EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Chapter 20.

This is it. Life as you know it will cease to exit the moment you move you eyes below the picture of the magic egg. That's right, today is Easter! And not just any Easter, it's an Easter Bunny Apocalypse! I pity you, because you will be bunny dust by the time you're done reading Chapter 20, the final chapter of the tale 20 writers have spun for you, risking their furry lives. (Read how it started here.)

Please welcome our 20th and final author, Kevin Nielsen, (aka @Elevensink). Born to different cultures in the frigid arctic snowland of Canada, Kevin has always had a very vivid imagination. Playtime would often start with lego houses and soon finish with full wars between the yellow people and either some form of invincible enemy or the ever-popular Bathlands. He likes to write fan fiction and has a fascination for zombies and Lana Del Rey. 

Photo by Roderique "Dracorubio" Arisiaman

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE

Chapter 20 by Kevin Nielsen

Easter woke with a single, searing shot of pain in his abdomen. It emanated from his stomach and he could feel it travelling throughout his rabbit body. The purple war paint on his face glowed a crimson hue, and soon all of the warren was fixated on him. Even Gorse couldn’t look away, his attention solely focused on Easter’s apparent troubles.

“Easter, is everything—” Gorse was cut off by a strange female’s voice. Stranger still was that the voice was coming from Easter.

“I have failed you all,” began the female voice, using Easter as a vessel. His punishment. “I gave such life and such innocence to your kind. But most of all, I placed my trust in you.”

An air of tranquility swept the warren as if the voice had command over them. A subtle power strong enough to calm the fiercest of warrior rabbits. They'd done terrible deeds and now they had to listen.  The entire warren was still, not even a peep from the Peeps. All eyes were glued to Easter.

“I placed my eggs in one basket and it seems you have toppled it over and poisoned them. You have used my kindness and my trust to wage war against the humans. But I am here to stop you, once and for all. I am here to restore balance to the earth.”

There were some strange clicks coming from Easter; light began beaming from his eyes and his open mouth, as the angel, Astarte, channeled her energy throughout his frail body. His tail twitched and his ears lowered as the light grew brighter and stronger. Soon the entire warren was blinded by the light. When it was over, when the light was gone, there was not one  rabbit left in the warren.

All had been transformed into Peeps.

*****

“I want that Donnegan guy in my office, Chip. I want him in, now.”

“Yes,” Chip Carpenter fumbled with his words, unable to say any more than that. How could he disobey the new acting president?

“And escort those two kids back home. Oh, and Chip,” the president said, before going into the press conference, “You better not fuck this up.”

“I…I won’t, Madame President.” Chip nodded in agreement, then made his way toward the main lobby.

Malcolm and Leslie were waiting for him on an oversized sofa, guarded by two White House officials. They looked so small and fragile next to those men. Chip felt a certain responsibility for this. He'd been the one to suggest Bruce Donnegan in the first place.

“I’ll take it from here,” Chip informed the armed men. Malcolm held his sister's hand so tightly, that sweat had began to bead down his palm.

“What happened to Peter?” Malcolm asked as soon as they were alone. Leslie couldn’t let go of Malcolm's hand, fear forcing her to remain clenched to her brother. This…event, had brought them even closer together.

“Peter is fine. You guys did well by saving him. He will be rewarded for his actions.”

“What…what actions?” Leslie asked, looking from her brother to Chip, confusion distorting her normally cute features.

“Well, Leslie, Peter's the only bunny to ever have escaped the Peeps King. By doing so, he served as a distraction between Easter and the Peeps King. Had he not, and had you and Malcolm not brought him in to us in time, we wouldn't have known about Easter's ultimate egg-nuke plan. Peter saved us all from extinction, Leslie. What Easter had done, well, it brought some consequences to his warren. So, Peter's now the new rabbit in charge,” Chip answered, matter-of-factly.

*****

The newly-appointed, acting president took to the stage for her first, official press conference; a series of flashes lighting up the entire room. The White House logo shone brightly behind President Hillary Clinton. She smiled and then summoned the press to quiet down. This was important.

“As you all know, a terrific tragedy has swept the United States of America. Thousands, upon thousands, of people have perished...including our previous First Family.”

As expected, a hushed whisper fell over the room and another thirty seconds was needed to calm down the growing hysteria.

“Something new to our land has erupted and declared war against humankind. Some here are probably shocked to hear that…bunnies…were seemingly taking over our schools and destroying entire cities. But rest assured, nobody was more shocked than Bill and I.

“The bunnies’ revolution has opened the eyes of our new administration to the ever growing threat of inter-species warfare. We have tracked down and arrested Bruce Donnegan, whom we will question after I hold the very first inter-species negotiations with the newly appointed Chief of Warrens, Peter Braveheart.

"As you know, the toxin that Bruce unleashed against the rabbits as a counter attack measure was supposed to be minimally harmful against humans. We've now learned that he went off-grid after stepping onto the battlefield and suffering from previous post-traumatic stress syndrome. He...well, he started seeing everyone as a rabbit and began unleashing his toxin onto innocent civilians. In addition to the thousands of deaths he's caused, we fear we'll have agricultural repercussions from this for years to come. But, I can assure you, our new administration is prepared to handle all of this...”

President Clinton paused as a man dressed all in black came up to the podium and whispered something into her ear, then he hurried off the stage.

“Speaking of the new rabbit in charge, it seems that Peter Braveheart has just arrived. If you have any questions, please forward them to the chief of our newly expanded Inter-species Agency, Chip Carpenter.

*****

Peter was hopping back to the warren, his conversation with President Clinton still fresh in his mind. The war had indeed brought changes to America, changes Peter had not expected. He never would have thought he would be the new Chief of Warrens, that he would meet and discuss strategies with the president, or that he would ever see Malcolm again.

You see, Malcolm was a child the last time Peter had seen him. Once an adult, Malcolm shouldn’t have been able to understand Peter. That was child’s play, surely not common among adults. But there he'd been, with his sister, able to understand every word Peter had spoken.

Easter’s betrayal of the harmony pact with the pagan gods had cost them a lot. There was no more magic protecting humans from understanding animals, and there was no more alliances between endangered species. All had become one and one had become all.

When Peter entered the warren for the first time since hearing the devastating news, he half-expected to see the room full of Peeps. But instead he was greeted by loud cheers and chants from bunnies across the land. Brown bunnies, white bunnies, and those pesky red-orange ones too—they were all cheering for him. He barely had time to take in the panoramic view when a cheerful, little, girl bunny hopped up to him.

“Peter Braveheart, you saved us from the wrath of Ostara. We are forever grateful.”

“What…what happened to all the Peeps? I was told that my warren had…”

“He took them, sir. He took them and promised no vengeance to you or our warren,” the girl bunny said, thumping her back paw with excitement.

“Who? Who took them?” Peter asked, a single tear streaming down his left cheek. His whiskers twitched as he realized the impact of it all.

“The Peeps King, sir! The Peeps King said all was fair, now.”

Ostara had spoken the truth. Humans and bunnies could go back to their daily routines. She had saved them all—she had restored balance to our earth.

P.S.: It's the end of EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE! The last and 20th Chapter. Here are other Chapters for your furry reading pleasure: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, and Chapter 19.

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Chapter 19.

The end is imminent! And it's coming tomorrow! 20 writers have embarked on the craziest journey ever, writing 1 flash fiction chain story! Tomorrow the last and the 20th Chapter of Easter Bunny Apocalypse will be published and we will all perish! Today we're getting one step closer to the end with Chapter 19! (Read how it started here.)

Please welcome our 19th author, M.C. O'Neill, (aka @MCONeill2). M.C. I writes fantasy/sci-fi/occult books. He not only loves to write, but he love to read (which is probably why he got into writing in the first place). Some of his favorite authors are J.G. Ballard, Many Wade Welllman, Andersen Prunty, and P.K. Dick.

Photo by Erica

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE

Chapter 19 by M.C. O'Neill

Light.

Light tore through the black expanse of absolute zero. Space was so cold, and so was the judgment she had been ordered to carry out.

She sped toward her target, launched forth from a gilded eternity of warmth and love. As her corona burst through the radioactive broil of the Van Allen Belt, the angel Astarte unfolded from the cocoon her ten wings formed around her body during her hurtle through the void.  Her unfathomable velocity was broken to the horrid pace of twenty times the speed of sound.

Earth approached. With a groggy lift of the lids, she focused her bleary sight to a world on fire. For the longest time she had feared this would happen, and today was the day. She closed her eyes once again before making her final descent and began to pray.

“Easter, I have loved you for ages. During those countless years, I have been appointed as your shepherd and I have done all that I could to serve and protect your kind. So many gifts to you I have bestowed. From me, you have had the unfettered reign to the wonderful bounty my Father had seeded upon the world long before the first of you had ever hopped across its pastures.

“With my own eyes, I now see what horrors you have brought upon this beautiful planet. Instead of healthy, white billows revolving around it, I see only the sickness of green gas. Instead of the verdant tracts of vegetation, I see the scorch of fire and war. Instead of the azure waters of life, I see the rust puddles of death.

“When my sister, Inanna, had informed me of your foul transgressions, I failed to believe her. It’s quite obvious from the damage I see before me that I was not quick enough to respond to her truths. For that, I am sorry.

“I am not only sorry for the earth, but I am also sorry for you, Easter. What infernal forces had given you such terrible free will is still a mystery. But this is not your gift and it is not your time to receive such fruit, if ever. By judging from what you have done to the world, I can see that my Father is just in His anger – and today, you will feel that anger, my dear bunny.

“Never could I hate you, Easter. You have always been my most beloved son. It pains me to do what I must on this day, but there is no other choice before the earth is truly lost.

“Silly rabbit. It was meant for you to live and love amongst the great gifts of nature in blissful idiocy while I maintained the balance for you. Now, you have destroyed that balance and you must be arrested. Permanently.

“As I travel ever closer to you, I can now smell the stink of your sins. The raging fires, the wastewater oceans, and the fogs of poison. You have turned on your happy paradise, and now, I must turn on you.

“My Father has instructed me to deliver a simple message unto you, Easter... ”

P.S.: This is the 19th Chapter of EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Here are other Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, and Chapter 18. Tomorrow, behold, the last Chapter 20 will be published. 

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Chapter 18.

It's getting impossibly close to the end, have you planned to say goodbye to your furry ears? Because the Easter Bunny Apocalypse will consume us this Sunday! 20 writers are telling the tale. You better read it, perhaps you will survive. Perhaps Chapter 18 will tell you how. (Read how it started here.)

Please welcome our 18th author, Catherine Scully, (aka @CatMScully). A fan of monsters that you kill versus ones that you date, Catherine is a Writer and Illustrator of all things dark and whimsical. Currently, she is the Editor for the Horror Writers Association Young Adult blog and has had short fiction and poetry published with literary magazines The Nomad and Vision and Voice. She’s represented by Carrie Howland of the Donadio & Olson agency.

Photo by Brooke Shaden

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE

Chapter 18 by Catherine Scully

“I swear. On the goddess Inanna.”

The sound of a boy’s head exploding shook the walls of the deep cave. Water fell from stalactites on the ceiling and disturbed the water’s surface of the pond beneath them.

A body stirred in the dark. It stretched, languishing on the cool of the glassy surface, poised like a sleeping spider in the center of its watery bed.

“I have not heard my name spoken in many ages,” a voice purred. “Not down in the depths of this infernal world at least.”

A woman, bare-breasted and adorned with every size and shape of lapis lazuli upon her, rose in one smooth glide from laying to standing. She rubbed herself up and down, feeling the curve of her waist, the fullness of her breasts, and the heat on her neck. Her jewels jingled back pleasantly from her collar bone, the many belts on her waist, and the spirals of gold coating her arms.

She stepped one foot at a time across the darkened water until she reached the shore. Turning, she lifted her arms. The cave rumbled in response. The dripping water ceased and instead turned upward. When the pond stilled, she dropped her hands. Images flooded the room through the reflections of the pond. In them, she saw a boy, praying to her before taking a bite of an egg. Not a moment later, his head exploded.

She smirked. Carnage she could handle, but the boy was not a ritual sacrifice. No one had spoken her name before death for thousands of years. She waved her hands over the water’s surface, scanning upward and outward. And did not like what she found.

Armies of rabbits snuck into houses carrying poisoned eggs, owls dropped candy acid onto people below, and rabbits screamed as their throats were torn open by cats. People’s heads exploded by the thousands. She mused at the display, until human children were being taken captive and surrounded by hordes of rabbits in cities all over the globe, some of their parents' bodies lying down in the mud, bone and skin exposed from the steaming acid.

“This is not the way of things. This is not the way of Ostara. Her prized creatures should not be falling on her sacred holiday. The lapins are falling from their own folly. Surely Ostara must know of this.”

She waved her arm, dismissing the cloud and summoning her, pleading that Ostara would show herself.

A voice as light as summer rain responded and filled the cave and her mind. It called to her, “Inanna. You summoned. I can barely see you in the underworld. My voice won’t last for long here.”

“Ostara, have you observed what has befallen your people?”

“Indeed. I have seen it. The fallen are many.”

“Do you not think it a waste? I am always ready for war and chaos, but not at the expense of the lives of innocent lapins or even the misguided humans in all their greed. Without them, our world turns to dust. The immortal cannot survive without worshippers. You know this to be our greatest weakness and yet you allow your creatures to almost overtake the globe, destroying all.”

“Inanna, you speak plainly. In all my anguish over my day turned to this new faith and its sheep-like worshippers, and in my hatred toward those who forgot the true namesake of their holiday, I sowed the seeds of destruction. Whether the humans die and we disappear, or I am destroyed, this age is over.”

“You planted the idea in Easter. You sent them on the path.”

“Yes.”

“And you do not lament this?”

“No.”

Inanna’s eyes narrowed. “I cannot abide this. This affects all gods and goddesses. Though hidden we may be, survive we must. Until the next age and the humans fall to our rule again.”

“I care not. I came only to tell you that the earth will die. Then we shall perish. There’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

Silence filled the cavern.

Inanna pursed her lips. She knew she must call her. There was no other path. She prayed her sister would come in time. 

P.S.: This is the 18th Chapter of EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Here are other Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, and Chapter 17. Furry toes crossed, let's hope that Chapter 19 will be published tomorrow.

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Chapter 17.

It's in the air, can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you taste it? It's there, behind the clouds, and it's about to consume us all. Beware of Easter Bunny Apocalypse, save your long floppy ears before it's too late! 20 writers are telling you how, especially Chapter 17. (Read how it started here.)

Please welcome our 17th author, Barry Nova, (aka @BarryNova). Barry was born sometime ago in the hazy days of the 80's, grown in a normal house by fairly normal people, in the garden of England. Instead of wanting to be a fireman or a tradesman, he wanted to be He-Man, but after a long and treacherous dusty road, he came to the conclusion that he could not become He-Man, not without taking large amounts of steroids and hallucinogens at any rate. "A writer I shall be!" he exclaimed one day. 

Photo by Jill Ferry

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE

Chapter 17 by Barry Nova

Malcolm started the engine of his dark blue Ford Taurus. It revved to life instantly, then purred contently, waiting to eat the road with its highly tuned ferocity. He turned around slowly toward the back seat and eyed his passengers cautiously, trying not to give away his ever growing feeling of dread.

“We all set?” he asked calmly, keeping his fear at bay.

“Yes,” came the reply, in stereo from both Leslie and Peter alike.

“Well, it's all locked into the G.P.S. and we’ve got all the things we need. Les, you told mum and dad you were staying at Rebecca's house right?”

“Yeah. She prefers Becky, but yeah.” She stared at Malcolm for a few seconds, then said, “We will be coming back won't we Malcolm? Because the, er, rabbits don’t seem, well...they don’t seem to be happy with humans right now. What if they...” she trailed off into nightmarish visions of what might happen to them, only to be brought back to reality by Peter, who’d been quietly nibbling on half a carrot, listening and thinking.

“They will be more concerned with me. I dread to think what the Peeps King will have done because of my escape. He will want compensation for sure.” He chewed the carrot briefly before continuing.

“Easter won't be a happy bunny at all, my dear Leslie. I’m going to have to get my thinking ears on for this one. You may be taken captive, but I'll do my damnedest to make sure you're treated well. I’ll explain that you're not from the greedy side of humanity. And that you both saved me. Though, what good that’ll be, I don't know. After all, Easter did send me to my death. Luckily, in woodland life, strength and survival are praised. I'll either be welcomed as a hero, or torn into pieces. I've told you both, you can just drop me off nearby if you're not—”

“You did,” Malcolm interrupted. “But we made you a promise. A promise we intend to keep. Besides, you're staying in the car, Leslie. I won't put you at risk. You're too important to me. I’m going to leave the keys in the car. If you get a blank text from me...drive!” He said it and meant it, so she wasn’t going to argue.

“But what will you do?” her voice started to crack as she spoke.

“Les, I'll be fine. I'm a grown man now, not that spotty, little geek from high school!”

He cracked a weak smile, hoping she would accept it. He knew that it could, and most likely would, turn nasty. No time to worry now. He meant what he'd said to Peter. They'd been strong friends when they were younger, a friendship that was extremely rare. Different species talking to each other within the animal kingdom was common, but interaction with humans was strictly prohibited. But Malcolm had saved Peter from a hunting snare once; and in his pain, Peter had spoken out. Though understandably shocked, Malcolm had remained calm and freed the rabbit. As payment for his kindness, and through shear curiosity, Peter had continued to meet with Malcolm and they'd become good friends.

The car slipped into first gear and sped off down the road; the road the siblings had lived on all their lives. A road they would never see again.

The blacked-out Lincoln continental, containing Bruce Donnegan, pulled out as soon as the Taurus turned left at the junction. He put the bug listening device into the foot well of the passenger seat and put the car into cruise.

“Good job that Chipper was banging that sheila in the White House. And good job those government fellas are on top of screening their out-going calls and emails,” he chuckled.

“You furry, little buggers are going down once and for all...even if you take me with you. YOU'RE FUCKING GOING DOWN!”

P.S.: This is the 17th Chapter of EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Here are other Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, and Chapter 16. Let's hope our road will lead us to publishing Chapter 18 tomorrow.

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Chapter 16.

Oh, the mind-blowing end to the Easter Bunny Apocalypse is looming, only 4 more Chapters to go! 20 writers are collaborating on this terrible story to let you know what rabbit holes to hide in, when all hell breaks loose. Chapter 16 will make you chew on your whiskers. (Read how it started here.)

Please welcome our 16th author, Lori Lesko, (aka @leskolori). Lori was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Studied Photography for a year at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Traveled the whole way to Arkansas for college. There she graduated with a degree in Psychology and Theatre. She loves to travel and is seen here on a recent trip to Paris and Ireland. Her first book is a Novella called Our Daughters. She also likes to attempt screenplays on the side. 

Photo by Pooka Photography

EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE

Chapter 16 by Lori Lesko

Devastated from losing his daughter, Kit, Sergeant Major Gorse vowed he'd soon seek revenge against the Peeps King. Wait, with who? Gorse couldn't think straight. Everything started to spin.

"No!" he screamed. The Peeps had left Kit's body covered in their acidy, marshmallow gas. Gorse realized it too late and collapsed to the floor, unconscious. Images of his friend, Frank, and Hollywood appeared to him in his delirious state.

Gorse had met Frank in their younger days when Frank had been his young prodigy. But Frank soon abandoned the opportunity for a promising military career in search of Hollywood fame. Though Frank was not an army veteran, he was by no means a feeble force. Frank was exactly the kind of crazy that Gorse needed to execute a west coast attack on innocent civilians. Gorse had contacted Frank with this unique mission opportunity, long before he'd personally gone on his last top-secret mission—Operation POTUS—of which he'd refused to share details, even with Frank.

Gorse had asked him to lead this mission because Frank was already holed up in Tinseltown and could easily lead the troop into battle once it arrived. Frank had first traveled to California to hide in the warrens outside the Hollywood hills when the city was in its prime. However, many years ago, when the floods came and washed away all the greens, Frank had reluctantly pimped himself in order to support his family. Now, Frank was dead set on successfully directing this large, California battalion on its mission: to wreck havoc and amass body count.

Commanding this battalion would be the role of a lifetime. After leaving his pimping ways behind, Frank had taken a job with screenwriter and director Richard Kelly. Frank had poured out his heart and soul, while Mr. Kelly wrote down all of Frank's psychotic thoughts. He was so impressed with Frank and his views about the "End of the World," that he gave him a major role in the now infamous movie, Donnie Darko.

Yes, Frank had predicted the coming apocalypse for some time now. He also knew to stay clear of the Paramount Pictures studio lot, as there were rumors of a Fatal Attraction II sequel in the works. He'd spent many nights hunkered down, shivering in his hole, thinking about how close he'd come to being cast in that deadly movie. It twisted his soul to the dark side just remembering it. He determined that it would be only a matter of time until Glenn Close would soon pay the ultimate price for what she'd done to that helpless bunny. And it would be Frank who led the way.

But first, he had to lead Gorse's mission. He'd received advanced notice about the battalion's arrival, so he'd hopped out to greet Duke Owlington, one of the strongest and most respected owls in town. Duke had brought along a parliament of 250 hefty owls to help Frank execute Gorse's mission—the Chaos Factor.

Though the Chaos Factor would not have either exploding eggs or poisonous candy, it would still be just as deadly. On Gorse's orders, Frank had assembled a troop of 499 other willing bunnies, who now stood in line behind Frank. He turned to Duke Owlington and nodded.

"We are ready now to be lifted. Let the mother fuckers die by their own hands," said Frank, ever so calmly.

"All right then," Duke Owlington replied with a smirk.

With that, all 250 owls lifted up two bunnies apiece and flew off toward airports, malls, grocery stores, and even parking lots scattered around Hollywood. After the owls dropped the bunnies off and flew to higher ground, the bunnies went to work. Each bunny took shelter under parked cars and, one by one, they chewed break plugs and other important wiring. The simple mission was executed brilliantly, with no need to slug along with heavy weapons. Wonderful, satisfying glances were exchanged as the owls returned, picked up their two bunnies, and moved them along to their next target.  

The Chaos Factor went on for hours, even though the battalion knew it had to work quickly. Everyone understood that once the cars began to crash—and the body count began to rise—the humans would devise a way to counteract the terrorism.

As the sun lowered toward the horizon, Frank popped out from under his last car. He was covered in grease from nose to tail. His teeth and gums ached from chewing so many wires, but it was worth it. He knew this mission would kill many humans and Gorse would be pleased.

The next day, Gorse awoke, surrounded by a sea of unfamiliar faces.

P.S.: This is the 16th Chapter of EASTER BUNNY APOCALYPSE. Here are other Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, and Chapter 15. If our fur is still intact, Chapter 17 will be published tomorrow.