When Rabbit Howls

by Truddi Chase

The faint brogue vanished. As she continued, it was easy for Stanley to imagine her reciting “The Charge of the Light Brigade” in her sandpapery and dramatic voice. “The woman, or at least the seed of her, has been with us since the first-born child was two years old. The woman’s actual birth took place much later. Her construction allowed her to operate in the world—no different before her birth than after it. She was empty then, she’s empty now. We operate through her when we need to, otherwise we act on our own. Please try to understand,” she continued, “that except for the woman and a few of the others, the period of time from our ‘inception’ to actual birth is a learning time. But even with years of observation beforehand, it is no simple task, orienting ourselves after we are born, to the things going on around us.”