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.”

Mating Run. There are no rules,

resentment that courses through me. “That doesn’t give you the right to play judge, jury, and executioner. You made that decision

a storm brewing within them. “You think

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

you.”

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

against the accusations that hang in

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be done. If you can’t understand that, then

out

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

let anyone harm you, Alina. If that means making tough decisions, then

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

this on your own? You’re naïve, Alina.

reality of her words hangs in the air. Trust, once a fragile bond between us, now shatters like

But I won’t compromise who I am to

In this forest, that’s a liability. You’ll either adapt or

judgment stings, but I refuse to let it break me. “I

her tone cold. “Sometimes, Alina, you have to

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chilling, ignites a defiant spark within me. “I won’t let fear and violence define

on my own.”

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

survive this alone. You need someone you

Ettie. And right now,

of a stifled sob reaches my

on Ettie.

shoulders tremble with the weight of emotions, a vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated. In that moment, my heart softens, a realization dawning upon me – we’re both victims

my voice hesitant, as if navigating a fragile bridge. “I’m sorry. I…

with tears, and

delicate glass on the

her words stings, a sobering reminder of the fragility of trust. I step closer, my heart heavy with the weight of my own insecurities. “Ettie, I’m sorry. I didn’t

mine for sincerity. “I thought we could rely on each

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becomes a mirror reflecting my own fears. The realization hits me – I’m not alone in this struggle, and the survival of our camaraderie is

scared, Ettie. Scared of becoming something I’m not. But I’m also scared of losing you,” I admit, the words hanging in the air like an unspoken plea. “That’s what scares me the most.”

a flicker of understanding bridging the gap between us. “Alina, you mean everything to me. I did what I did to protect you, to keep you safe. If that means sacrificing a piece

me realize the gravity of her choices. We’re not just navigating a forest filled with perilous beasts; we’re navigating the

her shoulder. “Ettie, I’m scared because I care about you.

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

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

choices.”