1
The Most dangerous Apprentice
After I defeated Zaroff, I enjoyed the finest cognac the good General left in my mansion. For a madman, he had a fine taste in liquor I thought sipping slowly. Eventually, as all good things do, the drink ran out and I was left with nothing to do, Attempting to amuse myself I decided to kill Zaroff's god forsaken dogs with his own gun. " No more hunting for you my lads," I said as I shot each between the eyes. This activity took up the rest of the morning. Around noon I wandered into the kitchen for something to eat. Unfortunately, this path took me though Zaroff's trophy room. I looked around at the human heads on the walls while thinking how long it would take to kill so many. This display, while causing me to lose my appetite, also reminded me of Zaroff's words before he began the hunt, "We'll visit my training school," he said "It's in the cellar. I have a dozen pupils there now." I had decided to go down there and free the prisoners when I had an ingenious idea. The General had hunted these men, and while killing them is truly barbaric, what if I merelypretendedto hunt them, like small boys playing war in the back yard. There would be no harm for the pupils since I will be only playing around. But I can't let know this for then they won't try their best.
As I headed down into the cellar, I planned what I would say to the prey, shall I tell them that I work for Zaroff or that I killed him and I am the new master of this house, decisions decisions, I reach the end of the stairwell and bust open the door. I look inside when to my suprise I find an old friend. Startled I exclaim, "Whitney! You old dog, what are you doing here." "Well" he began "once I noticed you were gone I had the crew go to Shiptrap island hoping that you may still be alive. So we went to the island when suddenly the ship crashed against the rocks. Alas, I was the only one alive. But what are you doing here, and not in a pit I might add?" "Well you see the owner of this place was a great hunter and has stocked this island with the most amazing game and wish's for me to go hunting. But since you're here I can go with you." I said most elegantly "Unfortunately, as there is but one gun in the household, I will have to carry it and give it to you at the right moment" thinking, I'll give it to you right between the eyes when that moment comes. "Oh, that seems splendid so when shall we go?" "We shall leave immediately but you need to change, here, put on these moccasins, they will make you much more quiet. And in case something happens," like being hunted, I added quietly, "take this hunting knife for protection." "Very sensible, now, let us away." After hiking through the jungle for an interminable time my long friend Whitney thought to ask "Rainsford, just what are we planning to hunt?""Why Whitney, didn't you know" I said laughing "I'm hunting you."
"What!"
"Oh yes, for you see I learned the most extraordinary thing, the most dangerous quarry is one who can think and the only one who can is humans so naturally I have decided to hunt them, starting with you." After sitting stunned for a moment Whitney said simply "I am very sorry that you think this and I am not sorry for doing this." after this cryptic remark he lunged at me and knocked me unconscious. Once I woke up I was, understandably, upset, seeing how I was bound in a pure white jacket in a padded room.
It has been three years since that faithful week and I have been allowed some freedoms, such as being allowed a typewriter and several books. Unfortunately, they still believe I am insane and don't see that this is simply survival of the fittest and I am in the best health of my life. Zaroff comes almost daily and always shows pity for how I had been put in the Bedford Asylum and would not be joining in any more of his hunts. So now I await the day when my peers discover that Zaroff and myself were merely the first to know of what mankind should truly be hunting.