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.”

no rules, no mercy. You think he would

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 I enjoyed

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

you.”

torrent of frustration. “But you didn’t let me

expression hardens, a wall of resistance against the accusations that hang in

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needed to be done. If you can’t understand that, then maybe you’re

out for

the embers of my anger. “Don’t act like you know what’s best for

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cold. “Sometimes, Alina, you have to become

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to defeat one.”

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

on my own.”

conflict, remains a silent spectator to our unraveling camaraderie. Ettie’s gaze, a mixture of

can’t survive this alone. You need someone you

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

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

on Ettie.

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

as if navigating a fragile bridge. “I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean those words. I just… I’m scared, Ettie. For both of us.”

and for a moment, the distance between

on the verge of shattering. “How can we go on if you

in 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 mean it. I’m just… I’m scared of losing who

“I thought we could rely on each other, Alina. That’s what kept

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– I’m not alone in this struggle, and

admit, the

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

just navigating a forest filled with perilous beasts; we’re navigating the complexities of our own

because I care about you.

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

fears. 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

choices.”

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