Rabbit Season

The noise of glass hitting the ground sounded throughout the house like a gunshot. Maura’s eyes were ripped open in shock as she let out a horrifying

scream. The remains of the dead animal lay in a mangled heap on her porch. The animal’s throat had been ripped open, and its eyes clawed out. Red bloodstains soaked into the welcome mat, and although the creature had been ripped apart and mutilated beyond repair, the white cotton-ball tail lying off to the side gave it away as a rabbit. A dead rabbit. A dead rabbit that someone had left on her porch for her to discover. What kind of a sick, disgusting person would do such a horrible thing, She thought, and then leave it on my front porch almost like some cruel, sadistic message? She pondered over this last thought for a moment, until it became the first thing to sit right with her since the sight of the tortured rabbit; someone was trying to send her a message… or a warning. She turned to walk inside and call the police when she saw a flutter of paper stuck between two planks of wood, which helped make up the front porch. She reached down and snatched it up between two fingers. As she lifted it up to her face to read it, she realized just how clear the message was. Written messily with what looked like the rabbit’s blood, the slip of paper said: I Know What You Are. And You Know What Happens Next. Leave, You Piece Of Filth.  The paper slipped from her hand and caught the wind, flying away. She dropped the cracked handle of her broken teacup onto the ground just before she threw up all over it.