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!”

my voice wavering uncontrollably. Waking up alone sent shivers down my spine, a feeling of terror I never anticipated. Although I’ve often woken up alone, her absence has left me feeling like a

taunts me, saying that if I had marked her, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I grit my teeth and try to

to encroach upon me, taunting my fruitless search. With each

of the small clearing, and the warm sunlight

are you??

call again, the echoes of her name fading away, leaving behind

emptiness.

leave willingly? Was she taken?

menacing, echoing through the

through the silent forest. My heart leaps at the slightest rustle in the leaves and the faintest sigh of the wind. A pang of regret

scenarios of what could have transpired. Perhaps she was overwhelmed with fear, causing her to hastily retreat. Maybe somebody stumbled upon us, forcing her to make the difficult decision to leave and shield us from harm. The possibilities stretched out before her,

amplified by the cold bed. The panic rises, its intensity growing like

1. me.

of a vacant bed. Frustration bubbles up inside me, causing me to mutter a curse under my breath. Why did she just up and leave like that?

grab my head, attempting to physically rid myself of the mental fog

my hair again, feeling the knots and tangles

some space to breathe, and I feel guilty for leaving her

But I

chest.

feel was the weight of regret settling in

sit alone, surrounded by the shadows of the shelter we built together. The emptiness echoes in the silence, a haunting reminder of her absence. The cold bed, untouched and unshared, reflects the void that

me with what could have been. I had a chance to make her mine, to claim her. She wanted it, her eyes revealing a vulnerability that I chose to

a bitter taste, rises in my throat. I had the power to make her mine, to cross the threshold that separated us, but I hesitated.

I have taken

like a specter, haunting my thoughts. Alina, with 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 force that refuses

I wasn’t prepared to navigate.

her heart on her sleeve, her desire for connection evident in the 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 shadows of the shelter we built together. The emptiness echoes in the silence, a haunting reminder of her absence. The cold bed, untouched and unshared,

mind a bittersweet

more than just a companion in the Mating Run. She wanted it, her eyes revealing a vulnerability that I chose

threshold that separated us, but I hesitated.

thoughts. Alina, with her warmth and laughter, deserved more than the uncertainty I offered. I let

I wasn’t ready for a relationship. The commitment, the vulnerability, it all felt like a daunting abyss that I wasn’t prepared to navigate. But looking back, was that just an excuse? A shield to protect myself from the unknown?

my indecision, failed to reciprocate. I failed to see that she could be the anchor

now I’m

her presence. The branches seem to reach out like accusing fingers, pointing at the consequences of my indecision. I cry out her name, my voice resonating in the calmness of the forest, but its secrets remain locked away, refusing to disclose her

location.