For the residents of Easter, Illinois Easer wasn't something to celebrate, it was something to fear...and for good reason.

Easter’s Nightmare

For the town of Easter, Illinois the Easter holiday wasn’t something to be celebrated, it was something to be feared. The residents of this small, sleepy town cower with fright when April roles around because they know that any day the terror is going to begin. It hadn’t always been this way, at one time they were like any other community out picnicking and Easter egg hunting but all of that changed fifty years ago when they showed up. No one really knows what they are but what they do know is that they are evil, an abomination of anything natural and that they crave flesh, human flesh.

Things gave been getting worse with each passing year and now on their fiftieth anniversary everyone is especially afraid, and they should be. For this year they come in larger numbers and their hungrier, hungrier than they have ever been. No one is going to be safe, everyone inside Easter’s city limits is prey for these creatures. They’re open game and it’s hunting time.

Easter Day

“Mommy!” A boy screams as he throws off his covers and jumps out of bed. Rushing through the door his mother picks him up and cradles him in her arms. “I just saw one at the window.”

“It’s all right honey, they can’t get us in here.” She replies.

“Are you sure?”

“They never have.” Stroking his hair she walks over and lays him in bed, covering him up she looks at the clock on the table, 5:30 a.m. “They’re coming earlier this year.” She whispers to herself. Walking over to the window she reaches out for the blind.

“Mom?” Her kid says.

“It’s okay honey.” Turning around something white, streaked with red slams against the window cracking it. Screaming she jumps back and turns to grab her kid when she hears another loud thud and then the window smashing in.

“MOOOOOOOM!” He screams as he grabs his arm and yanks him from the bed. Shoving him in front of her she pushes him towards the door as the sound of scurrying feet fill the room behind her. Rushing down the hall she shoves her son into the windowless bathroom as she trips over something and falls to the floor. Feeling something bite into her leg she screams.

“GET IN THE BATHROOM!” She yells as she grabs the bottom of the door and pulls it shut. Hearing her son crying as the door clicked shut she sighs a sigh of relief knowing that these bastards won’t get her son. Closing her eyes she smiles as teeth tear into her throat. Coughing up blood she feels something enter her mouth before she blacks out, never to regain consciousness again.

“Did you hear that Michelle?” Mitchell asked as he backed away from the window.

“That sounded like Annie.” She said as she got up from the couch and stood next to him.

“It’s started.” He said as he looked at his watch, 5:33 a.m. “I hope Billy is okay.” Just then a scream, this one a male and very young, filled the early morning air.

“Oh my God!” Michelle says as she places her hand over her mouth. “Oh God please!”

“HELP ME, SOMEBODY….HEEEEEEEELP!” Running to the door Mitchell threw on his shoes.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I can’t sit here and listen to him die.” He said as he tied the last shoe.

“You will die if you go out there.” Looking at her an idea pops in his head and he runs out into the garage. Pulling down a box from the top shelf he begins digging though it. “What are you looking for?” She asks.

“This.” He says as something jumps on his back and begins digging into his skin. “AHHHHHH, GET OFF OF ME!” He screams as he reaches back and pulls the thing from his back and slams it against his worktable, hearing a loud crunch he drops it to the ground. They both stand there and stare at the freak of nature on the ground in front of them. The rabbit is twice the normal size, its feet are full of long, sharp claws and its mouth consists of two rows of razor sharp teeth. Kicking it across the room he scans for the place where it came in, seeing the broken window at the other end of the garage he ushers his wife back in the house as he places a piece of plywood against it. Pulling out his old leather bike gear he puts it on, praying that it still fits.

“Little snug but it’ll work.” He says to himself. Pulling out the helmet he puts it on and raises the visor. “Now for a weapon.” He says as he searches the garage. Seeing a box that’s marked Adam sports a tear fills his eye. Pulling the box onto the floor he pull out a mini baseball bat that he had bought his son on his third birthday, a year before he died. A year ago today. “You’re not going to kill anymore kids, not today.” Pounding the bat against his palm he spots the machete hanging in the tool rack, tying the sheath to his leg he places the huge knife in it and heads towards the door. He turns back, feeling eyes on him. Seeing Michelle standing in the doorway he smiles and walks out, closing the visor as the door shuts behind him.

He doesn’t know if he will survive but he can’t sit back and listen to another child die, not like he did last year, not like he did to Adam. Running across the yard to Annie’ house he sees a bunch of the hellish rabbits bounding towards him, tightening the grip on his bat he gets ready. As the first few rabbits jump towards him, their teeth shining in the morning light he swings with all his might and smiles as he hears the bat connect with them, their bodies flying far into right field.

“Man on first.” He says as he begins running back to Annie’s house. Throwing open the back door he’s suddenly hit by a rabbit as it lays in wait for some unexpecting fool to come in. Falling backwards he feels the rabbit trying to bite through his leather, pulling the little bastard off of him he throws it on the ground and stomps on it, its brains smashing on the tile floor.

“Second base.” Running up the stairs he stops and gasps at the sight before him. About fifty rabbits are jumping against the door, trying desperately to get to the child behind it. He watched as a few of them were trying to bite and claw through the door. He could see bits and pieces of wood lying on the floor and he knew that they were slowly getting through. Not making a sound he heads into master bedroom and opens Annie’s late husbands gun cabinet. Pulling out the shotgun he loads it and places some rounds in his pockets and heads back to the bathroom when he decides to grab the colt 45 as well, loading it he places it in the small of his back and walks into the hallway.

“Hey you bastards.” He says. All of the rabbits turn to look at him and them at each other. He’s amazed when he sees that half of them stay and work on the door while the other half come after him. “They’re communicating.” He says in disbelief. Pulling the gun up he fires the first round as half of the ones coming after him go down.
Firing again he watches as their bodies fly across the floor, blood and fur splatter the walls. Sensing that they are in trouble the rest of them go after him as he tries to reload the shotgun. Clicking the chamber shut he fires just as the first wave of rabbits hit him and knock him to the floor. Covered in blood and guts he gets up and fires off another round taking the rest of them out. Running to the bathroom door he grabs the knob and tries to turn it.

“Bobby, its Mitchell from next door. Unlock the door, were getting out of here.”

“Is it really you?” A scared voice says from behind the battered door.

“Yeah it’s really me. Come on, we need to get out of here before anymore rabbits come back.” Grabbing the boy by the arm when the door opens they run downstairs and head out the back door. Halfway across the yard rabbits begin to melt out of the trees and surround them. Pushing Booby behind him he watches as they part, leaving an opening into the trees. Just then a huge, six-foot tall rabbit walks out of the woods. Mitchell gasps as he stares at the demonic creature. Its fur was matted with blood and dirt, its claws were almost as long as his machete blade and around its neck hung a human foot.

“I see you’re admiring my lucky humans foot.” It said in a deep baritone voice.

“Lucky my ass.” Mitchell replies as he goes for the colt. Before he could pull it out the rabbit was on him, plunging its huge claws into his left shoulder, screaming he grabs the machete and slices off the paw that was gouging his shoulder. Screaming the rabbit steps back holding the paw to its chest. Pulling the paw from his chest he throws it to the ground.

“Get your damn, dirty paws off of me you filthy…rabbit.” Snarling the rabbit lunges forward but Mitchell pulls out the colt and fires once. The bullet hits true , leaving a small opening between the creature’s eyes. Gasping, it falls backwards and dies in a pool of blood. “That’s for my son.” Spitting on the dead creature he watches as all of the other rabbits fade into the tree line, never to be seen by the citizens of this sleepy town again.

Ten years later and two states away the people of Easter, Ohio begin to have a nightmare all their own.

“Go my pets, do me well.” The six-foot tall rabbit says as he watches his heard rush out into the town. Smiling his teeth glint in the sunlight as he rubs his lucky human foot.