The Mating Run by Leeka

Rigged

The shack falls into an eerie silence.

I don’t say a word. I don’t need to. The shack, with all its excess and comfort, seems to shrink around us. The sound of the slap echoes in the silence, a sharp punctuation to the absurdity of the situation.

Victor, rubbing his cheek, looks at me with a mix of surprise and something else. -a realization, perhaps, that his carefully crafted illusion of control has cracks.

I set the cup of coffee down, the warmth turning cold. My gaze holds his, the unspoken words lingering in the air. The forest, the challenges – they may be real, but this shack, this oasis of comfort, is a mockery.

He breaks the silence, his tone subdued.

“I guess I deserve that.”

I turn away from him.

Victor, still rubbing his cheek, watches me with a newfound seriousness.

I I take a deep breath, mustering the words to convey the frustration that simmers within me.

“Did you know why I slapped you?” I ask, my voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of irritation.

Victor, reclining on a beanbag, looks at me, with a nonchalant shrug. “Couldn’t tell you, Alina. Maybe you didn’t like the kind of coffee I offered. People can be picky about their coffee, you know.”

I narrow my eyes at him, incredulous at the absurdity of his response. “Coffee? That’s what you think this is about?”

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He smirks, as if the entire situation is a joke. “Well, you did seem a bit displeased with the coffee. Maybe next time I’ll ask for your preferred roast before offering a cup.”

I let out a sarcastic laugh, my frustration reaching a boiling point. “Victor, this isn’t about the coffee. It’s about the fact that you’re treating everything like it’s some kind of game. Like the Mating Run is a joke.”

He looks at me, still smirking. “Isn’t it, though? A game, a challenge – call it what you want. It’s all part of the grand adventure we find ourselves in.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Adventure? This isn’t an adventure, Victor. It’s a struggle for survival. People are out there, fighting for their lives, and you’re sitting here, treating it like a game.”

He stretches out on the beanbag, his indifference infuriating. “Survival, adventure it’s all a matter of perspective, Alina. You see it as a struggle; I see it as an opportunity to discover who you truly are in the face of the unknown.”

I can’t take it anymore. The frustration, the anger – they spill over, and I shove

him, the force surprising both of us. He looks at me with raised eyebrows, the smirk fading.

“Okay, that’s a bit too much-”

I glare at him, the words rushing out in a torrent. “That was for treating everything like a joke. This isn’t a game, Victor. Lives are at stake, and you’re here, lounging in your shack, acting like it’s all a grand experiment.”

He sits up, his expression changing to one of mild surprise. “Experiment? That’s an interesting way to put it. But isn’t life itself an experiment, Alina? We navigate through the unknown, facing challenges, making choices – all part of the grand experiment of existence.”

I shake my head, the frustration reaching its peak. “This isn’t philosophy class, Victor. This is reality. People are scared, hungry, and you’re here, detached from it all!”

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the absurdity of it all overwhelming.

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it’s all semantics. You have the power

anger and frustration. The shack, with its excess and comfort, seems to close in on me as I gather the

ruined everything,” I say, my

on a beanbag, smirks, exhaling a swirl of smoke from hist cigarette. “Ruined everything? Well, that’s quite a dramatic way to put it, Alina.”

fists, the weight of my words sinking in. “You turned this into a nightmare. I’m a murderer now, thanks to you. Once the Mating Run is over, I’ll probably

laughs, the sound dripping with sarcasm. “Ah, the blame game. Always a favorite pastime. How is it my fault when you were the one who bashed that Hunter’s head with a rock,

the gut. I freeze, the reality of his statement sinking in. The shack,

could erase the truth. “But you ruined my hiding spot on the first day of this Mating Run! You set me

or testing your limits? It’s a matter of

games with words. You knew what would happen out

swirling around him like a sinister halo. “Risks

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the pressure is up to

shove him, unable to contain the

“Life is the ultimate experiment, Alina. Your either adapt or get

frustration building into a tidal wave of

think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

smoke ring, watching it dissipate

“Maybe.”

the shack, frustration bubbling within me like

excess, the comfort –

setup is a joke!” I retort, sweeping my arm across the shack. “Did your beloved father send you

a chord that resonates deeper than I thought. He takes a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling around

You’re giving me a headache,” he mutters, his tone

send you a message through a sponsor, did he?

jaw tightens, a flash of irritation crossing his features. “Mind your

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middle of a life–and–death situation, and you act like it’s a vacation. I have every

compose himself. The shack, with its illusion of comfort, becomes a battleground

you must know,” he says, exhaling the words like an unwanted confession. “Some of it is from sponsors. Happy

with his vague admission. “And the rest?”

the answers he refuses to give. “Some of it is from my

a heavy truth that neither of us can escape. I take a step back, the anger replaced by a mix of frustration and pity. The shack, with its excess and secrets, feels like a cage.

out of this mess,” I say, my tone

glint in them. “He didn’t bail me out. I can handle things on

my words. “Sure, you can handle things. That’s

tension between us palpable. “You wouldn’t understand, Alina. You’ve always been the struggling type, clawing your way through life. Some of us are