The Running Girl (Story)

I am so stupid…

O god…please, I know I don’t go to church, but If I can make it to the road, I will find a church and go to church every day.

Here I was, running for my life, lungs burning, seeing the road up ahead, so close, but what if there was a hunter waiting for someone? I quickly dash to the road going across open grass, changing direction, of course, anyone could see me, but I hoped I could run faster then them. I heard a yelp behind me, and I didn’t dare pause to look back, not wanting to know who it was, and if it was just a fall or a hunter. I stumbled forword, and fell pass the line and start to suck air, not caring that a teenage boy was getting a eyefull if he wanted to look down my shirt. Shaking, tears forming, I look back at the park, praying that my friends would make it.

I puked, partly due to the run, partly to the fact that non of my friends had made it yet. I didn’t want to think of them if they didn’t make it. It started out as a silly girls dare, to make a run though Herbert Park, which when the lights came on at night, was a hunting zone. So a whole gaggle of us girls decided we would run though. After all, what was the chances of a hunter being there? and how many tags would he have bought?

I look back over the park, seeing girls running around, some giggling, some scared, I shout out that I was in a safe zone, and I saw a few start to head to my way, as Herbert Park had a lot of paths that looped back on themselves, and areas that where mirror images.

There was ten of us, Angie, who was the oldest at 32, and then two college girls, Amy and Amanda, then the younger set like me, high school seniors, there was my best friend Trish, Molly from Japan, and a few girls I didn’t know. We stood at one side of the park and decided to walk across. We where laughing and giggling when we heard a twig snap, and we bolted.

Soon another girl was with me, Yolonda, who i didn’t know, but was happy to see, we gave each other a big hug and cheered and cried out for the others. Soon Molly, Angie, Amanda, and another girl came in as a group. I smiled, We started to giggle in that silly girl giggle, hugging each other. Soon, everyone but Amy and Trish was in the safe zone, and Angie was helping Toyna with her scraped knee, as she was the one who fell in her run. We where busy hugging each other and giggling when we saw Amy, but when we saw her face, everyone went quiet.

“Me and Trisha, (Sob) we got lost, and then, a hunter stunned trisha and…” and Amy fell sobbing, Molly thought quickly, and dragged Amy into the safe zone, and soon Amy pointed in the direction they where attacked, so I ran, right back into the hunting zone. I heard a few voices call out to me, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t let Trish get kidnapped like this, I grew up with Trish, we had sleepovers, she was the first person I ever kissed, and we shared info on boys once they started noticing girls. Some Hunter wasn’t going to get Trish without a fight.

I went to the point where Amy and Trish where Jumped, and saw Trish shoe just lying on the sidewalk. I looked around, calling out Trish’s name, as hunters by law where only allowed stunners that lasted 35 seconds. On my second shout, I heard Trish scream my name, so I ran towards her.

I saw her sock on a tree, then her other shoe on the ground, leading me forward as I could see the figure ahead of me. The pervert was stripping trish down, I could see her red hair and pale skin flash ahead of me, and I ran harder then I ever had, The hunter was getting close to the exit, So I willed myself to run harder.

as I rounded the top of the hill, I saw the hunter shut the trunk of his car, he looked at me, and my heart ran cold. I could see that he was a old pro, girl leather with the tint that comes from being oiled by brain oil, a simple hunting belt that had been broken in a long time ago, as he walked to his driver side, I ran after him, I had to rescue Trish.

By the time I got to the car, it was in gear and moving, I tried to stop it, but it drove off, and I ran 100 feet after it, screaming for trish, before my legs gave out and I was able to fall to the grass. I began to sob.

A few minutes later, Angie found me, she gave me a hug and let me cry. She didn’t try to tell it was going to be alright, she just let me sob.

after I stopped crying, I got angry “It not FAIR, Trish, was special to me, my best friend, I…I…can’t think of what going to happen to her.”

Angie gave my hand a squeeze, then firmly looked at me “She made a choice, she knew the risk, however small, of running though the park, you cannot rescue her now, that was a brave but foolish thing to do, to run back into the hunting zone, many time hunters will wait in wolf packs, one will grab one, then the pack will grab the rescue party. I thought I had lost both of you tonight.”

“Trish is really…gone…a prey”

“Yes dear, I was notified a few moments ago that she was claimed, she no longer a citizen.”

By now, I realized how sore and tired I was, my legs cramping up, my lungs still burning from the run, and my eyes from the tears. Angie saw how I was, brushed my hair a bit, and smiled a bittersweet smile.

“When I was your age, I was full of spunk, thought I ruled the world, and my friend Jamie and I, well, we ran though the park together one night. We where not thinking there was a hunter, and Jamie was one step behind me when I heard a stunner go off. I turned around and saw a hunter, he smiled and pointed the stunner at me, and so I did what anyone else in there right mind would do, I ran away. I never saw Jamie ever again, but each year I make a run for it across the park. For Jamie, after all, we where best friends and shared notes on boys”

“and kissed each other before boys knew we didn’t have cooties”

Angie smiled “yes, and perhaps at a sleepover made us feel good while the few boys where still thinking that cops and robbers was the best thing ever. I think my Jamie was much like your Trish”

I laughed, I needed to laugh, anything not to think about sweet Trish being bound, used, and then her life snuffed out and eaten like a piece of meat.

“Next year, let me know when you want to run, I think I will join you for Trish memory.” ———————————————–