Rocky and The Rabbit

 

 

Do you smell it too? You do? I knew it!

 

I'm up like a shot and lunge off my deck like Superman. I hit the ground running like a rocket barreling through my backyard towards that very particular smell: A white cotton rabbit!! I round the corner of the long deck and skid to a halt, uprooting four tracks of my mom's grass with my paws. I squint my brown eyes and scan the open space before me. I know he's here somewhere.... Finally, I see movement! His jaws are clicking, rotating the grass in his mouth as he chomps unsuspectingly.

 

I stay very still for a long moment. He still hasn't seen me. I lean back slightly and pounce forward, kicking up grass as I race right for him! He spots me! His eyes go wide and his muscles tense. I might only be fifteen pounds, but he knows I'm fast enough to catch him. My scruffy hair is flying in the wind and my pink tongue is flopping out the side of my mouth. I'm almost there. I am an unstoppable force of nature! I am Rocky, the Great! Rocky, the Incredible Canine!

 

I am only one bound away from catching him! I take my last leap, come down for my landing and zoom! He's gone in a flash! By the time I turn myself around, he's halfway across the yard! I go for it. My heart's racing, I'm panting like crazy. I watch his tail closely as he glides across the open space- MY open space! Then, I see it: His escape. It only takes a second, but he slips through the fence all too easily. All hope fades and I start to slow. I huff and do a quick survey of the fence when I spot it- I dug an escape route just last week! I've got him!

 

I swoop under the fence gracefully. He watches me tackle that obstacle and I sense his panic build all over again. He takes off to the street and I am right on his tail. I am definitely not losing him this time! We blow out between the bushes and fly into the street. Cars honk and zig-zag around us but neither of us slow for a second.

 

That's when I hear it: My mom's voice screeching through the neighborhood. She sounds really mad today. I put on the brakes and grit my teeth as I watch him prance away. She sounds furious so I give her my most dramatic pouty eyes and flop onto my back. I scrunch my neck in like a turtle as her feet stomp closer... they're really shaking the ground today. She looks down at me with her hands on her hips and after four seconds- my record- she scoops me up and tells me she's just happy I'm okay. I really lucked out today.

 

She carries me home and I see the six car pile up in the middle of the street. I might've done that. Oh well.

 

Rocky, the Great, will have to try again tomorrow.

 

-H.C. Herman