8D - 2016
The Prey Illusion - FINAL
She felt their pain. She always did.
Born into a family whose motto was ‘Animals bring fortune’, you would think that Tessa fitted in
nicely. At an early stage in her life story, her parents taught her the harmless side of the family trade. By
chapter three, she knew all the names of the animals whose skin was valuable. By chapter five, she knew the
methods of skinning and hunting but didn’t know why she would ever need to use them. Only when her
parents decided her heart was strong enough would they tell her the family trade. She would have a hard and
blank face, and make an abundance of money for them. Tessa would be the perfect child. And they would live
happily ever after…
When it was time, Tessa’s face paled as her parents unleashed the dam of expectations. They smiled
reassuringly at her, saying that they knew she wouldn’t disappoint them, and shoved a harsh, hard pistol into
her shaking hands. Tessa blinked back tears, disgusted at how she had not realised she was living with
monsters. The girl saw her father bring out the black kite, her pet bird. Her heart flew around its bone cage,
crashing into the walls like a hurricane. Tessa realised then and there why her father had given her the
stunning black kite for her eighth chapter – to test her. He gritted his teeth when he saw her hesitation.
“Shoot it. Kill it. Or else...” he growled.
“I’ll never listen to you!” she hissed, venom evident in her voice, “I’ve had enough of you ordering me
around this hell hole!”
“As long as you live in this house you listen to ME!” he roared, whipping out a gun of his own and
pushing it to the side of Tessa’s head. A deadly silence filled the air.
“I’ll blow out your brains if you don’t shoot the bird!” the monster snapped, daring Tessa to talk back to him.
The monster’s accomplice had her jaw on the floor but quickly recovered when Tessa’s panicked eyes met
hers. Her mother forced out a wide smile and her lips twitched when the daughter hit the wooden floors.
That’s how Tessa wished it had gone. If only she had known what was in store for her in the next couple of
chapters – she would have chosen this path.
As Tessa’s late teenage years came, she began to hate her family even more and plotted to run away.
She needed to do it soon, as her parents were organising a massive hunting party in recognition of her 18 th
chapter. But the day came, and when her parents surprised Tessa with a mission that they wanted her to carry
out the next day¸ she knew it was her ticket out of there. They drilled her with the simple instructions until she
could have said them in her sleep: kill a horse and bring the valuables back.
She set off the next day, her bag heavy and her heart even heavier. Stopping where the tall sycamore trees of
the forest met her parents’ land, she inhaled with excitement; this was the part in her story where she, the
protagonist, never had to return to the antagonists’ house.
Word Count (not including title): 539 words