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

senses on high

part as 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

at finding a hiding spot. The moment when I thought I could outsmart the game, evade the chaos

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 a sanctuary,

Victor, with his twisted sense of control, had

a

hadn’t ruined shit for

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

mated right now, entwined with someone in

ancient tradition?

would things have unfolded

been spared the confusion, the chaos,

know, and that uncertainty gnaws at me.

O

1/7

Sat, 9 Mar

Game

the

my right to choose, to decide my own fate in this

alternate paths my life

in his arrogance, decided

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.

catch sight of him

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

irritation bubbling beneath

up, his eyes meeting mine.

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

who decided to drop by,” he says, exhaling a plume of smoke. “What

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

anger they churn within me like

O

3/7

9

Garne

comfort of his little haven is too much to bear, I can’t

to express the intensity of

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

a shelf. Cans, fresh produce – things I haven’t seen in what feels like an

a buffet.

my father must have told some of the restaurant owners outside that I

happy to sponsor

to scream, to unleash the frustration

gestures around the shack. “Feel free to make yourself

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

within me.

towards the electricity that powers the shack. “Oh! And look

bored almost immediately without any tv. He couldn’t give me a phone but I

close in on me, the absurdity of it 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 in his

217

Sat. 9 Mar

Game

Alina. Relax. It’s not everyday

can 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

made sure we won’t run out of supplies anytime soon. You

meager rations we scrounged for

arrogance.

with a casual flourish. He flips throught channels