Paralyzed and at the mercy of her captor, Yuki was an unwilling spectator while the boy took her wherever they were going. To make things even worse, at some point, the damn bully stopped carrying Yuki in his hands and instead gripped her sensitive, frail ears. It was humiliating and painful. With each step he took, jolts of pain spread from her ears to the rest of her body. Yuki feared her precious ears would be ripped out of her head. She couldn’t even cry out; her body was paralyzed and unresponsive.

They crossed into a farm field from the contorted trees and shrubs, with tilled land and crops tended to. They crossed paths with worn-out men, women, and children toiling under the sun to care for the produce.

“Whatcha got there, Bo?” Yuki couldn’t see the source of the high-pitched, young voice. A young girl? She heard footsteps, then saw a freckled, bony girl with a mane of dark hair running toward them.

Bo moved fast; he opened his arms and caught the girl in a hug with his free hand. “Shouldn’t you be helping Nan?”

“But it’s sooo boring...” The girl whined, and then she looked at Yuki. “Is it dead? Can I hold it?”

Bo smiled, then handed Yuki over. With his other hand now free, he tousled the girl’s hair. “It’s not dead, I gave it some of the sleeping seeds.”

The girl wrinkled her nose. At Yuki or the boy’s attention, it was hard to say. The girl took glee in inspecting every part of Yuki’s body. She pulled on the ears, tugged the tail, pinched the paws, and poked the nose. All the while grinning or laughing.

Yuki wanted to find a hole and hide inside forever. It was bad enough that the boy held her by the ears like a living bag, the inspection and poking like she was a novelty, was traumatizing.

“Don’t they have horns?” The girl asked.

“Yah, that’s why Gramps asked me to take this one to the Lord.”

The girl giggled; she squeezed Yuki like a doll. “To see Jenny, you mean?”

Bo turned beet red and looked away for a moment before turning back to the girl. “Not you too, Bee,” Bo complained. “Give it back here, I gotta run, or the guards won’t let me see the Lord.” Said Bo, hand going for Yuki.

Bee laughed and gave the rabbit back. “Ma said you should invite her for dinner.”

Bo got even more red. “Off you pop, go help Nan.” The boy said, tousling Bee’s hair.

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Bee ran, laughing and yelling. “Bo and Jenny under a tree, kiiiissssiinnnng!”

“Brat!” the boy muttered, but he watched the girl run across the fields with a fond smile on his face.

Yuki didn’t know what to make of it. In one paw, they poisoned, kidnapped, and manhandled her. On the other paw, even without understanding the language, the guy didn’t seem to be a lousy chad. Then he picked Yuki by the ears again, and all the good thoughts died in a fire.

They left the sprawling fields, and the landscape changed from the open tilled land to a bustling small town. Rustic houses with thatched roofs and mud-hued walls lined the narrow, cobblestone streets. Most of the houses had decorations hanging on the doors and windows. Yuki saw arrangements of colorful flowers and small carved wooden figurines. Inside the town, new smells and noises assaulted Yuki.

The acrid scent of sweat and horse manure mixed with smells of meat roasting on an open fire. The hubbub of conversation. The voices of street vendors peddling their wares. Kids running and yelling. The painful noise of metal hitting metal.

They passed through the city square, and any hope Yuki had of reaching an understanding with humans died. There, a high platform of piled wood was raised to a central pole. Exactly like those she saw in history books of witch burning and prosecution. These savages burned people alive!

The boy crossed the square, waving at people here and there. Then, they were in front of a vast walled manor. Bo approached the guard and displayed the rabbit he held by the ears. “Got something to show the Lord at Caretaker Brander’s request.”

The guard, a heavy-set man wearing leather armor and holding a spear, looked at Bo, then at Yuki. “Have you now, Boris?” The guard smirked, “I’ll send in for her.” He said and walked inside, leaving Boris waiting.

Yuki watched, and the boy fidgeted. He fixed his shirt and dusted his trousers. He spat on his palm and used the moisture to fix his hair. He sniffed under his arms, coming up with his nose scrunched.

Gross. Too much information. Yuki didn’t need to see that.

It took minutes of awkward torture until the guard returned. The man threw open the gates, and the boy froze. On the other side of the gate was a blonde woman. Young, Yuki guessed she had about reached her twenties. The woman had sapphire eyes and golden hair, honey-colored skin, and Yuki recognized the applied makeup to give the girl a rosy complexion. The girl wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a dark orange corset and skirt decorated with a blue frill that matched her eyes.

The girl’s smile dazzled. She curtsied. “How have you been, Boris? It’s been a while since you last visited.”

Yuki watched the bizarre show. The boy blushed and looked away. He mumbled something not even Yuki could hear.

“And Isabella? Has she recovered well?” Jenny pressed, not minding the lack of response.

Boris shuffled again and looked at the girl’s feet. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “Bee’s fine.” He mumbled it so low Yuki barely caught the unfamiliar words. She doubted the blondie heard them.

Jenny seemed satisfied. She smiled, turned to the guard, and curtsied again. “Thank you, Edgar. I’ll take him to see the Lord.”

Edgar grunted, still looking at the street.

“Well, come on then, I’ve already sent someone to inform the Lord you’re here to see him. We don’t want to leave the Master of the House waiting.” Jenny turned and walked inside.

Boris mumbled something while he passed by Edgar. The guard snorted and laughed.

The door of the mansion loomed across a carefully manicured lawn. It was foreboding and dark. Yuki feared what horrors waited for her inside.