BEASTARS - Night of the Lepus

The Three Bears

   9:52 PM, FRIDAY......

   Ken the polar bear and his wife Mako were sitting on the sofa in front of their TV. Between them, dozing off was their 6-year-old daughter Miyo. The family had been watching a comedy movie about an elephant who gets mistaken for his criminal doppelganger. Miyo was allowed to watch with them, since she had no school the next day.

   The family lived on the first floor of a two-floor apartment complex in downtown Zebuth. The beach was about a ten-minute walk from them down a dirt path. It was a suburban area where mostly middle-class folks lived. It sat a good ways away from the busier parts of the city, where the nightlife thrived with packed bars, live music, karaoke, and sports. 

   The bears' neighbors next door were a red panda family of three. The parents were out of town for the week, from what they remembered. Their son had just graduated from Cherryton Academy with a degree in drama. 

   The movie on the TV was about three-quarters finished and the three bears were getting tired. Mako excused herself to use the restroom. "Keep watching. I'll be back." she said. Ken nodded and continued watching. He looked down to see Miyo had her eyes closed. He smiled. His little angel was fast asleep.

   Ken paused the movie. Right as he scooped his daughter into his arms, he heard the faint rumbling of an engine. It got louder and louder until it seemed to stop right outside their apartment. Suddenly a loud hiss exhaled, seconds before the engine turned off. Ken realized it was a semi-truck. It was weird for this time of night.He knew it wasn't the trash truck, since they came yesterday. He shrugged it off to being an oversized load, waiting for escort. Ken took his Miyo to her room. He tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead gently.

   He made it back into the living room and froze. The front door was wide open and a breeze could be felt from where he was standing. "Mako?" he called out. Slowly, he approached the door. There was a wall to his left, which separated the living room from the kitchen and bathroom. "Mako? Are you there?" Ken called out. No answer. Now, he was getting concerned. He looked behind him and arount the living room. He saw no one. Maybe Mako couldn't hear him.

   Very carefully, he turned the corner into the kitchen. His whole entire world collapsed in an instant and fear overcame him. He covered over his mouth. On the floor was Mako's lifeless body. Her eyes were wide open and her neck was visibly snapped. Ken ran up to his wife. "MAKO!" he cried, shaking her vigorously. "MAKO, PLEASE!!" he yelled. He began crying profusely, hugging the corpse of his dead wife. after about 20 seconds, Ken heard the bloodcurdling scream of his daughter from her room. He stood up and ran quickly. He had to get them the hell out of there!

   "Miyo!!" he screamed. He burst into her room. He was bewildered.

   Beside Miyo's bed, strangling the bear cub mercilessly with a vice grip, was a pure white rabbit wearing a grey suit, white shirt, gloves and black tie. He stared right at Ken with an emotionless expression. Miyo thrashed her arms and legs furiously, trying to get loose. It wasn't any use though. The rabbit had his gloved hand firmly clenched on her trachea. Ken tried to lunge forward to grab the rabbit, but he immediately felt a sharp searing pain in his foot that sent him falling the the ground. He turned to see another perfectly identical rabbit, holding a chef's knife. Ken realized that his Achilles tendon was severed. 

   "DADDY!!!" Miyo screamed. He looked up in horror at the first rabbit, who grabbed Miyo's head and twisted it from her body with ease. Ken screamed in absolute horror, as the rabbit dropped his daughter's head in front of him. Her eye twitched as it hit the carpet floor. Ken began sobbing. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!!??" he shouted. The first rabbit knelt down to him, his expression still blank. "We are simply eliminating the problems of society. You and your family are part of that problem." the rabbit said blandly.