The Mating Run by Leeka

Game

The forest stretches out endlessly, the trees standing tall and imposing.

I follow the map, its numbers and lines guiding me through the forest. The air is cool against my skin as I move with purpose, my footsteps soft against the earthy ground.

The map leads me deeper into the heart of the forest. I squint at the map, trying to decipher its cryptic instructions. The trees seem to close in around me, their branches interlocking like a maze.

As I navigate through the darkness, a clearing emerges before me. Moonlight spills through the gaps in the canopy, casting a silvery glow on the forest floor. The map directs me to a specific spot, and I feel a sense of anticipation.

I reach the designated location, and my eyes scan the surroundings. The numbers on the map point upward, towards a tall tree that towers above the others. I crane my neck, trying to see what the map is leading me to.

And there, high up in the branches, I spot it – a shack.

The tree stands like a sentinel, its trunk sturdy and unwavering. I wonder how I’ll reach the top, but the map insists this is where I need to be. The forest, once at place of mystery, now feels like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

I take a deep breath and begin to climb.

The bark is rough against my palms, but determination fuels my ascent. Each branch becomes a foothold, and I pull myself upward, higher and higher. The night. air grows cooler as I climb, the moon watching over me like a silent guardian.

The shack comes into view, nestled among the leaves and vines that act as nature’s camouflage. It’s decent–sized, blending seamlessly with the foliage. Tall leaves and long vines drape over it, concealing it from prying eyes.

O

1/7

08:32 Sat, 9 Mar N

Game

Game

88%

The forest stretches out endlessly, the trees standing tall and imposing.

I follow the map, its numbers and lines guiding me through the forest. The air is cool against my skin as I move with purpose, my footsteps soft against the earthy ground.

The map leads me deeper into the heart of the forest. I squint at the map, trying to decipher its cryptic instructions. The trees seem to close in around me, their branches interlocking like a maze.

As I navigate through the darkness, a clearing emerges before me. Moonlight spills through the gaps in the canopy, casting a silvery glow on the forest floor. The map directs me to a specific spot, and I feel a sense of anticipation.

I reach the designated location, and my eyes scan the surroundings. The numbers on the map point upward, towards a tall tree that towers above the others. I crane my neck, trying to see what the map is leading me to.

And there, high up in the branches, I spot it – a shack.

The tree stands like a sentinel, its trunk sturdy and unwavering. I wonder how I’ll reach the top, but the map insists this is where I need to be. The forest, once at place of mystery, now feels like a puzzle waiting to be solved.

I take a deep breath and begin to climb.

The bark is rough against my palms, but determination fuels my ascent. Each branch becomes a foothold, and I pull myself upward, higher and higher. The night air grows cooler as I climb, the moon watching over me like a silent guardian.

The shack comes into view, nestled among the leaves and vines that act as nature’s camouflage. It’s decent–sized, blending seamlessly with the foliage. Tall leaves and long vines drape over it, concealing it from prying eyes.

O

1/7

08:32 Sat, 9 Mar

Game:

If not for the map, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it.

88%

platform of intertwined limbs. The shack looms above me,

approach cautiously, my senses on

I step closer, revealing a wooden door. I hesitate for a moment, my hand hovering over the doorknob. The night is silent around me, and a sense of anticipation hangs in the air.

the game, evade the chaos of the Mating Run. If only Victor hadn’t ruined it. If only he

place of potential rather than confusion. I had found a secluded nook, a spot where the trees formed a natural barrier. It felt like a

twisted sense of

everything’s a fucking

if he hadn’t ruined shit for me?

tucked away in that quiet corner

now, entwined with someone in

ancient tradition?

things have unfolded

have been spared the confusion, the

know, and that uncertainty gnaws

O

1/7

9

Game

the

a bitter taste in my mouth, a reminder that Victor took something from me night. He took away my right to choose, to decide my own fate in this twisted game he orchestrated. The air is cool against my skin, but there’s

wonder about the what–ifs, the alternate paths my life could have

hate that I don’t know. I hate that Victor, in his arrogance, decided to play puppet master with our lives.

creaking as I push it open. The shack, unlike Ettie’s cabin, is different. It’s smaller, cozier, but it’s filled with

air–conditioning.

catch

my eyes widen in shock. He’s laughing at some joke, the sound echoing in the small space,

there, frozen, my irritation bubbling beneath

up, his

doesn’t sit well with me. The magazine drops to the floor, forgotten in the face of my unexpected

well, look who decided to drop by,” he says, exhaling a plume of smoke. “What took you so long, sweetheart? I was waiting

shake my head, frustration simmering within me. I can’t even speak. My mouth opens but nothing comes out,

jaw clenched tight. The frustration, the anger they churn within me like a storm. The contrast between the harsh

O

3/7

581, 9 Mar

Garne

the absurd comfort of his little haven is too much to bear, I can’t even find

the intensity of

mockery of our struggles, feels suffocating. I glance around, trying to take in the audacity of it all. It’s not

neatly organized on a shelf. Cans, fresh produce – things I haven’t seen in what feels like an eternity. The anger bubbles, threatening to spill over, as I realize that while I starved, Victor indulged

a buffet.

an expectant smile. “Impressive, right? I guess my father must have

happy to sponsor

to scream, to unleash the frustration that’s been building within me since the Mating Run began.

“Feel free to

silent plea for him to stop treating everything like a joke. But he’s too wrapped up in his amusement, too blind to see the storm

within me.

electricity that powers the shack. “Oh! And look at this! Electricity in the heart

bored almost immediately without any tv. He couldn’t give

at the television – al luxury I hadn’t even dared to dream about in the

217

Sat. 9 Mar N

Game

from the mini–fridge, still laughing. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Alina. Relax. It’s not

shatter the illusion of comfort that Victor has created. But force myself to

I made sure

food, the excess – it’s a slap in the face. I think. about the meager rations we scrounged for in the forest, the hunger that gnawed at our

arrogance.

grabs a bag of chips and opens it with a casual flourish. He