The Bunny Story
- Seattle Prep Ignite
- May 11, 2018
- 2 min read
A once-pristine white stuffed bunny, stained grey from the Eastern Washington dust and oil, lay forgotten at Love’s Truck Stop. Its long-tattered ears hung off the curb in front of the store, listening to the bell ring as the doors swung open and closed. The truck stop’s gas pumps were all vacant except one.
“Hey, Ray, come check this out!” shouted Bo Bradley as he waved over his buddy, still sitting in the green eighteen-wheeler parked at pump eleven.
With a loud slam of the truck door, the man with an oversized grey shirt and Budweiser hat made his way over after stomping his empty cola can into the ground.
Looking down at the filthy bunny in Bo’s hands, Ray asked, “What about it? It’s just a grimy stuffed animal. Some kid getting candy from inside probably left it out here.”
“No, no, this one’s different, I swear!” retorted the usually calm-tempered Bo.
“I’m confused… Different than what?”
“Look, it even has the blue eyes she always talked about wanting him to have,” Bo whispered, running his thumb over the chipped plastic buttons.
“Bo, what the hell are you talking about?”
Ray’s question didn’t register.
“Hello? Earth to Bo! You’re starting to creep me out.”
“What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you. What did you say again?” Bo muttered, finally looking up from the ragged children’s toy.
“I asked what the hell are you even talking about? And who’s this chick you’re always saying shit about, anyways? You keep mumbling things about her, but you still haven’t told me who she is.”
"Uh, you know what, I’ll just tell you later. Let’s just get that coffee you wanted in the first place. You said they have it here, right?”
Tentatively Ray replied, “Yeah, I’m pretty sure they do, but it could be the Love’s in Ritzville… I don’t remember. After driving for as long as I have, all the truck stops blur together. Are you sure you’re all right, man?”
“I’ll be okay. I think I’ll get the hang of it soon.”
"I remember how hard my first couple months of driving were. Don’t worry, it gets a little easier every time.”
And with that, Ray proceeded into Love’s, leaving Bo and the bunny outside. As the front door closed, Bo propped the grey creature up on the red and yellow house-shaped newspaper dispenser. He took out his phone and started to dial the memorized number, but he couldn’t bring himself to call; after all, he was the one who left them.
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