The Thrill of the Hunt | ONC 2022

Authors Note

Keep painting them as your villain.

Someday, that is what they'll become.

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PROMPT:

039. "Fine, Make me your villain." - Shadow and Bone

SUB PROMPT:

018. There was something inside me that wouldn't stop until the whole world was blood.

PREMISE:

For many, safety is a luxury that they cannot afford. From the moment they are born, they are trapped in a never ending cycle of always running and hiding. It is not because they are a coward and they cannot stand their ground, but because they know better.

But there is a promise land. One just has to find it.

This is the story of a monster fighting against their fate; fighting for their safety. Will she win against her curse? Or bow down to what the gods have burned into her skin? Can she reach the promise land before it all comes crashing down?

BLURB:

Safety was never an option.

She has nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere safe to reside. No matter how far she runs or how quiet she hides, they always find her. She will never be free of her hunters. Theresa knows this, yet she still tries.

Theresa has a curse, one that makes her deadly to everyone and everything. She destroys anything she touches, and there is no way to stop it from consuming her surroundings. Not only is she wanted dead for her dark magic, but because she is one of them. A Naturian; and those aren't allowed to exist, not in this new age. But Theresa has always been running since her limbs let her, and she doesn't even know what she is.

It's only when he comes, that she finally understands who she is, and that she isn't alone. But she doesn't find safety. She finds a trap instead.

AUTHORS NOTE:

Thank you for stumbling across my entry for the Open Novella Contest 2022. Hope you stick around! Even if this story doesn't make it through any of the rounds, I will continue to write and work on this novella until it is complete. This is a story I want to tell, one about betrayal and perceived safety.

Please be aware that this novella isn't for the faint of heart. It is recommended for those either sixteen or older to read this, because it will be violent.

Also, I can't wait to read other entries! Comment below if you've entered and I'll check ya out :)