A rabbit, tired from a long day’s work, wandered off to the pond again for a quick drink. She had always felt safe there, for all of the other animals knew her well. But mere minutes turned to hours, and now most of her company had gone. Was it Thursday? Was it Friday? The rabbit couldn’t quite remember, and frankly, neither could anyone else at the pond, but she continued drinking because it was the only thing that could take her troubles away. A noise came from nearby and, as if it were a figment in her imagination, the concealed figure of a wolf appeared from the corner of her eye. She veered as her newfound stranger trodden through the hedges, finally halted by her friend, the wise, old frog.

”What can I do for you, sir?” beckoned the frog.

She heard the wolf mutter something she couldn’t make out quite clearly, but whatever it was, it made the frog pause for a moment. Eventually, he left, leaving just the two of them together. Not even the hoot of an owl disturbed the night’s tranquil ambience, but the only pleasantry driving what was left of her attention was him. Something about him caught her eye, but she couldn’t quite comprehend what exactly. Could it have been his light, pale skin? Could it have been his hooded figure? Was she just lonely? Even his deep, brown eyes emanated mystery, and the rabbit was entranced. It didn’t take long for the wolf to notice her fixation, though he had glanced upon her the moment he had arrived at the pond. She looked young and was more than certainly alone. But this wolf was not like others of his kind, ravenous and merciless. He was a patient wolf, and so he gave her a slight grin.

The frog interrupted, “Your drink, sir?”

Taking this as his cue to leave, the wolf pretended to take a sip of the water before hastily leaving back through the shrubbery.

“An odd fellow, that was,” spoke the rabbit, perhaps finally at her senses, “Have you seen him around here before?”

”I’ve witnessed a vast range of folk around, but none like him,” replied the frog. Noticing the time, the rabbit quickly shot up, “I best be going now. Goodnight, frog,”

“Are you sure you’d like to leave? It’s quite dark out, and quite frankly, I think you would be safer in here,” beckoned the frog.

”I must leave, for there’s plenty to be done tomorrow,” insisted the rabbit

Ignoring her friend’s pleas, she left the safety of the pond and began her march back to her burrow. In all truthfulness, her home wasn’t too far away. But each step across the dimly lit path felt as if she’d walked a thousand miles. The ground was soft, and the sheer sky cold as ever. But as the rabbit paced along her way, an obscure figure watched her from the fog of the night. In the darkness came a clever grin that would soon bring about her end, and yet she had no clue. He leapt from shadow to shadow so as not to alert her, and yet the silence was definite. Not a single squeak came from any of the other abodes, and the figure knew not even the police would care enough to save her. And with no one around, the wretched creature tranced into the light..

Just a few blocks away stood her residence, her solace. Her one dying hope was just around the bend. But the creature saw his prey at hand, and within her resided great desperation. He knew that if he wanted to catch his prey, he’d have to strike now. And so the rabbit ran, ran, ran. Ran as fast as she could. With him not too far behind, she tried to keep her footing. But the drinks had messed with her mind, and she simply could not keep up. With one mistake, one fatal slip, the rabbit had fallen to the ground. With tears in her eyes, she tried to get back up, but it was too late. The creature silently sauntered toward his victim.

“Leave me alone,” the rabbit cried.

Just as the jaws of a great beast sink into its prey, the cunning creature leapt upon her. But as he snatched her collar and dragged her into the alleyway, the rabbit could now see the same figure she once adored in a new light. The wolf had no big ears, or eyes, or hands, or teeth. And yet, he had a huge grin holstered across his pale face. The rabbit was too tired to fight back, for the running had taken all of her strength. She screamed out into the night for a hero that would never come. And as she cried, her bruised body burnt upon the asphalt, all she could do was look at him, the wolf, in her blurred vision.

The wolf smiled, for he knew there was simply nothing she could do, and no one would answer her call, for no one truly had the heart in them to care. After all, thousands of calls ring throughout the night; what’s one more? Tomorrow, she’d be just another murder, another missing person’s case in the daily paper. But today, the wolf got to have his fun. He slowly opened his bag, a smile still stretched from cheek to cheek, revealing a thin knife stained a faded shade of red. There was no longer an escape for the rabbit, and there was nothing left that she could do. It seemed the rabbit’s hope finally ran cold as she could only meet the wolf’s gaze in sheer horror. And with no time at all, he was upon her.

The moral: Stay alert of the dangers around you, lest your troubles find a way into your heart.