Page 211 of Deviant

“This is for your head start,” he replies, unfazed by Mackenzie’s rudeness. “The person who selects the largest stick will receive a five-minute head start and this will continue down the line with each person selecting a stick in descending order of size.”

“So, the larger the stick you pick, the longer your head start will be?” Davis asks, looking intrigued with the concept of having such an advantage.

“It’s not a race, you idiot.” Mackenzie rolls her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how long a head start you have. Unless you’re thinking of making a run for it?” she taunts.

“I’m not running. There needs to be one winner, right? So all I need to do is let you three kill each other, and deal with whoever is left standing.”

“Is that you’re plan?” She cackles. “Good luck with that.”

We all pick our sticks, Elias’s tense shoulders instantly relaxing when I get the largest one, followed by David’s, then his, and lastly, Mackenzie’s.

“Why so glum,Mack? I thought you didn’t care which stick you got?” I taunt with a mean glare.

“The only stick I care about is the one I’ll use to parade your head with once I’m done with you.”

“We’ll see if it’s not a blonde head that will be on a spike before the night is over,” Elias warns, his eyes deadly.

She just scoffs at him, completely undaunted by his threat.

“So when is this supposed to start anyway? I’m getting antsy?” David asks Henry, ready to run as fast as he can.

“At the stroke of midnight, our hosts will announce the games start.”

“Great. And when is that?” Mackenzie grumbles irritated that she has to wait a long fifteen minutes after that.

But just as the words slip her mouth, my watch begins to vibrate. With one glance, tonight’s hunt is in full effect.

The Hunt starts now.

Play well.

“Run!” Elias shouts when I’m still rooted to my spot.

I do run, but not out the gate. I run into his arms, grab his face, and kiss him.

“I love you. No matter what happens tonight, please remember that I love you.”

“I love you too. So fucking much. But please, Roe, for me, I need you to fucking run.”

One last glance at the love of my life, and I do just that—I run.

I run like my very life depends on it, because it does. I run like the devil himself has lighted a match under the soles of my feet. The crisp air cuts at my cheeks as I sprint through the dense woods, the full moon casting a silver glow over everything beneath its watchful gaze. Each breath fogs in front of me, mingling with the earthy scent of damp leaves and the chill of early frost that blankets the ground. The trees loom like sentinels, their skeletal branches reaching skyward, knitting together a canopy that frames the full moon. Shadows dance and flicker around me, playing tricks on my mind as I push myself to run faster, my heartbeat echoing in my ears like a frantic drum. I can’t shake the feeling that something lurks just beyond the edges of the light, but I force myself to focus. Elias promised he would find me, that he would come, and I cling to that promise as I dart deeper into the woods.

Suddenly, a rustle pulls me from my thoughts, and instinct kicks in, telling me that it is time to hide.

Run and find somewhere to hide. Stay in that spot, and I’ll come find you.

Elias’s words ring in my ear as my eyes scan the area, and I spot an ancient tree, its bark gnarled and split wide enough for me to slip inside. I dart toward it, my heart pounding as I press myself against the rough surface, the hollow space offering me refuge. I can hardly breathe, but I quiet my thoughts, relying on the solid embrace of the tree to shield me from whoever is out there. But as time passes, the cold begins to seep into my bones, a reminder that winter is soon afoot, but I resist the urge to shiver or grind my teeth.

I just have to wait.

I just have to trust Elias’s promise that he will find me.

He’ll find me.

He will.

Time feels suspended in the silence as I continue to hold onto that ribbon of hope like a lifeline.

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