The Rabbit is Starving

This is a free short story, published in October 2021:

You are sat down on your sofa, having just come home from work, whilst your partner has gone to a birthday party. The year is 1982. She must have left, the radio on, and it begins playing the song, In the Valley of the Sun. Approximately, 1 minute and 8 seconds into the song, the radio begins to glitch and falter, until the room falls silent.

A distorted voice begins to breathe, through the speaker, getting louder and louder. “Hello my love, do you recognise me?”

The voice is so mechanical and robotic, but you recognise her, “It has been so long, and yet you have moved on. Do you still think of me? The Rabbit is Starving.”

You pause, not believing what you are hearing, and that you must be going crazy. But, you also don’t know what to say. What should you say? The female voice on the radio, waiting for you, but will wait no longer.

“8 years I have waited. Do you remember that fateful day? Do you remember the last words I said to you? The Rabbit is Starving. I cannot keep breathing, but I do. I don’t want to breathe. I am still alive, but I feel weird. The Rabbit is Starving. “

You continue to sit there, not knowing what to do or to say. “Are you surprised?”

You cannot help yourself but say yes. There is another pause. “I am surprised. The Rabbit is Starving.”

You stand up, to turn the radio off, “Let me out! Let me out! I’m having trouble breathing, and my stomach feels weird. Don’t turn me off. I want to be free.”

You pause before finally turning off the radio, and let the nightmare end. You feel yourself, breathing heavy, and a song coming from upstairs. As you climb up the staircase, you hear what sounds like a children’s song. When you reach your bedroom, you can hear the song, so much more clear, to be a Happy Birthday song. As you approach the radio stops playing the song.

“The Rabbit is Starving! The Rabbit is Starving! The Rabbit is Starving!” You quickly pull the cord out of the back of the radio. You cannot believe what has just happened. Then a noise comes from the dead radio. “Don’t be scared, it is only me. The Rabbit is Starving. The Rabbit can’t get out. The Rabbit is Starving. The Rabbit tries to escape, but is unsuccessful escape. The Rabbit is Starving. The Bunny Rabbit needs to get out. The Bunny Rabbit needs to get out. The Rabbit is Starving, The Rabbit is Starving, The Rabbit is Starving!

The Radio goes silent finally, apart from your begin to hear breathing from behind you. Do you dare to turn around? Do you dare face her? A voice begins singing from down the hallway, “How much is that doggie in the window? The one with the waggly tail. How much is that doggie in the window? I do hope that doggie is for sale.” A silence fills the room, as you wait, knowing she is still there, somewhere, somehow.

“The Rabbit is Starving!”

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