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%

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

senses on high alert.

a moment, my hand hovering over the doorknob. The night is silent around me, and a

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

a place of potential rather than confusion. I had found a

twisted sense

thinks everything’s a fucking game.

he hadn’t ruined shit

had remained hidden, tucked away in that quiet corner of the

be mated right now, entwined with someone in the

ancient tradition?

would things have unfolded

the

don’t know, and that

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1/7

Sat, 9 Mar N

Game

the

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 frustration that

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

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

approach the shack cautiously, the wooden door creaking as I push it open. The shack, unlike Ettie’s cabin, is different. It’s smaller, cozier, but it’s filled with more things. The

air–conditioning.

I catch sight of

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

frozen, my irritation bubbling beneath

up, his eyes meeting

smirk that doesn’t sit well with me. The

by,” he says, exhaling a plume of smoke. “What took you so

within me. I can’t even speak. My mouth opens but nothing comes out, my entire body is trembling with anger as I look. around the shack that he’s in.

anger they churn within me like a storm. The contrast between the harsh

O

3/7

9 Mar

Garne

little haven is too much to bear, I can’t even find

express the intensity

grin on 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 outside.

– things I haven’t seen in what feels like an eternity. The anger bubbles, threatening to spill over, as

a buffet.

right? I guess my father must have told some of

happy

suffocated by the intensity of my anger. I want to scream, to unleash the frustration that’s been building within me since

unfazed, gestures around the shack. “Feel free to

for him to stop treating everything like a joke. But he’s

within me.

shack. “Oh! And

get bored almost immediately without any tv.

all amplifying my frustration. I glance at the television – al luxury I hadn’t even dared to dream about in the forest. Victor seems to revel in my silent shock, as if he’s expecting me to join

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9 Mar

Game

seen a ghost, Alina. Relax.

the illusion of comfort

pantry. I made sure we won’t run out of supplies anytime soon. You know,

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.

casual flourish. He flips throught channels on