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Catfishing

Sarah glanced around the softly lit French restaurant, looking for her date. The gray tabby was meeting her date Rosemary, a brown tabby, in person for the first time after chatting by text for the past couple weeks. They seemed to have a lot in common: they both liked kayaking and rock climbing, watching horror movies, and reading science fiction. They even both worked in the medical field. Sarah was a nurse practitioner, and Rosemary was an anesthesiologist. Which means she makes a lot more than me. Sarah didn't let the thought bother her: she was happy with her income and status in life. However, since she was pushing 34, she was getting anxious about finding a partner. She she had a few friends at work but no one close. She didn't want to be alone her whole life.

Continuing to search the restaurant with her gaze while she stood near the entrance, Sarah decided that her date had not yet arrived. A waving rabbit caught her eye but only for a moment. She pulled her phone out of her dark green dress' pocket and checked the last text her date had sent her. I'll be wearing a midnight blue dress. Let me know when you get there. I can't wait to meet you! Sarah typed, I'm here, and was about to hit send when she was startled by a rabbit bounding toward her. The rabbit smiled, showing off her big buck teeth, and waved. Sarah suspected was it was the same rabbit from before, and a glance at the empty seat supported this conjecture. She hit send on her text and glanced behind her to see who the rabbit was waving at but heard an immediate buzz and ping from in front of her. She turned back to see the rabbit looking at her phone. The rabbit looked up at her and smiled again. That was when Sarah realized she was wearing a midnight blue dress.

"Hello, you must be Sarah," the rabbit piped cheerfully. "I'm Rosemary. I'm sorry I'm not quite who you expected, but I promise that, aside from species, what I told you about myself was true."

Sarah was flabbergasted and momentarily lost for words. This rabbit had catfished her! Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. Yes, she'd had dates who were less than honest in their dating profile but no one who'd claimed to be a different species! She's not even a carnivore! The rabbit must have a lot of audacity to catfish a predator like this!

"You're really, um," Sarah meowed awkwardly. She glanced toward the exit. No one could blame her if she just left!

"Sorry!" the rabbit said more contritely. "I know it's a surprise. I'd appreciate it if you'd hear me out though. Over dinner? I'll pay for everything!"

Sarah looked back down at the rabbit, who only stood about shoulder high to her, and sighed resignedly. She was already here, and the rabbit was paying. The rabbit looked up at her with big, hopeful brown eyes, and Sarah's annoyance melted a little. She was kind of cute at least. And she smells delicious. Sarah pushed down the unwelcome thought. She was better trained than to have those kinds of impulses toward prey. While predators had once eaten prey, all mammals and birds now lived in peace. Eating the rabbit, even after she'd catfished her, would not only be illegal but immoral, no better than murder.

"Alright, I'll hear you out," Sarah agreed.

The rabbit clapped her hands together and grinned. "Thank you! I know we will get along famously!"

The rabbit--Sarah thought she might be an eastern cottontail--bounded back over to the two-seat table on the left side of the royal-blue-walled room, her claws clicking on the worn, wood floor. Sarah followed at a reserved pace and wondered what people would think seeing her eating with a rabbit. Predators and prey didn't usually date. We could just be colleagues from work, she told herself. She reached the table and sat across from the rabbit, who beamed at her delightedly.

"So, um, your name is really Rosemary," Sarah meowed awkwardly.

"Yes, and I really like watching horror movies and rock climbing! I only fibbed about being a cat."

"Why?" Sarah asked pointedly.

Rosemary looked a little embarrassed as she replied, "Well, you know, cats aren't usually looking to date a rabbit. If you knew I was a rabbit, would you even have given my profile a second glance?"

"No," Sarah admitted. She didn't really feel bad about this prejudice, if that's what it was. She simply preferred to date other cats.

"Right...so, um, that's why I pretended to be a cat. It really is me in my photo, or sort of. I used a filter, not another cat's picture."

Sarah wasn't sure this made a big difference. "But if you want to date cats, wouldn't it be better to find cats open to dating a rabbit?"

Rosemary glanced at her lap, "Maybe it would be if there were cats like that to find, but the few there are are kind of...iffy."

Sarah could, at least, understand her point. She wouldn't want to take a chance with someone who might eat her. "I guess I get that."

Rosemary looked up at her with a small smile, "Besides, cats and rabbits have more in common than you think! We're about the same size, and we both like quiet places. Most of us are pretty tidy, and we like to keep clean. Cats and rabbits have a lot more in common than, say, cats and dogs!"

Sarah couldn't help but smile a little at that, "I don't think that's a very high bar, but I get your point. Maybe what we eat or how closely related we are aren't the most important things."

Rosemary smiled a bit wider. "Do you want to order wine? Get whatever you want; I'm paying!"

Sarah grinned, "Well, since you offered. But I'll try not to use up too much of your paycheck."

"Don't worry about it! Consider it a thank you for giving me a chance."

Sarah did not order the most expensive bottle of wine on the menu, but she did order a twenty credit glass of sauvignon blanc. Rosemary declined getting a bottle to share. When the waiter returned to take their dinner orders, Rosemary ordered a kale and dandelion salad. It was hardly a surprise that the herbivore would order salad, but Sarah still noted it. Rabbits lived on hay, lettuce, and vegetables while cats were obligate carnivores. Their diets couldn't be more different. There was a rabbit dish on the menu, made from lab-grown meat of course, and if Sarah had known Rosemary better, she might have ordered it just to tease her. As it was, she ordered the duck.

The two of them chatted while they waited for their meals and ate. They talked about work and what other plans they had for the weekend. Sarah was embarrassed to admit she'd probably be on the couch reading the rest of the weekend, but Rosemary admitted her plans were more or less the same. At least it turned out that Rosemary really was a doctor. She worked at one of the big hospitals in Maplesburg, Silver Maple Community Health Center. Rosemary was impressed to hear that Sarah owned her own little practice out in Boxelder, a suburb of Maplesburg, and wanted to hear all about what it was like to run her own practice. If she wasn't actually impressed, she faked it well, and Sarah spent much of their meal explaining the ins and outs of running a clinic.

"I assume you don't eat dessert since cats can't taste sugar," Rosemary remarked when they had finished eating.

Perhaps Sarah shouldn't have been impressed that a doctor would know this, but it seemed to come as a surprise to most non-feline people regardless of profession. "Yeah, but don't feel bad about having some if you want. I don't mind waiting."

"That's alright. I'm trying to watch my weight," Rosemary replied casually.

Sarah thought the rabbit was quite slender as it was; although, it was hard to judge the size of her rear with the fit-and-flare dress she was wearing, but she didn't comment on this. "I guess we'll be saying good night then. It was nice to meet you, Rosemary."

"Would you consider coming back to my place to watch a movie?" Rosemary inquired quickly. "I was going to rent Re-Animator, that movie based on H.P. Lovecraft's story, if you wanted to come over!"

Sarah was surprised by the offer. She'd had a pleasant time, but hadn't really thought anything would come of this date. Perhaps they could be friends, but she didn't feel any romantic attraction to the rabbit. However, Rosemary seemed anxious to spend more time with her. And you'll be alone. They say real rabbit's nothing like the stuff they grow in vats. Sarah shoved the intrusive thought down into her subconscious. This rabbit may have treated her to a free dinner, but she wasn't going to have a "free dinner" in that sense! Maybe she should decline just so the temptation would be removed. She opened her mouth to say she was too busy, but Rosemary gave her a pleading little look with her limpid, dark eyes.

"Alright, that sounds like fun. I've never seen that," Sarah answered.

Rosemary grinned excitedly, "Do you need a ride? I have my car; I can take you!"

"Uh, sure," Sarah had taken the bus here from home after driving home from work, and of course, she had no idea how far Rosemary's home was.

Rosemary paid the bill with a flash of her left hand--everyone had a chip ID they used for payments--and she leapt up and offered Sarah her hand. Sarah took the rabbit's soft, little hand gently in hers, feeling a bit embarrassed, and let Rosemary lead her out and to her car, which was parked a few blocks away. The passenger's seat of the little hatchback was a bit cramped for Sarah, but she managed to squeeze in. Rosemary gave her a warm smile before she started the car and pulled out onto the road.

The drive wasn't long, but it was a little longer than Sarah expected. They got onto the freeway out of Maplesburg and got off in a woodsy area about ten miles out of the city. Rosemary pulled into a gravel driveway, and after a couple minutes, a one-story house came into view through the trees. It had stained wood siding and a teal, metal roof; although, the color was hard to tell now that the sun was almost down. The last rays of red-orange light were shining over the trees when they got out of the car.

"Here we are!" Rosemary piped cheerfully.

She got out of the car and waited for Sarah so that she could lock it. Sarah followed the rabbit into the house, which she opened with a key from her dark-brown, satchel-style purse. Sarah stopped in the entryway to look around while the rabbit locked the door behind them. The house had a warm and cozy feel to its decor. Sarah might have even been tempted to call it a cottage. The living room, dining room, and kitchen were all one room, and the small, round table held a teapot on a crochet doily. There were other lacy furniture decorations and still lifes of flowers and fruit on the walls.

"This is a, uh, nice little place you have," Sarah stated.

"It has everything I need," Rosemary returned cheerfully. "It's just me after all, at least for now."

Sarah nodded a bit embarrassedly. She didn't think the house was any larger than her apartment in Maplesburg.

"Do you want to watch the movie now? Would you like me to fix you any snacks?" Rosemary queried. "Popcorn?"

"Uh, sure, popcorn sounds good."

"Do you mind if I get undressed?"

Sarah paused, blushing. It actually wasn't an unusual request. Pants were considered optional in Vulpineva. In fact, all clothing was considered more affectation than necessity. Most people had fur or feathers after all. Still, the idea of seeing the rabbit's naked body embarrassed her, but she wasn't going to refuse to let her be comfortable in her own home.

"That's fine."

"You can take yours off too if you want. I'll get you a hanger."

Sarah almost declined, but she decided it would be more awkward to wear her dress while in the presence of the naked rabbit than to be naked as well herself. She nodded, and Rosemary bounded away to her bedroom. Sarah unzipped her dress and slipped it off, and by the time she was out of it, Rosemary was back with a hanger, sans her own dress.

"I'll hang this up for you," the rabbit piped.

She put Sarah's dress on the hanger and took it back to her room. When she returned, Sarah gave her a look over: while overall slender, the rabbit had a plump little rear and a bit of a tummy. She was, Sarah had to admit, very cute.

"You're stripes are so pretty," Rosemary sighed.

Sarah started a little and blushed, realizing the rabbit had also been checking her out.

"I'll get the popcorn. The bathroom's down the hall if you need it."

After drinking the wine, Sarah did in fact need to pee. She found the bathroom, the first door on the right, and used it while Rosemary made the popcorn. When she came out, Rosemary was pouring it into a bowl, which she then set on the coffee table in front of the couch. She grabbed the remote and waved Sarah over. Sarah felt a bit shy as she sat next to the rabbit on the powder blue couch. She awkwardly took a handful of popcorn while Rosemary selected the movie. Rosemary started the movie and hopped up to shut off her lights before sitting back beside Sarah. She didn't sit pressed against her or anything, but she was certainly close enough to touch her. It would be so easy. No one could possibly hear anything out here. Sarah grabbed another fistful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth. She'd had a nice dinner and now a snack! Why wouldn't her brain shut up about the delectable little prey sitting next to her?!

They were about halfway through the movie when Sarah felt Rosemary's hand on hers. The doe's delicate fingers meshed with hers, and she felt her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. Sarah glanced at the rabbit, but her eyes were fixed on the screen. She didn't pull her hand away.

When the movie was over, Sarah turned to Rosemary to say she was going to call a cab to take her home, but the rabbit was gazing at her with soft, half-lidded eyes and a gentle smile.

"Will you stay the night with me, Sarah?" she asked softly.

Sarah felt like her heart was trying to burst out of her chest. No! You can't resist that long! "I-I, um, uh," Sarah stammered.

"Please," Rosemary pleaded, making her eyes as big as she could and batting her eyelashes.

Sarah couldn't help but laugh a little at that, and her anxiety was quelled. "I guess if you're begging me," she quipped.

Rosemary grinned toothily, "You will then?! Would you like to cuddle?! Your fur must be really soft!"

Sarah chuckled embarrassedly, "I'm sure it's not as soft as yours, but okay, we can cuddle."

Rosemary beamed, "I have just one request before we do: would you let me put handcuffs on you?"

Sarah blinked and stared at the rabbit, nonplussed.

"It will just help me feel more comfortable," Rosemary explained. "I think I can trust you, but it isn't easy letting a strange predator hold you. Do you mind? You can say no."

After her initial shock, Sarah actually began to feel relieved. Thank goodness! She knows she's alone with a predator, and she's not taking any chances! With handcuffs on, Sarah wouldn't need to worry so much about the impulses she'd been having. She could cuddle the rabbit without worrying she'd start shoving her down her gullet.

She gave Rosemary a warm smile, "No problem. Anything to make sure you feel safe."

Rosemary beamed back, "Thanks for understanding!"

Rosemary bounded out of the room and returned a couple minutes later with the handcuffs. They weren't fuzzy toy cuffs but steel. Sarah was only a little disconcerted by this. She stood and put her hands behind her back so that Rosemary could put the handcuffs on her. When they were on, she tested them: they were snug and wouldn't be coming off without the key.

"Do you want to stay out here?" Sarah asked.

"For now," Rosemary replied sultrily. "Go on and sit back down."

Sarah complied, and Rosemary sat on her lap. The doe's plump, warm rear pressed against her thighs, and her fuzzy scut tickled her belly through her own fur.

Rosemary wiggled a little in her lap and looked back at Sarah with a teasing grin. "Well, how do you like having a bunny in your lap? Do you like having your prey right on top of you with your hands where you can't do anything at all?"

Fuck. "I-I, um, I don't see you like that," Sarah replied awkwardly.

"It's okay. It doesn't bother me. Instincts are instincts. I know you do your best to control them." She looked back with another devious grin, "That doesn't mean I don't like to tease you. So, how does it feel then, kitty?"

Sarah considered her response for a minute before she decided to be honest. "It feels frustrating. I want to grab you and hold you tight. I, um, I don't really want to hurt you, I promise, but I want to have you in my claws."

"You want to have me at your mercy, but I'm the one with you at my mercy," Rosemary taunted playfully. "Do you want to take it further? I have some rope; I could tie you up."

Sarah was silent for a moment while her heart pounded with absolute excitement. She'd never realized this would be so much fun! "Let's do it!" she chirped.

Rosemary slipped off of her lap and looked back at her slyly, "This way, kitty-kitty."

Sarah followed Rosemary to her bedroom where Rosemary pulled a bag filled with some odd, greenish rope out of her closet and tore it open.

"Have you, uh, ever done this before?" Sarah asked a bit worriedly.

"Oh yeah, this is just a new rope. I had to replace my old one."

Sarah felt better knowing the rabbit had enough experience with rope bondage to have worn out her previous rope. "Where do you want me?"

"Just sit on the bed to start," Rosemary instructed.

Sarah complied. Rosemary climbed up onto the bed behind her and removed her handcuffs.

"Put your wrists together," the doe instructed.

Sarah put her wrists together behind her back, and Rosemary began to wrap the rope around them. The rabbit deftly weaved the rope so that it wrapped around her arms and torso and criss-crossed her chest and back in a practiced pattern. Before long, Sarah's arms were completely locked in place behind her. She couldn't so much as struggle against the bonds.

"Now stand."

Sarah stood, and the doe continued down her right leg, tying her long tail to it as she went. She finished by tying Sarah's ankles together.

Rosemary stood in front of Sarah and surveyed her work, "Looks good. Does everything feel alright? You don't feel like you're losing circulation anywhere, do you?"

Sarah shook her head, "It feels okay."

Rosemary smirked and then gave her a shove. Sarah toppled backward onto the bed, and the rabbit climbed on top of her and grinned down amusedly while she sat straddling Sarah's chest.

"Looks like I caught myself a kitty," Rosemary teased. "I could do anything to you now. Can you guess what I'm going to do?"

Sarah shook her head, feeling a flutter of excitement in her chest. "What?!" she gasped.

Rosemary giggled. "Well, I'm going to pet and snuggle you for a while, and then," she paused to grin wide, "I'm going to eat you!"

Sarah felt a stone drop into her stomach. "H-huh? What do you mean?!"

Rosemary opened her mouth and pointed inside. "I mean I'm going to gobble you up and swallow you whole. I'm going to put you in my tummy," she explained matter-of-factly.

"Y-you can't!" Sarah protested.

Rosemary giggled again. "I know I look small, but I have an ability some people have nicknamed hammer space. Basically, my gut is a pocket dimension. I can eat people several times my size and not even get a stomach ache!"

Sarah strained against the bonds that held her arms, which did absolutely nothing. She squirmed her legs a little, but she wasn't going anywhere. Aside from her head, the only things she could move freely were her fingers and toes and the tip of her tail, which thrashed back and forth frantically.

"Rosemary, this isn't funny! Tell me you're joking!" she begged.

"I'm not," the rabbit stated calmly.

"Please don't! Please let me go! I-I won't tell anyone!" Sarah wailed desperately, hot tears burning in the corners of her eyes. This couldn't be happening! The rabbit had to be joking, to be trying to scare her, to be teaching her a lesson for being a predator with a loose handle on her instincts.

Rosemary leaned forward and stroked her cheeks. She wiped her tears with her thumb. "Shh, hey, I'm sorry," she soothed. "I didn't mean to upset you."

Sarah calmed down a little. "Y-you were just joking?"

Rosemary shook her head. "I meant what I said, but I should have told you more gently. I thought you were having fun, and I got a little carried away."

Sarah's heart sank with dread again, "Y-you mean..."

"I am going to eat you, just like I said, but I don't want you to be afraid. I'll be gentle, and it won't hurt at all. I'll do everything I can to make it easy for you." Rosemary's soothing tone hardly made up for the ultimate meaning of her words!

"N-no!" Sarah cried. "I don't want you to eat me! Let me go, please! I-I'm not into this! I don't want to die!"

"Shh-shh-shhhh," Rosemary soothed as she petted Sarah's cheek. "It won't be that bad. I'm sorry that you have to die, but don't think of it as the end. Think of it as a transition to a new kind of existence."

"I don't want to be your food or fat or whatever you're going to say!" Sarah screamed.

"That's not what I meant," Rosemary mollified. "It's true your body will be digested and become my food, but the part of you in here," she placed a hand over Sarah's heart. "That part will continue. I keep all my prey within me: you'll have lots of kitty friends. In the place I have for my prey, you can have anything you want. Whatever you desire, I can give it to you, and I look after all of my kitties. I make sure they're happy."

"Y-you keep saying 'kitties'. H-how many?"

"The current count is fifteen, and, yes, they are all kitties. I just love you kitties so much. You're so beautiful and so much fun to play with and care for. Plus you taste delicious."

Hearing that this had already happened fifteen times before gave Sarah a feeling of resignation. She wasn't going to escape. This rabbit would surely eat her. If she was telling the truth, her mind or soul or spirit or whatever would survive and live with the rabbit's previous prey in some sort of paradise, or at least what the rabbit thought was a paradise. Rosemary was looking down at her with a soft, affectionate smile, but Sarah couldn't make eye contact with the doe.

With a soft sigh, Rosemary lay down with her head on Sarah's chest and began to run her fingers through Sarah's belly fur. "I'll give you some time to prepare yourself," she murmured. "I know this is scary. Change is scary. Being helpless is scary. Accepting that you're going to be a bunny's dinner is scary. Just remember that it isn't the end, and I'll always be here for you."

Rosemary lay on top of her for at least an hour. Sometimes she rested her head on Sarah's chest. Sometimes, she propped herself up and petted Sarah's head, gazing down with a warm smile. Sarah was still afraid, but she was at least a little less afraid. What reason did the rabbit have to lie to her now? There was nothing she could do to save herself. She was simply waiting to be devoured. Whether it would hurt or not and whether there was anything after were immaterial to that. Still, how could she possibly trust her? The rabbit was going to eat her. Certainly, that indicated a level of malice all on its own. But she wanted to believe her if for no other reason than the fact that she didn't want to believe she'd be nothing but food. It couldn't really end like that, could it? She hadn't done anything to deserve that fate.

Finally, the doe sat back up and gave Sarah a sympathetic smile, "It's time. Are you ready?"

Sarah shook her head weakly.

Rosemary looked down at her with concern, "Do you want me to give you a sedative? If you're too afraid, I can give you something to make it easier."

"N-no, I don't want you to drug me," Sarah whined.

"Will you be able to handle being swallowed? I don't want you to panic."

"I-I can handle it," Sarah whimpered.

Rosemary climbed off of her and crouched down by the top of her head. She gave Sarah a kiss between the ears and then stretched over her to give her one on the nose. "We'll always be together," she murmured. "I hope we can be friends, at least. I really do think you're beautiful and amazing. I think we could have been together without this, but this way I know you'll always be my kitty."

With that, Rosemary opened her jaws and engulfed Sarah's head.

** *

Sarah opened her eyes to find herself soaking up to her chest in a clawfoot tub! The warm, green water sloshed around her when she moved. She tried to get to her feet to get out, but she couldn't seem to move her arms or legs!

"Shh, it's okay."

Sarah turned her head toward the soft voice to see Rosemary standing by the end of the tub, back in her midnight blue dress. She scooped some green water with a plastic cup and poured it over Sarah's head. Sarah closed her eyes and held her breath just in time!

"W-what's going on?!" Sarah asked fearfully. "Why can't I, I can't get up!"

"I tied you up if you remember," Rosemary said calmly.

Sarah did remember, and for a moment she felt where the ropes criss-crossed her body, but she couldn't see anything through the opaque water, which was like pea soup. And the feeling of the ropes faded.

"W-where am I?" Sarah asked anxiously.

"In the bath."

"How did I get here?!"

"I put you in here."

"When did you do that?!"

"After I swallowed you."

The image of the rabbit's jaws reaching over her head flashed through her mind. She remembered being squeezed inside a hot, stifling tube. "Gah!"

"Shh, don't try to remember. I've done what I can to block it out. You were afraid, kitty. You panicked." She poured another cup of water over Sarah's head.

"W-where am I?" Sarah whimpered.

"In the bath."

"I-I don't...where am I really?!"

Rosemary sighed a little defeatedly, "You're in my stomach."

"W-why does it look like this?!" She remembered the rabbit saying her gut was a pocket dimension, but this was ridiculous!

"It doesn't. This is an illusion I placed in your mind. It's something I've learned how to do for my prey when they're afraid. A stomach can be a scary place. It's claustrophobic. It stinks. Most prey don't like to experience the real thing, so here we are, just taking a bath. It's relaxing, isn't it?" She poured another cup of water over Sarah's head.

This is just a trick! I won't let her trick me! Sarah tried to shove the illusion away. For a moment she succeeded. The bright, fragrant bathroom fell away, and in its place there was darkness; thick, acrid air; slimy walls with curvy rugae closing her in. The ropes still bound her. She couldn't even push her arms against the walls of her churning, stinking, sweltering prison.

She shut her eyes, trying to deny it all, "N-no!" Her eyes popped open, and she was back in the bath in the brightly lit, white room with the cottontail's brown eyes looking into hers worriedly.

"Are you okay? Don't try to break the illusion, Sarah. It's for your own good. I don't want this to be a traumatic experience for you. You'll remember it when you get to the place where I keep my prey. I want it to be a happy memory."

"I-I'll really go someplace after, after this?" Sarah asked nervously.

"Yes, you'll like it there."

"C-can you describe it?"

Rosemary paused a moment. "I can change it how you like, but right now, it's a sunny meadow with wildflowers and a few trees for climbing. There are mice and birds for you to hunt if you like. Not real mice and birds, not people I ate, but part of the world I created inside me. The other kitties are there--I'm sure you'll be friends--and at night, I'm there too. It's a dreamscape I created, you see."

"A-and I'll be there forever?"

"Until I die. Then we'll all find out what the afterlife is like together, I suppose. I think we'll be reincarnated, personally. Maybe we could be littermates. Wouldn't that be fun?" Rosemary poured another cup of water over her head and then petted it. "I'm not going to die any time soon though. We'll have lots of time to be together. I love my kitties so much, and I'll love you too. I'm sorry it had to be so frightening to become my kitty, but it will be worth it. It will be wonderful, Sarah."

Rosemary continued to talk to her, covering topics from favorite foods to where Rosemary went on vacation last year. Sarah got the idea that the rabbit just wanted to keep her mind off of things, to keep her calm. The water in the tub never got cold the way real tubs do, and Sarah never felt like she'd been in it too long. And she must have been in it for hours. Apparently, being digested by a rabbit wasn't a rapid process, not that Sarah wanted to think about that. She tried to pretend that was the illusion and this was reality, just taking a bath and chatting with a friend. It was the comfort Rosemary meant it to be.

At last, Rosemary placed a hand on her stomach and looked down at it. Then she held out her hand to Sarah. "Come on, kitty."

Sarah opened her mouth to protest that she couldn't move, but she suddenly realized she could! She took Rosemary's hand and stood, the green water streaming off of her gray fur. The ropes were gone, and there was no evidence she'd been digested. She stepped out of the tub with Rosemary helping to steady her. Rosemary led her to a door she didn't remember being there and opened it. It opened not into some larger building but into a sunny meadow filled with flowers! Rosemary led her out into the meadow, and the door vanished behind them. The sky was blue with fluffy, white clouds. The meadow was filled with wildflowers of all colors.

As they stepped forward, over a dozen cats bounded through the flowers to meet them, letting out happy trills of greeting. One of them, a big ginger tom, scooped Rosemary up in his arms and hugged her.

Rosemary hugged him around the neck while she gently scolded him, "Fred, you doofus, didn't you even see the new kitty? I'm trying to introduce her."

The tom set the doe down and glanced at Sarah embarrassedly, "Uh, hi, I'm Fred."

"Sarah," Sarah replied awkwardly. She eyed the other fourteen cats, who were staring at her curiously.

Rosemary brushed herself off before addressing the cats, some of whom were twice her height, in a confident, assertive tone, "I've brought you a new kitty friend. This is Sarah. She's a really sweet girl, so I know you'll be good to her. Make her feel welcome."

A tortoiseshell queen bowed down on one knee to the rabbit, "Of course, Goddess."

Rosemary sighed wearily, "I told you I'm not a goddess, Belle. I'm just a rabbit who eats cats!"

"A goddess of a rabbit who created this paradise for us," Belle countered determinedly.

"I told you; it's just a kind of lucid dreaming."

"How can our souls exist in a mere mortal's dream?" Belle pressed.

"Beats me. I guess they have to go somewhere."

Belle didn't seem convinced, "I know not your reason for your denial, but I will continue to worship you, my goddess."

"Whatever makes you happy," Rosemary replied, defeated. She looked back at Sarah, "Does this seem alright to you? Would you like me to change anything? Er, within reason of course, I have to keep my other kitties happy too."

"Could I have a mountain for rock climbing and a river for kayaking?" Sarah requested.

Rosemary grinned, "Thinking big already! I like that. Let's do the mountain first. I'll put it a little ways away but close enough you can walk there."

The doe closed her eyes a moment and concentrated. Then she opened them and slowly raised her hand, and a rocky mountain grew up out of the meadow in the distance. It even had a snowy peak.

"You can use it for skiing too if anyone cares to do that," Rosemary stated proudly. "Now the river."

She shut her eyes again to focus. Then she opened them and drew a curvy river with her finger in the middle distance.

Sarah looked at the gently flowing river. "Can you give it some rapids?"

Rosemary smirked, "I guess you know what you want."

She closed her eyes again and then opened them to poke along the river until there was a strip with some impressive whitewater rapids.

She let out a breath of relief, and glanced up at Sarah, "I hope that's enough for now."

"I'll need equipment, but I guess I can wait until tomorrow," Sarah teased.

Rosemary sighed again and gave her a wry smile. Then she stepped forward and hugged Sarah tightly. Sarah hugged the bunny back and petted her head. She'd never held the doe in life, but now she could. And it didn't feel any less real.

When they broke apart, Rosemary addressed the assembled cats jovially, "Now, who wants pets?"

A chorus of me's and I do's filled the air, and Rosemary beamed, looking absolutely delighted.

"Just a moment then!" she piped.

Rosemary skipped away, but as she went, she didn't get smaller but bigger! When she stopped, she was ten times the size of the biggest cat! She smoothed her dress and sat down in the meadow before patting her thigh.

"Come here kitty-kitties!"

The other cats, except for Belle, charged, Fred throwing himself on Rosemary's lap first.

"Sacrilege," Belle muttered under her breath.

Sarah glanced at the grumpy tortoiseshell and then slowly made her way to the back of the line for pets and listened to Fred's purring whilst Rosemary stroked him.