• It isn’t the first time I’ve fainted in a stranger’s home.

    It was a cold evening in November and the ice upon the lake was barely solid. As usual I was sitting near the lake’s edge throwing pebbles at it and seeing the faint cracks appear on the surface. I hid roughly behind a giant log, sometimes looking casually over my shoulder to the mansion above the hill if anyone were coming for me. I was trespassing their private property anyway. But how could someone hold such a beautiful scenery to themselves? In fact, before the several mansions on the hills were built there, this lake belonged to no one. It was anyone’s that dared to walk the water’s edge. However at least this view was secretly mine, even for a few minutes instead of the countless hours spent years ago. It wasn’t until my eyes followed the pebble I had thrown the farthest that I noticed a small animal on the ice moving frantically. It sporadically shifted and turned in place, but it never left its position. I looked over my shoulder, and only the naked trees and lonely house looked back. I get up carefully and step on the ice that curved on the dirt’s frame. I squint and notice the black ball stiffen and turn to stare at me, just by the faint press of my foot on the ice. Its long ears jolted upwards and it stared at me vigilantly, warning me not to make another step towards it. I could only assume that the rabbit was stuck in the ice and needed help. With no witnesses, I challenged the rabbit’s glare and took a step forward. Its ears twitched in mid air but it remained still and dared another step. I stepped forward again, the surface of the ice cracking under my feet but continued to be solid. The rabbit didn’t move, and its black beady eyes were fixated on me and the possibility of me getting closer than it had originally thought gradually increased with every step I took. I breathed out, the ice was durable but then again I could have been overshadowed by my own stubborn confidence. Halfway across the ice I knew it was too late to turn around. I looked at the black rabbit, and it looked back. Its paw too stuck slightly away from its body to run away; it knew it was too late for me to turn around as well. And with the realization kicking in, it bowed his head and lowered its tall ears and somehow—

    —somehow it seemed like it was softy surrendering and whispering,

    Save me.