The Hunt

Prologue

There was a thunderous crack as if Zeus himself were angry at the chaos that was unfolding in the dark forest. This was immediately followed by lightning bright enough to light an entire city. Once the lightning subsided, the night was once again a dark, empty, void. There wasn't a star in sight. Not even the moon was visible. They were both-the stars and the moon-hiding their faces as if they knew something bad was going to happen.

The arrow barely grazed the boys' cheek. Had his reflexes been slower, half his face would be gone. The Orion were back and this time it was blood they were after. There would be no more taking it easy. The Orion were through with letting the Experiments get away.

It's like a game to them. The Orion, that is. They find a kid nobody would miss, and do tests on them. This is how it always was. But as old leaders died, and new ones came, the rules changed. Before, they would only kill the Experiments that were unpredictable. The ones that were too unstable. Then they began to kill all male Experiments. This way male and female Experiments couldn't produce offspring. Then, as those leaders died, so did their laws. 

The Orion began hunting both male and female Experiments. But it was more of a game to them. They would let the kid choose a weapon and give them a day to run. If the Experiment could last a week, they were free to go. If not...they were dead. No one ever survived. 

That's why this hunt was different. The Orion was chasing after the original Experiment. The first one ever made. He would also be the last one killed. But he was fast. Faster than any other Experiment the Orion have ever seen. The Fex, the creators of both the Orion and the Experiments, had to send in one of their best Orion. She also happened to be the first Orion ever made. 

She shot another arrow, but this time the boy was prepared. Dodging to the side at the last possible second, he escaped Death's grip once again. The arrow whizzed through his hair, taking a few strand with it. The arrow struck a nearby tree with so much force, the tree split down the middle. However, it didn't split enough to fall to either side. When I wished girls would chase after me, this is not what I meant, thought the boy as he dodged another arrow.

The boy put on a burst of speed. There was nowhere else to go in this forest though. Nowhere else to run. He could try to climb a tree, but what good would that do? He would have to come down eventually. The boy knew he had to face the girl some time. As he was running, he dared a glance to his right. And almost fell on his face.

Isn't that...it can't be. That would mean... The boy could not form a coherent thought. He had seen that bird before. Blue jay I think. But that wasn't the point. This was the third time he had passed this particular bird. He would bet his life on it. The bird was dead and lying in a peculiar position. It looked almost uncomfortable.

The birds' wing was bent at a weird angle behind its back and its leg was drawn up as if an animal were pulling on it. He noticed all of this in a blink of an eye as he was passing by. Then it dawned on him. This forest makes a complete circle. That could be the only reason why he could have seen the same bird three times. 

If he was correct, that meant there was a chance he could escape. Impossible. I'd never make it. But there was nowhere else to go. He had to at least try. He refused to die at the hands of this sadistic Orion. She would, no doubt, kill him slowly. And enjoy every moment of it, the boy thought.

Around this bend, there's a chasm. If he could just get over it, he'd be free. The only problem was that it was four hundred feet across and four hundred feet down. When the boy was about one hundred feet away, he heard the roaring of a river.

There was no way he would make it over. Even for an Experiment, this would be suicide. But he had to try. The boy began to run faster. He started a count down in his head. Fifty feet way...forty feet away...thirty feet away...twenty...ten...five...four...three...two... When his toe touched the edge of the cliff, he pushed off and soared like an eagle through the sky.

The Orion stopped short and stared at the Experiment as he flew through the air. The girl watched the Experiment plummet to his death. Guess Death doesn't like to be cheated more than twice, she thought with a sadistic smile. 

Zeus gave one final thunderous crack before it began to rain. It was almost as of the gods were crying for this boy. The Orion looked down once more and smiled the smile of a killer. All traces of this night would be erased. No one had to know that not everyone on this dreadful planet was human.

The girl turned to leave but stopped short when she heard laughter. She whipped around and saw the boy standing on the other side of the chasm. She couldn't believe her eyes. He shouldn't have been able to make that jump. He should have died. He was just an Experiment after all. Experiments aren't as powerful as the Orion.  

The girl shot arrow after arrow but the boy was too far away. There was no way she would hit him. I have to leave. If the Fex find out... But she didn't finish her thought because just then, a bag was thrown over her head. She knew what was coming next. She would be taken to Fex Headquarters and executed.

But that's not what happened. "We're not going to kill you," said a voice above her. "We're going to let you live. But we're going to wipe your memory. From this day forward, you'll live as a mundane. You won't have any recollection of this life. You'll be banished from the Orion. It's a shame really. You were our best one yet. You really had something going for you Artemis."