16. Sixteen
16
SIXTEEN
MILA
M y head hurt.
Pain shot through my skull like a sharp knife being driven into my brain. It felt like a fog was swirling around my mind, preventing me from fully awakening. I struggled to move my arms, but they were weighed down, and there was something wrapped around my wrists, keeping them tight against each other.
Glimmers of orange light blinded me as I forced my eyes open, blinking frantically to clear the haze.
Once.
Twice.
Three times to rid the cloud of confusion, and when my eyes finally focused, I was met with a terrifying reality.
Tiny eye holes peered back at me from a mask that covered my entire head and rested firmly on my shoulders. It wasn’t overly heavy, but enough that I felt awkward moving my head to take in my surroundings. It wasn’t a hood, but it felt tight like a mask. My wrists and ankles were bound with thick rope, and I was left sitting on the cold, hard ground. Bare feet exposed to the freezing air.
Someone had changed me into a white, long-sleeve dress that fell to just below my knees. The cold air chilled my bare skin, and I shivered as the orange glow cast shadows across my skin, stealing my attention.
As I took in my surroundings, terror gripped my heart.
Several enormous fires raged from a giant circle around me and several other figures.
Girls.
I counted five.
All wearing white dresses.
And masks…
Animal masks.
There was a fox, raccoon, chipmunk, bird, and squirrel.
All furry little woodland creatures.
All hiding the identity of the girl behind it.
I lifted my hands to my mask and felt fur. I followed the curves of the mask to a nose and then upward to two ears.
Rabbit ears.
The fucker not only drugged me, but he dressed me up like a rabbit.
Real clever.
I clearly had no sense of self-preservation.
I was annoyed at how na?ve I was.
Swallowing his pill without question?
Idiotic, really.
And there I was, tied up next to five other girls wearing fucking woodland critter masks, in the middle of I-don't-fucking-know-where.
There was no time for self-pity as fear washed over me again.
The crackling of the fires and the scent of burning wood filled the air, mingling with my growing panic. The masked figures surrounding me remained eerily silent, their presence sending a chill down my spine. The fox stared at me intensely as if she was studying me, sizing me up. I turned my attention to the other girls, their eyes brimmed with fear behind their masks. We exchanged glances, silently communicating our shared terror and confusion .
Our captors must have been nearby, observing our every move from the shadows. I strained my ears, hoping to catch any sound that might give away their presence. But all I heard was the distant howl of the wind, carrying with it a haunting melody that sent a chill through my bones.
I strained against the ropes binding my wrists, feeling the coarse fibers digging into my skin. The more I struggled, the tighter they became, cutting off circulation to my hands. I glanced at the other girls and their eyes were filled with confusion and terror. It was clear that they, too, were just as helpless as I was.
I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but my voice was silenced by the weight of fear that constricted my throat.
Archer was a killer.
And I fell right into his trap.
Rustling around us sent us looking into the shadows for the source.
Figures adorned in black robes moved around the fires with purposeful strides. Their faces remained hidden beneath hoods, making it impossible to discern their identities. As the flames danced higher, casting flickering shadows across the clearing, I noticed three figures dressed in all black, moving through the robed figures to stand in front of us. They wore masks too—a horned beast with black eyes.
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 echoed through 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.
I pushed off from the tree, sprinting deeper into the woods. I could hear him following me, but I kept running. He was so close, I could hear him panting as he ran. I pushed farther into the trees, and just as I was about to hide, a strong hand latched onto my wrist and yanked me backward as I slammed into his hard body. I kicked and screamed and used every ounce of strength I had to get him off of me. The glint of a knife caught my attention, and I knew he was going to kill me.
He was strong, but I was not ready to die.
I slammed my head back, and pain shot through my skull amidst a loud cracking noise. He let go of me, cursing loudly, as he dropped the knife to the ground. He cried out as blood poured out of his mask holes, covering his hands. I leaned down to grab the knife and took off running.
This time, he didn’t follow.
I kept running, adrenaline pumping through my veins, until I heard a bloodcurdling scream. I slowed down and tried to silence my steps as I carefully headed toward the scream.
What I saw made my blood run cold.
About 20 feet away, I saw two girls on the ground.
The one with the chipmunk mask was on her back, and the one with the fox mask was straddling her. In her hands was a knife covered in blood. I watched as she buried the knife repeatedly into the chipmunk's chest, a loud squelch breaking the eerie silence around us. Chipmunk girl stopped fighting, and her hands fell limp to her sides. The moon made her dark blood shine in the night. I watched as the fox stood up, wiping the blade across her dress as she looked around her to see if anyone saw her kill Chipmunk.
I ducked behind the rock before her eyes found me and pressed my hands across my mouth to stifle my breathing. I could hear her laughing to herself, so I crawled under the fallen tree to stay out of the open area in case she decided to make her way to me.
I was unsure how much time had passed, but the moon had moved higher in the sky, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor. The other girls were nowhere in sight, and I was beginning to worry. Did the others find the apples? Did they make it out alive?
I listened for what seemed like an eternity before I crawled out from under the tree. I paused and knelt next to the girl in the chipmunk mask, her tiny body covered in blood. I gently lifted her mask off her head to put a face to her and saw that she was a brunette I recognized from my literature class. I didn’t remember her name, but she sat in the front of the classroom, closest to the door. Her once blue eyes were now a pale gray, and her skin was cold and hard. Rigor mortis had begun to set it. I gently closed her eyelids with my fingers, and said a little prayer for peace.
There was nothing more I could do for her.
I cursed myself for not remembering her name but vowed to live for her. She didn't deserve to die at the hands of another captive, and I wouldn't become the fox's next victim.