Sanddune smiled as he glanced around the living room. Closest to the fire, his mother, Natalia, sat in her rocker, knitting. His father, Buck, sat in his chair, whittling. Blackstar and Jetsmoke sat on a log bench, trying to cross stitch, but making it look like a giant pincushion. Miskit was lying on the aspen floor and rolling a ball to her six-year-old brother Pepsi. Their twelve-year-old sister, Oreo, gently cradled their new baby, Courage. His 9-year-old brother, Peter, and him were trying to play Father’s recorder. Across the room, Father put down his whittling, and crossed over. Taking the slim instrument in his hand, he blew a wavering note.

He turned to their mother, “Ready?”

She nodded and started pushing the benches around. Everyone stood and dropped what they were doing. Father found a note on his recorder, and mother started to sing Sanddune’s favorite song.

“Stuck in a whirlpool of worry and fear,

Not really knowing how to steer,

This first note in a long song of hope,

Is like a rock that can blow up a boat.

Still, fine times are A’ Comin’,

Though perils are soon,

Like fires that burn are the tales of the night,

But out in daylight the stories are clear

Fine times are Comin’, though finer they be,

So wake too the mornin’

The light on your face,

And feel every mornin’ no finer to wake

Have a go at a really nice day,

Cause fine times will come.”

The kits danced and spun around. Even after his mother finished her song, the recorder played on, as if it wanted this wonderful dance to go on forever. Sanddune stood up on a bench and pretended to fire arrows. Oreo danced and spun, swirling her skirt. Miskit and Jetsmoke danced together, and Pepsi and Peter pretend sword fought. Mother twirled around and around the room with Courage in her arms. Sanddune leaped down from the bench and helped his brothers fight invisible enemies. He spun, sliced, and jousted.

Laughing, everyone sunk down to benches. Sanddune forgot his seat had moved, and when he sat down, he fell to the ground. Everyone laughed, including Sanddune. Miskit and Oreo left to the kitchen, and Sanddune saw Miskit come out with a large plate of ginger snap cookies. Oreo had a tray of nine glasses of orange juice.

The does placed their food on the small side-table. Leaning forward, Sanddune snagged a cookie.

“Mmm. These are really delicious!” He exclaimed, biting into the soft, warm cookie. The sugar on the top melted on his tongue. A sweet warmth filled his mouth. He grabbed his glass of juice. The sweet, fresh-squeezed orange juice quenched his thirst and filled his mouth. Soon, the whole plate of cookies had been claimed, and all the rabbits had finished their juice. Climbing the oak staircase up to their bedroom, Oreo stopped Sanddune.

“Something doesn’t seem right about father today,” Oreo said.

“What do you mean?” Sanddune replied.

“Did you see how father kept losing his notes when he was playing? And he didn’t take a cookie. He didn’t even drink his juice.”

“Oh. Let’s go to bed. I’m exhausted.

“Okay. But tomorrow, we learn about this problem. Night, Sanddune.” Oreo replied.

“Night.” He replied. Both rabbits slid into their beds, Sanddune to the top bunk bed, Oreo to the bottom.

it's not very long. i need help with it. i need to rename Blackstar. i named them after my rabbits. I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i don't like the way i'm writing this.

it just doesn't make sense.

i'll post the next chapter if you would like.

BUT I NEED HELP!!!!

suggestions? advice? anything? i want to get this published but it's not done.

does it sound GE?

oh yeah, and i'll write some fanfic this weekend but i'm trying to finish book one of this series before July....

honestly, sometimes i just want to delete the file on Microsoft word and rewrite the whole thing.

and i'm working on drawing all the characters from book four but that takes a while...

and i'm not excited for book four cause i have to kill one of my favorite characters..

but i am excited to write book five!!

[i'm gonna go work on books 4-5 while hysterically laughing]

{and if you ask who i'm going to kill it's in AKURU code right here.. just crack the code!!}

AKSACKOAUKTURU [this code is really hard to crack.. lol.. i invented it!! {just in case i wanted to share story spoilers :)]

-Fleck...