The Chosen Prey

The Predator's Game

Lila's breath caught in her throat as the man stepped closer. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to fight, but her body wouldn't respond. She was frozen, pinned beneath the weight of his gaze. His eyes were dark, unreadable, and though his smile seemed almost playful, there was something cold about it—something that made her blood run colder than the wind cutting through the trees.

"Don't look so frightened," he said, his voice unnervingly calm, like he wasn't hunting her, like they weren't in the middle of a twisted game. "I haven't decided what to do with you yet."

Lila's eyes darted around the clearing, searching for an escape, but the man had positioned himself between her and the narrow path she'd used to get here. Running wasn't an option. She'd have to outsmart him.

"You can't keep me here," she said, trying to steady her voice, to sound braver than she felt. "Someone will find out. The police—"

"The police don't come here," he interrupted, his smile widening slightly. "This place is forgotten. No one's looking for you."

The truth of his words hit her like a punch to the gut. She knew it. No one was coming. She had been taken in broad daylight, but in a place like this, in the middle of nowhere, who would even know she was gone? Her mind raced, desperately searching for a way out, for something she could use against him. But all she had was herself.

"What do you want from me?" she asked again, though this time the fear was more palpable in her voice. She couldn't hide it any longer. He had the power here, and they both knew it.

The man's expression softened, but not in a comforting way. It was the look of someone who had found something... interesting. "You've already proven yourself different," he said, studying her like she was a puzzle he hadn't yet solved. "None of the others made it this far. None of them had the fire in their eyes that you do."

Lila swallowed hard. She wanted to scream at him, to tell him that she wasn't a prize in his sick game, but something told her that it wouldn't do any good. He was enjoying this too much.

He stepped closer, close enough now that she could see the sharp lines of his face, the cruel set of his jaw. He wasn't unattractive—far from it, actually. There was something magnetic about him, something that made her want to look away but couldn't. It unsettled her even more.

"You're strong, Lila," he said softly, his voice almost a whisper. Her name on his lips sent a shiver down her spine. "That's why I chose you."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Chose me?"

His smile deepened, darkening. "I watched you. I watched you fight to survive even when you thought no one was watching. That's why you're here. Not because you're weak or scared, but because you're a challenge. And I do love a challenge."

Lila's pulse hammered in her ears. The way he spoke, it was like he knew her, like he had been watching her for longer than this night. A sickening thought crept into her mind: How long had he been planning this?

"You're insane," she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them. The man's smile faltered, just for a second, but it was enough to show her that he wasn't as untouchable as he pretended to be.

He leaned in, close enough now that she could feel the warmth radiating off him, in stark contrast to the cold air around them. "Maybe," he murmured, "but in this place, insanity is survival."

Lila forced herself to hold his gaze, refusing to let him see how terrified she was. "If you're trying to scare me," she said, her voice hardening with every word, "it's not going to work. You don't own me. I'll never be part of whatever twisted world this is."