The Rabbit and The Bear

Submitted into Contest #232 in response to: Set your story during polar night.... view prompt

5 comments

Adventure Fiction Suspense

"This will be much easier than I thought, being it's dark all day. What's your name?" "No names, remember?" "Right, right. No names." Both men walk towards the lining of a dense forest. "Did you bring your knife?" "Yes." "What about a gun? Surely you brought that, I'd imagine wolves out here?" "Yes." "Yes, you brought the gun or are you referring to the wolves?” The other man stared at him, “the gun.” “Great, we're good to go then.”

They walk half a mile into the dense forest in silence. “So what can I call you then if there's a problem?  I need some sort of identifier.” “You can call me Bear.” “Okay, you can call me Rabbit.” Bear looked at Rabbit frowning. He thought Rabbit was a weird name. “What, you don't like Rabbit as a name?” Bear kept his head forward, at this point he was getting tired of talking. “You talk too much, Rabbit. You keep it up, everyone will know we're here.” Rabbit smiles, “well this job isn't easy and I'm sorry but it just calms me down a bit. It's so dark out here and I've never experienced anything like this.” “California boy,” Bear said. “That's right! You know something about me!” The fact that Rabbit paid no attention to Bear's insult annoyed him even more. “Are you from here?” Rabbit asked. “Yes. Can we just get this over with?” Rabbit kept quiet, sensing a harsh tone from Bear. They kept walking  in silence until they finally reached a cabin deep into the snowy cold forest.

2:00 pm

“Alright, we gotta wait a bit until 3pm,” Bear said. They settled near a slope slightly above the cabin right behind a large bush. “Looks like no one's home yet, maybe we should go in.” Bear looked over at him and grabbed his shoulder gently, “we go in at 3pm. That was the order.” “Well what time is it now?” Rabbit asked. “It's 2,” Bear replied. “AM or PM?” Rabbit continued. Bear shaking his head, “PM. You California boys don't know how to settle down. Gotta always have something to say.” Rabbit looked around a bit shooting hot air to see his breath in the cold, “well not much to do out here. No sun all day, it's cold, we have an hour to burn before we gotta go in. Nothing wrong with a bit of small talk. Step away from what we came here to do.” “This job is all about being silent, and you blowing your fucking breath all over the place isn't gonna help us out either.” Bear faced the opposite direction of Rabbit. “Why are you so angry all the time, man? Is it this freezing hell hole? No sun for more than 24 hours. That's probably what it is. Tell you something once we are done with this job, come visit in California. Get you some nice food, women, sun. Just a taste of something different. Mellow out for a while,” Rabbit said. “I have no intention of going out there to see you. Once this is over, you and I are over. I can go back to my freezing hell home.” Rabbit laughed, nodded in agreement and said, “okay.”

2:45pm

. Bear slouched on a tree while half asleep and Rabbit was restless. “That's it I'm going in I cant wait out here any longer it's too cold,” Rabbit said getting up. “Wait! It's not 3 yet!” Bear getting up after him. “I don't care anymore man, its too fucking cold i didn't ask to be here and i cant wait, if you want to wait another 10 minutes go right ahead. Besides, I gotta take a piss,” Rabbit replied walking down. “Take a piss out here! You have a whole fucking forest!” Bear shouted. “No way my nuts will freeze. I'm going in.” Rabbit slid down the slope until he reached the flat area on the ground. “Get back here!” Bear whispered loudly. Rabbit paid no attention, went right down and opened the door. He looked at Bear who was still staring at him, giving him a wave to come in. 

3:00 pm

Bear and Rabbit stood in the center of the living room. The cabin was old and dusty with no furniture. The only decoration was a destroyed painting above the brick layered chimney. “Do you always do this on a job? Is this what you fucking do?” “We better waiting inside here than to fucking wait outside. Catch them walking in and taking the money,” Rabbit replied. “No amount of money is worth not following the orders given. There are fucking rules we follow in our line of business. People pay a lot of money for us to handle their dirt.” “I'm sure they wont give a shit how we do it as long as it gets done. I'll take a piss and check if it's clear. If you hear them coming in, hide. I’ll be right there.” “Mhm.” “Cheer up, Bear it'll all be over soon and you'll never have to see me again.” Rabbit walked through a door leading down a hallway. Bear, relieved he was gone, sat down on a wooden chair near the corner of the cabin.

3:20 pm

Bear’s watch began beeping. “It's time, they should be here any minute.” Rabbit said nothing. Rabbit grabbed his gun, cocked it and stood right behind Bear. “You know I usually don't get to know the men I work with.” Bear remained silent. “You're the first person I really actually talked to,” said Rabbit. “They could be coming in second,” whispered Bear. Rabbit grabbed his silencer nozzle, latched it to his pistol. “My name is Peter Keller,” Rabbit says. Bear turned around in disbelief, “No names! What the fuck is the matter with you!” Peter smiled, “What's your name?” “I'm not giving you my name!” Bear shouted. Bear turned around watching the window. “When they find out you broke the rules, you're never getting hired. You're done,” Bear said. Peter looked out the window, “You see anything?” Bear shook his head. “I really meant it when I asked you to come to California. Surf, the best food you can eat. Picture it Bear, warm sun, the sand in your toes. The women. Everything about it is so beautiful,” Peter said. “Cant believe you did that man, no fucking names!” Bear shouted. “Someone's coming, Bear.” Bear looked out the window again. He moved back and forth trying to see beyond the trees. “I don't see anything,” Bear said. “I want you to know it was all business, Greg.” Bear turned around slowly, his widen under a barrel of the pistol pointed at his head. “Now we know each other’s names.” “NOO-” Loud thud hit the floor. A door opens and shuts. It's 3:45 pm.

January 13, 2024 00:57

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5 comments

Mary Bendickson
22:04 Feb 19, 2024

Hard to tell who was speaking at times. Otherwise suspenseful. Welcome to Reedsy. Thanks for liking my 'Alyce's Restaurant'.

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Karina Alcantar
00:13 Jan 20, 2024

Great short story. Beginning was funny, ending was a good twist.

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Albert Ramos
15:41 Jan 19, 2024

Very suspenseful

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David Sweet
17:39 Jan 17, 2024

Nice twist! Welcome to Reedsy. Thanks for sharing. Good luck!

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Samuel Garcia
14:52 Jan 19, 2024

thank you!

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