RACHEL'S RUN

by Paul K

(continued)


Rachel stopped for a rest, it was a good place to do it. She squatted down by the grassy bank of a stream, then gave in and sat. The grass felt cool and pleasant under her bare backside. Reaching over her shoulder, she unfastened her pack and pulled the water bottle out, unscrewed the top, took a sip. The water was welcome, but it was already too warm. She emptied it and refilled it from the stream, splashing her face as she did so. She had gone about as far as she wanted from the lodge, not quite as far as she could have gone but she had picked her starting point carefully. There was a mixture of woodland and open ground here, an effective maze of terrain. If Amanda got close, she would be able to hide or run, and she rehearsed with herself which would work best in what circumstances. It would be tempting to climb a horse chestnut tree and just stay there, she would be invisible from any position but directly below. The problem was that if Amanda tracked her and she got treed, there would be no way out. The small caves in the cliff half a mile away were not appealing. Too obvious, and a death trap if she were to be caught in one.

The odd thing was, she did not feel at all panicky. Tense and a little scared, yes, but in control. Her mood was more like excitement then terror. It wasn't far removed from sheer enjoyment, all of her trivial worries were gone, dismissed as irrelevant. She glanced at her watch. Not long now.

A short climb away, up a bank, was a tall tree. It might be useful to go up and have a look around, just to get a better perspective. Rachel secured her water bottle and started up.

Amanda changed unhurriedly into her hunting kit. It didn't take long. She left the locker room and made her way to the portal, smiling to herself. It was a gorgeous day for a hunt.

The woman who had checked Rachel out was waiting to verify her time of departure. "Hello, Greta," she said pleasantly.

"Amanda." she uttered. "Don't leave before I say so. Anything to sign out?"

"It's my own gear, you know that. Hi Dave, come to wish me luck?"

"I should, I suppose." He shrugged. "Don't take this wrong, but I rather hope she makes it."

"Wish her luck, then," said Amanda equably. She stretched like a cat on her toes, flexing her hands. The muscles in her limbs snapped into relief and relaxed again.

Smiling tiger, thought Dave. Blake must have seen her in a nightmare. Fearful symmetry indeed. Suddenly he really did wish Rachel luck. If he had that on his trail he'd be scared half to death.

Once outside, Amanda didn't just rush into the woods, she cast about looking for spoor, some indication of which way her quarry had gone. The park wasn't that big, but if she started off in the wrong direction she could wander about for hours without crossing her trail. Hours in which Rachel could be resting, planning, perhaps even laying traps. Amanda's home advantage would diminish all the time, while the quarry's grew. There was no convenient muddy field or stand of corn to give her an obvious path, the grass around the lodge was short and resilient, but eventually she found a partial impression. Straight up to the woods, then. She set off at an easy run, not a walk. Time was not on her side. The slope didn't even begin to wind her, she trained on cross-country runs, she could keep this pace up for hours.

Rachel checked her watch again. Her start had elapsed well over half an hour ago, but still no sign of Amanda. She had stationed herself in a small knot of trees, almost too small to be called a copse, in the middle of a field. She was fairly high relative to the rest of the park, so from here she should be able to see Amanda coming from any direction. At the moment, she sat just inside the cover of the trees looking toward the larger woods between her and the lodge. She nibbled on a ration bar, taking small bites and chewing slowly, ears alert in case anything came up behind her. Although she'd jumped once or twice in the first hour, she was getting used to the sounds of the country, more able by the minute to distinguish between what belonged there and what didn't.

The waiting was getting to her so badly it was almost a relief when she finally saw Amanda. Almost. She slipped back a step further into cover and took a good look. The huntress was wearing light boots or high strapped sandals of leather, a halter, a sleeveless jerkin and a very short pleated skirt, all tan coloured, possibly chamois or some light hide. She carried a bow, as Rachel had expected, and a knife sheathed on a belt of darker brown. Her hair seemed to be tied back. She wore no ornaments, it was a practical outfit that Rachel had no doubt she was used to. She backed slowly into the wood. Now she would have to leave on exactly the opposite side so that Amanda would have to come through the trees and search for her. If she didn't keep the copse between them, the huntress would sight and chase her directly across the field instead, cutting the lead she had planned for herself. Best if she could reach cover on the far side before Amanda got here. Quickly and quietly, she moved.

Minutes later Amanda stood staring down at the trees her quarry must have reached moments ago, but she could see nothing from here. She was oddly pleased. She'd been lucky so far, picking up and following Rachel's trail, it would have been rather disappointing to find her napping here or just hiding up a tree. That she'd been here she had no doubt, but it seemed that she'd planned her escape too. She hoped so. This was going to be a fun one, despite the easy start. Dave, she told him in her head, never mind that you didn't get her. If you've never caught a live runner before, you sure as hell couldn't catch this one.

But I might, she thought, and set off across the field.

Over an hour later Rachel was still alive and free, but by now she had no idea where Amanda was. She had been exploring her surroundings and planning since she was sure she'd given the huntress the slip the last time, but she was uneasy. She would have preferred to find another vantage point, but it was hard to find one that wasn't also a blind trap if Amanda found it too.

There was something about the small clearing she was crossing that she didn't like...

A small sound or a flicker of light caught her attention and she turned her head, body frozen to make no sound. Amanda was there, bow drawn, out of nowhere. She registered it all in an instant, unfroze and ducked, then she ran like a deer. A split second after she started, a rush of air past her ear told her that the huntress had loosed an arrow. Good, she acknowledged as she ran. She won't be able to draw again before I'm out of range.

Stupid, Amanda chided herself, trying for a classic shot. She just looked so beautiful there I wanted to take her down where she stood. No time for a second shot, either. She didn't let regrets stop her from giving chase, but Rachel had a precious start on her and, God, the girl was fast! She must have planned the route, she was running through close cover which slowed the bigger woman more than it did her. Bloody overgrown rhododendrons. Her bow was a useless impediment in this mess, she couldn't shoot, and if she slung it, wasting precious seconds, she'd have to unsling it again when she got clear. Clever little doe!

By the time she got out of the tangle, Rachel was nowhere in sight. It was impossible to chase and track at the same time through a thicket, she knew only roughly which way the girl had gone.

A few hundred yards away, Rachel stood panting, hands on knees, trying to get her breath and keep listening at the same time. That, she thought, was just too bloody close. She took stock of herself carefully, still listening. Good hunter or not, nobody Amanda's size could run full tilt through a wood without making some noise. She must have stopped to find her trail.

She still had some rations, and a little water. Her strength was holding up pretty well, she didn't feel weak. Her legs had picked up a few scratches, nothing even worth a plaster. Maybe she should have worn leggings of some kind, but she was far from sure. Bare legs keep you from blundering through shrubs making a racket, and she was really getting used to the freedom of movement. The lack of panties no longer bothered her at all, maybe that sense of vulnerability really had helped. Amanda was out to kill and probably eat her, she couldn't care less if the woman got a look at her bare buttocks or the patch of dark fur between her legs. She started to walk, careful not to make a sound or leave a trail. Eyes and ears on full alert, she began to plan her next moves as she went.

An hour later, Amanda Blake was beginning to think she wasn't going to win this one. She was not at all tired, but her intended prey was no nearer to being caught, and she was proving a more than worthy opponent. She was quick, resourceful and tougher than she looked, and every hour she stayed free she was getting harder to catch. Despite near perfect hunting conditions, Amanda would need luck as well as her considerable skill to get her. There was a very simple reason why most runners survived. It just wasn't easy to find somebody in several square miles of varied English countryside who didn't want to be found. Only a brilliant tracker had even half a chance, and only that because they both started from the same place. It was little wonder that Dave had never won a live hunt, the prey took it seriously. Most losing runners were the ones who made silly mistakes. They moved when they didn't need to, or vice versa. It was easy to panic when life and limb were at stake, the ones who kept their heads usually made it.

Rachel wasn't panicking. She was past that and Amanda knew it. An image of Rachel's tasty rump flashing her as it disappeared into the foliage flitted through her mind. She wanted it so badly she could almost taste it, and that wouldn't do at all. Maybe I'd have a better chance of sinking my teeth into it if I'd just asked for her phone number, she thought. Her comment to Dave returned to haunt her. She needed to focus on the task at hand.

Sitting by a stream, she removed her footwear and sat cross-legged on the bank. She closed her eyes and opened her other senses, including that sense of everything that touched the borderline between intuition and psi. Amanda didn't care what it was or how it worked, she knew that it sometimes did for her and that sufficed. What she wanted was a sense of the whole relationship between herself, the environment and Rachel. She reached out for her. Where are you, Rachel? she asked. She harnessed her love and hunger to work for her.

Almost any reputable scientist will tell you that hunting magic can't possibly work. Almost any anthropologist who's done field work will confess, when drunk enough, that everybody knows it does. Amanda breathed the air, felt the sun, took it all in. She searched for Rachel's scent, called to her. I'm going to eat you, she told her prey. When she was ready, she simply waited for a vision, a sense of direction.

Time passed.

Someone was watching her, she knew. Her eyes opened and she got her vision. A dryad was standing at the edge of the woods. Her limbs were dappled brown and green, and she carried a budding staff. Dark eyes regarded her.

Amanda's mental focus shifted, caught between worlds. The rational side of her said 'camouflage' but the sense of the mystic persisted like an afterimage on the retina. The dryad faded into the trees like the spirit she was. Amanda rose like a Fury, leaving her shoes behind. She ran.

This was a really stupid idea, Rachel thought. The mud and plant leaves she had smeared on her exposed skin, good idea. Teasing Amanda, really stupid. She just couldn't stand the notion of being the victim, being passive. Still, she had to stick to the plan. Maybe she could take the huntress out. She ran, a tiger on her tail, and watched the terrain. Her timing had to be perfect. Amanda was closing fast. She let her.

Closer. Something was wrong. Amanda saw that she was being led, but not why until a hammer blow hit her in the gut. She fell back and rolled, catching her breath.

Through the trees, Rachel watched her recover. Damn it, she'd hoped for more but the bloody bitch was stronger than an ox.

Spring trap, Amanda saw. She'd been hit by a branch. How the hell had Rachel done that? Tied it back (she could see the knotted creeper she'd used) and made a trip wire she must have weakened with her knife as she ran. Fucking brilliant. She looked up and saw her opponent disappear into the trees again.

I'm definitely going to shake that girls's hand, she thought. Unless I kill her first. She walked back to the stream to find her footwear, massaging her midriff with one hand. There was a welt across her belly where the branch had hit her. No serious damage, but if she stiffened up from the bruising it would impede her mobility. She forced herself to relax and breathe, going over what had happened in her mind. Rachel had taken an enormous risk to trick her like that.

This is going to make a great story to tell at the lodge, she thought. The mighty hunter suckered by a novice. She couldn't help it, she started to laugh. Her breath came easier after that. All the points to you so far, Rachel, she told her quarry. Maybe you will win this one. Her mental equilibrium was restored.

She put herself back together patiently and set out on Rachel's track, hunting in purity, without rancour or lust of result. There had to be a trail somewhere....

Rachel was halfway up a tree, taking stock. She knew her hit must have shaken Amanda but didn't really believe it would stop her. No more tricks, she decided. She'd barely survived that one. If she could just stay out of sight for a bit longer she'd be home free. She felt quite confident that she could do it. In the half day she'd been here, the park had become her territory. She understood it, felt the gestalt of the place. She almost understood Amanda. That meant she could beat her. If they met again, the huntress would be careful, wary of traps. It could cost her time. Her gamble had paid off. Think positive. Her ears pricked up. Amanda was coming after her again. The patterns of sound and silence in the wood were clear to her, the huntress had found her track. Time to move.

Amanda stalked Rachel for another hour before she realised it was futile. The girl had gone feral, sensitive as a skittish doe but cunning as a human. Her current persona wouldn't work. She discarded it. She dropped the bow and quiver where she could find them again and took off her skirt and jacket. Unless she could meet Rachel in the reality she inhabited now, she would never catch her. Playing Artemis had failed. She moved into shadow.

Time passed.

The light started to fade towards early evening and Rachel was now pretty confident. She hadn't heard or seen a trace of Amanda for how long? She looked at her watch. It seemed like a thing from another world. Not long before she could go back to the lodge and claim the win. She started to plan her route.

Amanda put a hand on her shoulder. "Hi there," she said.

There is a reason, Rachel told herself, why she's supposed to be good. "Hello, Amanda," she replied. "What happens now?" she asked, rather proud on one level of her mind that her voice didn't falter, though another level, never quite silent, noted the higher register.

"Now," said Amanda, "I eat you." She put her arms around Rachel, embracing her from behind. She she kissed her left ear, just giving it the tiniest bit of a lick. "Unless you want to play a little first."

There was no mistaking what she meant by that. "Before you kill me?"

"Wouldn't be much fun afterwards, would it?" Amanda ran a finger down her belly. Rachel could smell her, feel the heat of her body.

"I don't usually do that sort of thing," she protested. Now Amanda's finger was brushing her pubic hair, just lightly at the tips. It was like butterfly's wings tickling her crotch and belly. She squirmed, not entirely in distaste.

"Okay," said Amanda resignedly. "I just thought you might enjoy a screw before you go, and I'm all I've got. I know I would...never mind." She gave Rachel a brief hug and relaxed it.

"Wait, you mean I get a choice in the matter?"

"Of course you do," Amanda retorted, sounding offended. "I'm not a rapist."

"Sorry, no offense meant. You'll kill me afterwards either way, I suppose?"

"Yes, of course."

Which meant Amanda wasn't trying to trick her. Not that Rachel would have balked at screwing for her life, but at least the woman was honest. "What the hell, why not? I'll try anything once."

"That's the spirit. Come on, I know a place we can clean up and find a bunk."

Hand in hand, they walked to one of the rest stations, small cabins not much bigger than garden sheds set up for the convenience of hunters and quarry alike. Rachel had avoided them, fearing that Amanda might corner her too easily in or near one. Amanda's grip was easy but Rachel knew it would be futile to try and pull away. She considered putting up a fight, but discarded the idea. Unless she saw a real opening it would be pointless and humiliating, it would make her feel like a petulant child. It didn't escape her attention that the Amazon was naked but for her footwear and halter, unless you counted a knife sheathed on her thigh. She couldn't think of anything to say, anything to do that would get her out of this alive. Amanda broke the silence.

"You've never done this before, have you?" It wasn't really a question.

"What, sex with a woman? No, just some fooling around as a kid..."

"No, I mean the hunt. The stalking game, that sort of thing."

"No, I haven't. That obvious, was it?" It was dispiriting. She'd really believed she could win, almost thought she had won, and now this.

"That's not what I meant. I checked the records, you've never practiced or played quarry - for real or for fun - at any lodge we've heard of. You're very good, you know. Led me a hell of a dance. I've never had such an interesting chase."

"Thanks a lot, but I wasn't good enough, was I? The quarry is supposed to have the odds but you got me anyway." She strove not to sound bitter.

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Rachel, I had a lot of things go in my favour. The weather, for one, bright and still, perfect for hunting. Then I'm in peak condition and I know these grounds like the back of my hand, you've never even trained and you're new here. I had a bit of luck picking your trail up so quickly and on top of that I can tell you I was giving you my best effort."

"Thanks a lot." Rachel murmured but Amanda went on brightly.

"...When things go that well I've caught people in less than half the time it took me to get you. I'm pretty good at this, you know, given a fair break you'd have beaten anyone else."

"That's nice to know." She wasn't sure herself whether she was being ironic.

Amanda squeezed her hand encouragingly. "You don't get it at all, do you? In case you hadn't noticed, you almost had me licked. I had to rethink everything, go up a gear to get you. I've never had to work this hard to catch anyone."

Rachel still didn't follow. "You mean you catch everybody you hunt? But I thought..."

Amanda shook her head. "No, not quite. I get more than most, yes. I thought I always gave it my best, but now I know better. What can I say? You...ah.. inspired me." She grinned.

Despite herself, Rachel couldn't help feeling flattered. She shook her head and smiled. There was no modest reply to that.

Hanging by her ankles an hour later, she wondered why she wasn't more frightened. Any minute now, a mad lesbian sex killer was going to disembowel her and have her for supper. Possibly it was the sexual afterglow. Possibly it was simply because there was no more point in being afraid. The day was fading now, but the air was still warm. Amanda had secured her ankles with padded cuffs before stringing her up. Oddly considerate of her, but that was typical of her style. Rachel didn't feel particularly uncomfortable, despite her position. She closed her eyes and relived the hour.

The sex had been surprisingly good. It should have been surprising, too, that Amanda was a sensitive and considerate lover, but somehow it wasn't. The real revelation was the complete abandonment of her own response. Afterwards, she had relaxed completely in the woman's powerful arms.

"How are you going to do it?" she mused idly.

"Do? Oh, kill you, you mean?" Amanda was sprawled half across her. She stroked Rachel's hair back fom her face. "Well..." Her eyes flashed to the knife lying carelessly abandoned on the floor. Rachel turned and saw it. She could make a grab for it, possibly kill Amanda first. It didn't seem likely. She wasn't sure she wanted to bother. It would run the mood if she failed.

"And eat me. You can't eat me all at once, that's not possible. What are you going to do, invite friends round? Have a barbecue party?"

"Oh, right. No, of course not. Not all at once and no friends." Amanda smiled. "I'm not sharing you with anyone." She kissed Rachel's breast possessively. "You're mine."

"Serial monogamy, huh?"

Amanda laughed. "Something like that. No, I'll just eat your cunt and a nice cut of your rump." She squeezed Rachel's right buttock in emphasis. "Rare, of course."

"Oh, of course. How else? What happens to the rest of me?"

"Don't worry, you won't go to waste. I'm going to field dress you. That basically means I hang you up by the heels and gut you. It won't hurt, I'll cut your throat first. It's quick that way, trust me. Then I'll take the cuts I want and cook them. A nice open camp fire, I thought. Once I've had my supper, I'll carry you back to the lodge and put you in the cold room. I'll be eating you for quite some time." She smiled at her fondly.

Rachel smiled back. The thought of Amanda eating her after she died didn't disturb her, it was strangely comforting. "So I'll be part of you?" The woman is completely insane and now so am I, she thought. It must be contagious.

"You do understand!" said Amanda happily and kissed her full on the mouth.

"One last request?"

"Of course."

"Slit my belly first. I want to know what it feels like."

Amanda raised an eyebrow. "You're weird," she said. "I like that in a woman."

Rachel saw that Amanda seemed to have finished with the fire. In the gathering evening it looked comforting and homey. She was going to be eaten outdoors, a fireside picnic for one. It seemed appropriate. Amanda approached across the small clearing in front of the cabin. She was still naked, wearing only the sheathed knife and carrying a leather kit bag over her shoulder. She looked magnificent, a pagan goddess. Rachel felt absurdly proud of her. She wanted the Amazon to touch her again.

"I've got to shave you, Rachel. Hold still, please." Amanda fished out a pair or scissors. She cut off the excess pubic hair quickly and tucked it into a pocket of the bag. Next came a safety razor. Rachel noticed that the knife on her thigh was in easy reach. Could she get it out without Amanda noticing? From here she could stab Amanda in the stomach easily. She reached for it, touched the haft as Amanda was absorbed in shaving her. One strong hand casually flicked her arm away.

"Don't, please, Rache, I might nick you if you distract me. Do it again and I'll have to tie you."

"Sorry. I had to try." As if she could have drawn the six inch knife without Amanda feeling it!

"Of course," Amanda replied offhandedly, "I'd have done the same." She continued to work carefully. "What were you aiming for, belly or femoral artery?" Her tone was conversational.

"Belly, I thought. Probably silly, you'd still have had time to kill me."

"If you got me first? Why would I do that? Femoral's better, by the way."

Rachel thought about it. If Amanda were dying, would she want revenge? Probably not.

"If you're not going to be around to eat me, why kill me, you mean?"

"That's right. It's not as if I'd blame you." She pulled a damp towel out and wiped Rachel clean. "All done." She kissed her between the legs. "Time to get you cleaned and cut off my supper. It's been nice knowing you, Rachel."

"Wish I could say the same." It sounded wrong and she regretted it. "Sorry, I didn't mean it to sound like that."

"That's okay." Amanda surveyed her approvingly and reached for the knife. Rachel reached out and grabbed her buttocks. Amanda resisted at first, then she understood and let Rachel draw her in and bury her head in her crotch.

"You're ..oh..full of surprises...Rache."

Rachel pulled her head back for a breath. "What's so surprising, a sixty niner while hanging from a branch like a slaughtered deer with the woman who's going to eat me? Doesn't everybody do it these days?"

Amanda's snorted laugh was cut off as she reciprocated.

Rachel fully expected that Amanda would kill her as she climaxed and she let herself rise to it, pushing her pelvis eagerly into the Amazon's mouth. It wasn't a bad way to go, she thought, clutching Amanda's firm rump and licking her passionately through her thick fur. Then she was gasping, writhing helplessly. She barely saw Amanda step back as she lost control, but she felt it, felt the hungry mouth leave her crotch as Amanda's own pulled away from her. She let it go and let her head fall back, arching her body forward, proudly offering her throat and belly to the knife, waiting for the kiss of the blade.

She didn't know whether she heard the rifle's crack before she felt the blow to her side. In shock and confusion, she saw a flurry of movement as Amanda's legs disappeared, heard a second crack and then the world faded out.



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