The Running Game

The Running Game

WC: 850-865

Part of the backstory for my oc Billy Bunzy Trander - The Rabbit King

This is wayyy before he loses his mind and becomes a 'possessed' cult leader.

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Billy had always loved running around, aimlessly and in circles. When he was a child, when he still knew and loved his dad, they would often go into the woods and play The Running Game together.

The object was to run in the largest circle you around someone without getting dizzy, then you'd chase after the other person and tag them, making them the runner.

Billy would win most of the time, because his dad would let him, even if he was a much better runner than him, being a grown up and all. After a couple if rounds they would saunter into town for a snack.

This was during those times when people like them weren't seen as unnatural or dangerous, when they could enjoy whatever they did after playing all day.

But one day, seemingly like any other; something, or maybe even everything changed.

Billy and his dad, then know by his last name 'Trander', we're finishing up their second round of The Running Game. Billy had won again, much to his dad's lackluster 'dismay'. It was decided that since Trander was the loser (again) he'd get to be the runner and would have to chase Billy.

Putting on a sigh and an air of defeat, Trander stalked around his son; twisting, turning, skipping and getting faster whist making his circle larger.

When he finally decided his circke was wide enough, he playfully pointed his hands at Billy, who had been paying very little attention until then.

They both snapped into place: Trander, the hunter, the predator, the Chaser; Billy, the prey, the Runner.

But, instead of going immediately after him like he usually would, Trander said,

"Hey, Bill, I'll give you 45 seconds of a head start. Show how fast my genes are, I wanna see you kick up sand and dirt, kid!"

The sweet, angel like child could only nod and giggle hysterically while running away, the opposite direction of his father. When he guessed about 45 seconds were gone (,which in reality was actually an entire minute, unbeknownst to the little boy) he ducked down, under and into a 'shelter'.

It was a large hollow-ish log that had fallen into some sizable rocks; just enough space for a small child or two to comfortably hide inside.

He sat and stayed there for a while, hearing the occasional shout of his name and yelps of unrewarded 'GOTCHA's and 'FOUND YOU's.

Trander could make three guesses about where his son could be. But even though he knew where he was, he made no effort to actually look for him.

With a sigh, he called out almost half-heartedly,

"Hey, Buddy... I know you're out here somewhere! I will find you!...... Billyyyyy! BIILLYYY!"

Trander looked towards the large log and noticed his child's light up sneakers. He sighed and nodded, jogging further to the opposite side of the woods, away from the areas where he and his child could be seen playing by other people.

Nobody heard of him after that.

Billy stayed under the log for 3 hours. Once he decided to get up, he noticed how close to evening and sunset it was.

He called out for his dad but got no answer. Running back to the front of the woods, he saw his mom and some people who noticed them go into the woods earlier.

He rushed to his mother, unsure of what was really happening.

Mrs. Trander: Where's Papa, Bunny?

Billy: I no no Mama. We were pwaying d-da winning game and I was hiding so well he couwdn't f-find me... I'm so-sowy, Mama.

To Mrs. Trander, this would now be the saddest day of her life. To see her child cry tears of fear and to hear that her lover had disappeared was the worst thing to ever happen to her.

The amount of tears shed in those weeks after searching high and low for Trander were enough to make a large pond look like a small glass of water.

Billy Bunzy never played The Running Game again.

For a long time, about, 4-6 years, Joseph Trander was never heard from again.

Search parties came up empty and this only helped stoke the fire of rumors that the Faye folk and people called 'Worshippers of The Craft' were on the rise.

Bunzy had unfortunately got caught in the eye of the storm or nonsense. He and his mother were believed to be the reason Trander went missing, that they somehow transported him to the Faye Realm.

Bunzy doesn't care for his birth name anymore; he trashed it just as his father trashed them.