Ah, spring time, one of my favourite times of the year. Animals were finally out and about, flowers were all in full bloom and the air was naturally scented by the fresh and clean smell of Mother Nature's creation. Her masterpiece signaled the beginning of a new day. The occasion was a chance for everyone to get a new start, a new beginning.
The special day was filled with the aura of a new hope. Easter was finally here.
I sat in my usual spot, a shady spot in the Oak tree I had taken care of for centuries. I remembered trying my best to help the refugees and victims of the war, by trying to brighten up their day with a new life. I did it to fuel them with the determination to keep going, to remind them about their families back home and the bigger families they could have if they just kept going. I reminded them to keep going strong, that there were unborn lives counting on them.
A new life, that to me, symbolized a chance for them to win the war and replenish the land with new lives of their own. A new life symbolized hope. Each life given meant that life was being given to that single being or organism, that there was still hope for us to live on.
I knew it was The Easter Bunny's job to spread hope and faith to the world, but there was only so much he could do. I'd only just started a small spark, each attempt burning out without the attention needed to keep in going and growing. But Bunny was the one who set the wildfire going.
Over the years, having no one to talk to, no one to turn to but me, my pen and paper, I've had more than enough time to think. I've always been the curious one, I tend to over-think things. I've been wondering about my memories for centuries. Even with fragments off them coming to me one by one, it was still hard to piece everything together. I could go over to the Tooth Palace, ask for my memories. But I didn't know if that was allowed, for a non-Guardian like myself. Even if it was allowed, I still wouldn't go. I was as anti-social as a rock, for your information. And I never got attention, anyways. I always hid away from other spirits, and children couldn't see me.
But that was a minute ago.
Before I even had a chance to react, a small child started screaming her head off at the top of her lungs. She was shouting for 'Bunny', also known as E. Aster Bunnymund, The Easter Bunny. At least that was who I thought she meant.
I quickly hid away, as other spirits could still see me. Her older brother, Jamie ran out of the house and called after her. "Is Bunny here yet, Soph?" He swept his eyes across his backyard, eager to catch a glimpse of the Easter Bunny. Because where there's Bunnymund, there would always be a Jack Frost near by.
"Where's Bunny, Sophie?" he asked, running up the his sister, Sophie, who was jumping up and down in excitement. I looked down, amused at their excitement for the arrival of the Easter Bunny. It was times like this I wished that kids would get excited over me.
Who knew my wish would come true the next moment.
They could've given me some kind of warning. Because then I'd be prepared with a suitable response. But life works in ways that were mostly unfair.
Sophie nodded her head vigorously, a huge grin stretched across her childish face. I looked around, expecting the Easter Bunny to appear in his tall, furry figure, a basket of beautifully painted eggs in one paw. She grabbed her brother's hand and dragged him along with her. I looked around again, but no sight of Bunny. Weird. So what was Sophie getting so worked up over?
"Bunny!! Bunny!" I heard her squeal. I looked down at her, only to see her pointing at...me?
My eyes widened to the size of saucers, I nearly fell out of the tree in shock. No. This has to be a mistake. It couldn't be.
A child could see me.
A child could see me.
Me.
I.....This has never happened to me before. I barely even remember the last time someone saw me.
What have I ever done to have this little girl see me? What have I done to make this child believe in me? I was rather puzzled and alarmed at the same time. Children had no idea I existed. In the centuries I've been here, no child has ever seen me, let alone believed in me. So why was this child different?
Why was Sophie Bennett different?
Was it...
Could it be that she figured it all out?
Jamie, confused, looked up in the direction his little sister was pointing at. But he saw nothing. His eyes went right through me, looking past me, his eyes cutting through me like a knife. Nothing was there, in his eyes.
Sophie slipped away from her brother's grasp and ran over to the base of the tree. She was jumping up and down on her tiny little toes, looking up at me and into my hazel eyes.
"Bunny!"
I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to react. Don't get me wrong, I love children, but I haven't been around them for so long, I've forgotten how to act around them. I forgot how to treat them. I forgot how to interact with them. And most importantly, I've forgotten how to make them happy without the help of my stories. So I just stayed there, paralyzed, like a deer caught in headlights.
I didn't know what to do.
A child. This little girl was my first believer in years. I've had a single child believe in me before, but he was the only one. He passed away centuries ago. But here it was, my first believer all over again.
Any newbie would've rushed over in two thumps of a rabbit's foot. But I slowly got to the ground, cautiously, and eyeing the child warily. Sophie took a few steps back, still bouncing on the heels of her bare feet.
I crouched down to her height and slowly extended a paw out to her. She placed her small hands in my paws, which seemed huge in contrast to her tiny ones. She was grinning up at me, her beautiful green eyes meeting mine. It was like a moment of bonding.
She then said "Bunny," in that cute voice of hers, giggling when the tuffs of fur on my ears tickled her face as I lowered them. She let go of my paw and grabbed onto my ear. "Careful there, kiddo. They're attached to me," I chuckled. When I spoke, I could hear the cracks in my voice, as I had not spoken in such a long time. The only ones I've ever spoken to are my little Bleems, the small, multi-coloured bookworms that help deliver my stories. This was a change.
A damn good one.
Nearly forgetting about Jamie, I looked over at him, where he was standing there, a perplexed look on his face. "Sophie, who is it?" "Bunny!" his sister replied, her eyes shinning with a small spark of excitement in them. "Can you describe it?" he asked, determined to see me.
"Bunny! She's a white bunny!!" she clapped, nodding her head which caused her blonde hair to fly all over the place. He looked in my direction again, but he still couldn't see me. "What else can you tell me about her, Soph?"
She looked at me and said the two words I've always been happy to hear.
"Story time!"
But it was all short lived. Jamie was still trying to figure out his sister's words when I suddenly felt a slight change in the temperature and environment. My ears stood erect, my fur was standing pin-straight and my heart nearly missed a beat.
Jack Frost was near.
And it was Easter. So Bunny was sure to visit his favourite kid soon.
Quickly creating one of my tunnels, I let go of Sophie and jumped in, closing it behind me and keeping them from following me.
Once again, I felt like I've let a child down by running away again.
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