The Hunter Becomes the Hunted
The gnawing hunger in Alex's stomach was impossible to ignore. She hadn't eaten since… well, since before all this happened. The adrenaline and fear had kept it at bay for a while, but now it clawed at her insides, making her stomach churn painfully.
Reed had barely spared her a glance after their brief meal the night before, leaving her alone with her thoughts. And now, she was wandering through this desolate world on her own, looking for something—anything—to eat. Reed had gone off somewhere, muttering about scouting the area, and told her to "stay out of trouble."
Easier said than done.
The ruins stretched endlessly around her, crumbling buildings half-swallowed by twisted trees and overgrown vines. It was a landscape of decay, where even the sun seemed too weak to penetrate the oppressive gloom that hung over everything. Every shadow felt like a threat, every creak of the broken pavement sent her heart racing.
"Come on, Alex," she muttered under her breath, kicking a piece of rubble as she walked. "You've played survival games before. How hard can it be?"
Except this wasn't a game. There was no inventory system, no magic bar that would miraculously give her a weapon or food. She was just…here. In the middle of a wasteland with no idea where to start.
After what felt like hours of searching through abandoned streets and empty buildings, she finally spotted something that gave her hope—a small convenience store, half-buried in debris, but still standing. The windows were shattered, and the sign hung crookedly, but it was better than nothing.
Her heart skipped a beat. Maybe there's something left inside.
Carefully, she made her way toward the entrance, stepping over broken glass and twisted metal. The door had been wrenched off its hinges, lying on the ground like a forgotten corpse. She hesitated at the threshold, her instincts screaming at her to be cautious.
"Stay out of trouble," Reed had said.
I'm just getting food, she reasoned. It's fine.
The inside of the store was a mess. Shelves had been knocked over, the floor littered with broken cans, shattered bottles, and empty wrappers. It looked like it had been looted long ago, but Alex wasn't ready to give up just yet. She started picking through the wreckage, her hands shaking slightly as she scavenged for anything that looked edible.
A flash of movement caught her eye, and she froze. Her breath hitched, and she slowly turned toward the source. A dark shape shifted in the shadows at the back of the store, slinking closer with unnatural grace.
Her blood turned to ice.
It was one of them. A creature.
It moved like a predator, its elongated limbs and misshapen body hunched as it crawled through the rubble. Its skin was a sickly, mottled gray, covered in what looked like patches of decayed flesh. Eyes that gleamed with a predatory hunger locked onto her, its lips curling back to reveal rows of jagged, sharp teeth.
Alex's heart pounded in her chest. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.
Her survival instincts kicked in, but her body felt frozen in place. She had no weapon, no plan, and absolutely no idea how to fight something like this.
Run.
The word echoed in her mind, but her feet refused to move. The creature snarled, its guttural growl reverberating through the store as it lunged toward her.
Finally, her legs obeyed.
Alex turned and sprinted toward the exit, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she bolted out the door. She didn't look back, didn't dare slow down. She could hear it behind her, the sound of claws scraping against the pavement as it gave chase.
The world blurred around her as panic overtook her thoughts. I'm not going to make it. I'm not going to make it. She stumbled over debris, nearly losing her balance, but pushed herself harder, adrenaline surging through her veins.
Her lack of survival skills was glaring now—she'd never been in a situation like this. In a game, she would have had a weapon. She would have been able to fight back, to strategize. But here? She was helpless. Completely and utterly helpless.
The creature was gaining on her. She could hear its labored breathing, the sound of its claws scraping against the ground, getting closer and closer.
I'm going to die.
The thought hit her like a sledgehammer. For the first time, the reality of her situation slammed into her with brutal force. This wasn't a game. There was no respawning, no second chances. If that thing caught her, it was over.
Her lungs burned, her legs screamed in protest, but she kept running. Desperation fueled her every step, driving her forward despite the overwhelming fear that gripped her heart.
But then, her foot caught on a piece of rubble, and she went down.
No!
She hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of her. Pain shot through her body as she scrambled to get up, her mind racing in terror. The creature was almost on top of her now—she could hear its growl, feel the ground tremble beneath its weight.
Move! Move, dammit!
But it was too late. The creature was already lunging at her, its claws outstretched, ready to tear her apart.
Time seemed to slow as Alex braced for the inevitable. She squeezed her eyes shut, her heart hammering in her chest as she waited for the pain, the end.
This is it.
But the pain never came.
A deafening boom echoed through the air, and Alex's eyes snapped open just in time to see the creature's body jerk violently before collapsing to the ground, motionless. Smoke rose from its charred remains, the stench of burning flesh filling the air.
"What the—?"
She barely had time to process what had happened before a pair of strong hands grabbed her roughly by the arm, hauling her to her feet. Alex gasped, her heart still racing, as she found herself face to face with Reed, his cold, calculating eyes boring into hers.
"I told you to stay out of trouble," he growled, his voice dangerously low.
Alex yanked her arm out of his grip, glaring up at him. Her chest heaved with a mix of fear and fury. She knew she should be grateful—he'd just saved her life, after all. But the way he spoke to her, the way he looked at her like she was some burden, made her blood boil.
"I didn't ask for your help," she snapped, her voice trembling slightly from the adrenaline. "I'm not some helpless kid you need to babysit."
Reed's eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable as he looked down at her. "You sure about that?" His voice was icy, a cutting edge to his words. "Because from where I'm standing, you look pretty damn helpless."
Alex clenched her fists, her jaw tightening. He wasn't wrong, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. She hated feeling this powerless, hated that she had to rely on someone like him—someone who didn't seem to care about anything or anyone.
"I didn't ask for this," she muttered, the anger bubbling up in her chest. "And I sure as hell don't need you acting like I'm some liability. I didn't ask to be thrown into this world."
Reed's expression didn't change. "No one cares what you asked for," he said, his voice as cold as ever. "You're here now, and if you want to survive, you'd better stop whining and start learning how to fend for yourself. This world doesn't give second chances."
The words hit her harder than she expected. Alex felt her chest tighten, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She knew he was right. She hated how right he was. But she also hated how he said it—like she was nothing, just another piece of meat that could get torn apart at any moment.
"Fine," she spat, her voice hardening with resolve. "I'll figure it out. And when I do, I won't need you to save me."
Reed's lips curled into a cold, humorless smile. "We'll see about that."
Without another word, he turned and started walking away, leaving her standing there, fists clenched, heart pounding. Alex glared after him, her teeth grinding together. She knew she should be grateful. She should be thanking him. But she couldn't shake the anger that simmered inside her.
She wouldn't be helpless forever. She couldn't be. And one day, she'd prove to him—and to herself—that she could survive on her own.