I find myself...alone? Not quite alone, I call to a friend. "Bill, be careful, I see something up ahead". I don't know who Bill is, but in the moment, they
feel as if they are a friend. The woods are well into autumn and the leaves show it. The ground covered in a carpet of fallen amber leaves. I don't know how
the air feels. I'm dressed for autumn, but I don't feel any chill or warmth as I creep through the woods. I'm...armed? I have a weapon. I don't know what it is
but I know that I have it. I am unsure why I am here, but I press on, a mission in mind.
In the distance, I see it. A seemingly defunct farm. Buildings in disrepair and falling apart. Any signs of fields are long since overgrown by wild grasses and trees. We
approach as quietly as possible. Drawing nearer, it still appears to be abandoned, but as we round a corner near the front door. I spot it. A camera, I hiss back to Bill,
"There's a ring camera, stay out of sight, I think it already saw me"
No sooner than I finish warning Bill, the front door swings open. A large, gaunt man steps out and eyes me with suspicious intent. He is dressed as a farmer and has a thick
graying beard. He asks, in a deep but stern voice, "What exactly are you doing here?". I freeze for a moment. I debate using my weapon on him, but I spot behind him children
and think better of it. Thinking quickly, a small lie, hopefully to throw him off, "Hunting, or at least trying to, was tracking some game and it lead up to this farm. I thought
it might have been abandoned if I didn't notice the ring camera system there." I point to the camera at the corner of his front porch. His face softens, only slightly so.
"Well why didn't you say so?" he exclaims. "I'd be happy to escort you to some...better hunting grounds." His voice seems excited, but there is still a lingering unease in his words.
His daughters come out and begin to play amongst the ruins of a nearby barn. He heads back inside, shouting out "One second, I'll get my stuff and we can head out". I catch glimpses of the
children in my peripheral. Something is off about them, they sing a song, but I don't recognize any of the words. The rubble seems to hold a horrible secret, but I cannot grasp it's form
How I ended up in his greenhouse, I do not know. Like the rest of the farm, it is in disarray and shambles. Dead or dying plants hang from planters. Old and dried vines choke the walls where glass
once kept out the elements. He is explaining to me about his family. The words don't register. He finishes up by picking up his shotgun and saying, "But of course, that's why honesty is so
important." He turns his gaze to me, loading his weapon, "Don't you agree?". The words seem almost as menacing as the loaded shotgun, now in his hands. I nod my head, and look to leave the greenhouse.
We begin walking towards the woods away from his house. Some bushes rustle near us and a rabbit pops out of the bush. That's when I see it. The rabbit has red growths and exposed sores. "Now
look at that." I gesture towards the rabbit again. The man's face shifts as he sees it. "Stay back, we have to kill it, take a shot at it" his voice has the intonation of a command. I level
my rifle to take a shot at it, but his daughter skips towards it. I feel hesitation, I'm not going to take a shot with a child there. "I can't, your daughter is there!". He begins to coo and
plead with his daughter to move away. Eventually, he can wait no longer as the rabbit moves towards her. He intercedes between them and fires his shotgun. The report is loud. He fires again and
again.
The rabbit oozes green from it's multiple bullet holes. However, it still seems to live. "Finish it. Put a bullet in it's head" he fumbles backwards with his shotgun. I level my rifle
and take the shot. The shot echoes through the woods. A final large hole appears in the rabbits head. It stops moving. The farmer is beginning to thank me, but as he approaches, reality
comes crashing back into view. I'm in my bed. The dream has ended.