Posted by PK on October 03, 2001 at 17:51:00:
Through her rising panic, the voices seemed to take on a tinny quality, as if she were hearing
it all on the radio. Alanna fought to control her breath.
"When I was a kid, I had this dog," somebody said.
"Are you okay?" Sophie asked.
"It's just - I don't know." The hunt quarry were moving from the showers into the dressing
room. Alanna had her chosen costume in her hands.
"It must have smelled me when I got my period, right?" the voice went on.
"It's just - " Alanna pulled the halter on. It was a good fit, soft doeskin that covered her
breasts and little else. "- I feel naked in it."
"You're supposed to. That's why you'll get through it, by not feeling safe."
Alanna knew the theory, she'd heard it before. It wasn't comforting.
"Suppose Amanda gets me?" The odds were against it, this was a group hunt. Nobody was
certain who the hunters were, they just knew how many. The fee was good, it would get her
through college. If she survived.
"You could still make it, even the Mighty Amanda doesn't win every time. Just don't get
cocky..."
Fat chance of that, Alanna thought.
"And keep your head down. It's just an executive picnic. Most of them will be drunk on too
many lunchtime martinis..."
"So I let him lick me. Oh God, it was fantastic, I didn't know what an orgasm was until then. I
guess that's when I got this thing about being eaten," the voice went on.
Alanna couldn't understand how Susan - that was her name, she was sure - could be so
nonchalant. This was a real hunt. If they got caught....
She surveyed herself, naked below the waist. Pubic hair thick and tangled. Clean though, she
thought. If anybody gets to eat my cunt they'll have to shave me, but I'll be nice and clean.
Like they tell you to wear clean underwear in case you fall under a bus. How embarrassing,
to be dead on a mortuary table and wearing dirty panties. I'd die of shame. She giggled.
"Get your shoes on," Sophie said, "We're going in five minutes."
Alanna put on her pack. She had chosen light field rations and a water bottle, at Sophie's
advice. She'd also gone for the knife, in an elasticated sheath fitted to her right thigh. If it got
uncomfortable she could take it off and stick it in the backpack. She finished lacing her
shoes.
A stern looking woman put her head around the door. "Out front for the viewing. The dogs
want to see the rabbits."
Sophie hadn't mentioned this bit when she'd sold her on the idea. Alanna vaguely
remembered the conversation in the pub.
"It'll be easy, don't worry. They hardly ever catch anybody."
It was a bloody stupid idea, Alanna thought bitterly. How could she have signed up for this?
'Hardly ever' wasn't much consolation if you were the exception. Pull yourself together, she
thought. Just get through it and all your financial worries are solved. For a year or two,
anyway.
"It'll brace you," Sophie had said. "Get through that, and can you imagine an interviewer
scaring you?" Her confident manner lent weight to her words.
Alanna looked around. Not everbody was wearing the standard quarry costume. It was
perfectly all right to run in street clothes, you could do it in denim shorts, a T-shirt and
trainers. A couple of the girls had chosen to do just that. She started to regret following
Sophie's advice and choosing the revealing outfit. Then she pulled herself up. What, are you
worried about how you look? she admonished herself. Are you willing to risk your life for a
pair of knickers? Maybe Sophie was right.
"Yes, I've done it before," she had said. "Just keep cool and you'll be fine."
Susan looked good in her outfit. She had on the moccasins and a top made of silk or fine
polyester. Her breasts were covered but visible through the filmy material. She seemed
unworried, not even self conscious about baring her pubis, which was neatly shaven. No way
to tell if she was a natural blonde. Alanna knew that somebody might get it this time. Even
though the odds favoured the runners, there was at least an even chance that one of them
wouldn't make it.
If it's me, whoever gets me will have to pay for this outfit if they ruin it, she thought. She had
borrowed it from the lodge, they had kit in all sizes. If she destroyed it, the cost would come
out of her winnings, assuming she survived. If she didn't the hunter would be stuck with the
bill. Ha ha.
"Don't daydream," Sophie said. "Pay attention."
The lodge's various officials shepherded them outside in a group. Against them were arrayed
the hunters. Alanna concentrated. Most of them didn't look dangerous. A few business types
in overpriced and obviously new hunting gear. A couple of Japanese, well equipped. Two
men in weather-worn clothes. Dangerous, she decided. They've done this before. Watch for
them.
Two women. Oh shit. One of them looked like she was auditioning for a part in the remake of
Barbarella or some similar fantasy flick, she wore a bondage/barbarian costume right out of
Xena, Warrior Princess. A stocky, dark-haired Callisto.
The other was a tall redhead. She wore a brown sleeveless vest, laced up the middle that left
her shoulders bare, and a skirt of leather strips. She didn't have the overmuscled physique of
a bodybuilder, but her strength was obvious. A bow was slung over her shoulder. She was
Artemis.
Well, no, she was Amanda. Green eyes made contact with Alanna's.
"Don't count on the knife," Sophie had said. "It's a last resort. Be prepared to use it but don't
seek out a confrontation."
Amanda smiled at her. It was a smile devoid of any hostility, but Alanna knew exactly what
that smile meant. She forced herself to return the greeting and quickly looked away. Her
heart was pounding.
"Runners, away!" someone said.
"Sophie..."
"Don't count on me," Sophie said, "Run for it." She suited action to words and took off up the
hill towards the treeline. Most of the others followed suit. Several pairs of bare buttocks
flashing evoked a ragged cheer and a few whistles from the watching hunters. They were
quickly hushed by the hatchet-faced woman. She at least felt that this was no occasion for
levity. Alanna decided it was worth two minutes out of her hour's start to make her mind up
which way to go, and so did one other.
"Great minds..." said the other girl, smiling. Apart from the strapping for her light pack, a
smile was all she wore above her sandals. Her light brown skin was unmarked by bikini lines,
her breasts were small and firm. Jet black hair fell loosely to her shoulders. "Alanna, isn't it?
Sophie's friend? I'm Sajida. Not done this before, I gather?"
"First time," Alanna admitted. "You have, I take it?"
"Twice in practice runs, twice for keeps. This will be my last for keeps. Assuming nobody gets
me this time, that is." She grinned. "Hell of a way to pay off a student loan."
"Group or single?"
"One of each. Why?"
"I just wondered which is easier, you know? Twelve of us, twelve of them, the odds should be
the same as one on one. But it can't be, can it? With more of them, there's more chance of
getting caught, surely."
Sajida shrugged. "More chance of somebody getting caught, yes. Then the other hunters will
probably want to share. Plenty to go round on one woman. Some of them may have made
arrangements. You know, the one who scores gets the prime cut..." She gave a wry smile
and indicated her neatly trimmed pubic region.
"But the rest get something." Alanna nodded. It made sense. Stop and share the feast or go
haring around the trees all day with no guarantee of catching anything. "And if that happens,
there's less of them left to chase the rest of us, right?"
"You've got it. I aim to stay out of sight until somebody gets caught." She gave an apologetic
grimace. "Ghoulish thought though it is."
"I know what you mean." If somebody else gets it, I'm that much safer. "And then?"
"Keep on staying out of sight. After five we're allowed to sneak back in if can make it. I might
try that, but only if I'm really sure it's safe. After eight it's all clear, we're out of season. It's
later on the singles. For what it's worth, I think one on one is scarier. Just one hunter, but you
know he's after you. Creepy." She looked past Alanna. "Good, they've gone in." The hunters
had indeed gone back inside, presumably for one last drink or two. Hopefully. "I'm heading
down to the lake, there's some good cover round the other side. You?"
"I think I'll do the same. Mind if I join you?"
"Feel free, but we split up after we get to the lake." Sajida shrugged apologetically.
Alanna's heart fell. She knew the arguments but she still felt forlorn, she would have enjoyed
the company. This is not a social occasion, she reminded herself. Feeling all warm and fuzzy
won't keep you safe, staying on the alert might.
"Fair enough," she said.
After the first two minutes running she knew the hunters wouldn't have to catch her, she
would die of a heart attack and they could just pick her up off the grass and drag her onto the
barbecue. By the time they reached the margin of the lake she had got her wind and felt
much better. One advantage of her outfit was clear: just as Sophie had said, it was great for
running in. Her mood had heightened with her metabolism, as is often the case. She was
going to make it after all!
Sajida wasn't winded at all, she was breathing just a little harder but looked as fresh as ever.
"I'll go left here, you go right, okay?"
"Okay. Good luck." She held out a hand and the other girl took it.
"You too."
Suddenly there was nothing left to say and she desperately wanted to say something more.
"Sajida..."
"Yes?"
"Did anyone get caught the last time you did this?"
Sajida nodded, her smile disappearing. "Yes. They got two of us. It was a good hunt, from
their point of view. I could smell them cooking, it carries a long way if the wind's right.
Nobody I knew that well, thank God. You know what's weird? I didn't know what it was at first.
I was hungry, it made my mouth water. Roast woman smells great." She gave a wry grin.
"Some consolation if they catch you, hey? When I realised, I felt sick. Then relieved,
because it wasn't me. Then guilty at being relieved. Then, guess what? I felt hungry again.
Back to nature in the raw, you know? It gives you a different perspective." She shook her
head. "Don't brood on it or it'll be you on the next one." With that cheery thought and an
emphatic nod, she turned and strode off.
I should have complimented her on her outfit, Alanna thought sardonically. Must try it myself
sometime. In fact, she knew she was better off with the halter on, her breasts weren't all that
big but they had easily twice the heft of Sajida's and she appreciated the support. Besides,
she thought, a sense of vulnerability is all very well but I've got all of that I can handle.
Some time later she was round the little lake and into the trees at the other side. She
wondered what time it was. Maybe she should have brought a watch. How would she know
when the hunters started out? Nobody had mentioned that, had they? Or had they....
Idiot, she thought, slipping her knife out of its sheath. There was a miniature digital watch in
the haft. Wonders of modern technology. She had left the lodge barely more than half an
hour ago. That left her at least half an hour before a hunter could be anywhere near her. Just
time enough to get a look at the lie of the land, it might help later. She knew that the hunting
ground was only a few square miles, nowhere more than three miles across, but that was
plenty of space to hide in given mixed terrain. How hard could it be to evade a few
businessmen and a couple of weekend survivalists? She picked a direction and set off up a
slight rise.
Two hours later she was still looking.
Interlude:
Susan had packed a Walkman in her gear. She was listening to 'Helen of Troy' by Robert
Plant when she first saw Amanda.
Nice girl, Alanna, thought Sajida as she moved into cover. Forget it, she'll probably be the
next one who gets cooked. Not me, not this time. Not ever.
Sophie was feeling guilty. She'd got Alanna into this, she had a terrible feeling that she
wouldn't survive it. She dismissed the feeling. There was nothing she could do about it now.
Alanna was beginning to understand how a rabbit must feel when there are foxes about.
Civilised people are not used to regarding themselves as prey, but it was amazing how
quickly she had reverted to a prehistoric mindset. Not so surprising, perhaps, humanity had
come up the hard way before it had beaten the rest of the higher predators into submission.
Her senses seemed sharper, she was aware of every sight and sound. She wasn't panicky,
which also surprised her until she realised that panic was not a survival trait but an aberrant
overreaction. It could be as dangerous as overconfidence. She was in a heightened state of
alertness which she knew she wasn't likely to be able to sustain without an enormous drain
on her energy. Well, she was young and pretty healthy, she could afford to be exhausted
tomorrow. She had long since ceased, without even noticing, to feel self conscious about her
state of undress. It was simply irrelevant.
Peering cautiously through the trees at the edge of a copse, she contemplated replenishing
her water bottle at an inviting little brook. It was a tough choice, she would have to break
cover and there was open ground on the other side. She shrank back at the sound of
commotion in the woods opposite her position. A frantic figure burst out of the undergrowth,
ran down to the stream and looked back, freezing in place as if listening. Nobody followed
her. Cautiously, the woman knelt at the stream and drank from cupped hands. She looked
dishevelled, her hair tangled and superficial scratches on her bare legs. Alanna realised it
was Susan. She watched as the blonde girl got her breath back. What had happened? she
wondered.
She slipped out of cover and moved closer. "Susan?" she called softly. The other girl sprang
to her feet as if ready to bolt. "Shh. It's me, Alanna."
Susan relaxed slightly. Alanna filled her bottle from the stream. "What happened?"
Susan gulped. "I saw her. The redhead. I ran."
"Amanda?"
"You know her?"
"By reputation only. Did she see you?"
Susan seemed to be gathering her wits with an effort. "I don't know. I think so, she looked at
where I was hiding...." She gulped again.
"Calm down. She's not coming." Alanna glanced up at the trees. No sign of movement.
"She smiled. I think she was smiling at me. It was like...." Susan shook herself. Alanna put a
steadying hand on her shoulder.
"Like?" she prompted.
Susan looked into Alanna's eyes. Her own were wide and dark, the blue irises a little rim
around the pupil. "Like, I see you, I can get you any time."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alanna snapped, but she did so in a whisper. She
was blustering and she knew it, she knew exactly what Susan meant.
"You mean you really don't get it?" Susan said quietly but emphatically. "I mean she's
window shopping, okay? Or maybe playing cat and mouse. Maybe she'll get me later, let me
run around a bit first. Maybe she'll pick somebody else. What I'm saying is, if she wants my
pussy on a plate, it's hers. If she chooses me, I'm her meat." She shuddered.
Alanna put a hand on her shoulder, forcing a calmness she didn't really feel. "She's just got
you spooked, Susan. Nobody is infallible, not even her." Susan looked unconvinced. "Oh,
you don't agree? Then why don't you march on over there and give yourself up. If she wants
you, she'll kill you. I hear she does it clean, you won't suffer. If she doesn't, she'll let you go.
No problem. Go ahead."
Now Susan looked uncertain. "I can't just..." she hesitated. Alanna pounced.
"No, because you're not certain, are you? It's just like the 'free will versus determinism'
chestnut. The answer is, it's irrelevant. You may as well act as if you have free will, if you do
you should use it. If you don't, you're no worse off."
Susan looked baffled, then comprehension dawned. "Philosophy, huh?"
"Common sense. In other words, get a fucking grip on yourself. Now unless you want to give
up right now, get moving. Got your water? Okay, let's get into cover."
Cautiously the pair made it back into the trees. Once Susan had pulled herself together,
Alanna insisted they split up. "Just keep your head down and don't get rattled," she advised.
"Okay, and thanks. I pretty much lost it there. Sorry."
"No worries. Good luck."
"You too."
On that slightly upbeat note they parted, but it took Alanna a while to shake off her own fright.
Susan's attack of fatalism had chilled her more than she wanted to admit , her arguments to
Susan were messages to herself. She had remembered Amanda smiling at her in front of the
lodge. Had she chosen her then?
It was a futile speculation and she knew it. Whether she had or not, her argument was valid.
If she was doomed, then she was doomed. If she wasn't, her only chance was to assume she
could survive. She got a grip on herself and went on. Half an hour later, she witnessed her
first kill.
She had heard sounds, or thought she had, and decided to climb a tree on a hill overlooking
a piece of open ground. Climbing was easier than she had expected, she had done it in
childhood and she moved easily into the branches of a tall chestnut. The tricky bit was
finding a vantage close enough to the edge of the spreading canopy to see out without losing
her stability or her cover. Almost at once, she detected a commotion across the clearing.
Somebody was moving over there. A running figure burst out of the undergrowth and into the
open. It was a woman with long brown hair wearing a white leotard and running shoes, and
she was moving fast. Seconds behind her, two male figures emerged from cover. It was the
two dangerous looking hunters, dressed in weathered camo pants and leather jerkins. Given
a clear shot, they stopped running and unslung their bows. They were longbows.
The English longbow is an expert's weapon. In the hands of a practised user, it has enormous
range and power and is deadly accurate, far more so than a handgun. The running woman
was gaining distance, but nowhere near enough to get out of range. Her only hope was that
the hunters would miss. No such luck. The first arrow went wide by inches, the second
punched through her back just above her left hip. She fell.
White leotard, though Alanna bitterly. Poor, silly bitch. Why not wear a target on her back?
She watched as the hunters caught up with her as she struggled to rise. One of them clubbed
the base of her skull with the haft of his knife. Working together, they cut off her clothing and
removed her shoes, stowing them neatly in their packs. No littering, Alanna observed. How
thoughtful. One of them slung the naked body of the dead or unconscious woman over his
shoulder like a deer and they turned to walk up the slope. The branch she was perched on
swayed in a sudden breeze and, feeling slightly sick, she lost her grip. Hitting branches on
the way down, she ended up on the ground stunned but not seriously injured. Had they heard
her? Had she caught a glimpse of the unburdened hunter turning to look as she fell? She got
up and listened. Her instincts were screaming at her to run but she held still. Certainty grew
in her, he was coming, what to do? She could climb up again but if he saw her she'd be
trapped. She ran, hearing or imagining the sounds of pursuit.
The chase was a waking nightmare for Alanna. She tried to keep in cover, not to give her
pursuer a clear shot, or even a clear sight, but the effort was costing her distance and she
knew he had to be closing on her. The end came in classic horror movie fashion when she
tripped over a tree root. I'm going to die of a fucking cliche, she thought as she wondered
fuzzily whether to draw her knife or get up again. She opted for the knife as her pursuer
caught up. He drew his own, and it was bigger. So was he, by a long way. As she had
suspected, it was one of the seasoned hunters. Fuck it, she thought. I'm dead, okay, but I'm
going out fighting.
There was a flurry of movement behind the big man and suddenly he had a monkey on his
back. Alanna rose on one elbow and struggled to her knees, the man was trying to reach
behind him. Not a monkey, she saw through blurred vision. A slim, naked brown-skinned
woman. It was a ludicrous mismatch, she couldn't be half his weight. A flash of steel and the
pair fell, blood spurting. Alanna blinked. The man was on the ground, gasping out his last
breaths through a slit throat. The blood-spattered woman stood up, reddened knife still
clutched in her hand. Alanna recognised the lithe fury at last. Somehow she had looked
different, barely human.
"Thanks," she rasped. "You saved my life."
"Bloody stupid," said Sajida gruffly in her vaguely Northern accent. "I should have let him
have you."
Alanna wanted to hug and kiss her. She finally placed the accent.
"Yorkshire?"
"And proud of it. Any more behind you?"
"No, the other one is carrying somebody. I don't think he'll be coming. What part of
Yorkshire?"
"Doncaster, what is this, a party? What's your sign?"
"Sorry, I just..." Alanna took a breath. She knew Sajida would have been better off letting her
die. Less risk, and if they caught her they wouldn't be looking for anybody else. "Look on the
bright side," she offered. "You just cut the odds against us."
Sajida was looking around and listening. "Right, by one..." She seemed to be conversing with
a fraction of her attention.