Clover stared at the line of traps blocking her access to the blackberry bush. She didn’t want to die in one. She had seen it happen to other rabbits. But she was so hungry.
She froze at the approach of a human with a big stick. Making herself small, she prayed it wouldn’t hurt her. Instead, it poked the first trap.
SNAP!
Clover shook with fear.
Snap. Snap. Snap. One by one the stick triggered all the traps. The human picked them up and placed them in a large bag. Looking straight at Clover it spoke. If Clover had understood Human, she would have heard, “It’s okay, bunny. You can eat now.”
After the human left, Clover ate her fill of blackberries.
The next morning, the Park Ranger, returning along the same route, found another row of traps. Beyond them, the rabbit she had seen yesterday calmly munched on low-hanging berries. It didn’t run away as she approached.
Picking up the already sprung traps, she noticed snapped twigs lying next to each. She smiled at Clover, shaking her head in disbelief. “Smart Bunny,” she said, tipping her hat as she strolled off to hunt for more traps.
I often take long solo walks before starting work in the morning. I see so many interesting things. I count the number of rabbits I encounter. My record is twelve in a single walk.
I also sometimes create my own prompts, often inspired by what I’m seeing. This story came from the words blackberries, hungry, and trap. Wild blackberries grow all along my walk. The hungry little rabbits are often munching on grass or blackberries. Fortunately, I haven’t seen traps, but the thought of someone placing them where the rabbits eat popped into my mind. Based on these words, this story began to take shape as I walked.
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Cute!