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.”

response sharp. “Alina, this is the Mating Run. There are no rules, no mercy. You think he would have hesitated

I can’t suppress the surge of resentment that courses through me. “That doesn’t give you the right to play

brewing within them. “You think I enjoyed doing

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was easy for me? He had to die,

you.”

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

hardens, a wall of resistance against

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what needed to be done. If you can’t

cut out

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

won’t let anyone harm you, Alina. If

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

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

harsh reality of her words hangs in the air. Trust, once a fragile bond between us, now shatters like glass. I clench my teeth,

Ettie. But I won’t compromise who I am to do it.”

that reverberates through the cave. “Who you are? In this forest, that’s

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

cold. “Sometimes,

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to defeat one.”

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truth in her words, though chilling, ignites a defiant spark within me. “I won’t let fear and violence define me. I’ll find another way,

on my own.”

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

alone. You need someone

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

reaches my ears, and I stiffen

on Ettie.

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

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

stained with tears, and for a moment, the distance between us collapses.

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

the weight of my own insecurities. “Ettie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m just… I’m scared of losing who we

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

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

scared, Ettie. Scared of becoming something I’m not. But I’m also scared of losing you,” I admit, the words

I did what I did to protect you, to keep you

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

I care about you. But

me, Alina. I just… I

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

choices.”

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