Strategy 6 - Hase

The warm yet cozy lighting welcomed me as I arrived at the lobby. The recipient desk was an antique table filled with unique round ornaments. Along the lobby, there is a grandfather clock which went ticking away slowly as time passed. As if it was tracking the amount of time it had passed ever since.

However, there is no one maintaining the reception. Neither did I saw anyone around.

Noise made by animals could be heard coming from the inside of the hut. It was filled with dogs’ barking accompanied with the unsynchronized chirping echoing through the hut.

“Let’s go further in…”

Audrey called for me as though asking me to follow her deeper into this mystery.

Along the way, I could see dozen metal shelves filled up with nothing but cages and strange plastic packaging. They were closely stacked side by side, as to save space. With the poor lighting in the room, I hardly tell what are displayed on the shelving.

“Faster! We do not have time for these…” Audrey warned me as if I could get lost within this mountain of shelves if I didn’t follow her closely.

She seems rushing to show me something. But what could it be? Everything here doesn’t look familiar to me, especially those strange-looking food packaging which never had their appearance on those supermarkets’ shelving.

After all those rushing, we arrived in front of a door which separated the hut into two parts. The noises of the animals were getting louder and chaotic as we approached. I couldn’t tell what is behind this door.

Were the animals inside screaming for their lives?
Were they getting slaughtered one by one?
Is this venue used by some cult groupies?

My mind is full of questions but at the same time, I could feel that there is a strange scary atmosphere lingering around.

However all my doubts could be solve if I opened the door. But right now, it was only a matter of whether to turn the knob or not. Will the answer relieved me from my worrying, or will it be a horrible sight which is going etched deep inside my mind?

“What are you waiting for?” The adventurous girl questioned me as she was turning the knob of the door.

Right at the moment as her sleekly hand was turning the gleaming knob. I told her to stop.

She got startled a little as I was calling out for her too randomly.

I closed my eyes as if I do not want my mind to be scarred with the horrible sight waiting ahead of me.

With the overwhelming noise from the animals which seems like their anguish cries at their last moment. How much I wished that I could cover my ears earlier as well.

“Hey! Look at that, it’s so cute!” Audrey exclaimed exciting as if she saw something interesting.

Her words seems like she is enjoying all these. What so cute about those slaughtering? Was she a sadistic who enjoyed seeing other people in pain? What so good about it?

My mind was filled with anger as I regretted accompany her for the whole journey only to get rewarded with these “sight”. I could feel something raging deep inside me.

Without any hesitation I shouted

“AUDREY- YOU SADIS-“

As I screamed while opened my eyes staring at her. Hoping that I meant whatever I said to her.

However, I stopped before I could even finish my words.

Right in front of me, Audrey was standing still, holding onto a fluffy white rabbit which seems like a few weeks old. Her surprised face was looking at me. In fact both of us were surprised.

“Wait… where the bloody scene? The cult?” I was wondering as it turned out that it is not what I had imagined.

“Huh”

This is the first reply by her after both of us were standing there.

Her reply woke me up from the delusion which I had earlier. But still I didn’t bother to look at her, only to survey the whole area.

Dozens of cages piled up like mountains, each and every of them contains a furry. There is another pen around with rabbits inside, hopping happily. Above was cages of vivid color range of birds which chirping happily away.

Was this a zoo? I questioned myself but only to find it is impossible.

“Isn’t this cute?”

Once again, her voice diverts my attention to her, making me forget what I was wondering all along.

There she was, cuddling gently onto this white furry. The furry was trying to move its hind legs as if trying to get away. But Audrey seems like she knew it and managed to prevent it from getting away. The fluffy rabbit which saw that escaping was impossible and had calmed down inside the embracement of Audrey’s hands.

“Isn’t it cute?”

She asked me once again, looking at me.

I looked at her. This is when I realized that she actually had a ponytail. Her ponytail was tied up with a creamy white hair band which bundled up like a snowy puffy ball.

Together with her cuddling onto another furry that matches her perfectly, I was awed by her appearance.

“Isn’t this cute…?”

She asked me for another time, this time sounding more impatiently as I didn’t gave her my reply previously.

The sight of her hair together with her side fringes flowing down from her forehead has intoxicated me. Without any hesitation I answered her back.

“Yes… Totally…”