It’s a fucking dead rabbit.
Already neatly field-dressed and hanging from a cord on one of the tool hooks near my front door.
My skin prickles with awareness as I set the crate of honey down, and I scan the vicinity for trespassers.
The fact that it’s field-dressed already seems promising. As though whoever put it here didn’t have malicious intent.
Gideon doesn’t hunt but once a year or so—and never for rabbit.
My nearest neighbor is Beau.
Maybe he decided to give me one?
We often hunt together and share whatever we kill.
Fucking weird; he just left it here to potentially spoil without even trying to tell me. Though I don’t usually carry my phonewith me, and the late October weather has brought a chill, so maybe...
My mind tries to rationalize the most benign of possibilities, but still that knot in my gut won’t leave.
As I grip the rope by which its legs are tied, I realize the carcass is cold—as if I’ve just pulled it out of a cooler.
What in the shit?
I make quick work of skinning the rabbit before wrapping it in parchment and tossing it in my meat freezer so I can return to my original task. As soon as I’ve loaded the crates of honey into the back of my truck to bring to a local grocery store, I grab my phone from the center console—which is right where I left it almost twenty-four hours ago.
Opening our thread, I quickly type out a message to Beau.
How long has that rabbit been sitting there for?
I stare at my phone, waiting, and a few moments later, his ellipsis bubble pops up.
What rabbit?
The knot in my gut tightens. Surely...
Are you fucking with me?
???
I’m staring at my phone in disbelief.
Respectfully, Beau is a fucking clown.
I wouldn’t even remotely put it past him to do something like this just to fuck with me.
That has to be it.
Real funny, fucker.
Brother, I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.
Hilarious.
... Are you okay?
My brows knit tightly together as I shake my head, chuckling.
I gotta give it to you, this may be your best joke yet.