Bunny and the Whisper Under the Bed

Chapter 1: A girl hides a broken toy under her bed, and the toy sadly whispers to her until she confesses

Ivy had a stuffed rabbit named Clementine.

Clementine was soft and cream-colored, with long floppy ears, a pink felt nose, and a little blue ribbon around her neck. Ivy's grandmother had given her to Ivy on her fourth birthday, and for five years Clementine had sat on the pillow every night, watching over the room.

Ivy loved her. But she wasn't always gentle.

One rainy Sunday, Ivy was playing "rescue mission." Clementine was the brave rabbit who had to be saved from a tall mountain made of couch cushions. Ivy swung her around, tossed her over the cushions, and in the middle of an especially dramatic rescue, she gave a great tug.

RRRIP.

One of Clementine's long ears came off at the seam. White stuffing poofed out like a tiny cloud.

Ivy froze.

"Oh no," she whispered.

She could hear Mom in the kitchen, humming and stirring soup. Mom had said, only that morning, "Ivy, please be careful with Clementine. Grandma's stitches won't last forever."

Ivy's face grew hot. Her heart thumped. She looked at the torn ear in one hand and the rabbit in the other.