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.”

Run. There are no rules, no mercy. You think he would have hesitated to kill you? To claim you?”

truth in her words stings, a bitter 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 made that

eyes narrow, a storm brewing within them. “You think

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me? He had

you.”

frustration. “But you didn’t let me decide, Ettie!

hardens, a wall of resistance against

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done. If you

cut out for this.”

know what’s best for me, Ettie. You didn’t save me. You just replaced one danger with

harm you, Alina. If that means making tough decisions,

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

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

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

survive, Ettie. But I won’t compromise who I am to do

are? In this forest, that’s a

refuse to let it break me. “I won’t lose myself in this madness. I won’t become some…

narrow, her tone cold. “Sometimes,

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let fear and violence define me. I’ll find another way, even if it means

on my own.”

unraveling camaraderie. Ettie’s gaze, a mixture

survive this alone. You

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

a stifled sob reaches my ears,

on Ettie.

of emotions, a vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated. In that moment, my

I murmur, my voice hesitant, as if navigating a fragile bridge. “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean those words. I just…

up, her eyes stained with tears, and for a moment, the

her voice fragile like delicate glass on the verge of shattering. “How can

the fragility of trust. I step closer, my heart heavy with the weight of my own insecurities.

each other, Alina. That’s what kept us going. If we lose that,

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

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

gaze softens, a flicker of understanding bridging the gap between us. “Alina, you mean everything to me. I did what I

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

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

nods, a silent acknowledgment of the truth we both recognize. “I never wanted to make you doubt me, Alina. I just… I can’t lose you in this

eyes resonates with the depth of my own fears. We’re two souls entangled in the dance of survival, each

choices.”