Cherry Blossoms of April

Snowflakes drifted from the sky like the pure white petals of a cherry tree, covering the ground with a soft white blanket. The thin forest was covered in the substance, making it shimmer and gleam against the harsh tones of tree bark and evergreen needles.

A small rabbit hopped from her snow rimmed burrow and hopped a few steps, then stopped. Ears pricked up just before she set off in a flurry. Surging over fallen logs and through thorn brushes, another white shape surging behind it; gaining speed by the minute. The fox pounced and together he and the rabbit rolled into a forest pathway, sending squeals and growls echoing through the forest.

“No!” a high-pitched voice screeched, running onto the scene. A short, human girl raced to the poor little rabbit. The fox snarled and ran off into the forest, empty handed.

“Oh, you poor thing!” cried the girl, gently caressing the little animal’s head with her pale skin. She took a handful of clean snow and pressed it against a large wound on her flank. It gave a sharp squeal and then relaxed at the soothing sensation.

The young girl had short, curly green hair and large olive green eyes surrounded by a storm of freckles. She wore a tattered jacket over her faded cotton dress, her boots were short and older-looking and long socks had more than a few holes; but she was pretty. She was very short, and with her pretty, round face she was often mistaken for someone much younger.

She took off her jacket and placed the wounded rabbit in it, carrying it softly like a mother carrying a child. Together they walked off into the forest, the girl cooing softly to her, “You’re a pretty little white rabbit, aren’t you? I think I’m going to call you Snow.” She smiled and stroked Snow’s head again, “Hello, Snow. I’m Olivia.”

Olivia walked home; she was shivering by the time she reached it. The snow had stopped and the light was leaving the sky to turn a dusky grey, the sun departing from the horizon it once lit. She thought the west horizon must be sad, because it never got to say hello to the sun; only goodbye. She decided one day she would say hello to west, in some way, so it didn’t feel left out.

Olivia lived on an old house at the edge of the small forest in her city, it was old and lacked proper heating and cooling systems; but she had lived there with her father for as long as she could remember.

They olive eyed girl brought the little bunny into a small shed in the back, and placed it on the table inside. The whole shed was filled with little animals, like chipmunks and badgers and such. They were all bandaged up and asleep. There were also healthy animals like her kitties, Bella, Juliette and Bonnie as well as her pet bird; Phoenix.

Olivia bandaged up the wound nicely before letting the rabbit fall asleep. By that time the white world had descended into night and she was walking into the house. Unfortunately before she could get there, the door slammed open and a tall, stinking man fumbled out. “Come here…” he growled, narrowing his dull eyes as he spoke in a long slur.

Olivia gave a whimper, rubbing her arms as she slowly backed away, “No, Dad, I don’t want to.”

The man became angry and began to advance on her, “I said come here!” he yelled.

Olivia screamed, “No! Not again, please not again!” she backed away into the forest and slipped on some slippery snow. She fell on her back and felt a weight try and pin her down.

“That’s a good little girl.” He snarled in her ear, his break sticking of booze and halitosis. The sting of his beard against her skin and his violet touch sent floodgates of tears down her face. She trashed and kicked until she pulled herself free and ran for the forest. Her white dress was tattered and ripped as she shred through the forest like a little white bullet. She ran, over fallen logs, through thorn bushes while behind her the beast known as her father tore after her, shouting out curses and threats of pain and death.

Olivia tripped over a hidden root growing in the ground and landed face first into the snow. Her father grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the base of a dead tree, ignoring her screams. He slammed her into the snow and leaned over her, yelling into her face and began to fulfill his threats.

Olivia began to black out, her eyes rolling into her head, but when she finally came to she was freezing cold in the snow. Her dad was still on top of her screaming threats and shaking her. She cried for help but he punched her in the face, again and again.

The snow ran deep with red that night.

Jeremy was going for a run, and this was no unusual thing for him. He was in the cross-country team at school but it was out during the winter. He knew he had to stay in prime physical condition so every day after school he would go for a jog in the woods close to his neighborhood. There were nice paths and good scenery to compliment it. The last of the snows were beginning to fade, as it was early April and summer would be here soon.

He was jogging when this fluffy rabbit blocked his way in the pathway, startling him. He switched off his iPod and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. This was strange for him. The little bunny looked at him, as if it was looking into his soul, then hopped away onto an old, overgrown pathway leading further into the woods.

“Hey! Come back here little guy!” called Jeremy, chuckling as he followed it through the brush. The bunny hopped slowly, leading the boy onward.

Only a little while later, the bunny disappeared into a brush of newly grown ferns and Jeremy followed, tripping over a hidden root and falling face first into the ground. He groaned and wiped his face, looking up to see a magnificent, thriving cherry tree teeming with little white blossoms. He looked up in wonder, but strangely he saw two little olives in there. Wait, those weren’t olives they were… eyes.

“Who are you?” Jeremy asked, gazing at the beautiful girl.

“Y-you can see me?” the girl asked.

“Of course I can see you; your white dress can’t hide something so beautiful behind these blossoms.” He joked.

The girl blinked and then crawled onto a lower hanging branch of the tree with movements resembling a squirrel. “Who are you?”

“I asked you first.” He countered.

“I… I’m Olivia.”