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%

reach the top, the branches beneath me thin out, and I find myself standing on a sturdy platform of intertwined limbs. The shack

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

to that first attempt at finding a hiding spot. The moment when I thought I could outsmart the game, evade

close my eyes, trying to conjure the memory. The forest was different then, a place of potential rather than confusion. I had found a secluded nook, a spot where the trees formed a natural barrier. It felt like

sense of control, had to interfere.

thinks everything’s a fucking

hadn’t ruined shit for

tucked away

with someone in the name of

ancient tradition?

things have unfolded differently?

have been spared the confusion, the

know, and that

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1/7

Sat, 9

Game

the

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 a heat within me, a simmering

what–ifs, the alternate paths my

in his arrogance, decided to play puppet master with our lives. I close my eyes again, trying to shut out

is different. It’s smaller, cozier, but it’s filled with more

air–conditioning.

I catch sight of him – Victor.

shack seems to swallow me as my eyes widen in shock. He’s laughing at some joke, the sound echoing in the small space, while a swirl of smoke from a cigarette hangs in the air.

there, frozen, my irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

his eyes

sit well with me. The

a plume of

My mouth opens but nothing comes out, my entire body

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

O

3/7

9

Garne

is too much

to express the intensity of my

his face. The shack, a mockery of our struggles, feels suffocating. I glance around, trying to take in the audacity of it all. It’s not just comfort; it’s excess. The incap amount of food, the electricity, the television–it’s as if he’s on a lavish vacation while we fight for our lives

as I see the bounty of food 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,

a buffet.

guess my father must have told some of

happy

the intensity of my anger. I want to scream, to unleash the frustration that’s been building within me since the Mating Run began. But all that

gestures around the shack. “Feel free to

a silent plea for him to stop treating everything like a joke. But he’s too wrapped up in

within me.

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

My father knew I’ll get bored almost immediately without any tv. He couldn’t give me a phone but I guess this should be

glance at the television – al luxury I hadn’t even

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hands me a can of soda from the mini–fridge, still laughing. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Alina. Relax. It’s not everyday where we don’t have to work. Might

mechanically, my fingers gripping it tightly. I want to throw it across the room, to shatter the illusion of comfort that Victor has created. But force myself to keep it together, to not let him see the extent of my anger.

of the shack. “And over here, we have a fully stocked pantry. I made sure we won’t run out of supplies anytime soon. You know, Otta stay

rations we scrounged for in the forest, the hunger that gnawed at our stomachs. Victor’s little

arrogance.

casual flourish. He flips throught