The Mating Run by Leeka

Chapter 31

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.”

rules, no mercy. You think he would have hesitated to kill you?

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 made that decision for both of us, and I can’t

within them. “You think I enjoyed

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had to die, Alina. I won’t let anyone

you.”

you didn’t let me decide, Ettie! You took that

against the accusations

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did what needed to be done. If you can’t understand that, then

cut out

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

“I won’t let anyone harm you, Alina. If that means making tough

think you’re so different but you’re a monster just like they are.” I say the words, instantly regretting it

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

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

I won’t compromise who I am to

that reverberates through the cave. “Who you are? In this forest, that’s a liability. You’ll either

refuse to let it break me. “I

cold. “Sometimes, Alina, you have

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to defeat one.”

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her words, though chilling, ignites a defiant spark within me. “I won’t let fear and violence define me. I’ll find another way, even if it means doing

on my own.”

silent spectator to our unraveling camaraderie. Ettie’s gaze,

you can’t survive this alone. You need someone you can

tongue. “Trust is earned, Ettie. And right now, I don’t know if I

of a stifled sob reaches my ears, and I stiffen

on Ettie.

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

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

stained with tears, and for a moment, the

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

trust. I step closer, my heart heavy with the weight of my own insecurities. “Ettie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m just…

away a tear, her gaze searching mine for sincerity. “I thought we could rely on each other, Alina. That’s what kept us going.

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struggle, and the survival of our camaraderie is as crucial as navigating the

I’m not. But I’m also scared of losing you,” I admit, the

to me. I did what I did to protect you,

We’re not just navigating a forest filled

about you. But I can’t blindly accept everything. We need to find a balance, a way

doubt me, Alina.

We’re two souls entangled in the dance of survival, each step fraught with uncertainty. “We need each other, Ettie. But we also need to trust

choices.”

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