It happened while Arne was running.
He was in grey Nike shorts and his favourite black running shoes when his eyes descended to a corner of the thicket, something red lying between the green shrubs, curiosity got the better of him and he took a left turn stopping just in front of the thicket, one hand swiping off the sweat off his forehead, where his stubborn curls had tumbled down again, he bent to the ground and parted the thick shrubs.
His breath hitched, a flaming red furred rabbit was lying between the shrubs, eyes closed, breathing barely, his hands reached out forward in his own accord, his hands he noticed, looked brown in comparison to the golden red skin of the rabbit, what this poor creature would find to eat in this university faculty where students drank more than they ate, he had no idea of.
Let's find out, he thought, and focused his mind in listening to the rabbit's voice.
He waited for several seconds.
And shook his head frowning that did not happen, usually it only took seconds for him to hear any animal's thoughts.
He tried again,
Nothing.
His fingers moved and glazed the silk fur of the rabbit barely, and then startled back, a wave of burning electricity passed straight through his body generating more sweat to his skin, all the breath taking a flight from his lungs, the rabbit was burning for god's sake.
Arne closed his eyes, the rabbit was injured.
He will be fine, soon, Arne thought, and reached and scooped the burning rabbit straight in his palms tentatively.
He gasped when the rabbit opened its eyes, barely, drowsily, and Arne saw the pair of the most beautiful eyes he has ever seen, it was golden yellow the shade of the afternoon sun with a circle of brown chandelier centred in them.
And then the most ridiculous thing happened, Arne thought for a second he saw the rabbit narrowing its eyes at him, he blinked, and the rabbit was looking drowsily at him, as if in pain.
He shook his head he must be tired, after a long night of completing his class assignments drinking coffee from Reese's to being in Olivia's bed and not sleeping at all, his head was imagining things, it happened a lot with him.
The rabbit whimpered, and he felt the heat tingling in his palms.
"You are injured, aren't you?" He whispered and his index finger roamed cautiously around the rabbit's fur, the rabbit stilled.
"Shit." Arne said, and his finger parted the rabbit's right leg, blood dripping upon his finger, "Shit, shit." He repeated again, and stood up carefully taking the rabbit with him.
"Just hold up for a second." He whispered assuredly, "I won't hurt you okay?"
The rabbit glowered at him in response.
Arne fumbled and held the rabbit with palms to his chest, "I am sorry, I smell."
In acknowledgement the rabbit bit on Arne's chest.
"Oww," Arne yelped, "I am trying to save you here."
Did the rabbit just snicker?
He shook his head like a dog, making sweat fall in fat drops, and then he did what he did best, he ran, clutching the rabbit carefully against his chest, making sure he did not shake the rabbit's leg too much.