The Mating Run by Leeka

Root

The air hangs heavy with the acrid scent of vomit.

I’m hunched over by the side, retching violently as my body rebels against the weight of guilt and fear that clings to my insides. Each convulsion sends waves of nausea through me, a physical manifestation of the turmoil within.

Ettie’s voice, a distant murmur, penetrates the fog of my anguish.

“Alina, you need to stop. It’s done.”

Her words, meant as reassurance, fall on deaf ears. I can’t shake the images that replay in my mind–the brutality, the blood, the makeshift grave. The forest seems to close in around me, its ancient trees bearing silent witness to the chaos that has unfolded in their domain.

As I retch, Ettie continues to stand near the makeshift grave, her gaze fixed on the rocky ground. “We did what we had to do, Alina.”

Her words cut through the fog, a stark reminder of the unforgiving reality that governs the Mating Run. Survival leaves no room for hesitation or remorse.

I wipe my mouth, trembling, and attempt to rise.

The forest floor feels unsteady beneath me, each step a struggle against the lingering shadows of guilt. Ettie turns toward me, her eyes holding a mixture of concern and frustration.

“Alina-”

“Ettie… We… We can’t afford to stay here. We shouldn’t. The cameras are watching. We need to go somewhere they can’t see us..”

I stumble towards Ettie, my legs weak beneath me.

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Ettie’s gaze softens

and we made ours.”

“Alina, survival comes with a price. Elijah made his choice,

“We?” I mutter to myself, my entire body shaking. “What do you mean we?”

Anger pulses through me

mel that still linger in my chest.

like a wildfire, fueled by the charred remains of guilt

The echoes of Elijah’s demise reverberate in my mind, a haunting melody that refuses to be silenced. Yet, as I turn my gaze toward Ettie, a different kind of fury

takes root within me.

“Ettie, it was all you! You did that! It’s not something we both decided on! Why did you kill him?”

The words burst forth, sharp and accusing. My voice, usually soft, carries the weight of betrayal.

Ettie meets my gaze, her eyes defiant. “Alina, he touched you. He was going to hurt you. What choice did I have?”

The forest, with its silent trees and hidden cameras, bears witness to our confrontation. The air crackles with tension, charged with the unspoken truth that now stands between us.

“You had a choice, Ettie! You didn’t have to kill him like that!” My fists clench at my sides, the anger boiling within me. “We could have found another way, stopped him without resorting to… to this.”

tightens, her response sharp. “Alina, this is the Mating Run. There are no rules,

reminder of the unforgiving nature of our reality. Yet, I can’t suppress the surge of resentment that courses through me. “That doesn’t give you the right to play judge, jury, and executioner. You

eyes narrow, a storm brewing within them. “You

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it was easy for me? He had to die, Alina. I won’t let

you.”

an unchecked torrent of frustration. “But you didn’t let me decide, Ettie! You took

against the accusations that hang

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be done. If you can’t understand that,

cut out

cutting dismissal, ignite the embers of my anger. “Don’t act like you know what’s best for me, Ettie. You didn’t save me. You just replaced one

eyes ablaze. “I won’t let anyone harm you, Alina. If that

like they are.” I say the words, instantly regretting it the moment they leave my

and biting. “You think you can survive this on your own? You’re naïve, Alina. In this forest, trust is

hangs in the air. Trust, once a fragile bond between us, now shatters like glass. I clench my teeth, determined not to let

compromise who I am

are? In this

weight of her judgment stings, but I refuse to let it break me. “I won’t lose myself in this madness.

narrow, her tone cold. “Sometimes, Alina,

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defeat one.”

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“I won’t let fear and violence define me. I’ll find another way, even if

on my own.”

spectator to our unraveling camaraderie. Ettie’s gaze, a mixture of frustration and concern,

survive this alone. You need someone

is earned, Ettie. And right now, I don’t know

a stifled sob reaches my ears, and I stiffen immediately,

on Ettie.

emotions, a vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated. In that moment, my heart softens, a realization

navigating a fragile bridge. “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean those words. I just…

tears, and for a moment, the

trust me,” Ettie whispers, her voice fragile like delicate glass on

of my own insecurities. “Ettie,

for sincerity. “I thought we could rely on each other, Alina. That’s what kept us going. If we lose that,

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struggle, and the

losing you,” I admit, the words hanging in the air like an unspoken plea. “That’s what scares

did what I did to protect you,

admission, both heartbreaking and selfless, makes me realize the gravity of her choices. We’re not just navigating a forest filled with perilous beasts;

reaching out tentatively to touch her shoulder. “Ettie, I’m scared because I care about you. But I can’t blindly accept everything. We need to find a balance, a way

wanted to make you doubt me, Alina. I just… I can’t lose you in this place. I can’t let

of my own fears. We’re two souls entangled in the dance of survival, each step fraught with uncertainty. “We need each other,

choices.”