Lucky and Me

Katie‘s rabbit could talk.

This fact was remarkable for very many reasons—one of which was her rabbit was not very unusual looking compared to most rabbits of its kind, being very soft and cuddly—but she was insistent to any who asked. The rabbit spoke to her.

Perhaps one could put this up to a five-year-old’s imagination, or perhaps she knew what others did not.

Regardless of this fact, Katie’s mother said over dinner (her favorite chicken nuggets, yum!) that Katie would have to face her most dreaded nightmare—sleeping without her nightlight.

“You’re mother and I think it’ll be good for you, sweetie,” Dad told her, and patted her head gently.

“You’ll be like a big girl, and if it’s too much we’ll still be down the hall,” Mom assured, smiling. “Just like your binky!”

Katie frowned because that sounded very much like a challenge (and she chose to ignore that it had taken her quite a while to get her to stop needing her pacifier). “‘m not scared,” she grumbled and stuffed another nugget into her mouth.

And that was the end of that. At least, until bedtime.

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Katie watched her father remove the light shaped like a seashell from the outlet. “Careful Daddy, it zaps you! Zap! Zap!”

He laughed as he took it to the countertop she couldn’t climb on. “Don’t worry about me, Katie! I am the safest man in the world,” he promised, then promptly tripped over a stray toy.

Katie giggled, then put on her sternest face, turned to the toy, and said, “Mr. Spots!” (It was a stuffed dalmatian.) “This behavior is completely unacceptable!”

Her mother put a hand on her stomach (Katie thought her mother must have a bad tummy-ache, she seemed to do that a lot now) and asked Dad, “You OK? Katie, you can’t just leave toys lying around, sweets.”

“I didn’t leave Mr. Spots there!” Katie said with a pout. “I haven’t seen him in forever!”

This actually was true—she and Mr. Spots had been playing Secret Agents, and she’d asked Dad to send him somewhere secret to do his mission. She didn’t know Mr. Spots had gotten back!

“Well Katie-kins, it’s your dog so it’s your responsibility.” Katie frowned. She hated that word! Mom and Dad always talked about “being responsible” now. No toys on the floor, no screeching and being loud at night, washing her hands when she left the bathroom.

“I don’t want to be responsible!”

“Then Mr. Spots will go into Binny,” Mom warned.

Katie gasped. Binny was NOT a threat she wanted to hear.

She’d already lost two toys to Binny before that. One was a cute fairy doll whose wing had broken after a nasty tumble. They couldn’t fix her, so to Binny she’d gone. Katie couldn’t miss her too much because she’d only lived with them a couple of days. The other one, though, was a bear named Goldie, who stayed with her all the time during storms. Goldie was her guard against rainstorms, but he’d wanted to take a bath in the washing machine one day, and Mom and Dad couldn’t keep him after that. Even now she missed Goldie.

Katie didn’t want to lose anyone else to Binny.

“OK Mr. Spots, time to go time out.” She picked the dalmatian up and gently carried him to the toy box. “A night in here should sort you out!” She felt a little bad he had to sit in here tonight, because it wasn’t his fault he was in trouble, it was hers.

“Sorry kiddo,” Dad whispered as he picked her up after she shut the lid. “Why don’t you sleep with the Lucky Rabbit tonight?”

That perked her up instantly because of course! She had Lucky, the luckiest talking rabbit in the world!

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Lucky was named Lucky because once, Katie almost lost him. She’d been on a picnic with Mommy and Daddy at the park and they’d been in such a rush to leave because of rain that she’d dropped him.

He wasn’t named Lucky then, just Bunny. He’d come with them because he told Katie he wanted to see grass and trees and clouds, and she’d been so upset to notice him missing she’d burst into tears immediately. Dad had run back to look for him while Mom put her in the car and Mom had told her in the nicest way she could that Dad might not be able to find Bunny.

“Bunnies live outside Katie, so he might want to live out here now,” Mommy said, softly and kindly as she could.

Katie had been so upset she could barely talk. “Want Bunny!” she insisted (she couldn’t be older than two then, and consequently couldn’t say many words).

But Daddy had come through because when he got back to the car he was holding a dirty, sort of wet stuffed rabbit and Katie couldn’t have been happier. “I think this little guy should be renamed Lucky,” he said as he patted his wife’s arm, then ruffled his daughter’s hair. They would worry about cleaning the rabbit later when their daughter was calm again.

“Don’t worry,” Lucky whispered to Katie as she cuddled him. “I won’t leave you, ever.”

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Now though, Lucky was a little different.

They made sure her teeth were brushed and her pajamas were on, and read her a story. Then Mom tucked Katie in and Dad kissed her forehead and they left their daughter to get some sleep, making sure Lucky was tucked in with her.

“They shouldn’t have taken your nightlight,” the rabbit whispered traitorously, button eyes seeming narrow.

Katie jutted her lip out in frustration. “I need to be a big girl, Lucky,” she mumbled. She was already feeling tired and thought she might drift off right then.

“But why?” Lucky asked. “Why do you need to be a big girl so bad? It’s because they want to replace you!”

“No, they don’t. They only have one Katie like I only have one Lucky.”

“But that’s why Mom rubs her tummy! They want to have another baby, to replace you. They need you to be a big girl so they can give the new baby your room,” Lucky said frantically, certain his charge was doomed.

Katie considered this for a second and thought about the kids at Mrs. Walsh’s house. One of the other girls, Minnie, said she had a new little brother and that he was tiny, loud, and made her mom and dad look after him more than her. She complained they never had time for her now, and Katie wondered if that could happen to her.

“Well, even if they try I won’t let them.” She would make sure they couldn’t replace her.

“You are letting them! You’re being a silly little girl!” Lucky accused her.

Katie glared at him. “Why are you being so rude? I love Mom and Dad, and they love me. They aren’t getting rid of me. Apologize for being mean.”

“No,” Lucky said. “You should have a nightlight. You’re going to get scared, and I won’t comfort you. That’s what being a big girl is. I don’t want to be with you if you’re a big girl.”

“Then fine! Maybe I don’t want you either. And you’re going to the corner,” Katie said, now furious. 

The corner was kind of like time out, except Katie really, really didn’t like the corner.

It was lonely, the floor was hard, and the wall was boring. She didn’t really want to put Lucky there, but she had no choice. He’d been naughty and was going to get his punishment.

She set the rabbit down gently in the corner, then hurried back to bed and curled up alone under the blanket. Why had Lucky been so mean? He’d hurt her feelings, and friends didn’t do that…

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Katie woke up to loud thumping. A tall, gray rabbit with round black eyes bounced past her hurriedly. It was Lucky, and he was hurrying to somewhere!

“Lucky!” she called after him, “Come back!” Katie chased after the rabbit and realized she was now wearing a blue skirt that swished around her knees. It reminded her of a movie Mom and Dad had tried to show her once, but she couldn’t really remember it that well.

The rabbit ignored her, but she chased after him for what felt like forever. They ran through forests of trees and books, then alongside rivers and picnic baskets, and then past really tall houses that seemed to touch the sky with flags sticking out of them. Katie tried calling after him (“Please Lucky! I’ll say sorry, just come back! Please!”) but he ignored her.

Finally, she was right next to him, and she tackled him. “Lucky, stop!” she shouted.

The rabbit was not happy. “You! Bad human!” he screamed as he started shrinking down while she held him. “I can’t be tiny, I’m very late! The Queen will have my head for this!”

“Why does she want your head?” Katie asked in confusion, but the rabbit didn’t get to answer.

“You!” a new voice yelled, and Katie instantly felt better.

Katie turned around and saw a lady with a crown on her head wearing a big red and gold gown. She had hearts all over her clothes and crown and was wearing a red cape too. Next to her was a knight in full silver armor, but his faceplate was up so he could look at her clearly.

“Mom! Dad!” Katie said in delight clutching Lucky tightly.

But the Queen and Knight did not look happy.

“You’re under arrest!” Dad said looking angry, and he held up a spear in her direction.

“I do not have a daughter,” Mom declared. “An impostor! Off with her head!”

Katie was shocked at these declarations and did what is often expected of children in situations like this: she started crying.

“Your highness!” Lucky said. “I can explain everything! This girl is very confused, but she’s with me! No need to cut her head off.”

“Hm! You’re supposed to be at court, we’ve been looking for you,” the Queen said, glaring in his direction. The rabbit cringed as she looked at him.

“Well, they can keep their heads,” the Queen decided. Lucky sighed and Katie wiped her eyes, but before anyone else could say anything, she told the Knight, “But lock them up.”

“Of course, ma’am!” the Knight said enthusiastically, then leveled the spear at Katie and Lucky. “Prisoners, come along!”

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As the Knight marched them to one of the small buildings surrounded by tall ones, all Katie could do was hold onto Lucky and try not to cry. She had to be a big girl… but it was tough. And Lucky wasn’t helping, seeming to ignore her when she tried to cuddle him.

“You two will wait in time out,” the Knight said, and Lucky gasped in horror.

Katie drooped like a flower without water. Time out sounded awful.

Awful it was. There were a few other animals already in there, but it looked cold and lonely anyway, with one window that had bars in it. She wondered if Mr. Spots felt this way when she put him in time out.

“I will fetch you when the Queen of Hearts says it is time for your trial,” the Knight said coolly, then turned and left them there.

“Are you OK, little girl?” a dog asked her after a moment. He was white with black spots all over, and he wore a black top hat.

“I’m not little!” Katie retorted, stomping her foot for good measure. “I’m a big girl!”

The dog bowed his head and said, “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Well… if it was an accident it’s alright,” Katie said. Mom told her being a big girl also meant being forgiving, even when it was hard to be. The dog smiled at her, and she grinned back.

“I’m Mr. Spots,” he said, “and I’m a spy. We’re going to break out of here if you want to come with us.” The handful of animals with them beckoned Katie and Lucky forward.

“You aren’t a big girl, Katie,” Lucky whispered. “You won’t make it very far. You’ll be caught!”

“I have to try!” she said stubbornly. “I’m not a baby! I want to go home! Will you come with us or not?”

Lucky crossed his arms and seemed to think about it then, very reluctantly, held out his hand.

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The small pack had chipped at the bars on the window quite a lot before Katie and Lucky got there, so they only had to push on the bars a little before they gave way. “Let’s go!” Katie whispered, then clambered out with Lucky on her shoulder.

The animals climbed out of time out one-by-one, until Mr. Spots was last to leave. But as he started to crawl outside, a voice shouted, “Stop!” The Knight had come back!

“Oh no!” Lucky cried out. “We have to leave!”

“Not without Mr. Spots!” a dainty goose with a bonnet said, but Mr. Spots interrupted them all.

“Go on ahead, it’ll all be fine.”

The animals and Katie tried to usher him on, but he ignored them, leaving them no choice but to flee. If they didn’t they would certainly be caught too, because more knights were starting to come after them.

Lucky trembled on her shoulder. “We’ll be caught! We’re going to be caught this is awful!” he cried.

“It’s OK Lucky, please stay calm,” Katie begged as they ran, splitting off from the animals. They ran back along the river, past the picnic basket mountain.

“I’ll stay calm if you stay with me no matter what,” Lucky offered.

“Of course,” Katie promised. “Is that why you were so upset? Me being a big girl doesn’t mean I’m getting rid of you.”

“Then I won’t leave you either. Just because you’re a big girl doesn’t mean you don’t need me!” Lucky puffed out his chest, trying to look tough, and it made Katie laugh.

Then she tripped and fell into the rushing water of the river.

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She woke up with a start and ran her hand through her hair. 'What was that dream,' she thought.

Katie got up, glanced at the alarm clock, and yawned. She walked to her door and picked up the towels she’d left there yesterday. Lana would wake up soon, and Mom and Dad would probably need help getting her to school. They were still adjusting to Dad’s new hours.

“Oh no! Lucky!” she hurried back to her bed and picked up her favorite toy rabbit, who’d fallen onto the floor. He was now much more worn, and one of his eyes had been replaced… but he was still her Lucky rabbit.

“I’m sorry I dropped you,” she patted his head gently and tucked him back in. He seemed to grin back at her.

She was a big girl now. But she would always need Lucky—and he would always need her.