Trees had always been a favoured hunting environment for Anna. They gave the prey somewhere to hide and cling to as she prowled around the clusters of foliage. It was never any fun if they just ran out in the open. Her aim quickly saw to it if any were bold enough to try. Even though the hunt became much easier when the prey had foolishly decided to expose themselves, she always hoped that they would keep to the shadows. They did most of the time and made spying them out all the more fun. But when the prey was especially stealthy and mere glances at the trunks edges weren't showing any signs of them, Anna started to hum.
She hummed for a number of reasons. Firstly because it gave her mind something to focus on as she scanned the visible landscape whilst slowly and steadily walking the length of the woods. Secondly it gave images of her mother, and not the kind she'd get when too many of the prey had escaped, but of the times spent back in the hut. Of the lit candles, and the warm furs wrapped around her at night. With the gentle singing that always brought her pleasant dreams when her eye lids became too heavy to gaze upon her mother's smiling face. Anna always started to tear up when she thought of the face. Despite seeing looks of terror and anguish every hour of every day, the simple smile always made her adjust her mask and wipe her eyes with a part of her sarafan that wasn't covered in blood.
The memories were distant but the emotions seemed closer every time they came back.
But the hunt could not be prolonged by such things, and Anna would be ever more determined to find the remaining prey after the cabin and her mother had left her mind. The slightest movement would never be unnoticed, and relentlessly pursued should the cause be an unlucky prey.
This continued until there were two left.
A man and a Woman.
Anna had seen them scamper away after helping off the man with glasses from the rusted metal Anna had placed him on.
She didn't like the remaining man. He was clumsy and loud. He never tried to hide from her, always running to the nearest wall and shouting something before turning behind it. And he deliberately ran in front of several well thrown hatchets to prevent them from reaching their intended target.
The woman was more careful than the man. She would avoid open areas and move quickly before stopping and checking her surroundings. The few times Anna had found her she had immediately bolted, faster than the hatchets could reach her, into a further part of the woods. Away from the machines Anna needed to protect.
Anna was upset at the remaining prey.
They weren't the least bit fun to hunt, and not hard to find. She stopped humming and readied her free hand when she heard something breathing nearby.
It was the woman.
Anna's hand flew fast and the woman was struck in the back before she had time to run. As the distance between them lessened the women started frantically looking around for something to run towards. She just managed to fling herself over a ledge before an axe truck the ground she had just been standing on. She scrambled to her feet, clutching her stomach and limping away when she saw Anna stepping over the ledge. Anna readied her hand again and the women started turning her head back and forth rapidly before etting out a shrill cry as her left leg snagged on something in the grass. Anna lowered the hatchet and approached the struggling woman who was now using both her arms, nd trying to free herself from a set of razor-tipped teeth.
Anna was angry. She didn't want the prey to be caught like this. She was sure that if they had kept running a second hit was certain, instead there was barely a chase to be had. She was tempted to free the now helpless prey and give it a head start as the two she caught already were enough.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud, heavy footsteps coming closer to her, by the edge of the trees.
The sound was unfamilar and the hatchet was raised once again but this time in anticipation of greater game. Anna kept the sharpened instrument ready to fling at a moments notice when the noise suddenly stopped only meters away but still out of sight. For what seemed the longest time silence was all that filled the forest, even the painful tugs from the prey had ceased.
Anna waited and heard something breathing heavily before the thing stepped into sight, it was smiling.
The smile was unnatural and crooked as was the bludgeon the thing carried in its right hand. Metal thistles were buried deep in the arms and shoulders that carried the rusted cleaver. It stood with its head cocked to one side, glancing briefly at the trapped prey then turned its glowing gaze towards Anna.
For the first time in a long time, she hesitated. Then she let fly.
The hatchet flew true but landed prematurely in the things raised hand. Not even the slightest grunt of pain was heard as it removed impaled axe head from the palm that was now reaching forward. But it wasn't reaching for Anna.
It picked up the still wounded prey and with a final look at its aggressor started away. Anna reached for more ammunition but stopped when the whispers filled her ears. They grew louder, soon deafening and she cried out as her hands covered her head and she fell towards the dirt covered ground. Before the ringing stopped she heard two crystal clear words in a voice without lungs
"His kill"
then all went silent once again.
This was a reminder. A reminder of what standard was expected of all who hunted in this cursed domain.
Anna eventually got up. Her sarafan now thoroughly sullied from blood and the dirt, but she wiped her eyes instead. She wiped her streaming eyes even though she hadn't remembered her mothers smiling face.