The Mating Run by Leeka

In His Eyes: Lost

Zeke’s POV

The first thing I become aware of as I wake up, groggy, is the sound of birds chirping outside our makeshift shelter.

My senses are immediately met with a void, as I notice the absence of any sights or sounds around me. The bed feels cold, colder than it should be. Instinctively, my hand reaches out and pats the empty space beside me, hoping for warmth, only to be met with cold.

Like an unwanted visitor, panic begins to infiltrate my being amidst the hazy morning.

My eyes dart around the shelter, desperately searching for any trace of her presence, but it remains vacant. Alina’s gone. She didn’t return. Just as she has gone missing, so has my hoodie, adding to the sense of loss and confusion.

“Shit!”

The realization hits me with the force of a gut–wrenching blow.

“Alina?”

Desperately, I call out, my voice bouncing off the walls of the empty space. There’s no response, and the silence becomes almost oppressive, filling the air with a haunting presence. Anxiety tightens its grip on my chest, causing my heart to ace. Scrambling for my clothes, I feel the urgency building inside me, urging me to

hurry.

I pull on my jogger pants, the worn–out material reminding me of the countless miles I’ve run in them. Frustrated, I let out a sharp exhale of curses under my breath. The panic intensifies, my heart pounding like thunder in my chest.

Where has she gone off to?

Why did she leave me?

As if she could materialize out of thin air, I frantically scan the surroundings, my

maze, eyes darting in every direction. The familiar forest now feels like an intricate devoid of any sense of direction. My voice trembles with desperation as I call out for her again, the fear inside me growing stronger.

“Alina! Where are you?”

My words hang in the air, lingering, waiting for a response that never comes. My pleas fell on deaf ears as the stoic forest remained indifferent. I stumble out of the shelter, my eyes darting anxiously in every direction, desperate to catch even the faintest trace of her presence.

As I look around, all I can see are endless trees and a sea of vibrant green leaves. My throat tightens as I swallow the lump forming, my hand instinctively reaching up to claw at my hair, all while the cameras continue to document my

every move.

“Alina, please!”

terror I never anticipated. Although I’ve often woken up alone, her absence has left me

head taunts me, saying that if I had marked her, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I grit my teeth and try to block it out, but my growling persists, causing

trudge through the forest, the branches scratching against my skin, my steps hesitant and unsure. The dense foliage seemed to encroach upon me, taunting my fruitless search. With each passing moment, the fear

reach the edge of the small clearing, and the warm sunlight filters through the trees, casting dappled shadows on the

Where are

name fading away, leaving behind a

emptiness.

leave willingly?

more menacing, echoing through the

and the faintest sigh of the wind. A pang of regret washes over me as I wonder if I should have been more attentive. Should I have

fear, causing her to hastily retreat. Maybe somebody stumbled upon us, forcing her to make the difficult decision to

of her absence is amplified by the cold bed. The panic rises, its intensity growing like

1. me.

her presence beside me brought a sense of warmth and contentment. Now, all that remains is the chilling absence of a vacant bed. Frustration bubbles up inside me, causing me to mutter a curse under my breath. Why did she just up

myself of the mental fog that engulfs me.

fingers through my hair again, feeling the knots and tangles that only add to my frustration.

remember her telling me she needed some space to breathe, and I feel guilty for leaving her by herself. I should have gone to

But I

chest.

fool, and now all I could feel was the weight of

a haunting reminder of her absence. The cold

name reverberates through my mind, a bittersweet melody that taunts me with what could have been. I had a chance to make her mine, to claim her. She wanted it, her

my throat. I had the power to make her mine, to cross the threshold that separated us, but I hesitated. Fear clutched at my heart, whispering doubts

have taken the

like a specter, haunting my thoughts. Alina, with her warmth and laughter, deserved more than the uncertainty I offered. I let her slip

that I

way she looked at me. And I, in my indecision, failed to reciprocate. I failed to see that she could be the anchor in this chaotic world, the one constant that could tether me to something

The emptiness echoes in the silence, a haunting reminder of her absence. The cold bed, untouched and unshared, reflects the void that has grown

through my mind a bittersweet melody

mine, to claim her as more than just a companion in the Mating Run. She wanted it, her eyes revealing

mine, to cross the threshold that separated us, but I hesitated. Fear clutched at my heart, whispering doubts

her warmth and laughter, deserved more than the uncertainty I offered. I let her slip through my fingers, and now the regret gnaws at me, an insidious

the vulnerability, it all felt like a daunting abyss that I wasn’t prepared to navigate. But looking back, was that

in my indecision, failed to reciprocate. I failed to see that she could be the anchor in this chaotic world, the one constant that could tether me to something more profound than

actions, and now I’m left

plea for her presence. The branches seem to reach out like accusing fingers, pointing at the consequences of

location.