The Mating Run

Chapter 17

Changes

It is under the most peculiar circumstances that Ettie and | first come face to

It's in my first week of working part-time at a convenience store. The night shift. is my preferred choice for work as it attracts a diverse range of customers, including an elderly man with a thirst for alcohol and teenagers seeking to purchase condoms. Most of the time, | don’t really care because my only focus is getting only focus is getting through my shift and finally getting some sleep.

The first day passes without any unusual occurrences, leading me to believe the week will end just as uneventfully. However, | am sorely mistaken.

On a Monday, there are five customers at the convenience store. Two of them. arrive together, inebriated and seeking snacks. There is an old lady in search of an umbrella. A man in his late fifties wants to purchase a cigarette. The fifth person is wearing a large hoodie and a face mask. Initially, | don’t pay much attention to them, but | recently notice they always purchase the same item.

Apill to help you sleep.

It seems contradictory to me that they would purchase a sleeping pill in the dead of night. If they had bought it in the afternoon, they could have enjoyed at peaceful night’s rest..

Nevertheless, being someone who simply sells things, | don’t feel compelled to question the reason for it. Small talk doesn’t interest me at the moment. My motto is clear: | have no intention of making friends; | am solely focused on earning enough money to pay the bills.

Each day, from Tuesday to Thursday, feels like a repetitive loop.

| have a steady stream of regular customers, each with unique and unpredictable requests. Right before closing the store, without fail, someone wearing a hoodie and mask knocks on the door and Inquires about sleeping pills.

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It is on a Friday when the seemingly endless loop finally ceases. Just as | have anticipated, customers steadily arrive throughout the night. The sound of the door opening with a ding catches my attention, and | turn to see if the person in the hoodie will buy the sleeping pill once more. Just as | am about to grab the pre-packed sleeping pill, | lift my head and notice the absence of anyone wearing a

hoodie or a mask.

However, my gaze is drawn to a breathtakingly beautiful girl, her face etched with a frown of irritation. Bags under her eyes reveal her exhaustion, while her entire aura emanates with anger. For some reason, even if it is the first time | see her face, there is a sense of familiarity that washes over me. | can’t take my eyes off her as she stops right in front of me and confidently places a paper bill on the

counter.

| don’t know why | don’t just give her the medicine.

| don’t know why | actually speak..

“What happened to your hoodie?”

She seems taken aback by my question, perhaps because it is unexpected for someone to approach her. | can tell she is going to ignore me by the way she casually shrugs. With an awkward nod, | reluctantly accept her money and pass her the sleeping pill. Right before | can hand her the change, she surprises me by finally opening her mouth.

“You're in a talkative mood today, huh?”

Immediately, my cheeks turn red with embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“No worries, it’s all good.” She tells me, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she chuckles. She really is pretty. “I just can’t handle this heat.”

“Hmm.”

And | think that will be the end of it, but | am wrong. She makes a point to ditch. her hoodie whenever she goes to the convenience store after that day. Instead, she enters the store wearing rumpled pajamas and a deep frown, urgently requesting a

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sleeping pill.

67%Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

It takes me about three weeks to build up the courage to ask her about it, after she has bought it.

“Are you having a hard time sleeping?”

Her snort of contempt is followed by sharp, cutting remarks, but they bounce off me without leaving a mark. “Tell me, smarty pants, what do you think?”

“| think maybe the sleeping pills you keep buying don’t actually work.” | tell her nonchalantly, shrugging as | slide the sleeping pill into a paper bag and hand her back her change. “Maybe you should try doing something else to help you sleep.”

“Got any suggestions?”

| tilt my head to the side, deep in thought.

“What do you think about going for a run?”

She gives me a bewildered look, as if | have lost my mind. She quickly sn atches the paper bag and heads towards the store’s exit. | shrug, turning my attention to the shelves, only to realize that the door hasn’t slammed shut, suggesting that she is still there. As confusion washes over me, | quickly glance behind me, only to find her gaze fixed upon me, mirroring my own befuddlement.

“My name’s Ettie.”

As she tells me, | can’t help but notice how her name rolls off the tongue, just as lovely as she is. It is undeniably unfair how some individuals are blessed with both physical attractiveness and names that exude charm.

“I'm not really into running, but if it gets the job done, then why not? When are we going to go for a jog?”

When | suggest going for a run, what | really mean is for her to do it alone. The girl introduces herself to me, but | remain completely oblivious to her identity. We barely know each other, and she, a customer, and me, a mere part-time worker at

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the convenience store.

Agreeing and going with her would be completely crazy.

But that’s what | do. Surprising myself, the words spill out of my mouth, and | tell her:

“Im almost done with my shift. Nothing compares to a morning jog. If you wait for me, I’m down to run with you.”

“Cool.”

Ettie nods, her hand reaching out to grasp the doorknob. With her hand firmly on the handle and one foot already outside, | can’t resist speaking up once more. In an instant, she freezes, her gaze fixed ahead, deliberately avoiding any eye contact with me. “You can call me Alina.”

“Alina.”

She softly whispers my name under her breath, as if trying to etch it into her

memory.

“Your name is really pretty.”

| know Ettie like | know myself.

We are inseparable, always doing everything together.

It might be strange how our paths cross, and even now, | still can’t fathom why she struggles with sleep. She claims that it’s solely her character, but deep down, | remain skeptical. It sounds bad, as friends have to trust each other, but sometimes | just sense that Ettie is keeping secrets from me.

Despite everything, when my eyes meet hers, and | witness the blood dripping

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3] 67%1

from her mouth and hands, I’m filled with uncertainty about how well | truly know

her.

From my vantage point high up in the tree sanctuary, | watch with anticipation as Ettie and her group pass below. The moonlight filters through the leaves, creating eerie patterns of shadow on the forest floor. With every step they take, my heart pounds in my chest, creating a symphony of pulsating beats.

Ettie, my best friend, the person with whom I share countless secrets and laughter, walks with the group, her once familiar presence now distant and unfamiliar. Her silhouette is barely visible, camouflaged in the darkness, causing me to narrow my eyes in concentration. Every time she moves, a predatory grace accompanies her, creating a malevolent aura that sends shivers down my spine.

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The forest used to be so peaceful, but now it’s like a maze of dangerous stuff. Ettie’s gaze,

mid of warmth and filled with an ominous intensity, uncovers a

hidden darkness lurking within her. As the moonlight hits her eyes, they seem to shimmer like stars in the night sky.

I can hear the group’s voices floating up to me, fragments of laughter and conversation that give me an unsettling sensation. The contrast between their camaraderie and the twisted reality of the Mating Run makes the scene super

surreal.

As Ettie walks, an unsettling sensation washes over me, as if I’m witnessing a predator in its element. As she surveys the surroundings, her eyes darting with cold determination, it’s like looking at a reflection of the hunter that attacked me earlier. My mind races, trying to reconcile the familiar Ettie | knew with this chilling. transformation, like two puzzle pieces that no longer fit together.

My forehead is covered in a thin veil of sweat as | tightly grip the branch beneath me. As the leaves rustle in response, | freeze, my heart pounding in my chest, hoping | haven’t given away my hidden vantage point. The fear of discovery hangs heavy in the air, mixing with the overwhelming dread of witnessing my best friend’s inexplicable descent.

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As | grasp the hilt of my knife, | feel its cool metal against my palm, causing my fingers to tighten. It's as if the space separating us is simultaneously vast and excruciatingly tight. Ettie’s laughter, once a comforting melody, now sends an eerie shiver down the spine when it rings hollow in the night.

As they move away, the forest exhales a collective breath, the cool breeze brushing against my skin. | keep my gaze fixed on Ettie’s figure until it gradually blends into the darkness. I’m freaked out — the hunter and Ettie, tied together by something really bad, a darkness that’s impossible to understand.

Coming down from the tree is like a choreographed dance, with limbs moving in sync with the shadows. Every sound is amplified, as if my senses are on high alert, capturing the faintest echoes of laughter in the forest. Every step | take is haunted by the long, chilling shadow of Ettie’s transformation, urging me to move faster.

As my boots meet the forest floor, the earthy scent of moss and fallen leaves. fills my nostrils as | break into a sprint. The path to the cave calls out like a lifeline, promising refuge from the sinister presence that taints the darkness. The branches above allow slivers of moonlight to dance across the uneven ground below. Driven by urgency, | push myself forward, desperate to reach Zeke and escape the encroaching darkness.

As | hurry through the forest, the branches reach out to snag my clothing.

As | hurry, the sound of twigs snapping beneath my feet echoes through the oppressively silent air, creating a symphony of trepidation. As | follow the path, it unfolds like a twisted ribbon, beckoning me to return to the cave and the feverish

Zeke.

Ettie’s group’s laughter fades into the distance, drowned out by the haunting orchestra of the night. As | draw closer to Zeke, my breaths become more ragged, reflecting the mounting anticipation. My vision is toyed with by shifting shadows, twisting the path into a perplexing maze.

And then, a glimmer of hope catches my eye a patch of ripe, juicy berries.

Like sca ttered jewels, the small, vibrant orbs call out for attention on the forest floor. A glimmer of reliéf flickers inside me, offering a momentary break from the

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overwhelming sense of dread. Perhaps, just perhaps, nature has provided a momentary reprieve with the gift of sustenance.

I skid to a stop, feeling my heart pounding in my chest, and quickly kneel beside the juicy berries. Bathed in moonlight, they appear innocent, yet there is an underlying sinister aura to this forest. A moment of hesitation flickers within me, torn between the cautious voice in my head and the growling hunger in my stomach.

Ignoring my fear, | give in to the gnawing hunger and start picking the berries. with fervent determination.

As | pick, the soft petals brush against my fingertips, offering a tactile semblance of normalcy. As | walk, the rhythmic rustling of leaves acts as a calming symphony, counteracting the haunting memories that linger within me.

Perhaps this is the action | should take right from the beginning.

| should just ignore everything and let my instinct take over.

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