“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.” - John Lennon
It was a cold night and a chilling breeze drifted through the trees outside the warren. It sounded almost like a voice calling out in the night; whispering to some unknown being in the darkness. The rabbits of Watership were all so tightly snuggled into their burrows that it could have very well been snowing outside and they wouldn't have known. For them it was peaceful, and with the news of the farm raids drifting further into history, everything had finally started to feel safe again. Back to normal.
In his Marli's burrow, Spoonwort snuggled closer to his siblings' sides. The warm fur was comforting and made him drift in to a deep deep sleep. The news of Ray's death had been somewhat unsettling to the warren though it seemed to Spoon that a lot of rabbits appeared pleased or relieved that his father had been killed. As he and his brother and sister had never really known Ray before his tragic demise, Spoon had a hard time feeling anything about it. As far back as he could remember, he had never felt father-less, but he honestly had no idea why. Something was always there, making him feel safer even when all his other senses told him something terribly dark was going to happen.
As Spoon rolled over in his sleep he thought he heard a voice in the tunnels... least it sounded like a voice. His nose twitched and his body shivered. Was the voice calling his name? "No... go back to sleep. It's nothing" he mumbled, tucking his head under his front paws.
In his Marli's burrow, Spoonwort snuggled closer to his siblings' sides. The warm fur was comforting and made him drift in to a deep deep sleep. The news of Ray's death had been somewhat unsettling to the warren though it seemed to Spoon that a lot of rabbits appeared pleased or relieved that his father had been killed. As he and his brother and sister had never really known Ray before his tragic demise, Spoon had a hard time feeling anything about it. As far back as he could remember, he had never felt father-less, but he honestly had no idea why. Something was always there, making him feel safer even when all his other senses told him something terribly dark was going to happen.
As Spoon rolled over in his sleep he thought he heard a voice in the tunnels... least it sounded like a voice. His nose twitched and his body shivered. Was the voice calling his name? "No... go back to sleep. It's nothing" he mumbled, tucking his head under his front paws.
"Spoooooonn"
The voice echoed through the tunnels of the warren. Spoon sat straight up, he knew he wasn't imagining it. "Hello? Someone there... ?"
"Spoonwort..."
"Yes, I hear you." Spoon struggled free of his brother's legs and hopped to the entrance of their quarters, "Where are you?"
"Follooow..."
The voice was fainter than before but he knew that it had to be coming from outside. Spoon followed the tunnels towards the entrance of the warren. He didn't feel afraid, though shadows danced about on the walls as if he were carrying a candle with him as he walked. In fact, as he looked down Spoon realized that his body was emitting a sort of soft glow, "Huh..." again, this didn't worry him, in fact it felt quite normal.
Reaching the entrance Spoon popped his head out into the cool air, looking both ways before allowing the rest of him to catch up, "Alright I'm here... Where... are you?", he sat straight up and sniffed the air, the scent was very familiar.
Suddenly red eyes flashed in the distance, sending a shiver down Spoon's spine. The black rabbit... he was certainly here. Something told him not to be afraid however, as the dark shadow danced amongst the flayrah and disappeared into the branches of a tree. Spoon knew he wasn't the one who had been calling, "Excuse me... voice? If I don't get back soon I'm sure my marli will be awfully worried..."
A breeze drifted past his nose, it smelt sweet as honey and carried with it what looked like a stream of silver glittering butterflies. Spoon's eyes were wide as the butterflies danced before him They twirled into a cyclone of faint sliver sparkles on the grass in front of him... before poof! they vanished. The flash of light they caused made Spoon blink several times, rubbing his paws over his face, "Now that wasn't very nice..."
As he opened his eyes, Spoon's mouth fell open in amazement. There, where the butterflies had once been was a tall striped buck, he was almost like a shadow in the night, and Spoon could see right through him as he began to sway slightly from side to side in the night breeze. Without a second thought Spoon sniffed at him, "You... I know you...".
The buck nodded slowly, "Aye" his almost completely transparent body glistened with a similar glow to Spoon's.
Spoon smiled softly at the buck, "You've been with me this whole time haven't you?"
The buck's face remained expressionless but he nodded once more, "I'll always be with ye. I never left."
"I know... I know... but, the other rabbits... they have been talking. What do I say?" Spoon looked down at his paws, sighing heavily.
"Don't say anything. Everything happens for a reason. Ah, ye wee young'in, don't be sad... Listen!" the buck's head swayed to the side, his ear's stretching out in the same direction, "Always listen to the butterflies...."
Spoon blinked, watching silently as the strange buck vanished before him, drifting away with the next breeze, "The butterflies...? What does that mean?". Without warning Spoon's body spun around and around, spinning in a circle until suddenly; he fell.
Falling, falling, falling. Falling down through the earth.
Letting out a soft squeak he sat up. He was... back in the warren?
Stinkwort was huddled beside him and Sneezewort had his paws wrapped around him. "I'm... home...wait, huh? That buck..." he shook himself. Something told him it wasn't just an ordinary dream. Something was too real about it all. "I know I'll see you again" he whispered into the dark, "I know you're still there." there was no reply except the faint rumble of thunder outside.
“I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?” - John Lennon
-This is a first draft. However I'm pleased with the result. -
