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, no mercy. You think he would have hesitated to

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,

within

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

you.”

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

wall of resistance against

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did what needed to be done. If you can’t

cut out

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

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

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

you can survive this on your own? You’re naïve, Alina. In this forest, trust is a luxury we can’t afford.”

harsh reality of her words hangs in the air. Trust, once a fragile bond between us, now shatters like glass. I clench my teeth, determined not to let Ettie’s decisions define my

I won’t compromise who I

you are? In this

of her judgment stings, but I refuse to let it break me. “I won’t lose myself in this madness. I won’t become some… Monster.”

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

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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

on my own.”

a silent spectator to our unraveling camaraderie. Ettie’s gaze, a

survive this alone. You need someone you can trust.”

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

of a stifled sob reaches my ears, and

on Ettie.

hadn’t anticipated. In that moment, my heart

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

tears, and for a moment, the

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

the weight of

rely on each other, Alina. That’s what kept

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realization hits me – I’m not alone in this struggle, and the

you,” I admit, the words hanging in the

softens, 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

makes me realize the gravity of her choices. We’re not just navigating a forest

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

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

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

choices.”