Part One | PART TWO

There's a city in another world. It's not like the cities you know. It's bigger. The size of a country. In this city, a mixed anthropomorphic populace lives together in relative harmony. To ease tensions, the city is divided into a number of 'Wards'. These sections of the city separate the populace, some designed for predators and others for prey. Not having to live together helps predators control their impulses and dine on synthetic meat.

But predatorial urges aren't so easily sated. It's taught that there was great unrest in the past. Predators suffered and grew rebellious because they couldn't follow their instincts. The great city risked its people turning against one another. And so it was decided. Predators had to hunt.

'The Hunt' was created. Once a year, a prey ward is chosen. The ward and the date of The Hunt are completely random. It can be anywhere at any time. With hundreds of prey wards, many go their whole life without being chosen. The Hunt is just thought of as a natural disaster, something that might happen, but probably won't. But if it does...

The chosen Ward is alerted by a siren blaring from loudspeakers around the area. They're told their Ward has been selected and sealed. No one is allowed to leave. They're given thirty minutes to prepare. They can hide, they can fortify, they can ready themselves however they choose. But ready themselves they must. Once those thirty minutes are up, predators are allowed in. And they'll come. Every predator who can afford a high speed rail ticket will be racing to participate.

For eight hours, all acts of predation are legal. The chosen Ward is turned into a hunting ground. For prey, there's only one way out. They have to survive eight hours in their predator-infested Ward until The Hunt ends. No warning. No escape. Thirty minutes to prepare. Eight hours to survive, however you can.

For one day, society breaks down. The concrete jungle abides by the law of the jungle. Survival of the fittest. This is The Hunt.

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Milo's Story, Part 2.

Milo was just shopping with his girlfriend Julie. Then The Hunt was announced. His ward was about to become hell. Every predator in the city was going to descend and with all vehicles disabled, the pair only had one real option. Hold out in the shopping mall.

The mall was prepared. The security officers had a plan. They separated the mall into defensible zones and ordered the shoppers to barricade. Julie and Milo joined up with a small group in the department store. There was safety in numbers after all. Many hands made for light work and soon enough, the store was as secure as it was going to get.

And as a parade of predator footsteps echo from the outside, the pair have come to a terrible realization. It's not enough. The predators are going to get in. The mall is going to fall. It's just a matter of time.

A lot of prey aren't going to make it. Milo and Julie are determined to, but what will it take to survive?

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Part Two of a new Hunt series for  Aliclan. I really tried to make this one read like the scariest parts of a survival movie. Put on a tense song and enjoy. We'll see which of them make it out alive.