The Unthinkable
Hare Hunting

'Now sweetie lets make this nice and easy. You were placed in the arena...'

He drags out the sentence wanting Anna to finish it but at first, she just stares blankly at him so he points a spear at her throat. Anna scowls down at him and growls out an answer.

'3 days ago'

'So on the Day 212, you arrived in the arena. Which we know is a day before your brother was placed inside who we are still on the search for. But you know where he is.'

'No I don't'

She growls but is only greeted with a punch in the stomach and a cut on the cheek from the spear. How dare Aurick hit a girl especially if the girl is my best friend? She crunches over in pain but straightens up quickly.

'We saw you on the same path he was! We have a group heading that way as we speak so you can't deny it!'

'Then why do you need me! Let me go!'

She growls out again holding her hands in fists.

'Bess is down by the mountains but she is the last person we are after. Charly we predict has nothing to do with this. Josh is extremely well hidden but there is one we are desperate to find. Lilie'

My heart rate increases at the mention of my name and I panic slightly.

'I don't know where Lilie is. I haven't seen her since Day 203! She isn't apart of this game!'

Aurick smirks evilly and walks over to my metal sign that is still pinned up to a tree.

'I think you can see by this that she is most definitely in this game now and you will lead her too us or you will die first!'

With that Aurick rushes back through the trees heading to the river and the group follows dragging Anna with them.

So Anna is being used to find the rest of our group and kill them. But they specifically want me. Ugh why me? I don't want to move to the ground as I have realised there are trackers everywhere and I am all alone. At least Josh is well hidden and hasn't been spotted yet. They said Bess was up in the mountains but if I visited her I would certainly be caught.

I look through the treetops trying to find a clearing of some sort as I decide my best shot is camping up high where I have an advantage. It only takes a few jumps from branch to branch for me to find a perfect clearing high up in the trees where I begin to make camp.

I take a cautious look around before jumping to the forest floor and grabbing some broken branches. Whilst exploring I also find some abandoned coil of string which must have been dropped by one of the 'Venatores' or whatever they are. Why did they want to kill anyway? Wouldn't they want to escape or stick together? I guess not. But there was definitely something else that was keeping them in such an angry mood.

I place the wood I collected between the branches of the tree making a strong platform for me to sit on but just to secure it I tie it with the coil of string. Now to find something to eat. I still had the sharp stone in my pocket and my spear so I could go hunting. So that's what I do. I travel with height jumping from tree to tree whilst holding my spear firmly in my grasp. I scan the woodland ground for any animals in sight and as I approach the river where I found my sharp stone I catch one in sight. A male hare sat at the bottom of one of the trees as it nibbles on the fresh purple flowers. It hasn't heard me yet and is following the flower trail that heads from the tree to the dirt path. I position my spear above my head getting ready to throw it at my target when it comes into view.

It hops forwards a little more and I steady my breathing to reduce its chances of hearing me.

It hops again. Nearly there...

Snap!

A net grabs the animal in a bundle of leaves and vines as it rises up in the trees. I sit in my branch awestruck at the amazing trap work that was placed and how I couldn't even see it myself. The animal is still struggling in the dangling pouch and I wonder if the trap maker was anywhere near here. Maybe I could take it before they do make it here.

Hmm, let's try this.

I jump down from the tree slowly walking over to the hare as I look around cautiously. The hunter would be here soon so I would have to hurry. I take the sharp stone from my pocket and sharpen my spear to guarantee it pierces the hare's flesh. I then strike it deep into the hare and it luckily hits its neck stopping it from moving and breathing as it drops limp. I remove the spear and get to work on the strong vines but they are proving to be difficult. Every time I thought I had got through the puzzle another vine would appear and I start to panic knowing the hunter will be here any second. And my instincts were correct.

I can hear movements through the forest and I work faster pushing the spear through the plants as they hold my prey tightly in its grasp. The movements are getting closer and I soon realise it's not going to open up in time. The footsteps are almost here and I quickly hide behind the tree hoping the hunter is friendly.

I hear the rustling but don't dare to look at the person who has emerged. I can hear the slash of a spear against the vines and the thud of the dead hare falling to the ground. Then silence. I don't remember hearing them leave and I can still hear their soft breathing whilst mine is out of control. What if this is a Vendatore? If it is then I am as good as dead.

Out of nowhere, an object is thrown at my head with a lot of force and I am knocked out cold as my head throbs with pain. The darkness consumes my vision and I start to have something that I am way too familiar with.

Nightmares.

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