“Good one.” I grin beneath my mask, and even though they can’t see how unhinged I am, they must hear it in my voice.
I lift my bat and they all flinch backward, but I use it to tap the back of my head. “You should’ve hit here and with more force so you could get at least a seventy percent chance of knocking me out. Oh, and your hand is shaking. Unless you steady it, you won’t be able to land a successful blow.”
Mask twelve stares at his hand and I lift the bat and hit him in the head, sending him flying sideways. “Like that.”
He’s out cold, and his friends all run forward, together, like a fucking herd.
I swing the bat and aim at their legs, all at the same time, and they fall into a heap on the ground.
One of them manages to escape, but instead of running, he turns around and mutters, “I surrender! I surrender! You can just tap me.”
“Why would I do that? You signed up for this, no? It’s your duty to make it more entertaining.” I drag the bat on the ground, letting him hear the crunching of wood against the tiny pebbles, then when I’m in front of him, I hit him across the middle. “Boring cunt.”
“Number eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen are eliminated,” the speaker announces.
I stare at the gray sky and tsk. “Come on, give me an actual challenge.”
Someone breezes past me and I throw the bat as if it’s an arrow, whacking them from behind.
Seriously?I internally sigh, still staring at the sky.I said a challenge, not a stray rabbit.
The one I hit doesn’t fall. I wait for the speaker to announce their number, but nothing comes.
I stare at them again, only to see they used one of the other unconscious bodies as a shield. The bat hit number fifteen and fell to the ground.
The participant doesn’t look back as they continue running, slowly disappearing into the trees.
I didn’t even get a good look at them.
Well, fuck me.
Here it is. A challenge.
I grab my bat from the ground and stare down in search of their footsteps.
They’re…light. Barely there.
Either it’s a woman or a very slim man.
And it’s definitely someone who knows how to fucking run.
I crouch on my haunches to study the pattern of their shoes. Nike running sneakers.
Well, well. Aren’t they too prepared for this?
Still, a slow grin stretches my lips as I stalk in the direction they’ve taken. Then I break into a run, adrenaline tightening my muscles. The promise of an actually delicious prey causes my blood level to flatline.
My breathing comes in long intervals, in sync with my regulated heartbeat.
People’s bodies and brains fly in chaotic patterns when they’re excited. Their nervous activity will peak and their heartbeats skyrocket.
Not me.
Excitement brings me a level of calm nothing else can accomplish.
The closest thing I have to…peace.
It’s the exact same feeling I had when I cut open those mice or when I went on my first hunt. Or when I started taking pictures to document those moments of utter rapture.