Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper
    Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper
    Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper
    Ebook255 pages3 hours

    Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper

    By Lazette Gifford

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Bunny always knew her family was odd, but she never realized how strange until she found herself joining her brothers in an ageless war against magic she never knew existed. It's time to let the Inner Bunny loose as she battles trolls and worse.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherA Conspiracy of Authors
    Release dateMar 7, 2014
    ISBN9781936507474
    Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper
    Author

    Lazette Gifford

    Lazette is an avid writer as well as the owner of Forward Motion for Writers and the owner/editor of Vision: A Resource for Writers.It's possible she spends too much time with writers.And cats.

    Read more from Lazette Gifford

    Related to Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper

    Titles in the series (14)

    View More
    View More

    Related ebooks

    Fantasy For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Shanda

      Jan 1, 2024

      Shanda
      13 min read

    • Article

      Mothering–The Long Haul by Mandy Nolan

      Mar 4, 2021

      I remember packing my five kids in my Mum van and wondering if I would ever get my life back. The endless shopping, wiping, driving, dropping off, picking up, encouraging, hassling and general micromanaging sometimes made me feel like my head was goi

      3 min read

    • Article

      Lineal Gaps

      Apr 6, 2021

      Lineal Gaps
      15 min read

    • Article

      White Paper Family

      Aug 11, 2019

      White Paper Family
      9 min read

    • Article

      Evidence

      Mar 6, 2023

      Evidence
      25 min read

    • Article

      Counselor of Chippewa Cabin

      Jun 26, 2020

      Counselor of Chippewa Cabin
      5 min read

    • Article

      Advent

      Nov 22, 2018

      Advent
      8 min read

    • Article

      Class Act

      Oct 27, 2020

      Class Act
      6 min read

    • Article

      My Best Friend

      Oct 1, 2020

      My Best Friend
      6 min read

    • Article

      My Last Moment With Mom

      Jul 25, 2019

      My Last Moment With Mom
      4 min read

    • Article

      Dressing THE PART

      Oct 6, 2021

      Dressing THE PART
      6 min read

    • Article

      A Class ACT

      Dec 29, 2020

      A Class ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      Ellie Kemper

      Oct 22, 2018

      The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star on her new essay collection, befriending animals and the perks of being a redhead

      2 min read

    • Article

      Daddy’s new FRIEND

      Jun 29, 2021

      Daddy’s new FRIEND
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Return Of Mrs Amber

      Jun 16, 2020

      The Return Of Mrs Amber
      6 min read

    • Article

      When Mum LEFT HOME

      Jun 1, 2022

      When Mum LEFT HOME
      4 min read

    • Article

      Class ACT

      Mar 18, 2020

      Class ACT
      6 min read

    • Article

      Now That I’ve Arrived

      Dec 30, 2020

      Now That I’ve Arrived
      5 min read

    • Article

      Birthday Surprise

      Sep 17, 2021

      Birthday Surprise
      5 min read

    • Article

      How Embarrassing

      Dec 9, 2019

      I had my cousin’s one-year-old kid sit on my lap at a family get-together over Christmas and hadn’t noticed she’d undone the straps on my super cute tie-up dress as I was talking away. When I stood up, my dress just fell to the floor and I flashed my

      3 min read

    • Article

      Spilt Milk

      Nov 4, 2019

      Spilt Milk
      10 min read

    • Article

      My Secret

      Jan 23, 2020

      Calling out from the top of the stairs, I wanted my mum to come and check on something. ‘My head feels weird,’ I shouted down to her. ‘What is it darling? Oh I see…’ she said coming to inspect the back of my scalp and noticing that chunks of my hair

      4 min read

    • Article

      In The Place Of Our Parents

      Oct 13, 2017

      In The Place Of Our Parents
      11 min read

    • Article

      Social Promotion

      Mar 19, 2024

      I didn’t understand. If that boy couldn’t read, why was he up there? The girl they originally had hosting the ceremony didn’t show, but why they put that boy there? Just because he volunteer for everything? You can’t read off enthusiasm. It made the

      21 min read

    • Article

      What We Talk About When We Talk About Reincarnation

      Apr 10, 2023

      My boyfriend, Mike, was talking, just really going on like he was delivering a lecture in one of his economics classes. He’s twice my age, so he thinks that gives him the right. Our friends call us Michael squared when they think they’re being cute,

      18 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Beware the Wrath of Bunny Hopper - Lazette Gifford

      Chapter Two

      I woke the next morning to a foggy, cool day with the light grey and dull outside my window. I dressed quickly, though I had to adjust my usual makeup to go with the new pink hair -- more highlights around the eyes, less blush. By the time I got downstairs, mom had hot cinnamon rolls ready and dad and the boys were already heading out to the pickups. Brad, who was a year younger than me, would go to school and then head off to work with dad later. Dad, Tom, David and Mike would head straight to work, though, and they all looked glum this morning. I heard David mumble something about the fog, so no one was happy with the weather.

      I thought how hard it would be to always head off to work, never having any choices about how to spend their time. I wondered what I was going to do in the future. I didn't want to be like mom, spending all my time at the house. I didn't want to be Mary May, either, looking for someone to take her away, as though she wasn't going to take all her problems with her. She was working at a degree in English Lit, which I supposed meant she was going to teach. Her comments about the lazy and useless generations younger than hers made this sound like a really bad idea to me.

      I ate my roll and started for the door. Then I stopped and went back to the kitchen.

      Thanks for standing by me with the hair stuff. I gave mom a quick hug.

      Why wouldn’t I? she asked, startled.

      Because I'm odd, you know. Parents don't usually want odd in their children.

      "You aren't odd. You're Bunny. Now get off to school and be careful."

      The last words had an odd intensity to them. Granted, there had been some peculiar things going on in town, but nothing really dangerous. Cars were catching fire and there was considerable property destruction and stuff like that. According to the news, the police were trying to track down the gang or gangs responsible. The chief of police had looked annoyed and formidable. I was glad I wasn't in any gang.

      The weather didn't help make me feel better, though. I stepped out into the fog and glared into the grey and shadowed world. I could barely see the house across the street. Sounds echoed oddly from one corner to the next, and as far as I could tell, I was the only one on the block. Kimmie would have gone to work with her mother this morning so she wouldn’t be along to walk with me.

      I could take care of myself.

      As I passed the house next door, bushes stirred in a soft whisper of sound. A squirrel was probably in them, I told myself. Or a nice furry bunny. Then something moved in the fog ahead of me, the huge and lumbering shape making an odd scratching sound. Kid on a bike, I silently repeated several times, though I caught tighter hold of my purse thinking about the pepper spray and cell phone I carried. I don't spook easily, but something about this. . . .

      A car drove up behind me, the pale lights dancing through the fog. The kid on the bike disappeared. I hate to admit how relieved I was to find the older of our two pickups pull up beside me with Brad behind the steering wheel. The passenger side window rolled down and he leaned over that way with a quick smile.

      Hey Bunny, come on. I'll give you a ride today.

      I wasn't slow to agree though I did frown as I tossed in my bunny backpack and climbed up to the seat. I had always thought it unfair that the boys got to drive the pickups, and even Brad -- a year younger than me -- had the use of this vehicle while I didn't. Okay, so he needed to go from school to work with dad right after class, but still on a day like today, I felt the unfairness of it all.

      Seatbelt, he said. I knew the rules and buckled in. He gave the bushes an odd glance but pulled away. Nasty weather out there. I thought you might like a ride to school.

      Yeah, I agreed and felt better for the protection of the car. What are you doing here? I thought you'd already left.

      He pulled up to the stop sign, looking nervously to the right and left. Maybe driving in the fog bothered him more than walking in it had bothered me. There didn't seem to be any other cars around, though, despite the hour.

      Brad glanced my way and frowned. Things are odd in town, that's all, he said, his voice soft as though he feared someone would hear and ruin his up-and-coming macho image. I almost snorted, but the glance he have me showed way too much worry. Dad told me to go get you and take you to school today.

      Dad, I said, caught off guard. Dad worried about me.

      Brad gave me a startled glance before he drove on. The fog seemed to have gotten worse. Why wouldn't he be worried?

      Maybe you haven't noticed, but he's really not spent a lot of time with me or Mary May, you know.

      Oh, I suppose not, but that doesn't mean he hasn't thought about you.

      And I should know this because . . . ?

      The fog fell away into small wisps as we reached the school parking lot. Brad found the first spot and pulled in, but he put a hand on my arm when I started to get out.

      Bunny --

      I always envied you and the other boys, I admitted, winning a new look of shock and dismay from him. You were always going out with dad on the weekends, always doing stuff with him, while Mary May and I might as well not even have existed.

      Oh. His fingers tightened on my arm. Yeah, I can see how you would feel that way. Is that the problem with Mary May?

      Maybe part of it, I agreed, surprised that Brad had noticed Mary May's attitude. I thought I must have been blind, or just so used to it because she had always treated me the same way.

      I pushed the door open and started to get out.

      We never had a choice, you know, he said softly. And I always envied how you and Mary May did.

      I turned back to say something, but he had already gotten out of the car and hurried towards the gate. I watched him, his head bowed, and wondered why none of my brothers had ever been given choices. I hadn't thought about how they all went to work with dad. How they spent all their time with dad. How they had far less free time than I did.

      Brad! I rushed forward and he draped an arm over my shoulder. You gave me something to think about that I've been too blind to see.

      Ditto, he replied.

      We had reached the gate and others -- oh yes, they looked my way. I had forgotten about the hair already. Brad patted my arm and hurried off towards his first class. I headed to the right --

      And there stood a problem I hadn't expected to run into already. Megan Dishlin waited by the door to the building with a group of her hanger-ons nearby. Megan was the school Diva and drama queen, her punk black hair always set in perfect spikes and curls. Tall and thin, she never simply stood or sat; she posed as though there was always a camera on her and she didn't want to miss the perfect shot. She counted herself the top of the in-girl pyramid, and before today I wouldn’t have rated one of the bricks at the base.

      Megan stared at me. Her followers stared. I suspected they wouldn't have recognized me, except for my trademark bunny accessories. I walked past them without a word, finding it amusing to be on the other side of that behavior.

      Kimmie pushed away from the wall and joined me, grinning brightly. I've been standing here for twenty minutes, waiting for you to show up and go past Megan, since that's her favorite spot to gather her companions before making an entrance.

      "Is it? I didn't realize. At least I didn't get the usual Bunny hop hop hop to class crap."

      I bet you're going to have an interesting day, Kimmie said.

      Thinking back on it, maybe I can blame everything on Kimmie's line. Interesting didn't cover half of it by the time the day was done.

      We went to English Class. I did far better in that course than Mary May ever did, which made me wonder again about her choice of degree. Did she have a choice? Was she trapped like my brothers?

      I walked slowly from English to Computer Skills, dreading the next hour. I had nothing against computers and programing, but the teacher, Mr. Kyros, gave me the willies sometimes. Mrs. Baxter had been the teacher at the start of the year, but she'd had an accident and they hired Mr. K to take her place. He does know his computers, but he's someone who probably interacts better with machines than with people.

      He's a short guy with a perfect goatee, an odd accent and walks with a silver-topped cane that he likes to pound against the side of the desk if he thinks you aren't paying sufficient attention. He also smells funny, despite that he seems to bathe in cologne. I wanted to feel sorry for him at first since he seemed such an odd, out of place guy -- but I gave that up after the first couple classes. He clearly liked being the way he was and went out of is way to annoy some of us.

      Patrick, one of the school jocks, is really good with computers. I soon realized this annoyed Mr. K, who doesn’t want anyone to be better than him. He doesn't get along with the guys very well, to be honest, and he treats all the females with a sickly sweetness that just makes him ickier. And creepy, too. I hate it when he drops his hand on my shoulder.

      Today wasn't so bad. Mr. K seemed preoccupied and hardly left his desk. The rest of us worked through our problems and no one was slow to leave.

      It wasn't until lunch that things picked up again. I was a bit late and I glanced around when I came in. Megan and her group had their usual bright spot in the sunlight, where she held court for her followers and some of the jocks. Patrick sat there, but he smiled in my direction. Yesterday, he wouldn't have noticed I existed, despite being Brad's friend.

      Megan waved me over to join them.

      I was now one of the chosen.

      I turned away and went to sit with Kimmie and Eve.

      Wow, Eve said, looking past my shoulder to Megan's table. You could have been one of the in-crowd, Bunny. What are you doing here sitting with the peons?"

      I have no intention of being one of them. I pulled an apple and sandwich from my backpack. So how are things going with you two, today?

      We were all having a pretty normal day,. Kimmie dreaded afternoon Algebra. I dreaded HomeEc. We commiserated over lunch and headed out for the rest of the classes.

      As I left, I noticed Patrick still watching me, though he looked away in haste when I turned his way. So, all it took was bright pink hair to draw Mr. Jock's attention? I started to get angry, but then I shrugged instead. After all, I had chosen the new look to prove I wasn't the mousy little girl from the day before. Why shouldn't Patrick, and others, notice me?

      I had annoyed Megan, which turned out to be a really nice side effect. I didn't realized how badly I had upset her until we were leaving school, though. Kimmie was off to help her mother again and I would be walking to my martial arts class alone. Trouble didn't start until after dark, so I would be alright heading there. I might take a taxi home, though.

      The fog had come back, thick and almost yellowish in color. I paused at the door looking out and didn't notice Megan coming up behind me.

      What the matter, little Bunny? she cooed, her voice dripping with more sarcasm than usual. Not ready to hop hop hop out there into the real world?

      I glanced her way with a shake of my head at her continued pettiness. Odd how her friends weren't laughing this time. In fact, Sylvia shook her head as though she suddenly realized how childish the behavior was. Maybe we were all growing up. Except, apparently, for Megan.

      Megan had continued to talk, but no one at all was listening to her, especially me. I realized she was getting very annoyed and took a step closer to me. I met her look as her eyes narrowed --

      Brad and Patrick arrived. Patrick asked Megan a question while Brad tapped my arm and we walked way. I almost thought they might have planned the ploy. Whatever works. I was glad to walk away from her stupid little games.

      Chapter Three

      Come on, Brad mumbled with a glance back at the others. I'll give you a ride to the Dojo.

      I wanted to decline because the walk would clear my head, but I really didn't like the fog, so I followed him to the pickup and gratefully climbed in. He stopped to look under the car and then climbed in and quickly slammed the door.

      Had the fog grown thicker just since we crossed the lot? Brad drove slowly away from school and spent considerable time looking down side streets and into alleys as we passed.

      What's going on, Brad? What are you worried about?

      He gave me a sidelong glance as we paused at a light. I thought he wasn't going to say anything at first. We used to be a lot closer, before he went off to work with the others. I felt that like a stab right now.

      The light changed. He shrugged and drove onward. It's a problem with dad's work, he admitted, but softly as though he didn't even want to say that much. Don't worry. We'll figure it out.

      Can I do anything? I asked.

      He gave me a quick, bright smile. Not this time. Besides, I remember when you helped me with my tricycle.

      Oh sure, bring that up. I still wasn't certain how dad ever got it put back together again.

      We might be busier than usual for a while, but we'll get things settled properly.

      I wondered if someone was complaining about their work, which filed me with righteous indignation. I knew my father and brothers would always do excellent jobs. Brad said nothing more until we pulled up in front of the dojo and temple, the tall, iron gate to the small yard between them open and inviting. The gate was worked in the design of two dragons, meeting at the latch. It looked far older than it could be, since the dojo was only a few years old.

      Thanks, Brad --

      I'll pick you up tonight, he said.

      Brad -- I started to protest. I didn't want the kind of brother who thought he needed to watch over his sister. Where the hell had this come from?

      I'll pick you up, he repeated and the look of worry on his face made me stop my tirade. Don't walk home. There's been too much bad stuff going on late at night.

      I could see true worry in his face so I gave him a nod of agreement. He smiled, relieved.

      Thanks. And Bunny -- I really like the new look.

      I closed the door and grinned as he pulled away, realizing there was less fog here. Funny how patchy the fog had been throughout town, and didn't seem to have anything to do with the river or the few creeks that crossed through the area. I didn't know enough about weather patterns to figure it out.

      I was too early for class so I headed into the temple for some meditation. I rarely found anyone in the little white-walled room, at least at this time of day. I caught the scent of incense as I slipped off my shoes and went to the bench by the wall. A small fountain splashed water in the center of the room and a light created little rainbows. I had learned to center myself here and let go of all the school-bred annoyances before I went to the dojo.

      Megan had annoyed me tonight, but I brushed the memory aside. She wasn't important. Instead, I focused on family. Amazing how blind I'd been to the things closest to me. I had always envied the boys going off to do things with dad, but now that I thought about it, I realized they'd come home less happy as they grew older.

      So why did they do it? Dad wasn't a tyrant. I couldn't believe he forced them into a life to suit him, which meant there was something more going on that I wasn't seeing. I'd been blind about a lot of things. I still couldn't blame them for mom being odd, though. We had all made our own choices, even if those included spending too much time painting cutesy little fantasy figurines.

      Except maybe my brothers didn't have a choice.

      I was confused. Meditation didn't help.

      Even so, I left the temple feeling better. Still too early for class, so I headed to my favorite café down the street for tea and a salad. The fog had lifted

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1