Bunny, Boy, and the Monster Hunt

Written for Inspire Me Sunday, March 2019.
Find the First Installment of ‘The Adventures of Bunny and Boy’ here.

by Darcie T. Kelly

Bunny’s usually floppy ears fly straight back, filled with the roar of wind and stampeding socked feet. He’s amazed at how one small Boy and one faded-blue, once-fuzzy Bunny can create such a racket. Bunny listens to the theme song playing in Boy’s head. Do dodaloo do dododo. Do dodaloo do dododo. Boy’s strong grip on one paw makes Bunny feel safe even as he’s exhilarated by the speed and sound of racing down the stairs, jumping the last two steps without skipping a beat, and zooming through the house. “Be careful,” Mommy calls from her bedroom. “Remember, you break it, you buy it,” but all Boy hears is the do dodaloo do dododo urging him on. Bunny can feel the waves of excitement emanating from Boy, carrying expectations of adventure.

Bunny drops to the floor in a heap just before Boy dumps his schoolbag. Papers with crayon drawings and big sloppy letter practice, some fist-sized superhero figurines and a picture book tumble out, nearly burying Bunny. The detritus of kidhood.

“Wait here.” Boy calls to Bunny as he rushes out of the room taking with him the light and warmth of unconditional love. Bunny looks at one of Boys drawings. A colourful piece featuring Boy in a cape, flying between clouds. His ever-present sidekick, Bunny himself, also caped, sitting in the crook of a crescent moon. Bunny remembers that adventure. When they flew out the window after bedtime, looking for The Man In The Moon.

In a woosh of heart warming love, Boy returns, laden with the makings of an adventure: a flashlight (to explore the deepest darkest corners), rope (well, yarn from Mommy’s knitting basket), a map (that Bunny and Boy drew last night), an extra pair of mittens (the first pair always gets wet and cold before the adventure is done), and a ziplock bag containing two sticky, goopy cinnamon buns (Mom baked them yesterday, the perfect adventure snack!).

Boy plops on the floor and starts stuffing their adventure gear into the schoolbag turned adventure bag. Bunny hears paper crinkle as Boy forces everything in at once. No worries. Who ever heard of an adventure map that wasn’t creased and worn?

With a final zip, Boy grabs the bag and Bunny before again racing through the house. At the next stop, Bunny finds himself jiggling atop the rumbling laundry dryer. Boy gathers the many bits of warm winter wear before disappearing below the horizon of the dryer. The occasional flash of a snow pant leg lets Bunny know Boy is still close. Soon two socked feet kick their way out the ends of poofy pant legs and Boy stands, pushing arms through shoulder-strap-suspenders. Reaching through coat sleeves, Boy grabs his blue toque and jams it on his head before wrapping his bright red cape around his shoulders. Bunny’s not sure what else Boy is rummaging around for until he shouts, “Mom, where’s my red mittens?”

As if by magic, Mommy appears in the doorway, an empty laundry basket on her hip. “I don’t know, sweetie, but your blue ones are right there.” She points to a pair drying at the floor vent. With something between a huff of frustration and a sigh of resolve, Boy retrieves the blue mittens and puts them on. “Have a fun adventure,” Mommy says as Boy heaves the adventure bag on his back. “Stay safe.”

Boy yells, “Don’t worry, Mommy. Bunny and I will keep you safe,” over his shoulder as he slams the door and, together with Bunny, faces the expanse of white fluffy play-stuff that the sky delivered to his backyard last night. Bunny and Boy share a look of excitement and mischief, then, together, launch into the snow, a rolling, tumbling, laughing and shouting jumble of limbs and worn-fuzz and ice and frost.

When winter-white coats their lashes, limbs, ears and paws, Bunny and Boy settle into a nest of soft snow to make their adventure plans. Boy dumps the entire contents of their adventure bag onto the snow in search of the map. At the sight of those slightly squashed cinnamon buns, Bunny starts to wonder. “Too early for our snack, Bunny. You have to wait,” Boy answers the unspoken question and stuffs the sugary goodness back in the sack. “When we find treasure, then it will be snack time.” Bunny accepts the wisdom of this, the first decision of the adventure.

On hands and knees, Boy peers at the map, tracing tracks with slightly damp mittened fingers. He hmmms and ahhhhhs and nods, making quick, silent decisions while Bunny watches in patient wonder.

“So that’s the plan,” Boy announces returning their adventure supplies to the bag. “Ready?” Boy lifts Bunny from the snow by a paw and the adventure begins.

Boy takes monster sized steps, making sure his foot comes all the way out of the soft piled snow before crunching it down again. Bunny settles into the lumbering rhythm. Lift, lift, crunch, shift. Lift, lift, crunch, shift. Swaying and swinging above the frozen ground, Bunny keeps a keen eye on the path ahead, excited to spy the treasure. Boy chatters away, a running adventure commentary. “… and over there is where the dragons sleep. And in that tree is where we found the sword of truth. And right here is where we learned I have super strength. Remember, Bunny? Remember how far I threw that ginormous rock?” Bunny does remember. He remembers every adventure he has ever shared with Boy. His heart fills with that warm sunrise of love again as he thinks back and realizes how much Boy has grown and changed. Boy is so big now.

“Look!” Boy suddenly shouts and drops to the ground, bringing Bunny close to his down-armoured chest so they can whisper together. “Monster tracks.”

Bunny sees them now. Small depressions in the snow, creating a weaving, twisting line as far as he can see. Monster tracks for sure. Bunny and Boy consider for a moment. Which way should they go? Do they want to follow the monster, or find out where he came from? And once they decide that, which way is which? There are no toes on monster tracks to point front from back. “Let’s go this way,” Boy decides. Bunny accepts the wisdom of this decision.

It is too dangerous to continue walking. Boy is so tall now that the monster might see them. So, to continue the adventure they need to crawl. That way, they can duck into the snow and hide under the protection of Boy’s red cape if danger arises. Boy digs through the adventure bag, retrieves the rope, and with complicated loops and pulls, ties Bunny to his chest. This way, Bunny can keep a close eye on the tracks and Boy has two hands free for crawling.

As they move forward again, Boy’s hands and knees sink deep into the snow. Sometime, Bunny’s nose tickles the white surface, sometimes he face-plants deep within it, and sometimes even Boy is buried in the cold wetness of a deep mound. Bunny doesn’t mind. He is happy with the closeness of Boy and the excitement they share for the adventure.

Soon, they both start to wonder what kind of Monster they will find. Maybe an ogre who eats little boys for lunch. Maybe a magical enchantress who will grant them three wishes. Maybe a giant three headed dog who plays fetch with three balls at once! But then Bunny starts to worry. What if it’s a giant spider? Maybe it’s the king of a colony of spiders. And they have a giant web, white against the snow so Bunny and Boy don’t see it until it’s too late. And, and they’re trapped. Stuck! And, and they’ll never escape!! And …

“Look!” Boy points a little ahead and Bunny strains to see through his fear and the snow coating his face. “Treasure!”

Abandoning all caution now that the final goal is in sight, Boy scrambles through the snow, sending clumps in all directions as he goes. A solo snowball fight. As they crouch beside the treasure, Bunny wonders what the small pile of dark brown balls could be. They’re too small for marbles. Maybe chocolates? Boy picks one up, testing its squishiness (hard as rock) and smell (like dirty road snow). Bunny catches him just in time to stop the taste test. Much better to eat the yummy cinnamon bun snack now that they found the treasure. “Good idea, Bunny,” Boy agrees with the wisdom of this suggestion. “We’ll take the treasure home to show Mommy and Daddy.”

Boy unties the rope, freeing Bunny and gently brushes and taps the snow to create a comfy sitting spot for his formerly-fuzzy friend. He then rummages through the adventure pack for the adventure snack. Boy finds it hard to open the ziplock bag without fingers, and besides, the blue mittens are soaked through and getting cold. Bunny pays special attention to where the mittens land as they are peeled off and launched aside without care. Mommy will be upset if they lose another pair, so Bunny likes to keep track.

Soon, Boy places a whole cinnamon bun, almost as big as Bunny, on the snow in front of his stuffed best friend. He tears pieces off and even feeds some to Bunny, smearing a sticky mound of crystallized sweetness across a thread lined mouth, before retrieving his own gooey snack.

Bunny and Boy enjoy he treat in amiable silence, savouring every bite and each other’s silent company. Bunny’s mind starts to wander. He looks up at the clear sky, only a couple of floating fluff balls marring the sheet of blue. The clouds shine bright white in the sun. Boy looks up too, lays back in the snow, and together they start pulling shapes out of the clouds. Boy sees a shark swimming in the ocean sky, making wide swooshes with his tail. Bunny sees a penguin, waddling along, looking for his friends. Boy wiggles a little, like a penguin whose fallen and can’t get up. Bunny and Boy giggle gently.

Suddenly, something catches the corner of Bunny’s eye. The monster took the opportunity, while Bunny and Boy weren’t paying attention, to sneak close. It’s nibbling on Bunny’s adventure snack! Bunny is paralyzed with fear, The giant spider!, so Boy takes charge. He rolls over, slowly, careful to not draw the monster’s attention, not even looking at it. Monsters, like Santa, know when you look at them. Everyone knows that. Boy reaches for the edge of his cape, prepared to wrap himself and Bunny in its red protection, to save them both from imminent death, when he accidentally looks at the monster.

There, nibbling on cinnamon bun while Bunny lies motionless on his back, is a Real Outside Rabbit! Not a monster at all! Not a giant spider or a three headed dog, but a Real Outside Rabbit! Boy whoops in pleasure and the rabbit darts away. Boy covers his mouth with both hands, remembering how Daddy taught him and Bunny that Real Outside Rabbits are timid (that means nervous and scared). That you need to stay quiet and still to not frighten (that means scared too) a Real Outside Rabbit. That Real Outside Rabbits don’t like to be around people. That it is rare (that means not very often) to see Real Outside Rabbits. That Real Outside Rabbits were not like Bunny at all.

Boy picks Bunny up and sets him in his lap. He takes what is left of the cinnamon bun, breaks it into small pieces and spreads them around. Finally, Boy unties his cape and places it over his head like a hood, to hide the friends from view. Ready now, Bunny and Boy stay quiet and still, waiting for Real Outside Rabbit to come back.

Bunny and Boy wait so long that Boy starts to get cold. He wishes he took his spare mittens out of the adventure bag before they hid under the cape. He has an idea. “Bunny,” Boy starts, “Real Outside Rabbit wouldn’t be … um,” Boy searches for the word, “um … teddy? Toppy? Timmy?” That’s the one. “Real Outside Rabbit wouldn’t be timmy around you. Rabbits and bunnies are the same, right?” Bunny agrees with the wisdom of this thought.

Careful to keep himself hidden under the cape, Boy helps Bunny hop to the adventure bag. Happy to find it unzipped, Bunny lets Boy push him into the dark, damp cave of the adventure bag and the hunt begins. Using the flashlight to light the darkness, Bunny finds one red mitten (no wonder Boy couldn’t find them and had to wear the blue ones) then two but he can’t carry them out of the bag alone. Boy understand the dilemma and carefully shifts so he can use both hands to help while staying hidden.

Finally, mittens and Bunny are freed from the adventure bag and Boy slides icy fingers into fuzzy red warmth. Repositioned, Boy and Bunny return their gaze to the pieces of …. They’re all gone!

Where delicious gooey adventure snack bits used to lay in wait, there is nothing but a flurry of tracks. Not monster tracks, but rabbit tracks. It was rabbit tracks all along!

A little sad that they didn’t get to watch Real Outside Rabbit enjoy the cinnamon bun but happy that they got to share a snack with a new friend, Bunny and Boy prepare to head home. Boy carefully collects each of the small brown marbles and places them in the newly empty, though still sticky, ziplock, sealing it carefully so as not to lose the treasure during the return journey. The map, pulled out to confirm the way home, is now too wet to read and droops in soggy pieces under Boy’s touch. Boy squishes and mashes and mushes the map until it resembles a dripping snowball and throws it at a nearby tree. With a splat, the wet paper molds to the bark and sticks. “Cool.”

Before they go, Bunny catches sight of two sodden blue mittens lying limply in the snow. After a gentle reminder, Boy retrieves them before hoisting the adventure bag onto his back and grabbing Bunny by the paw with a dry red mitten.

Bunny bops along, floating for a moment before falling fast, dripping melted snow from tips of ears and paws, then popping up again, following the bounce of his best friend’s jostling jaunt. Bunny is very proud of Boy as he listens to the new theme song playing in Boy’s head. One of triumph. Of a returning hero. Daaa, dadada, daaa, dadada.

When they reach it, the door explodes open, inviting Bunny and Boy with a gust of warm air and the smell of hot cocoa. A celebratory dance ensues. Hand in hand, Bunny and Boy shimmy and shake, bounce and bop, spraying slushy snow drops all over the laundry room. Adventure sack, mittens, toque, jacket, boots and snow pants are discarded, blanketing the floor in a sodden mess. Boy digs deep in the adventure bag to collect their treasure before racing to the kitchen.

Bunny sits on the counter and listens as Boy conveys the details of their adventure to Mommy between sips of chocolaty warmth. Bunny loves his family more and more every time Mommy adds “Really?!” and “Wow!” in just the right places.

When Boy shows Mommy the treasure, her excited-face (‘what an exciting adventure’) turns into her wonders-face (‘I wonder how you get so wet when it’s minus ten degrees’), turns into her oh-no-face (‘oh-no, what have you gotten into now)’. Bunny watches on as Boy freezes part way through opening the ziplock and his excited-face becomes a wonder-face (‘I wonder why Mommy has her oh-no-face’).

“Let’s save this treasure until Daddy comes home.” Mommy takes the treasure bag and carries it to the sliding door. “You two can examine it and have a science talk when he comes home from work.” Mommy leaves the treasure bag outside and slides the door closed.

“I’ve never seen brown marbles before, Mommy.” Boy confides. “Who do you think left that special treasure?”

Mommy washes her hands at the sink and notices the dirty puddle forming under Bunny. “I think your new rabbit friend left that treasure.”

Bunny and Boy share a look of astonishment. Now that they know Real Outside Rabbit left them the treasure, they are even more happy they shared their snack with him! With their last slurp of cocoa, Bunny and Boy wonder if Real Outside Rabbit will leave more treasures for them to find.