Rabbit Hole Carnival: Inky

You’ll be seeing this small intro for a fair of the next few posts. Due to a more locked down schedule, and just feeling better over all with the help of therapy and friends. And just an overall love of Rabbit Hole, and all the love it’s gotten I’ll be trying to post something every Sunday. Most of my traffic comes in on the Sunday people know I post, so I recommend you all scroll a bit further down this time round. You might have missed one
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“He’s gone?” Renee asked, with tears in her eyes.

“He’s gone.” Nick replied, having just pushed his dumpster away from a little alcove.

“I’ll just come in through the back.” Renee just sat there for a bit on an old mattress. “Me and Inky wanna talk a bit.”

Nick pushed the dumpster back into place without further question. “You working tonight?!”

“I can! Just let me know!” Renee replied back, hugging a stuffed animal a bit too tight. “Hi, Inky. It’s been awhile. I hope you’ve been liking your new space?”

--- 2 DAYS AGO---
“Just give me the damn thing,” Nick replied. “What would you even need it for?”

“It’s not about what we need it for!” Mike replied. “It’s about how much you take!”

“A plushie? A plushie Octopus.” Nick said. “One that I bought her? Just say what this is really about.”

“You know what this is really about.” Jill said.

“Which is all the more reason for him to just say it.” Nick said. “It’s not like he’s actually fooling anyone.”

“Why does she even want it?” Mike asked.

“She doesn’t.” Nick replied, as he held up a card. “This is me taking a page out of her book.”

“What the hell does that card even—” Jill started to ask, but Mike put a hand on her shoulder.

“Fine.” Mike replied, ripping the card up as he walked upstairs.

---YESTERDAY---
Renee's eyes went wide as she saw it. “Inky!” She yanked it out of Nick’s hands. “ I guess this twice you’ve given him to me now.”

“I simply got rid of something I was annoyed I was attached to.” Nick said. “To give something that was always yours back.”

---PRESENT---
“I wasn’t thinking that day, Inky. I’m so sorry. I left you with a monster, and like everything else in my life uncle Nick fixed it.” Renee said, as she chuckled. “I like this new home too, sweetie.” Renee waited a few more minutes, before walking back in.

“Can I ask something?” Nick said as she walked in, Renee simply nodded. “Why is that plushie so important to him that he would come back to this bar?”

“I think.” Renee answered. “I don’t know for sure, but I think Inky is another sign that he lost. And he hates losing. I don’t how you got him back, but however you did it left him ticked off.”

 “Well,” Nick paused. “Then maybe I gave you more trouble than—”

“Absolutely not!” Renee replied, with a stomp of her left boot. “If there was anything, ever! That I would’ve brought to the ends of the earth. It would’ve been Inky”

“I just figured technically he was mine, and you were so in love with him for years.” Nick said

“I never did tell you why did I?” Renee asked.

Nick looked over to her, with his interest peaked. “No, you didn’t”

“I said I liked the ocean when I was 3.” Renee replied. “And my parents pushed like a million different things onto me. Committed me to so much, and then you asked them why.”

“And then they said ‘well she really love the ocean’.” Nick said. “And said there was always time to change or something like that.”

“And then you kept them in check, and still told me ‘so I heard you really like the ocean right now.’” Renee said. “And I was terrified that I would be sent right back in, but I was handed a plushie octopus instead. Because someone figured it was a cool deep sea creature.”

“You said right then and there that you were gonna call him Inky.” Nick replied. “And that you were gonna love him so much.”

“And throughout the million other things that happened” Renee said. “Sometimes I just sat up there in my old room, and hug it tight.” She sniffs. “So however it is that you got him. I’m so grateful you brought him back home.”