“Miss Murphy.” Aiden seemed relieved to see her as he pulled away from the car. If it wasn’t for the freaky way he seemed to be trying to cover up a real life monster attacking her, she’d find his gentle giant routine rather charming. He was very handsome with his dark brown beard and tousled mane. He was looking very good in his police uniform and his brown eyes were warm as he smiled at her. Oh yes. Handsome, bearded, kind and in a position of authority. Aiden O’Hara was exactly Ella’s type.

Too bad he’s also a lair. Ella schooled smile to be polite and tried to not look as weak as she felt. The last thing she wanted was for the police officer to take her into medical custody.

“Ella.” She countered with a playful grin. “You can’t expect me to call you by your first name if you won’t use mine?” He blushed beneath his beard and held his utility belt with both hands. “How can I help you?”

“Well I’m on duty and I saw your car here and wanted to check you were alright.” He cleared his throat and felt his window to keep her attention was narrowing as Ella walked around the car to the driver side. “Did you already check into Katherine’s place?”

“I’m good.” Ella cryptically answered and opened the driver door. “I’m going to go and put my feet up for the rest of the day.”

“Oh good.” He nodded with relief and cleared his throat as he followed her. Ella sat behind the wheel and reached to close the car door, but Aiden held it open and flashed her a hopeful smile. “Listen, I was wondering if maybe you’d give me your number?” His voice went up at the end and he was adorable. It was obvious Officer O’Hara rather thought she was his type as well. Ella’s gut told her not to. This guy lied right to her face about who attacked her and covered the whole thing up. He assumed she didn’t remember the monster that attacked her. But she did. Ella opened her mouth to politely decline, only to hesitate. Hang on, he does know more than he’s letting on. Maybe I can weasel it out of him? It could be fun too, playing with this cute cave man.

“Sure.” Ella finally agreed and had to admit, his silent ‘yes’ was super cute. Oh I could climb that mountain. Ella cleared her throat and waved her cell at him. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?”

It was too easy. She was a bad woman, and she knew it, for making him turn such a deep shade of pink like that. But damn it, it was too tempting to tease him.

“W-wh-erm-well.” Aiden flustered as he got his cell out and tried not to act like the adorable mighty man mess that he was. “My number is-” Once they both had the other’s number in their address books there was no reason for Aiden to stop her from leaving. “I’ll text you later. When I’m off duty.”

“Sure. Talk to you later.” Ella chuckled and closed her door. She cooed mentally at the sight of him waving comically at her in her rear view mirror. She drove back to Deer-view and was proud of herself. She managed not to lie to Aiden, but also not get dragged to the BnB. She was good. She had a plan. Even if she didn’t have her answers today, she would get them. And most of all? She would restore and sell that damn house if it killed her. I am going to impress the boots off Carlton and I am going to get promoted. Project leader on all my projects from now on. As long as I keep my doors locked, the rabbit eared furry monster can’t get me at night. I just need to make sure I’m home before nightfall every day. That’s all. It’s doable.

Ella parked outside the house and checked the time. Half three. Plenty of time. It was still light out…but she was still alone in the woods. Her heart still raced with renewed adrenaline as she turned off the engine and prepared to get out of her Toyota. Just walk in a straight line to the front door. The key is still around my neck. Unlock, get in, lock, and I’m safe. Easy peasy.

Ella swallowed a lump in her throat and pushed the driver side door open. She tentatively pressed one trainer to the grass first, stepped out, and shut the door as quietly as she could. It wasn’t nightfall yet, but it was still the afternoon. Part of her was worried it wasn’t as nocturnal as the locals inadvertently made it out to be. Whatever it was. She instinctively looked around for any sign of yellow eyes with triangular black pupils in the tree line. Before the attack Ella didn’t really care how isolated Deer-view house was in the forest. Now though? She wished she had at least one neighbour she could call out to in the event the monster came back.

Her heart hammered in her temples as she walked slowly towards the front door. Each step she took made her anxious of being pounced on, but also anxious to get behind a locked door. She felt so exposed out in the open like this. Ella stumbled just before the steps up to the front porch when she saw it.

A rabbit.

It was sat up in front of her front door and staring up at her. It had black fur and a strange dark grey mane around its head, with black ears standing upright on its head. It was such a bizarre thing to see in that moment, a bloody fluffy rabbit on her doorstep, Ella stared at it solidly for a full minute. The rabbit stared back. During her mental disconnect the snapping of a branch made Ella launch into panic mode. The lizard part of her brain warned her that the monster was still out there and could be coming after her at any moment.

The rabbit still stared at her.

“I-I need to get inside.” Ella whispered as she anxiously stepped up onto the porch. She had expected the rabbit to bolt the moment she came towards it, but it didn’t. It continued to sit in front of her front door and watch her. Adrenaline was making her start to pant as she looked around her nervously. She kept looking for yellow eyes and every second she stood out here, she felt like she was getting a second closer to being bitten again. Her blue eyes watered and she pressed a hand to her wound beneath the bandages. I need to get inside. Right now. “Alright bunny. Let’s go.”

Ella wasn’t really thinking things through. She was in flight mode and just wanted to get inside. The rabbit was in the way. She wasn’t especially worried the monster would eat the rabbit, but she wasn’t prepared to kick it out of the way either. So she stood over it, pulled the string around her neck up and free from her sweater. She urgently used the iron key to unlock the door. When the rabbit still didn’t budge, she pushed the door open with her right hand, pulled the key out, and reached down to scoop the rabbit up with her left hand. The rabbit wriggled against her chest as she stumbled into the house. Ella turned on her heels and used one of her feet to shut the door behind her. She turned, locked the door, and left the key in the lock for good measure. Both arms now held the wriggling rabbit and it was secure against her chest.

Ella backed up against the wall beside the kitchen doorway and sank down to her backside. The rabbit now rested on her lap and in her arms as she closed her blue eyes and exhaled deeply. “…we’re safe now.” She slowly opened her eyes and smiled down at her new house guest. “Well…hi there. I’m Ella. I didn’t mean to kidnap you from the forest I just…” She chuckled. Now I’m talking to a rabbit. “You’re not a hostage, you’re a guest. If you want to leave, you can.” She smiled and stroked both sides of the fluffy black rabbit. It stared up at her with black eyes and it’s nose sniffed at her. She relaxed and found it therapeutic to pet the little guy. He agreed, as he started to purr and nestle down comfortably as she scratched his back and behind his ears. “Well aren’t you just a sweetheart?” Ella chuckled and just basked in the moment. She was safe. The door was locked. Nothing was getting in. She exhaled deeply and smiled down at the purring rabbit. “I don’t have anything furniture but you’re welcome to share my food and my sleeping bag if you want. I can’t risk going back out today, but if you want to stick around, I’ll buy you a rabbit hutch or something tomorrow. I’m going to be buying furniture anyway.” She lowered her face to the rabbit and nuzzled with it. “Man, I haven’t had a pet since I was a little girl. You remind me of Lopsy. An English lop I had when I was 8.” Ella hummed and took comfort from the purring rabbit. “You know what? You are totally welcome to stick around. It will be nice to have some company I can actually trust not to lie to me.” A great way to pass the time in the evenings since I can’t go out and have no TV or internet. Ella smiled and carefully pushed herself back up the wall without jostling the humming rabbit. “You have a cute mane there.” She fussed with the dark grey framing it’s face and realised it looked like a dark lion’s mane. “I’ll call you Leo. Like a lion.” Ella nodded and headed into the kitchen. “I have some carrots. Are you hungry? I’ll put some water into one of my travel bowls for you. I get that you’ll need to do your business, but if you could not leave me little pellets on my sleeping bag? That would be great. Come on Leo.” She giggled when Leo’s whiskers tickled her cheek. His front paws pressed to her chest as it reached up to sniff at her face. “Well you are the most affectionate little guy I’ve ever met.” She giggled. “Are you sure you’re a wild rabbit? You’re so sweet.” Ella flinched when it moved it’s head to sniff at her neck over the bandage. “Nosey too aren’t you? Hang on. Let me get you some carrots.” Ella put him down on the floor and rummaged around her grocery bags for some carrots. She washed and chopped them up before placing them on a travel plate and lowering it to the floor for the rabbit. Leo immediately started to sniff and nibble the carrot chunks. “Good boy. Here.” Ella placed a bowl of water beside the carrots and stayed squatted down for a few minutes. She smiled and watched Leo thoroughly enjoying his meal. “How lucky I was you turned up when you did?” The black rabbit stopped eating and looked up at her. “I’ve actually been living alone for a long time now, and I’ve recently been…pretty scared and hurt.” Her mind summoned the image of the monstrous attacker and she absently glanced over to the dark blood stain by the front door. “…I was kinda scared to come back here, even though I knew I had to…” Ella smiled and refocused on Leo. “But you turning up when you did was perfect timing. Now I’m not here alone and you can keep me company. I feel better already. You can stay as long as you want to.” She stroked his head and slowly got up to make herself a sandwich. It honked happily up at her which made Ella smile.

The rabbit watched her back as she made her dinner on the kitchen counter…his eyes turning yellow with triangular black slit pupils for a split second, before darkening once more.