💗It’s Day 11 of the #TopsyTurvyRelationships writing challenge over on Instagram! Yesterday two characters swapped bodies. Today Rabbit seeks guidance from someone he respects. Here we go!
🔔 Chime
Still unnerved by the body swap with Lucie, Rabbit winced when he heard the bell. “Rabbits don’t door travel,” he gritted through his teeth. He stood, swaying as he put his hand on the front of his hip. Today he hurt. Swearing, he grabbed his cane and opened the nearest door.
The warm kitchen greeting him was a relief. The Tortoise looked up from his supper.
“Young Rabbit,” he began, motioning toward the stove. “I’ve been expecting you.”
Rabbit noted the bowl and spoon sitting by a pot of vegetable soup. The Tortoise often knew things before they happened. The elderly Rabbit was the embodiment of all Rabbit knowledge.
He helped himself to a ladleful and moved slowly to the table. He leaned his cane against the wall, then lowered himself onto the wooden chair.
“How are you healing?” The Tortoise studied him.
“About as well as can be expected.” Rabbit stirred his soup.
“And the other issue?” The Tortoise reached down to pet the old tabby cat who left his bed to investigate the visitor.
“Managing it.” Rabbit lifted his spoon.
“I have a tonic you can take. It will help you rest at night. If you’re anxious, your remission won’t last.”
Rabbit nodded, focusing on his soup.
“How’s the witch?” The Tortoise asked.
“Lucie?” Rabbit lifted his head. “She’s great. She’s…perfect.”
The Tortoise chuckled. “I see.”
Rabbit shifted, trying to find a comfortable position on the hard chair. “What do you see?”
“What you do not say.”
“She’s facing a big battle with the Congress of Empire Witches. But she has us. We’ll be there for her…” Rabbit’s voice trailed off.
“You and the Salesman.”
“Templeton can do things for her that I can’t.”
The two men sat quietly eating. Finally, the Tortoise spoke. “Have you told her how you feel?”
Rabbit closed his eyes, shaking his head.
“Well, young Rabbit, I can only tell you what I know, not what to do.” The old man wiped a napkin over his bearded chin. “Even a Rabbit’s life can be cut short. My advice is not to leave things unsaid. Regret will cause you more pain than your injuries.”
The Tortoise stood. “Now, how about some boiled coffee?”
—
💗 This writing challenge runs from February 15 – 28! Stay tuned as tomorrow the next prompt is: Health of a parent / parental figure is failing. (That post is now available – click here!)
Readers – Not on Instagram?
That’s okay! I’ll be sharing my Instagram posts daily here on my blog site AND daily on Facebook at Writer Tracy Brown so you can read them there, too. Make sure you check for a new story every day from February 15 through February 28!
What’s This Mean for Door to Door & Bellerose Witchline Characters?
I’ll be dropping Emily Swift, Lucie Bellerose, Templeton, Rabbit, Tara, Sebastian, and the rest of the crazy crew into a story matching the relationship-themed “prompt of the day” from the challenge.
If you ARE on Instagram, make sure you’re following me at https://www.instagram.com/WriterTracyBrown/ to see the posts there! But again, as long as you check out my blog list or my Writer Tracy Brown page every day, you can read all the short stories without Instagram. 🙂
Leave a Reply