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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my words amuse him. “Pawns, players – it’s all semantics. You have the power

shack, with its excess and comfort, seems to close in on me as I gather the courage to speak.

my

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

into a nightmare. I’m a murderer now, thanks to you. Once the Mating Run is over, I’ll probably

is it my fault when you were the one

in. The shack, the cigarette smoke – it’s all a mockery in the face of the choices I made.

my head, as if denying it could erase the truth. “But you ruined my hiding spot on the first day

“Setting up for failure, or testing your limits?

play games with words. You knew what would happen out there. You knew

a leisurely drag from his cigarette, the smoke swirling around him like a sinister halo. “Risks are part of

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is up to

shove him, unable to contain the

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

him, the frustration building into a tidal wave

think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

smoke ring, watching it dissipate in

“Maybe.”

glare around the shack, frustration bubbling within me like

–

a joke!” I retort, sweeping my arm across the shack. “Did your beloved father send you all this, or did

fading from his face. It seems I hit a nerve, struck a chord that resonates deeper than I thought. He takes a drag from his cigarette,

giving me a headache,” he mutters, his tone strained.

unabated. “Your father didn’t even send you a message through a sponsor, did he? Or

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

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

takes a deep breath, as if trying to compose himself. The shack, with its illusion of comfort, becomes a battleground

words like an unwanted confession. “Some of

arms, not satisfied with his vague admission. “And the rest?”

gaze, staring at the floor as if it holds the answers he refuses to give. “Some of it is from

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,

of this mess,” I say, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

them. “He didn’t bail me out. I can handle

you can handle things. That’s why

leans back, the tension between us palpable. “You wouldn’t understand, Alina. You’ve always been the struggling type, clawing