The Game: Hunted (Audio Script)

Stories

God, it’s been a long few months. It feels like I haven’t had any meaningful time with my husband in—

When was the last time we did something fun?

I can’t even remember…

Of course, we see each other all the time. But at this point, it feels like we’re just passing each other by most of the time. A hug or kiss here, talking about our day, or zoning out to watch a show together before bed.

It’s not like our sex life is boring, it’s just… it’s good. It’s not great, like it used to be.

I want so badly to reconnect with him. I miss the spontaneity we used to have.

It just hasn’t been possible lately.

Maybe that’s why we—

Shit.

It was just an animal.

Maybe I’m a bit more tense than I thought.

Okay, just… be present.

I hardly ever have time to just walk through the park.

I breathe deeply and take in the world around me.

God, I love the cold air. And the park, usually so busy in the daytime, is almost a ghost town at night.

I walk past a couple kissing on a park bench - they are the only people I’ve seen the whole time I’ve been walking. I can’t help but smile at them as I pass. We’ll get there, I know we will. I…

Okay, that’s weird.

I actually… don’t really know where I am in the park. I haven’t been here in a long time and I don’t recognize anything around me.

I’m looking around and I don’t see anyone aside from the couple I just passed but… I don’t know. Something feels weird. It’s more of… a feeling, I guess.

I can feel the goosebumps rising on my arms. And I have an intense, twisted feeling in my stomach. I feel like… maybe I’m being watched right now.

I keep walking, trying to find my way back to an area that I remember. A chill runs down my spine and I shiver a little.

I have always found that fight-or-flight instinct fascinating. The moment you feel like you’re in danger… your whole body feels ready, eager to respond… to run. It’s scary, of course… but there’s something so intriguing about this feeling.

Maybe that’s why I’m here… walking alone in the park late at night.

The panic starts to rise up into my throat and I can practically hear my heart pounding in my chest already. I’m in a completely secluded part of the park now. No street lights, just the dim light of the moon.

I take a deep breath…

And as I exhale, I see him.

He’s standing in the shadows to my left. His clothes are dark and he blends into the treeline. I have to strain my eyes carefully to make him out, but he’s there.

He’s watching me… waiting.

Does he know I’ve seen him? Does he know which way I’ll run?

I flex my toes, curling and uncurling them in my shoes… testing the ground beneath me.. I bend over to tighten the laces and sneak another glance in his direction.

He hasn’t moved. But I can tell he’s ready to at any moment. Whenever he sees me make a run for it, he’ll be right behind me.

I fight the urge to panic and take another deep breath.

I don’t bother to straight up before kicking off into a sprint, heading in the opposite direction.

My steps are measured… and I think I recognize where I am now, but still… it’s different… in the moment. I feel like I want to scream. The trees are blending together as I race past them.

I glance over my shoulder and I can feel him closing in on me.

He’s fast. But I’m faster.

I veer left and dodge between a large tree and a fallen log.

For a few seconds, he’s out of my sight line… and I hope I’m out of his.

I duck behind the log and lay flat on my stomach.

My heart is racing, my mouth is dry.

I try to steady my breaths… waiting him out.

I hear him, but I don’t dare move. He’s so close.

I can’t look up to see if he’s spotted me.

All I can do is wait here… quiet and low… praying he moves right past me.

My nails dig into the earth, soil embedding into my nails.

I try to be still… quiet.

I hear his footsteps moving further away from me.

That fact that I lost him already, that I’ve bested him, that he has no idea where I am right now… makes me want to test my luck.

I push myself off the ground, standing upright and calling in his direction.

“Is that all you’ve got? Come on!”

He turns on the spot and glares at me, bearing his teeth, a wild look in his eyes.

His chest is rising and falling heavily and I can tell I’ve got his attention now.

I take off again, and he’s quick to follow.

Adrenaline is pumping through me.

The fear and… I don’t know… excitement? Of him catching me?

It’s more real than ever before.

It feels like he’s right behind me, he could catch me, take me, do whatever he wanted with me.

I leap over a bunch of vines sprouting up from the ground and duck behind a tree again. I don’t stop, though - I keep moving, slower now… sneaking from tree to tree…

He can’t see me… but I can see him.

He comes to a stop about ten feet away from me.

My hands clamp over my mouth and I try not to make a sound.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are…”

God, my stomach is in knots.

I have no idea where we are in the park.

I’ve completely lost track. I don’t know if there are people around, I don’t know which direction to go to get out of here.

I’m trapped. And he’s circling me… moving swiftly between the trees.

I grip the tree and slowly move around it, attempting to stay out of his sight.

My hands are shaking and my heart is pounding.

If I can sneak around him, I can go in the other direction, I can get away before he—

Shit. Where did he go?

He was just… he was right there.

I can’t see him anymore.

I move a little trying to get a better view of the path behind me.

But… he’s gone.

I don’t understand where—

“You thought you could hide from me, huh?”

His hands are on me, one on each side of my body, shoving me hard against the tree. The bark presses into my back and I struggle a little as he holds me in place.

“God, I love it when you run.

It’s cute that you think you can get away.

I wonder… what else you have in you…

What other surprises… you have for me…

”

He presses his thumb against my lips, hard, smearing my lipstick across my face before moving the strands of hair out of my eyes.

Terror runs through me and I struggle a little more, but it’s no use.

“Now that I’ve caught you… I can do whatever I want.

I can… touch you wherever I want… take whatever I want.

Can’t I?

”

His grip on my arm is tight as his other hand moves between my legs.

He forces them apart with his knee, and I struggle to stay upright

My foot catches on a root protruding from the ground.

“And you… you’re going to be nice and quiet, aren’t you?

Even if things get a little… rough.

You aren’t going to make a fucking sound.

Isn’t that right?

”

“Fuck. ”

“Are you liking this game as much as you thought you would, baby?”

The desire flaring up in my chest mixes with the adrenaline coursing through me from the chase.

My hand moves up to his and my touch is gentle… I look up at him with soft eyes and a sweet smile.

He drops his guard and leans in, his lips getting closer to mine. God, he smells good. I want him…

…but I like this game more.

Before I can think too hard about what I’m doing, I turn abruptly in his arms, wriggling free. I duck to avoid his grip again and start running, deeper into the trees.

“Fuck! Get back here!”

I’ve lost speed, my knees are weak. My palms are sweaty, my heart feels like it’s missing every other beat as I try to force myself to keep going.

If he catches me… when he catches me… he’s going to be so rough.

The thrill of being chased like this gives me energy and I run a little faster, the trees blurring past until I lose sense of where I am again.

He’s a predator, fast and strong as he tears through the forest behind me… tracking me… hunting me.

Suddenly, my foot gets snagged on a root in the ground and I fall, just barely getting my hands out in front of me fast enough to catch myself.

I roll over onto my back, ready to spring back onto my feet but it’s too late.

He’s here, he’s on top of me, pinning my arms at my sides. His strong hands cup my face.

“Did you really think you could outrun me?

Outsmart me? Oh, sweetheart… no.

You’re mine. It’s inevitable. Don’t fight it…

”

I struggle a little under his grasp but it’s too tight… I can’t get free.

“You’re so cute when you struggle.”

I try to resist a little more, but when he places his hand around my throat, I’m still.

I can feel my body melting into his touch, relaxing even as he presses his body into mine.

“And do predators always just watch their prey, or…