Jeffery’s prediction came true as they entered the kitchen a few minutes later.

“Mom! Hey, Mom, look at Chris.” Jeffery said loudly, smirking sideways at Chris.

Melissa looked up, saw Chris and let out an exclamation of delight.

“Oh, aren’t you just an adorable little rabbit!” she cried happily, rushing over to Chris, picking him up and hugging him very tightly. “Aw, what a cute little rabbit you are!”

“Kit… help….” Chris croaked, his voice was muffled in Melissa’s hug.

“Er— Aunt Melissa? He can’t breathe!” Kit said, rushing forward and trying to loosen Melissa’s arms around his little brother.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry, Chris dear.” Melissa said guiltily, kissing him on the cheek. “I just got a little overexcited and forgot to be gentle with you.”

“It’s okay, Aunt Melissa,” Chris gasped. He hugged his sweet aunt around the neck. “Other than my back hurting, I’m okay. I love this costume, thanks for making it for me.” he planted another kiss on his aunt’s cheek in a display of gratitude.

“Oh, you’re ever so welcome, sweetheart.” Melissa said, massaging Chris’ back, rubbing the pain away like magic. “You just look adorable in it. Oh how I would love a picture of this —Hold on, I’ll go get my camera.”

She put Chris down and ran to fetch her camera from her bedroom on the first floor.

“Heh, she’ll be wanting a picture of you from every angle.” Jeffery said to Chris, chuckling in amusement.

“You’re the one who got her attention onto Chris in the first place.” Kit said, frowning a little. “You owe him, Jeff.”

“Sorry …” Jeffery said, bowing his head in shame. Why was it that every time he tried to have a laugh, it backfires on him?   

Melissa returned moments later without her crazy camera.

“I couldn’t find it, dears,” she said, looking disappointed. “Jeffery, are you hiding my camera again?”

“Who, me? No!” Jeffery said innocently, though Kit saw him crossed his fingers behind his back…

“Well, why don’t you three go on to bed,” Melissa said while trying to remember where she had last seen her camera. “I’ll find it in the morning.”

They all went upstairs to bed. As Kit and Jeffery were changing into their cotton-made nightshirts, green for Kit, royal blue for Jeffery, Chris was struggling with the zipper of his rabbit costume, no matter how hard he tugged on his zipper, and it just won’t come down.  

 “Chris?” Kit said after a moment, finally noticing Chris straining with something. A closer look told him that Chris was struggling with the zipper. “Do you need help with that?”

“Uh-huh,” Chris nodded, and he stood up straight front of Kit, like a soldier ready for commander’s inspection.

Kit took the zipper under Chris’ chin and tugged down on it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Jeffery, can you undo Chris’ zipper?  I can’t.”

“Sure, Cuz.” Jeffery tried and failed, just like the other two. “Uh-oh, I think this is one of my Mom’s special zippers to be sure you stay cute for a few days.”  

“Now just how do you know that, Jeff?” Kit asked, looking puzzled.

“Cuz she’s done it before, Cuz.” Jeffery said. “When I was five, I was stuck in a lion costume for a week.”

“Oh no, don’t tell me I’m going to be a rabbit for a whole week.” Chris groaned. “It’s bad enough I have to sleep as a rabbit tonight.”

“I thought you liked being a rabbit, Cuz…” Jeffery said slyly.

“I do, but I don’t wanna wear it to bed!” Chris said indignantly.     

“C’mon, Chris.” Kit said, steering Chris toward his bunk. “Time for bed. Now, do you want me to sleep with you again, or d’you think you’ll be alright by yourself tonight?”

Memories of the previous nightmare came flashing to the forefront of Chris’ mind and he let out a little whimper.

“N-no, th-thanks, big brother.” Chris said timidly. “I-I’ll be a-alright on my own t-tonight.”

Kit and Jeffery both raised an eye brow at Chris, but decided to just let him try sleeping by himself.

“Alright, little brother,” Kit said, giving Chris a kiss on the cheek. “Good night.”

And he and Jeffery climbed their top bunks, while Chris moved slowly toward his bed and got in. Above him, Jeffery clapped his hands and the lights went out, the bunny rabbit nightlight was the only source of light in the room now.

Tonight turned out to be a repeat of the night before, with Kit and Jeffery being awoken by Chris’ screams. But this time, they both came down to wake and comfort Chris and both ended up sleeping with Chris together. There they were, on Chris’ bottom bunk, with bunny rabbit Chris squeezed between Kit and Jeffery. Both his big brother and surrogated mid-brother had an arm protectively around him as they slept on either side of him. 

The next morning, the Cloudkicker Trio went down stairs to find Melissa waiting for them with her—Jeffery gasped—there on her lap, was the Mad Camera of Doom.

“How did you find that?” Jeffery blurted out before he could stop himself

“I found it in the Christmas closet, and guess where it was.” Melissa said, her eyes twinkling. 

“Uh….” Jeffery said, playing dumb. “I don’t know, where?”

“I found it in the box that usually has the Christmas tree star in it.” Melissa said, still looking amused. “And I found the star in the shoe box in my bedroom closet.  Nice try, Jeffery.” She raised her camera. “Smile!”

FLASH! Jeffery flinched and raised his hand in front of the camera.

“AH! Mom…” Jeffery groaned. “I’m not wearing my safety glasses…”

“Well dear, that’ll teach you not to hide my things from me.” Melissa said sweetly, before turning her attention unto Chris. “Chris dear—oh good, you’re still wearing your adorable bunny costume. Now, hold still while I take your picture, dear.” 

FLASH! True to her son’s words of the previous night, Melissa took a picture of Chris from every angle. First his front, then his back, his right side and then his left. All the while, she did not notice Chris flinching at every blinding flash, if she had, she would have stopped instantly. She kept clicking and flashing until, to Chris’ relief, she was out of film.

She’s got to be the craziest picture taker I’ve ever met! Chris thought, but glad it was over. Ow…my eyes. He tried to rub the stars out of his eyes.

“Hang on, let me get a new roll, I want one more picture.” Melissa said and she left for her bedroom.

“Mom! Please stop! Me and Kit need to tell you something.” Jeffery tried to yell, but it was too late, she was gone.

“Oh no…” Chris groaned. “I can’t take it anymore! I’m still seeing spots from those camera flashes!” He glanced around frantically for a hiding place and then bolted for a nearby coat closet and hid inside among the coats and jackets.

Kit and Jeffery both sighed and shook their heads at Chris’ attempt to hide, clearly he doesn’t know that he can’t hide from Melissa in this house. She knows all the hiding places and a coat closet is the first place she’d look.

Look at how fast she found her camera… Jeffery reflected dully.

Melissa was back again, clutching her crazy Mad Camera of Doom.

“I’m back!” she said brightly, and then she frowned. “Where’s Chris? Oh my, where did my cute little bunny go?” She looked around, saying: “Chris, oh Chris?”  she looked at Kit and Jeffery with a grin and a knowing expression.  “He’s hiding from me, isn’t he?”

“More like hiding from your camera, Mom.” Jeffery said, grinning slyly. That remark earned him another flash from his mother’s camera as Melissa took a quick picture of him. “Ahh! Mom… Don’t do that unless I have my glasses on.” he whined, rubbing the spots out of his eyes.

“Sorry dear, but anybody else making a wisecrack at my camera will get flashed. Everybody watch out, I’m loaded,” Melissa said fiercely, acting like a bank robber and her camera was the machine gun.

She begin to sneak around the living room on tiptoes, her camera at the ready, as if her camera was a gun and she was fighting in the war, trying to get a clear shot at her target.

“Aunt Melissa, please don’t—” Kit begin but Melissa gestured at him to be quiet. “But Chris—” he tried to protest.

“Mom, listen to us, please!” Jeffery begged, but Melissa waved at them to be quiet.

“Shh! The enemy is close by, I can feel it,” she hissed, edging closer to the coat closet.

“Oh no!” squeaked a high-pitched voice from the closet, sounding fearful.

Melissa smiled in triumph as she pulled the closet door open and flashed the camera at Chris, who was attempting to hide himself in the coats.

“Ha, ha, ha, ha! Gotcha!” Melissa cackled, and then she smiled her pleasant smile. “Oh, come out of there, Chris dear, I’m done taking pictures. This one’s going to be so cute, ‘Bunny Chris Hides in Coat