Pt 3

Amy was not sure how much time had passed since she secreted herself in the log but there had to be less time to go than she had so far endured. Her hiding place was cramped and she was starting to feel pins and needles but so far, at least, it seemed to be working. She had seen various pairs of little bare legs run past and the occasional booted hunter but so far nobody had thought to peer into the log.

The hollow wooden tube created strange, echoey distortions in the sounds that reached her – the crunch of leafs under foot, the pop of the guns, the squeals, giggles and occasional exclamations of pain from her fellow prey. It was impossible to tell which direction any were coming from or how close they were. Suddenly there was the pop of a gun far louder than any she had heard so far and almost at the same time she felt a stinging impact on her left buttock.

“Oh poop!” She exclaimed before sighing. Whatever else happened now, she was food as soon as she got back. Not that she minded too much – the idea of having her head cut off while everybody watched was actually quite exciting, but things had been going so well in her hiding place and she had started to suppose that she may actually survive this hunt.

“You might as well come out!” She heard a voice from outside as someone patted the top of the log. “Go run around for a bit, see if you can tease some of the other hunters.” Although she knew she had already lost the game, Amy was reluctant to come out of her hiding place.

“Hey, sorry, but that is how the game goes!” The hunter who had shot her crouched down to look into the end of the log that she was facing, the other end from where she had been shot. Amy recognised the pretty twelve year old red-head as Daisy, a good friend of her sister’s. She wondered if Carol would be cross with her friend for nabbing her and whether she’d be more cross about the fact that her little sister would now get butchered or that she hadn’t been the one to shoot her!

“You had the right idea ‘though. I only know about this hiding place because I used it myself for years. That’s how I survived to be a hunter! Anyway, you can come out if you like or stay there until it’s over but you’re going to need to come out sooner or later so you might as well stretch your legs while you have the chance!” With that, she was gone, off in search of more little piglets to splatter with her pellets. Although annoyed at having been found, Amy conceded that she had a point and started to wriggle backwards out of the natural tunnel, judging that to be the easier option than trying to go forwards.

A little over six minutes later, the pistol was fired announcing the end of the hunt. Knowing the rules, all the hunters immediately lowered their weapons and popped any remaining loaded ammo out into their hands before stowing them in their belt pouches.

“Hey!” Polly called to Jenna, clambering down to one of the lower branches. “Can you give me a hand? It’s easier to get up than down!”

“Oh, hi!” the fourteen year old blonde looked up in surprise then grinned at the little girl in the tree, more monkey than piglet. “Have you been there the whole time?”

“Sure have!” Polly giggled. “Don’t tell anyone, will you?”

“I don’t think I’d have the chance even if I wanted to!” laughed Jenna, slinging her rifle over her shoulder and holding up her hands to Polly. “Here, take my hand, that’s it. Now, jump!” As Polly trustingly did as she was told, Jenna caught her and swung her around playfully a couple of times before setting her down.

“No paint on you!” the older girl observed. “I guess you get to eat dinner today rather than being dinner!”

“Yup!” Polly grinned. “I want to be a hunter like you! I just have to get through next year and then it will be my turn!”

“Well, good luck with that!” smiled Jenna. “Sorry I won’t be around to see it.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Polly admitted. “I was kinda surprised but if it’s what you want then why not? I bet you’ll be tasty!”

“Let’s hope!” Jenna grinned broadly. “Come one,” she help out her hand which the younger girl took happily, “let’s go face the music!”

Shortly behind them came the two sisters who had annoyed Mackenzie earlier, both almost covered in paint, front and back, having been shot multiple times and definitely for the chop yet still giggling and teasing each other, mostly about which bits of the other’s body were going to be the tastiest.

“Looks like you got what you deserve!” Mackenzie strutted past them imperiously, head held high and shoulders back, her athletic young form entirely paint-free. “Guess that’s what happens when you don’t make an effort! Well, see you on my plate later!” She made to continue walking but the sisters, after a sly glance at each other, ran to catch her up then pounced, hugging her tightly from both sides and rubbing their paint-covered bodies against her, transferring a fair amount of their decoration to the previously unblemished canvas of her skin.

“Hey! Quit it! No fair!” Mackenzie wailed as she realised what they were doing. “That’s cheating! I won, damn it!”

“We just wanted to congratulate you on your success!” The younger sister teased.

“Yeah! But oops, I guess you’re on the menu now too!” her older sister giggled. “I guess that’s what happens when you don’t make an effort to be nice to people!” The sisters walked on, hand in hand once more and giggling more hysterically than ever. Mackenzie looked down at herself. There was paint of varying hues over almost every part of her. There was no way she was going to be able to convince the judges that she hadn’t been shot!”

“Little bitches!” She muttered angrily, before huffily following them in the knowledge that she would be joining them on other people’s plates.

“So how did you do?” Carol asked her friend Bethany, another eleven year old with curly, light-brown hair.

“I don’t know. I think I got one.” the girl replied uncertainly.

“You THINK? What the fuck, Beth?” Carol was genuinely shocked. “You should have said, I’d have helped you out! I’m a pretty good shot, I could have done a couple with your gun!”

“I know.” Bethany sighed. “I should have asked but I kept thinking there was more time to get a couple of good clean shots in but then… well, then time ran out.”

“You know what happens to hunters who don’t shoot any piglets, right?” Carol asked.

“Yeah.” Bethany nodded a little weakly. “Guess I just have to hope I did, right?”

“I guess.” Carol nodded and they walked in silence down to meet the waiting judges.