HOME | DD

Description

WARNING

Themes of dysphoria, fainting, body horror/mutation,
feelings of abandonment, mentions of vomiting, intrusive thoughts

Fern felt weird... sore... her eyes opened with a start. It was still dark yet all she could hear was screaming, sobbing. Her ears stung with a searing pain as she felt them fold in a way previously impossible to block out the noise. At this ungodly hour of all hours... practically everyone was awake. Everyone was screaming... crying... tensed in their sleep... everyone besides her brother. Peacefully curled beside her around his goober plushie, his tongue readjusting in his mouth ever so slightly with a subtle clicking sound as a small smile graced his lips. Fast asleep, completely oblivious... of course... He’d always been difficult to wake but at least he seemed normal. His fur the same shade of brown as ever, his scruffy tuft of hair the same as always. Yet as she snuggled up closer to him in an attempt to pretend everything was normal and block out everything around her by burrowing her face in the hammock fabric close to his, she noticed something... off. Something... horrifying. Something moving beneath the surface of his cheeks. Lumps. Small and wriggling, writhing beneath the skin of his peaceful little face. She felt herself gag as she shot back in alarm, the whole hammock jolting and swaying in response, churning her stomach further. That was disgusting! What on Earth were those things!? She couldn’t look away... watching in abject terror as the sickening tendrils suddenly burst from his cheeks and chin all at once like some kind of horrific parasite. Her mind was spinning, barely able to keep up with anything anymore. All she could do was scream.

——

A few hours had passed by the time Vermin’s body decided it was time to stir. His little legs slowing down their dream fuelled kicks until he finally let out a long, loud yawn as he slowly awoke from his slumber. And as with all good mornings, he began by giving his body a nice loooooong stretch. “Good morning, Goobie.” He mumbled as he nuzzled his muzzle into the plush he was latched onto, still ever so slightly slurring from his body just about coming to terms with letting go of sleep. Opening his eyes, he was hit with a sudden rush of confusion for a moment as it didn’t line up with where he thought he was internally. That wasn’t his bedroom? Where was he..? OH! Right! Sleepover! Silly Vermin, how could you forget! Though... something had changed. Where was everybody? There seemed to be less people around at least... just him and Goobie in the hammock as he poked his little heart-shaped nose out the top of it. Twitching and wiggling as it soaked up the scents of the area. The water... the strangers... and most importantly, Fern! But... where was she? He couldn’t see her. In fact, he couldn’t see any of the kits he’d met yesterday but his nose... it was telling him otherwise. Was... his nose broken? No, no... his nose wouldn’t just break like that. Something else was going on.

His snout crinkled up with thought, just enough for something to wriggle just perfectly to brush against his cheeks and chin. Wiggly... face? Wiggly face! Was there some kind of bug friend crawling on his face, he wondered, gently rubbing his cheeks with his paws... yet there was no bug. And even more confusing still - there was very little fuzz! Or rather, there was fuzz but it wasn’t where it was meant to be anymore at all! No, no, it was all covering the spot where his head was resting in the hammock and all over poor Goobie. What happened to Vermin’s squishy fluffy cheeks? Now they were squiggly and wiggly. Was the fluff scared of the squiggly wigglies and ran away out of his face? Vermin didn’t see why his fluffs should be scared of them... they felt kinda funny! And even if he couldn’t see them just yet, Vermin liked it! They were very cool! Daddy said that one day Vermin’s body might start changing - even more than just his fluffy head floof - and today was clearly that day! He giggled to himself for a moment, letting the weird whiskers wiggle against his hand for a moment longer before he finally remembered what he was trying to do. Fern! He needed to find Fern!

—

Sitting alone in the corner of the room, facing the wall, was Fern. How long had passed? She didn’t know... it was light now. Murmurs of breakfast almost being ready to serve up catching her ears but... how could anyone eat now? After all that? Her stomach was screaming yet she knew she couldn’t keep anything down if she tried. She’d barely eaten anything yesterday and... that wasn’t showing any signs of changing any time soon. Stressed... So stressed. She... wasn’t even sure she was herself anymore. It wasn’t just her fur that had shifted hue. Her phylactery - the core of her very being - stained beyond recognition. An alien combination of cream-ish yellow and pale red tainting its surface... a far cry from the familiar solid warm-grey hue it had always had since the moment her egg was laid. Her very soul... twisted and warped... She felt dizzy... weak... sore. Her head was pounding, her stomach clawing at her scratchy throat, her vision twisting and morphing so much that she couldn’t bare to open her eyes. The wall just about the only thing keeping her upright as she leant her head against it.

Dad was gone and she was here abandoned.
Dad was gone and everything was warped.
Dad was gone and the world was broken.
Broken, warped and abandoned...
She couldn’t even recognise herself in the mirror... What hope did he have of finding her if he came back now... She considered just allowing herself to collapse into a heap on the floor. Her body clearly wanted it... her limbs so heavy, slowly growing numb until... a wet nose pressed against her back?

—

“Fern!?” Vermin exclaimed, sniffing and snuffling his nose deep into his sister’s fur. He’d found her! And wow did she look different. Her fur donning a pretty grey, her moss brighter and seemingly shifting to her extremities. He knew exactly what this was! “Your curse is spreading!” It was just so obvious but as he poked and prodded her more he noticed something else... boots. Gem encrusted boots. “But there’s something new... new, new, oooo, hehehe, a second curse! How did you go and get Medusaed..? Better question! How can you be stone and predator? Are they fighting each other? Can they DO that!? Hold on, hold, on, hold-on-holdonholdon...” He didn’t even notice the glare crossing his sister’s face as he skittered across the floor, somehow managing to slide on carpet as he made a mad scramble to grab his notebook from the bottom of his bag with the intensity of a starving lion gutting a zebra. Plushies, buttons, coins, pens all of it was scattered with reckless abandon as he tore out all the contents of the poor unsuspecting bag. His tail wildly thrashing behind him as he completely zoned in to the task at hand. “Notes... notes... notes... notes, notes, notes.” He mumbled until finally, “NOTES!” He cried, holding the notebook aloft with all the pride of a video game hero tearing a prized golden triangle from a musty old chest. The notebook itself, just about as neat as its owner as pages seemed to be just barely hanging in there, half with corners chewed clean off, half torn in general but one hundred percent loved to bits. It was a miracle the thing didn’t crumble to pieces in his hands or simply explode as he transferred it over to his tail and bounced all the way back to his sister.

“Fern! Fern! Where did I leave off? Uhhh... RIGHT! Two curses! Battle to the death! Stalemate!” He yelled, huge grin plastering his face as he excitedly snatched his notebook from his tail and immediately began flipping through it to get to the right page... or group of pages at least.
“Daff...” Fern gave an exasperated sigh as she turned to look her brother in the eye. She was tired... so tired. Vermin had never seen her this messy but he didn’t seem all too phased as he chimed a quick, “Yes?”
“I’m not... I... I’m not... cur-” she sighed, struggling to let out the words.
“Not going to die. Yes.” That had to be what she was worrying about, the brown kit thought to himself as he lightly chewed the part of his pen closest to his face. Many a ballpoint had exploded in his hands due to this thoughtful nibbling but his jaw was annoyingly good at hiding when it was being naughty from his brain. Anyway, anyway, back to figuring this out. “You are clearly a valuable host. Too valuable for either curse to kill outright. Uhh... the sudden presence of a second curse does seem to have sped up the preexisting golem curse! Yes! Just look! Your moss is all gone! Well not ALLLLL-all but you know, you know!” Vermin wildly gestured toward her ears and tail, causing her to duck out of the way of the pen tip which got dangerously close to her eye, “Now have you been hearing any voices?”

“Voicccccccessssss~...” as if on cue, an unfamiliar voice hissed from behind him. Fern flinched back, eyes as round as dinner plates as she stared in startled fear toward the cause of the sound... Vermin? Not so much. A huge gasp was drawn into his tiny body as his eyes sparkled. Everything was dropped in that moment. Nothing but him and his new friend. “OH! Hello there, little fella!” He beamed, immediately casting his notes and pen aside to flop over onto his back to better see his tail. It didn’t have eyes but it did seem a touch off put by the sudden burst of energy from the kit it was now part of. Granted, it needn’t worry about being the centre of attention for too long, however, as Vermin’s eyes quickly darted toward the new additions on his back feet. “OOOOH! And such cute little booties too! You shouldn’t have! Shame my Midas wish seems to have gotten to them already, huh... Pretty though!” He addressed... seemingly nobody while staring at the ceiling? Strange.

—

Fern just sighed again. This was pretty normal too, just another one of his vast array weird habits. She still wasn’t feeling great but even if she was feeling absolutely fine, she truly dreaded the day she’d have to fight someone who was picking on him. He... he scared her sometimes. She knew that this was normal for him. Healthy and happy and such a bright little thing but... other kits? They wouldn’t be so kind. She knew that and it was enough to make her feel ill by itself... let alone the nagging feeling of dryness that gripped her tighter and tighter by the moment. The sickness deep in the pit of her stomach... churning and churning... never stopping.
“No kidding...” she spluttered, trying not to gag as she caught sight of those horrible tendrils again, “Those flesh boots are... the least offensive of your new... uh... additions. I guess...” Was just about all she managed to get out before her eyes finally rolled back and she felt her body topple over toward the floor. Her legs had been quivering that whole time without the support of the walls but it seemed as if that was just about all they had in them. Her lips felt dry as the world spun and spun... swirling and swirling slowly into the dark abyss. She regretted opening her eyes again... should have just... left them... closed.

—

Thud! The sound of their sibling impacting the floor shook Vermin to their senses. Was she... ok? She was still breathing. But aside from checking that he didn’t know what to do. Oh what to do, what to do?

“BREAKFAST IS READY! COME GET IT WHILE IT’S STILL WARM!” A strong voice called from the hallway, it was the lady. The big blue lady! She could help... probably. After a few moments more of umming and ahhing, unsure if he should leave Fern’s side or not, Vermin quickly darted out into the hallway.
“HELP! Helphelphelphelp!” The small brown kit screamed, all of his paws tapping violently against the floor so fast that it was almost as if he was trying to bore a hole right through it as he skidded to a halt in front of an adult. Not the one he was aiming for though. No, no, this was a different one. Still a bit of blue but brown like him.
“A-Ah... um... h-hey now, little buddy, s-slow down a-a bit there...” Was just about all the startled Eeko could respond with, waving their hands slightly in front of them as they tensed up before him like a deer in headlights. “Wh-wh-what’s the matter?”
“Fern fell! Fern, Fern! She fell!” Vermin cried before spinning on his heels and sprinting back into the room he just came from.
“Follow... follow...” his tail chimed in as it disappeared around the doorframe, leaving the poor brown folk no choice but to do as instructed.

By the time he’d gotten back to Fern’s side, she was still on the floor. But he wasn’t worried anymore. There was a grown-up now! Here to help!
“O-oh no... oh dear.” Said grown-up stuttered, rushing toward the grey child and quickly checking her over for injuries. “How uh... how did this-?”
“She was sitting and talking and then she was on the floor!”
“I-I see... u-uhm... just... uh... NANA!” They called out toward the hallway, scooping the fainted child up into their arms. “NANA, COULD YOU COME HERE, PLEASE!?”
As if summoned by magic, the sound of bunny hops slapping on the floor suddenly started getting closer and closer until the yellow den mother was in clear view. Though by the time she’d reached the small gathering, Fern had already started to stir with a small groan - much to the relief of everyone.
“Are you ok, Eeko? What’s going on here?” Nana asked, peeking over their lover’s shoulder with deep concern laced across her face. The den staff had, had this kit under their care for just under 24 hours and she was already worse for wear... though Susan had mentioned to keep a keen eye on this one in particular since she’d barely touched her meal last night. Chances are she hadn’t drunk much of anything either, which was only confirmed by the nervous adult’s next sentence.
“This kit... they fainted, there’s no injuries but they’re very dehydrated... do you think you could... um... uh...”
“Grab them a cup of water? Sure! I’ll be right back! If they come fully around, make sure to sit them down somewhere. They’ll need a few minutes to fully recover.” The yellow bunny lady finished for them, quickly leaping away to go fetch said cup of water.

—

Fern groaned slightly as she forced open her eyes, the light in this room was blindingly bright for a moment as they struggled to readjust to regaining their responsiveness. Slowly but surely her vision came back, she could see her brother talking to someone... someone who was holding her. Their voices still a muffled jumble of sounds to her ears until...
“Hey, let’s sit you down, huh?” The adult spoke, their voice was soft yet she could hear a slight quiver in it as they stood and carried her toward a nearby beanbag. “Nana’s going to go get you something to drink and-“
“How long... how long was I out for?” Fern asked bluntly, staring them directly in the eyes, causing them to flinch slightly. Not the kind of question they’d expected, especially not that confidently. Had this... happened before?
“W-well... uh... no longer than a few seconds, I’d say... uh... a-about twenty-five? Thirty? You were already trying to wake up by the time I got here.”
“Good.” She didn’t seem too phased in the slightest. If anything she seemed almost... angry at herself? Maybe they were reading too deep... Her parent hadn’t left any medical records aside from his son’s allergies... right? A history of fainting wasn’t something to be taken lightly. By the time Eeko was midway though processing this information in their head, Nana had already returned and was passing the much needed drink to the child.

—

Taking the glass in her paws and pressing its smooth surface to her lips, Fern felt a strange sense of calm clarity. Just her and the water... Pay not attention to the reflection upon its surface. Slipping down her throat, the chilled water felt overwhelmingly welcome and despite the insistence from Nana that she simply sip the drink, it was already half gone the moment it hit her mouth. It surprised even her how quickly she’d managed to gulp it down, the action practically automatic. She clearly needed it... and before she knew it, it was gone.

“Well, that was fast...” Nana chuckled, a hint of awkwardness in her tone but it was barely recognisable. “Say, you two haven’t had breakfast yet, huh? How’s about I take this finished cup and bring your food in here for you? Save you the trip, let you rest up for a bit.”
“I’m fi-“
“YES!” Vermin exclaimed from beside his sister, completely cutting her off. “Morning means hungry and hungry means breakfast!” He beamed with a little wiggle. “Vermin is very hungry so Fernie Fern must be too!” She stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes.
“Come on, Fern, some food will do you good!” The short yellow folk smiled, placing her free hand on her hip in a prideful manner as she held the cup in the other, “Susan worked so hard to make it just right for you. She’s a very good cook, you know.”
“...fine.” The kit finally sighed, defeated. As upset as she was, she knew deep down that she couldn’t argue with that... she was starving. She just hoped she could keep it down.
“Great! I’ll be right back!”

—

Nana was right! This food was good! Vermin more than happily stuffed his face, occasionally glancing over at his sister who was slowly and carefully spooning small mouthfuls into her... well... mouth with a spoon. That’s where the mouthfuls go, that’s why it’s called a mouth full! Hm... did a mouth empty exist? Was that just a spoon of air or would that be a mouthful of air? Could you put void on a spoon? Could you even eat a void or would it eat you first!? Wait... maybe he was thinking about this all weird... if a mouthful was putting in then... VERMIN DIDN’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT MOUTH EMPTIES ANYMORE!

Fern let out a soft chuckle as she watched her brother’s expression shift out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know what he was thinking about this time but whatever it was, it made him suddenly pull a strange face of alarm. She was sure he was fine though and she was already starting to feel a whole lot better as the food hit her stomach. Each delicate spoonful of breakfast helping toward the common goal of satiation. Yes, she paid close heed as her father’s voice from years gone by echoed in her ears as if spoken in that moment, telling her to pace herself and take her time if she felt ill. A lesson Daff was yet to learn by the looks of things as he had yet again given himself hiccups from gorging himself too fast. Silly kit...

It was quiet here in the bedroom... serene and calm... the adults had left after she’d eaten about half of the bowl they’d given her. Tasked her brother with keeping an eye on her while they attended to their other tasks of the day. The other kits were in the dining hall apparently, that was where the meals were eaten, after all. Or rather that’s where they were intended to be eaten when not in a special situation such as hers.

Softly tracing the patterns on the ridge of the bowl with her fingers, she took in all it’s uneven ridges and bumps... the tiny rough chips of exposed ceramic in the top, the contrast they held with smooth glazed surface of the rest of the bowl. Old and worn yet still shiny and loved. So hard yet so brittle a simple throw would smash it. Shattered into a million pieces. Smash it. Just throw it against a wall! Smash it! NO! No, no, no. She couldn’t smash it. It wasn’t hers. And even if it was hers, it was a just an innocent bowl, here to help provide her a much needed meal. The shards could hurt her. Hurt her brother. It’d be such a mess to clean up. The den mothers would punish her. There would be one less bowl to use for meal times. Someone could go without food just because she decided to do something as stupid as throw it to see it explode into bits. Why on Earth would she want to smash it? What was wrong with her mind?! This had happened a lot before. She’d thought it’d gone away over the past few months... but when... whenever something big happened. Something difficult... these weird sudden thoughts would appear, showing her doing horrible, terrible things that she never do. That she never ever wanted to happen all in the name of ‘what would happen if’. Breaking things... hurting people she loved... it scared her. It scared her so much. Another thing to add to the pile, she guessed...

—

The sudden sound of many tiny rushing paws caught her attention. The other kits were coming back from breakfast, she knew that much. But they seemed to be talking about something, excitement filling their voices. Noon? No, moon, they were saying moon. Circle of Moon? A field trip to Willow Valley? It was too soon, surely... they couldn’t go back... she couldn’t let her brother see that sign that was probably posted outside of the house the moment their father got home. She just couldn’t... She’d hoped for more time. She’d hoped to at least be preoccupied with things inside for today and yet fate had other plans, as always. Straining her ears, she could also pick up on a few of them mentioning woolies... At least, the farmland was decently far away from their former home. At least, maybe, just maybe, they’d pick a path that avoided that street in particular. Had her father even taken Daffodil to go see the livestock before during the time his memory would have stuck? She couldn’t quite remember but she was sure that their journeys out that way had slowed significantly if not fully stopped after... well... after Daff entered the world.

“Fern?” The sound of her name pieced through her thoughts like dart though a water balloon, shocking her back into awareness. “Fern, Den Mum Nana wants to take your bowl now.” Daffodil prompted her with a gentle nudge to her shoulder and a tilt of his head. Sure enough, there she was again - the yellow bunny-like den mother, waiting calmly with her paw outstretched.
“O-oh! Alright.”
“Great work eating and drinking all of this, Fern.” The adult smiled warmly, taking the now-ready-to-be-washed-up bowl from the kit. “Now if you head out of here and go left you’ll see where everyone is gathered around. You’re looking for a light brown-ish orange adult with a green tail and a dark blue bandana.”
“Got it.” The grey kit nodded, leaning on her brother for support slightly as she got to her feet. It took a tiny bit of focus but she was quickly stable enough to exit the room. Next stop? Going to find that adult and the rest of the kits... this was going to be an experience. That was certain. Good or bad? Yet to be decided.

4045 Words
~~~~~~~~~~

31/154 Acorns

Description

WARNING

Themes of dysphoria, fainting, body horror/mutation,
feelings of abandonment, mentions of vomiting, intrusive thoughts

Fern felt weird... sore... her eyes opened with a start. It was still dark yet all she could hear was screaming, sobbing. Her ears stung with a searing pain as she felt them fold in a way previously impossible to block out the noise. At this ungodly hour of all hours... practically everyone was awake. Everyone was screaming... crying... tensed in their sleep... everyone besides her brother. Peacefully curled beside her around his goober plushie, his tongue readjusting in his mouth ever so slightly with a subtle clicking sound as a small smile graced his lips. Fast asleep, completely oblivious... of course... He’d always been difficult to wake but at least he seemed normal. His fur the same shade of brown as ever, his scruffy tuft of hair the same as always. Yet as she snuggled up closer to him in an attempt to pretend everything was normal and block out everything around her by burrowing her face in the hammock fabric close to his, she noticed something... off. Something... horrifying. Something moving beneath the surface of his cheeks. Lumps. Small and wriggling, writhing beneath the skin of his peaceful little face. She felt herself gag as she shot back in alarm, the whole hammock jolting and swaying in response, churning her stomach further. That was disgusting! What on Earth were those things!? She couldn’t look away... watching in abject terror as the sickening tendrils suddenly burst from his cheeks and chin all at once like some kind of horrific parasite. Her mind was spinning, barely able to keep up with anything anymore. All she could do was scream.

——

A few hours had passed by the time Vermin’s body decided it was time to stir. His little legs slowing down their dream fuelled kicks until he finally let out a long, loud yawn as he slowly awoke from his slumber. And as with all good mornings, he began by giving his body a nice loooooong stretch. “Good morning, Goobie.” He mumbled as he nuzzled his muzzle into the plush he was latched onto, still ever so slightly slurring from his body just about coming to terms with letting go of sleep. Opening his eyes, he was hit with a sudden rush of confusion for a moment as it didn’t line up with where he thought he was internally. That wasn’t his bedroom? Where was he..? OH! Right! Sleepover! Silly Vermin, how could you forget! Though... something had changed. Where was everybody? There seemed to be less people around at least... just him and Goobie in the hammock as he poked his little heart-shaped nose out the top of it. Twitching and wiggling as it soaked up the scents of the area. The water... the strangers... and most importantly, Fern! But... where was she? He couldn’t see her. In fact, he couldn’t see any of the kits he’d met yesterday but his nose... it was telling him otherwise. Was... his nose broken? No, no... his nose wouldn’t just break like that. Something else was going on.

His snout crinkled up with thought, just enough for something to wriggle just perfectly to brush against his cheeks and chin. Wiggly... face? Wiggly face! Was there some kind of bug friend crawling on his face, he wondered, gently rubbing his cheeks with his paws... yet there was no bug. And even more confusing still - there was very little fuzz! Or rather, there was fuzz but it wasn’t where it was meant to be anymore at all! No, no, it was all covering the spot where his head was resting in the hammock and all over poor Goobie. What happened to Vermin’s squishy fluffy cheeks? Now they were squiggly and wiggly. Was the fluff scared of the squiggly wigglies and ran away out of his face? Vermin didn’t see why his fluffs should be scared of them... they felt kinda funny! And even if he couldn’t see them just yet, Vermin liked it! They were very cool! Daddy said that one day Vermin’s body might start changing - even more than just his fluffy head floof - and today was clearly that day! He giggled to himself for a moment, letting the weird whiskers wiggle against his hand for a moment longer before he finally remembered what he was trying to do. Fern! He needed to find Fern!

—

Sitting alone in the corner of the room, facing the wall, was Fern. How long had passed? She didn’t know... it was light now. Murmurs of breakfast almost being ready to serve up catching her ears but... how could anyone eat now? After all that? Her stomach was screaming yet she knew she couldn’t keep anything down if she tried. She’d barely eaten anything yesterday and... that wasn’t showing any signs of changing any time soon. Stressed... So stressed. She... wasn’t even sure she was herself anymore. It wasn’t just her fur that had shifted hue. Her phylactery - the core of her very being - stained beyond recognition. An alien combination of cream-ish yellow and pale red tainting its surface... a far cry from the familiar solid warm-grey hue it had always had since the moment her egg was laid. Her very soul... twisted and warped... She felt dizzy... weak... sore. Her head was pounding, her stomach clawing at her scratchy throat, her vision twisting and morphing so much that she couldn’t bare to open her eyes. The wall just about the only thing keeping her upright as she leant her head against it.

Dad was gone and she was here abandoned.
Dad was gone and everything was warped.
Dad was gone and the world was broken.
Broken, warped and abandoned...
She couldn’t even recognise herself in the mirror... What hope did he have of finding her if he came back now... She considered just allowing herself to collapse into a heap on the floor. Her body clearly wanted it... her limbs so heavy, slowly growing numb until... a wet nose pressed against her back?

—

“Fern!?” Vermin exclaimed, sniffing and snuffling his nose deep into his sister’s fur. He’d found her! And wow did she look different. Her fur donning a pretty grey, her moss brighter and seemingly shifting to her extremities. He knew exactly what this was! “Your curse is spreading!” It was just so obvious but as he poked and prodded her more he noticed something else... boots. Gem encrusted boots. “But there’s something new... new, new, oooo, hehehe, a second curse! How did you go and get Medusaed..? Better question! How can you be stone and predator? Are they fighting each other? Can they DO that!? Hold on, hold, on, hold-on-holdonholdon...” He didn’t even notice the glare crossing his sister’s face as he skittered across the floor, somehow managing to slide on carpet as he made a mad scramble to grab his notebook from the bottom of his bag with the intensity of a starving lion gutting a zebra. Plushies, buttons, coins, pens all of it was scattered with reckless abandon as he tore out all the contents of the poor unsuspecting bag. His tail wildly thrashing behind him as he completely zoned in to the task at hand. “Notes... notes... notes... notes, notes, notes.” He mumbled until finally, “NOTES!” He cried, holding the notebook aloft with all the pride of a video game hero tearing a prized golden triangle from a musty old chest. The notebook itself, just about as neat as its owner as pages seemed to be just barely hanging in there, half with corners chewed clean off, half torn in general but one hundred percent loved to bits. It was a miracle the thing didn’t crumble to pieces in his hands or simply explode as he transferred it over to his tail and bounced all the way back to his sister.

“Fern! Fern! Where did I leave off? Uhhh... RIGHT! Two curses! Battle to the death! Stalemate!” He yelled, huge grin plastering his face as he excitedly snatched his notebook from his tail and immediately began flipping through it to get to the right page... or group of pages at least.
“Daff...” Fern gave an exasperated sigh as she turned to look her brother in the eye. She was tired... so tired. Vermin had never seen her this messy but he didn’t seem all too phased as he chimed a quick, “Yes?”
“I’m not... I... I’m not... cur-” she sighed, struggling to let out the words.
“Not going to die. Yes.” That had to be what she was worrying about, the brown kit thought to himself as he lightly chewed the part of his pen closest to his face. Many a ballpoint had exploded in his hands due to this thoughtful nibbling but his jaw was annoyingly good at hiding when it was being naughty from his brain. Anyway, anyway, back to figuring this out. “You are clearly a valuable host. Too valuable for either curse to kill outright. Uhh... the sudden presence of a second curse does seem to have sped up the preexisting golem curse! Yes! Just look! Your moss is all gone! Well not ALLLLL-all but you know, you know!” Vermin wildly gestured toward her ears and tail, causing her to duck out of the way of the pen tip which got dangerously close to her eye, “Now have you been hearing any voices?”

“Voicccccccessssss~...” as if on cue, an unfamiliar voice hissed from behind him. Fern flinched back, eyes as round as dinner plates as she stared in startled fear toward the cause of the sound... Vermin? Not so much. A huge gasp was drawn into his tiny body as his eyes sparkled. Everything was dropped in that moment. Nothing but him and his new friend. “OH! Hello there, little fella!” He beamed, immediately casting his notes and pen aside to flop over onto his back to better see his tail. It didn’t have eyes but it did seem a touch off put by the sudden burst of energy from the kit it was now part of. Granted, it needn’t worry about being the centre of attention for too long, however, as Vermin’s eyes quickly darted toward the new additions on his back feet. “OOOOH! And such cute little booties too! You shouldn’t have! Shame my Midas wish seems to have gotten to them already, huh... Pretty though!” He addressed... seemingly nobody while staring at the ceiling? Strange.

—

Fern just sighed again. This was pretty normal too, just another one of his vast array weird habits. She still wasn’t feeling great but even if she was feeling absolutely fine, she truly dreaded the day she’d have to fight someone who was picking on him. He... he scared her sometimes. She knew that this was normal for him. Healthy and happy and such a bright little thing but... other kits? They wouldn’t be so kind. She knew that and it was enough to make her feel ill by itself... let alone the nagging feeling of dryness that gripped her tighter and tighter by the moment. The sickness deep in the pit of her stomach... churning and churning... never stopping.
“No kidding...” she spluttered, trying not to gag as she caught sight of those horrible tendrils again, “Those flesh boots are... the least offensive of your new... uh... additions. I guess...” Was just about all she managed to get out before her eyes finally rolled back and she felt her body topple over toward the floor. Her legs had been quivering that whole time without the support of the walls but it seemed as if that was just about all they had in them. Her lips felt dry as the world spun and spun... swirling and swirling slowly into the dark abyss. She regretted opening her eyes again... should have just... left them... closed.

—

Thud! The sound of their sibling impacting the floor shook Vermin to their senses. Was she... ok? She was still breathing. But aside from checking that he didn’t know what to do. Oh what to do, what to do?

“BREAKFAST IS READY! COME GET IT WHILE IT’S STILL WARM!” A strong voice called from the hallway, it was the lady. The big blue lady! She could help... probably. After a few moments more of umming and ahhing, unsure if he should leave Fern’s side or not, Vermin quickly darted out into the hallway.
“HELP! Helphelphelphelp!” The small brown kit screamed, all of his paws tapping violently against the floor so fast that it was almost as if he was trying to bore a hole right through it as he skidded to a halt in front of an adult. Not the one he was aiming for though. No, no, this was a different one. Still a bit of blue but brown like him.
“A-Ah... um... h-hey now, little buddy, s-slow down a-a bit there...” Was just about all the startled Eeko could respond with, waving their hands slightly in front of them as they tensed up before him like a deer in headlights. “Wh-wh-what’s the matter?”
“Fern fell! Fern, Fern! She fell!” Vermin cried before spinning on his heels and sprinting back into the room he just came from.
“Follow... follow...” his tail chimed in as it disappeared around the doorframe, leaving the poor brown folk no choice but to do as instructed.

By the time he’d gotten back to Fern’s side, she was still on the floor. But he wasn’t worried anymore. There was a grown-up now! Here to help!
“O-oh no... oh dear.” Said grown-up stuttered, rushing toward the grey child and quickly checking her over for injuries. “How uh... how did this-?”
“She was sitting and talking and then she was on the floor!”
“I-I see... u-uhm... just... uh... NANA!” They called out toward the hallway, scooping the fainted child up into their arms. “NANA, COULD YOU COME HERE, PLEASE!?”
As if summoned by magic, the sound of bunny hops slapping on the floor suddenly started getting closer and closer until the yellow den mother was in clear view. Though by the time she’d reached the small gathering, Fern had already started to stir with a small groan - much to the relief of everyone.
“Are you ok, Eeko? What’s going on here?” Nana asked, peeking over their lover’s shoulder with deep concern laced across her face. The den staff had, had this kit under their care for just under 24 hours and she was already worse for wear... though Susan had mentioned to keep a keen eye on this one in particular since she’d barely touched her meal last night. Chances are she hadn’t drunk much of anything either, which was only confirmed by the nervous adult’s next sentence.
“This kit... they fainted, there’s no injuries but they’re very dehydrated... do you think you could... um... uh...”
“Grab them a cup of water? Sure! I’ll be right back! If they come fully around, make sure to sit them down somewhere. They’ll need a few minutes to fully recover.” The yellow bunny lady finished for them, quickly leaping away to go fetch said cup of water.

—

Fern groaned slightly as she forced open her eyes, the light in this room was blindingly bright for a moment as they struggled to readjust to regaining their responsiveness. Slowly but surely her vision came back, she could see her brother talking to someone... someone who was holding her. Their voices still a muffled jumble of sounds to her ears until...
“Hey, let’s sit you down, huh?” The adult spoke, their voice was soft yet she could hear a slight quiver in it as they stood and carried her toward a nearby beanbag. “Nana’s going to go get you something to drink and-“
“How long... how long was I out for?” Fern asked bluntly, staring them directly in the eyes, causing them to flinch slightly. Not the kind of question they’d expected, especially not that confidently. Had this... happened before?
“W-well... uh... no longer than a few seconds, I’d say... uh... a-about twenty-five? Thirty? You were already trying to wake up by the time I got here.”
“Good.” She didn’t seem too phased in the slightest. If anything she seemed almost... angry at herself? Maybe they were reading too deep... Her parent hadn’t left any medical records aside from his son’s allergies... right? A history of fainting wasn’t something to be taken lightly. By the time Eeko was midway though processing this information in their head, Nana had already returned and was passing the much needed drink to the child.

—

Taking the glass in her paws and pressing its smooth surface to her lips, Fern felt a strange sense of calm clarity. Just her and the water... Pay not attention to the reflection upon its surface. Slipping down her throat, the chilled water felt overwhelmingly welcome and despite the insistence from Nana that she simply sip the drink, it was already half gone the moment it hit her mouth. It surprised even her how quickly she’d managed to gulp it down, the action practically automatic. She clearly needed it... and before she knew it, it was gone.

“Well, that was fast...” Nana chuckled, a hint of awkwardness in her tone but it was barely recognisable. “Say, you two haven’t had breakfast yet, huh? How’s about I take this finished cup and bring your food in here for you? Save you the trip, let you rest up for a bit.”
“I’m fi-“
“YES!” Vermin exclaimed from beside his sister, completely cutting her off. “Morning means hungry and hungry means breakfast!” He beamed with a little wiggle. “Vermin is very hungry so Fernie Fern must be too!” She stared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes.
“Come on, Fern, some food will do you good!” The short yellow folk smiled, placing her free hand on her hip in a prideful manner as she held the cup in the other, “Susan worked so hard to make it just right for you. She’s a very good cook, you know.”
“...fine.” The kit finally sighed, defeated. As upset as she was, she knew deep down that she couldn’t argue with that... she was starving. She just hoped she could keep it down.
“Great! I’ll be right back!”

—

Nana was right! This food was good! Vermin more than happily stuffed his face, occasionally glancing over at his sister who was slowly and carefully spooning small mouthfuls into her... well... mouth with a spoon. That’s where the mouthfuls go, that’s why it’s called a mouth full! Hm... did a mouth empty exist? Was that just a spoon of air or would that be a mouthful of air? Could you put void on a spoon? Could you even eat a void or would it eat you first!? Wait... maybe he was thinking about this all weird... if a mouthful was putting in then... VERMIN DIDN’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT MOUTH EMPTIES ANYMORE!

Fern let out a soft chuckle as she watched her brother’s expression shift out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t know what he was thinking about this time but whatever it was, it made him suddenly pull a strange face of alarm. She was sure he was fine though and she was already starting to feel a whole lot better as the food hit her stomach. Each delicate spoonful of breakfast helping toward the common goal of satiation. Yes, she paid close heed as her father’s voice from years gone by echoed in her ears as if spoken in that moment, telling her to pace herself and take her time if she felt ill. A lesson Daff was yet to learn by the looks of things as he had yet again given himself hiccups from gorging himself too fast. Silly kit...

It was quiet here in the bedroom... serene and calm... the adults had left after she’d eaten about half of the bowl they’d given her. Tasked her brother with keeping an eye on her while they attended to their other tasks of the day. The other kits were in the dining hall apparently, that was where the meals were eaten, after all. Or rather that’s where they were intended to be eaten when not in a special situation such as hers.

Softly tracing the patterns on the ridge of the bowl with her fingers, she took in all it’s uneven ridges and bumps... the tiny rough chips of exposed ceramic in the top, the contrast they held with smooth glazed surface of the rest of the bowl. Old and worn yet still shiny and loved. So hard yet so brittle a simple throw would smash it. Shattered into a million pieces. Smash it. Just throw it against a wall! Smash it! NO! No, no, no. She couldn’t smash it. It wasn’t hers. And even if it was hers, it was a just an innocent bowl, here to help provide her a much needed meal. The shards could hurt her. Hurt her brother. It’d be such a mess to clean up. The den mothers would punish her. There would be one less bowl to use for meal times. Someone could go without food just because she decided to do something as stupid as throw it to see it explode into bits. Why on Earth would she want to smash it? What was wrong with her mind?! This had happened a lot before. She’d thought it’d gone away over the past few months... but when... whenever something big happened. Something difficult... these weird sudden thoughts would appear, showing her doing horrible, terrible things that she never do. That she never ever wanted to happen all in the name of ‘what would happen if’. Breaking things... hurting people she loved... it scared her. It scared her so much. Another thing to add to the pile, she guessed...

—

The sudden sound of many tiny rushing paws caught her attention. The other kits were coming back from breakfast, she knew that much. But they seemed to be talking about something, excitement filling their voices. Noon? No, moon, they were saying moon. Circle of Moon? A field trip to Willow Valley? It was too soon, surely... they couldn’t go back... she couldn’t let her brother see that sign that was probably posted outside of the house the moment their father got home. She just couldn’t... She’d hoped for more time. She’d hoped to at least be preoccupied with things inside for today and yet fate had other plans, as always. Straining her ears, she could also pick up on a few of them mentioning woolies... At least, the farmland was decently far away from their former home. At least, maybe, just maybe, they’d pick a path that avoided that street in particular. Had her father even taken Daffodil to go see the livestock before during the time his memory would have stuck? She couldn’t quite remember but she was sure that their journeys out that way had slowed significantly if not fully stopped after... well... after Daff entered the world.

“Fern?” The sound of her name pieced through her thoughts like dart though a water balloon, shocking her back into awareness. “Fern, Den Mum Nana wants to take your bowl now.” Daffodil prompted her with a gentle nudge to her shoulder and a tilt of his head. Sure enough, there she was again - the yellow bunny-like den mother, waiting calmly with her paw outstretched.
“O-oh! Alright.”
“Great work eating and drinking all of this, Fern.” The adult smiled warmly, taking the now-ready-to-be-washed-up bowl from the kit. “Now if you head out of here and go left you’ll see where everyone is gathered around. You’re looking for a light brown-ish orange adult with a green tail and a dark blue bandana.”
“Got it.” The grey kit nodded, leaning on her brother for support slightly as she got to her feet. It took a tiny bit of focus but she was quickly stable enough to exit the room. Next stop? Going to find that adult and the rest of the kits... this was going to be an experience. That was certain. Good or bad? Yet to be decided.

4045 Words
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31/154 Acorns