Page 43 of The Devil's Hunt

Bronze.

Silver.

Gold.

Their presence exuded a malevolence that sent shivers down my spine.

The gold one stepped forward and began to speak. "Welcome," his distorted voice cut through the silence, echoing across the clearing like a haunting melody. "To The Devil's Hunt."

"The Devil's Hunt?" I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. This was what Lacey was talking about. What everyone talked about.

How bad can it be? It's just a game.

As the voice continued, I tried to make sense of the words, but the mask made it difficult to understand.

"Tonight, you have been chosen to be hunted. There are six of you, but only three will survive the night. The others?" he paused, letting his words hang in the air. "Well, that is up to you. You can fight for your survival, or give in and become prey."

My mind reeled as I started to piece together what he was saying.

Six girls, chosen to be hunted.

Three will survive.

The others…

I swallowed hard, trying to calm my racing heart.

"What's the game?" I finally mustered the courage to ask, my voice barely a whisper. "How do we survive?"

The golden-horned beast smiled, revealing glimmering black eyes. "The game is simple. The hunters are out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their prey. Hidden deep in the forest are three apples. One gold, one silver, and one bronze. The three that claim these apples first get to keep their lives. You can choose to work together to survive, or you can go out alone."

I looked around at the other girls, our eyes locking for a moment before shifting away in fear. We all knew what we had to do.

"How do we find safety?" the squirrel asked, her voice trembling with fear.

The gold devil’s laughter rang out like a twisted melody, making me flinch. "You won't find safety. This is a night of survival, not rest. The hunters are watching, waiting for their prey. Do you have what it takes to survive? To be our queens? To rule over a kingdom? Prove your worth and show us you deserve a spot at our table. Nothing is off-limits. Including murder."

"Wait, murder? You can't be serious," the raccoon cried out. "What if we don't want to play this game?" her voice broke with fear and desperation.

They all laughed at her.

"This is The Devil's Hunt. There is no going home. You have been chosen, and now you must survive." The gold one’s laughter echoedthrough the clearing as he stepped toward us, and the others followed suit. His gaze was fixed on me as he walked toward me, a golden knife in his hand. I clenched my fists, feeling the familiar sting of rope against my skin, and moved backward, trying to get away from him.

He grabbed my wrists and pulled me roughly to my feet. "Don't fucking touch me." I struggled to break free from his grip, but his strength was too much for me. He yanked me closer to his face, his black eyes staring into mine. "Trust no one."

I gasped as the knife in his hand cut the ropes on my wrists and ankles, freeing me from my bonds. He turned to walk toward the fox, and when he realized I wasn't moving, he yelled over his shoulder, "Better start running, little rabbit."

Archer.

He's the golden devil.

I heeded his warning and ran across the clearing and into the tree line. The woods were darker than I expected. I glanced behind me to see the other girls not far behind me. I could choose to work with them, but working alone was safer. Archer told me not to trust anyone.

So I wouldn’t.

I moved from tree to tree, hiding in the shadows, in the places the moonlight didn’t touch. I slowed down when I saw a robed figure moving between the trees, heading straight toward me. I didn’t think they'd noticed me yet, but they knew we had been set free, so they were on the hunt. I darted behind a large oak, trying to blend into the shadows. The figure moved to my left, and I heard the faintest footsteps in the leaves. Panic surged up in me, making my chest tight.

I couldn’t afford to stay where I was.

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