says holding her chin. Given a second later, she kicks the metal door as hard as she could. The metal door then swings opens. The priestess smirks, she then looks at the man and the bunny. ¡°Give me that box¡± she says pointing at the wooden box the man was holding given to them by the hairy creature Joan. ¡°Okay?¡± the man gives the priestess the wooden box. ¡°I¡¯ll give it back later,¡± the priestess says with a timid smile. Then she beckons them to come closer and look inside the door. ¡°uhh¡­¡± The man and the bunny grimace, cautiously the man walks closer. The man and the bunny with only their head, peeked inside. They see only darkness, in contrast to the current area they are in. The man and the bunny jolts in surprise as they both hear crying and screaming from somewhere deep inside. As they were about to reel back in, the priestess abruptly smacks the back of the man¡¯s head, which in turn pushes him and the bunny inside. The man gets knocked on the floor while the bunny gets knocked off from the man¡¯s shoulder but was quickly caught by the man. As the man regains his footing and holding on to the bunny, he suddenly sees a flash of light for a brief moment as it clears, he sees the priestess. The man looked at the priestess standing and holding the metal door, ¡°What was tha¨C!?¡± the man was cut off as the priestess grins, throws something at the man and waves as she shuts the metal door. Leaving now the man and the bunny inside the dark. The man and the bunny grimace but slowly their attention shifts at the ball the priestess chucked at them. The ball slowly floats up as it glows and stopping on a certain height. The bunny and the man stare dumbfoundedly at the floating bright orb, yet their attention shifts again, as they are reminded that they are not the only ones there by the eerie cries and screams heard somewhere deeper in the dark. The floating light orb then begins to move. The bunny points at it, ¡°Hey!¡± she says tugging at the man to which he nods in reply. The man then picks up the bunny as they follow the glowing orb. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. As they go on, the man and the bunny can hear the cries and screams getting louder the further they go. The man held the bunny close as she holds her ears in fear. A moment later as the sound reaches its highest volume, the orb stops and splits into smaller lights. These smaller orbs of lights then surround the origin of the cries and screams, glowing even brighter to illuminate the creature. The man and the bunny stare in horror as they see a giant amalgamation of flesh and faces strewn together by some sort of jelly like mass as it cries and wails. All over the place where varying sizes of vine like appendages connected to it, pulsating veins coursing all over them. ¡°W-what the hell is that!¡± the man exclaims holding tight a shivering bunny. The bunny steeled herself as she looks at the amalgamation. She sees its veiny appendages moving around as it wails, as she sees she again burrows her face into the man¡¯s chest. The man grimace, ¡°Uhh¡­ You think we can talk to it?¡± he asks the bunny. The bunny looks at the man while holding down her ears and vigorously shook her head, ¡°E-even if we need to¡­ I¡¯m getting nowhere near that thing!¡± The man sighs, ¡°You stay here then,¡± the bunny nodded as the man puts down the bunny. ¡°Be careful!¡± the bunny shouts as the man cautiously walks towards the amalgamation. As the man gets within 3 feet from the wailing creature, he tries to communicate with it, ¡°H-hello¡­!¡± he shouts. One of the faces of the amalgamation notices the man. As that one face looks at him, one by one the other faces quiet down and stare at him. The man flinches at the sight of varying sizes of eyes staring down at him, ¡°Oh¡­ boy¡­¡± he says as he slowly backs away. As the man takes another step back, one of the amalgamations appendages grabs him and pulls him close. The creature then continues to stare at the man, the sound of murmuring replaced their cries. The bunny looks at the scene nervously clenching her hands together, but slowly her demeanour changes as she sees that the creature seems to have become docile while holding the man up close to them. The faces showed different emotions, others showed a weak smile while some were in confusion. All were speaking at the same time; the man and the bunny couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. The man coughs nervously, the creature stops murmuring and looks at him eerily. The man smiles wryly ¡°S-so¡­ Hi¡­!¡± the man frees his right arm and waves, ¡°W-what seems to be the problem?¡± the man asks still smiling nervously as tear of sweat drops from his face. The amalgamation responds to the man by looking at him with its many faces varying looks of frustration, sadness, and longing. As slowly each one begins to wail once more, but this time some of its appendages thrashes around like a child flailing its hands. The bunny dodges some of the appendages as some almost hit her, the man sees, ¡°You okay!?¡± the man asks as the bunny dodges another appendage. The bunny replied with a jingle of her bell and a thumbs up. The man sighs in relief yet still nervous, he looks back at the amalgamation and notices its attention has shifted from him to the bunny. It then begins to wail even louder and shaking the man all over as it did. The man struggles to speak being shaken by the creature, ¡°CAALLLMM D-DOWN!¡± he pleads. The creature hears him and slowly one by one the faces all turn to him with tears in their eyes. ¡°T-thanks¡­!¡± The man says in a daze. He then shakes his head to shrug off his dizziness, in doing so he almost made himself barf. The man focuses on the creature again, ¡°it¡¯s¡­ ok¡­ we¡¯re here to help, just tell us what you need!¡± he says with a gentle voice and a pure smile. The amalgamation looks at him this time all its faces showed anger, ¡°LIAR!!¡± ¡°NO, YOU¡¯RE NOT!!¡± each one shouting the same line over and over as tears fall down from their eyes. Then it begins thrashing around once again and this time bashing the man on the ground. ¡°UNFAIR!!¡± ¡°NOT FAIR!!¡± ¡°LIAR¡± the amalgamation¡¯s faces all shout as the creature thrashes around once again. The bunny continues to dodge, as she takes a breather, she sees the man being thrashed around by the creature. ¡°STOP!!¡± the bunny shouts at the same time her bell jingles. The creature stops at the sound of the bunny¡¯s voice and her bell. It¡¯s faces then begin to look at the bunny all in disbelief as a second later, all of the faces shout in sadness as it throws the man over near where the bunny was. The man crashes hard nearby the bunny, ¡°T-that¡­ didn¡¯t go well¡­ at all¡­¡± he murmurs. The bunny sighs but a second later the bunny is then wrapped around by one of the smaller appendages. The man sees and tries to stand up, but he can¡¯t as he can only lift up his right arm towards the bunny as she was taken closer to the amalgamation just as he did, ¡°No¡­¡± he says painfully. The bunny struggles to break free and in a desperate attempt bites the appendage holding her. The creatures wail as it throws the bunny away, knocking her on the ground and making her lose the bell she was wearing on her arm. As the bell bounces and rolls nearer towards the creature, it then picks it up. All the faces of the creature in a single voice murmured, ¡°ba-¡­ by¡­¡± The bell then flashes brightly blinding everyone, as memory then returns to the man and the bunny. * * * The man and the bunny see a continuation of the recent memory they got from Joan. This time they see themselves much clearer and hear what they actually say. ¡°We¡¯ll be back! We¡¯re just gonna pick up my sister!¡± the girl says holding the gift their friend just gave to them as she walks towards a van. A head then pops out from the driver¡¯s window, ¡°Beep-beep! Let¡¯s go!¡± the man says cheekily, ¡°Don¡¯t wanna miss dinner! Or else your sister owes me one!¡± he jests. The girl and their friends at the front door smile and laugh, ¡°Alright-alright!¡± the girl says raising her hands. The two then drive down the mountain to meet up with the girl¡¯s sister who was waiting at a store down the mountain. As they drive down, they pass a sign pointing out that indicates a risk of falling rocks ahead. The man looks at the girl examining and shaking the wooden box, ¡°What do you think is inside?¡± the man asks. The girl shakes it lightly, ¡°I¡¯m guessing¡­ some sort of toy bell?¡± she says as she hears a jingling sound. The man smirks, ¡°And what makes you say that?¡± the man chuckles. The girl smiles, ¡°You already told him dummy¡­¡± she says playfully punching the man¡¯s side, and then lightly patting her belly. The man sees and holds the girl¡¯s hand with his left hand and his right hand on the wheel. A moment later nearing the base of the mountain, as they were driving by the last cliff. Suddenly a huge rock came rolling down and hit their vehicle. The last thing the man and the bunny sees is a flash as they hit the railing. * * * The bunny, the man, and the amalgamation all went silent. The creature blankly stares at the bunny. The bunny slowly breaking down, tears came gushing out of her eyes as she begins to glow brightly as she shouts in pain, ¡°NNNNNNNOOOOOOOO!!!¡± As the bunny yells and glows, the amalgamation begins to get sucked into her. The entire space then begins to shake and cracks of white light began to show up everywhere. The man sees and tries to get up and get to her but was still badly injured, that is until all the small orbs of light gather into him and heal him. The man smiles, ¡°Thanks shitty priestess¡­¡± he murmurs. As he stands up, he sees the amalgamation gone and the glowing bunny crazed and crying loudly, creating shockwaves that cover the whole area as everything begins to crumble and shake. With each shockwave creating a crack of white light. ¡°Last one¡­¡± the man mutters as he gets hit with another shockwave. Chapter 7 – A hard lesson and a Promise fulfilled The bunny continues to wail and scream, she now glows in a dark grey hue. The man struggles as he pushes himself up, as he stands, he puts up his arms to shield himself from the shockwave. Slowly, he makes his way towards the bunny, each step being harder to put down as he gets closer. Yet no matter what, he pushes on, desperately trying to get to her. Step by step, the man trudges forward and comes closer to the bunny. As he reaches the bunny within his arm¡¯s length. The man quickly hugs the bunny tight. ¡°Hey, hey! Cut it out would you, I¡¯m here, we¡¯re here together, you and I. Don¡¯t lose yourself or all of this will mean nothing¡­¡± the man tenderly says to the bunny as he holds her tight. Slowly everything calms down as the bunny calms down. The man lifts the bunny up while still embracing her, ¡°Come on¡­ we gotta be strong here, no matter how this end. We need to go on¡­¡± The bunny replied with embracing the man back tightly as she continues to cry. As the man sighs in relief, he¡¯s surprised to see the area begins to shake once again. And more cracks of white light show up. The bunny stares at the bell she wore on her arm and again glows a dark hue, as she releases a surge of energy. Thus, pushing the man back. ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ so much pain¡­ you, me and¡­¡± she again looks at the bell on the floor. The man again knocked on the ground looks at the bunny as he tries to stand. But is unable to as more constant streams of shock waves emit from the bunny as though in rhythm with her heart beat, continue to hold him down. ¡°We failed... we... I... failed... everyone... and you...¡± the bunny cowers down. ¡°I¡¯M SORRY, I¡¯M SO SORRY!¡± The bunny wails over and over again, ¡°I LOST EVERYON!¡± as strong burst emits as she says. The bunny looks at the man, ¡°what hurts most of all¡­ is¡­¡± The bunny bites her lip in frustration, ¡°I LOST YOU AND-¡± she cuts herself off unable to say what she wants to and just screams loudly in grief and sorrow. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!¡± as wails an ear-piercing shriek, she releases a shock wave enough to knock the man out. The man was unable to do anything as his vision begins to fade; he listlessly says ¡°don¡¯t...¡± As the man closes his eyes, he again immediately opened them in shock as he hears a surprising sound of someone being slapped. The man notices the whole area growing lighter, he then looks at the bunny. Now seeing her holding her cheek in shock. The man sees the culprit, ¡°Shitty¡­ Priestess¡­?¡± he says dumbfoundedly.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. The priestess glares at him, and in response to what he just said. She then kicks him in the sides, ¡°Humph! Ungrateful much!¡± The man curls up as he holds his stomach in the area where the priestess kicked him. The priestess then glares at the bunny, making the bunny shiver in fear. The priestess sighs and scratches her head, ¡°Geez¡­ why are you so whiny all the way to very end! I mean come on sis!¡± She childishly says as she stomps her feet. The bunny and the man froze and simultaneously react, ¡°eh?!¡± ¡°what?!¡± As the priestess laugh at their bewildered reactions, she picks up the bell and opens the wooden box that was given to the man by the gentle hairy creature Joan. ¡°Alrighty, time for this to come back!¡± the priestess tosses back the bell into the box. And as she does the whole area begins to fully crack and break, revealing a more illuminated space. The darkness all gone, now as if stars where dancing around. The whole area glows a calming and warm light. The priestess looks around looking very much satisfied, ¡°K, I did my part¡­¡± the priestess looks at the man and gave him a gentle smile, ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn¡± The man laughs, he stands and perks himself up, ¡°I know¡­¡± he ends with a smile back at the priestess. The bunny looked at them confused as to what is actually going on. The man and the priestess laugh as they see the bunny¡¯s confuse face. The priestess walks towards the bunny and lifts her up to hug her tightly. The bunny was still confused but was very delighted by what the priestess did. The priestess then tosses the bunny to the man, the man quickly catches the bunny of course. ¡°See ya later¡­¡± she says as she walks away and vanishes. The man and the bunny looked at each other and can¡¯t help but laugh at to how wacky and weird the whole situation looked. As the bunny stops laughing, she asks, ¡°What now?¡± The man gently smiles, ¡°Now¡­¡± he then lifts up the bunny, ¡°It¡¯s my turn¡± as he says, he kisses the bunny. The bunny then begins to glow brightly white and slowly she grows bigger, her form changing that into a woman. She stands on her feet wearing the same clothes from when she was a bunny, but in human version. The man then embraces the woman gently, ¡°Took a while¡­¡± The woman was confused, ¡°Eh?¡± she scutters about for a bit. The man looks at the woman¡¯s face and kisser her forehead. A small light emits from it. ¡°You remember that time at the park?¡± the man smirks. The woman slowly remembers everything clearly. As she did her face contorts with a wryly smile and tears flowing down her face as she hugs the man tightly, burying her face on his chest. The man laughs, ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes then!¡± the man chuckles as he cuddles with her. ¡°Hey!¡± the man prompts, ¡°I made good with my promise, didn¡¯t I?¡± the man smiles, shadowing his movements to the time where the man and the woman in front of him, were young and alone in the park that one night when she ran away. The man drops his hands to hold the woman¡¯s hands, ¡°I told you¡­¡± he smiles warmly, ¡°I¡¯ll never leave without saying goodbye¡­¡± The woman replies with a forceful hug as tears come running down her face, slightly pushing the man off balance. The man holds her tight as he caresses her head. The area around them slowly grows brighter, as the woman notices she slowly begins to float. The woman continues to hold on to the man, ¡°p-please¡­ not yet¡­ don¡¯t¡­ I-i¡­ promised¡­¡± she says tearfully. A flash of white light then echoes what she said during that night when they were young. * * * As the boy smirks saying his promise, the girl laughs, ¡°alright! If so, then I promise¡­¡± she pauses to think for a moment her hands slowly embracing the boy, ¡°to¡­ make you happy always and forever!¡± she says gleefully. The boy laughs, ¡°I won¡¯t ever doubt it¡­¡± he smiles, as the girl and the boy share a gentle kiss. * * * The man hearing this memory made him laugh, the woman on the other hand formed a weak smile as she continued to cry. ¡°As I said, I never doubted¡­¡± the man hugs the woman even closer as she continues to float up. The man moves his hands onto the woman¡¯s shoulders, ¡°You never broke that promise¡­¡± the man says as he caresses the woman¡¯s face. The woman holds the man¡¯s hand on her cheek, feeling the warmth it gave. ¡°Lucky for me¡­¡± the man moves the woman¡¯s face closer to his. ¡°so did i¡­¡± he then passionately kisses the woman. The space around them glittered in warm light. As the man and the woman share a tender embrace as they lock their lips together one last time. The man moves his head back, ¡°Now go¡­¡± he says as he gently pushes the woman upward. Yet still holding onto her hand, the man and the woman slowly separate. The woman continues to float up, till finally her hand separates from the man. The man smiles and puts on a cheeky grin as he shouts, ¡°Bye-bye!¡± As he says a blinding white light enveloped the whole area. The woman instinctively closes her eyes. === === === Slowly as the woman opens her eyes, though her sight was blurry. She sees that she lays down on a bed, medical utilities all around, a nasal oxygen mask on her face. Next to her was another woman sleeping and holding her hand. She looked at her and notices her waking up. The sleeping woman still drowsy clears her eyes a bit and looks back at her. As the sleeping woman¡¯s eyes clear, with a shocked and speechless face. Slowly tears come running down her eyes as she joyfully hugs her tight. The woman then glances around seeing more people. Two men and another woman. She notices their familiar faces, the younger man wearing a sports vest, the beautiful woman with shiny hair, and the older scruffy looking man with a fedora. The woman begins to cry as she hugs the person to what she understands was her sister.