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.

ווו

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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 have hesitated to kill you? To claim you?”

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 just pretend like I had

brewing within them.

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He had

you.”

“But you didn’t let me decide, Ettie! You took that choice away from

resistance against the accusations that hang in the air.

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If you can’t understand that,

cut out for

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

you, Alina. If that means making tough decisions, then so be it.”

just like they are.” I say the words, instantly regretting it the moment they leave my lips.

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

now shatters like glass. I

compromise who I am to

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

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

eyes narrow, her tone cold. “Sometimes, Alina, you have

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to defeat

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let fear and violence define me. I’ll find another way,

on my own.”

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

You need

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

of a stifled sob reaches my ears,

on Ettie.

I hadn’t anticipated. In that moment, my heart softens, a realization

murmur, my voice hesitant, 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

her eyes stained with tears, and for a

said you don’t trust me,” Ettie whispers, her voice fragile like delicate glass on the verge of shattering. “How can we go on if you

my heart heavy with the weight of my own insecurities. “Ettie, I’m sorry. I

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

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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 our camaraderie is as crucial

scared of losing you,” I admit, the words hanging in the air

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 of myself, then so be it.”

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

crouch down beside her, reaching out tentatively to touch her shoulder. “Ettie, I’m scared because I care about you. But I

the truth we both recognize. “I never wanted to make you doubt me, Alina. I just…

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

choices.”