The Hunt

Well, hello. This is a story I created in 2009 and had no idea what to do with it (the days before I knew about publishing on Literotica). I have spent some time cleaning things up from what I have learned from all of you here on Literotica. The erotic portion is later in the story and short, limited, and sweet.

Usually I would give the whole 'all people are a figment of my imagination' but that would be a lie. I met and managed the Colonel for a good six to eight months and the beginning of the story is partially true. I always wondered what happened in 2012 (remember when the world was supposed to end?).

What stories he and his wife told each other when the aliens did not step forth and take over human civilization.

***

Drew sat at his desk and leaned back to stretch. He always hated to have his back to his office door, but in the cramped space of this rented office complex there were not many choices. He was the operations manager and did not rate the plush office inhabited by his boss. That is whenever his boss deemed to find time to BE IN the office.

Drew looked over the spreadsheet on his monitor, but he could feel a new presence behind him. He held his breath. The new, ominous, presence could only mean trouble and danger.

"Yes Jennet, what can I do for you?" Drew asked.

"Colonel Sanders is at it again," she responded and then paused.

"You are going to have to something about the little redneck idiot," Jennet continued.

Drew groaned with the unknown knowledge of what problems "Colonel Sanders" may have caused now. The Colonel's arrival in the little town of Harrisburg, PA had been without drama, but that soon changed.

He arrived in the small construction office with flare. His white hair, goatee, physical height, and shape did make him the spitting image of Colonel Sanders, the fried chicken king. The southern Georgian accent just sealed the deal.

His given name was Ralph.

Outside of his earshot and sometimes within, if Jennet wanted to make a point, the word "Colonel" was used. His obvious distaste of taking direction and/or "help" from the large African American female office manager "J", did not help Drew's management issues.

The Colonel was shuttled off to his Jobsite trailer. At least things calmed down for a couple of weeks.

Then the 'cousin' network of women started to operate. One 'cousin' called another to gossip about the antics of the Colonel. It was still quiet from Drews perspective, until it wasn't. The principles and head administrators for the different schools of the Harrisburg School District started to note their 'concerns' via email and voice mail. Thank god texting had not yet been invented.

The calls came in, in dribs and drabs. Some called with a chuckle asking where Drew had found such an "entertaining man". Drew's focus was on the District's new school construction not on "entertainment."

So, finally he had to turn his energy to discovering the mystery.

During one his jobsite visits., Drew asked what conversations the 'Colonel" was having with the clients.

"Well, you see" the Colonel responded in that slow Georgian drawl.

"My wife and I, both highly educated folk, have found a new type of belief or understanding of the universe and I was just sharing that with the nice young man."

Drew translated that to mean the Principal of the largest high school in the School District.

Drew groaned inwardly.

"He seems bright and computer literate, so I thought I would share our research with him so he could decide for his own future," the Colonel continued.

"OK...what exactly is this belief system of yours? I must know to understand what has tickled our clients so," Drew said through clinched teeth.

"Well, you see" the Colonel started again in his slow way, "We have discovered secret government documents and web sites that prove that interstellar beings have visited earth and are working with the US government here today."

Drew stopped breathing as the Colonel continued.

"The aliens have bases all over the world and have been working with our government and the liberal folks in Hollywood for years to prepare us for eventually meeting them. You know, Star Trek, Star Wars, aliens, Predator, all of them are real. The movies that we watch are based on real beings and are being used to soften the blow when they become...public."

Drew's mind flew through all the discussions he would be having with Corporate HR in an hour. But Drew also had to deal with the realization that talking about one's religious belief did not violate corporate regulations.

Drew was stunned and stood there open-mouthed, flapping like a carp trying to find a breath.

"Look, I was born and raised in California and am a lot more open-minded than some around here. And I truly hope that we are not the only intelligent species in the universe...But!"

Drew paused, continuing to categorize his thoughts, "But do you think that telling this information to our client was the best choice?"

The Colonel shrugged and handed Drew a paper with a series of websites to research on the web. Drew took the paper threw it in his briefcase and walked out.

The parting comment from the Colonel as Drew was leaving was "It's all true; I know it's true because I have met them, and they are watching ..."

Drew climbed into his truck, grabbed the steering wheel in a death grip and wanted to scream. 'Construction is hard enough" he thought with a red haze over his eyes. Drew went through his calming exercises so his heart would not burst and then took several deep breaths.

"What the hell am I going to with this clown," he asked himself rhetorically while sitting in his truck.

It did not take long to get to an answer from Corporate HR. The Colonel was directed to report to the main office where he was fired that very same day. While Drew realized that he would be shouldering additional burdens due to lack of manpower, he felt it was well worth the trouble to get rid of this nut case.

If only he knew...

***

Being the divorced father of two great kids, and it being the off weekend (not his visitation weekend), Drew made plans to go to a local watering hole to meet up with friends and check out the local female scenery. He was only of average looks, moderate height, no flashing eyes nor winning smile, just your average guy. So, after many retellings of the Colonel Sander's story and lack of new companionship, he headed home.

And that's the last thing he remembered...

***

Drew awoke to the smell of pine needles and musty earth. He cracked his eyes and felt the heaviness of a deep untroubled sleep. His first thought was how long it had been since he had slept so well and so soundly.

The second thought was, "What the hell?"

He bolted upright trying to place his bearings but what confronted him was not in the least anything normal.

He was lying on layers upon layers of undisturbed pine needles and all around him were opaque white walls that seemed to shimmer. They stretched up about ten or twelve feet and he could see the canopies of the trees above. He slowly stood, everything seemed to be working. In fact, he was surprised to find that he was not tired.

He had been so tired for so long, letting his work drag down his health, letting his sleep go. In a weird way, in the back of his mind he was grateful and overjoyed that the little pains, creaking ond graoning of his 'seasoned' body were, at least for the moment, gone.

He walked to the wall and reached out, at the last minute his "little voice" slowed him down and he touched the wall softly. The searing pain forced him back and he again found the pine needles, this time as he sprawled on his butt.

'Well, let's not try that again for a while,' he thought to himself.

He began to call out "HEY! Anybody out there? Hey! Answer me! Is anyone out there? What the hell is going...?" The trees erupted in human voices all talking at once '

"My name is Kyra, who is..." A decidedly woman's voice was cut off by a deep loud male voice

"What the F@#K is going on here? Who the fuck are you?" ...a huge bellowing scream erupted and then silence for a few long seconds.

Drew thought, 'He must have touched the walls!'

Then the calliope of voices started all talking at once.

"Who are you?" "Where are we?" "Oh god get me out of here, I hate enclosed spaces" And then a sound started, grew quickly, sort of an electrical sound "ZZZZZZTHTHTHTHIIITTTTTT" and then there was silence.

He stayed sitting on the soft cushion of needles looking up into the canopy of trees above the walls, he was becoming increasingly intrigued.

As the glow of the walls diminished, there was a force pushing him "forward". The force became stronger and forced Drew to the opposite wall. As he neared the walls, he tried to make himself as thin as possible so he would not touch the pain emitting device.

As the wall disappeared, he fell on his face. He heard a series of chuckles above him, one human and one that put shivers down his spine. He picked himself up off the layered pine needles and surveyed his surroundings. He and others were in an open glade that ran up to a rise. The white opaque wall surrounded the glade now, stopping any attempt at escape.

There stood the Colonel still chuckling, but what caught Drew's eyes were the beings standing beside and behind him. Directly beside him stood a Hunter from the movie "Predator" in all his 7-foot glory.

He was standing in full combat gear, with helmet off. His was the second chuckle that Drew had heard.

The sound that had chilled his bones.

Arranged on either side and slightly behind the Hunter were miniature versions of him, three to a side, with chest plates and spears in hand. They looked to be 5 feet tall and had that human look of children before puberty, soft and round where the Hunter was all steel and sinew.

Drew wondered if he could or should make that insane comparison.

Drew looked to his right and there stood six other humans like him, silent and watching, well at least five others in shock. From Drew's far right came a bellow.

"What the Fuck is this freak show? Who the hell are you, Colonel Sanders?"

Drew did smile at the reference. The bellowing was coming from a very large man well over six feet tall, and big frame. He had that Biker, "I'll kick your ass" sort of look.

"I asked you a question Colonel Chicken. What's with the freak show costumes? And how the Fuck did I end up here?" He started to move forward, but the Hunter put his hand on shoulder of the "child" to his right.

A blue flash shot out from the shoulder of the child and enveloped the Biker Dude. With a loud scream, he went down to his knees in agony.

The Colonel stepped forward and stated, "I am here to explain why you have been gathered and what the rules of the game are."

"Game? What game?" a female voice asked.

For the first time Drew noticed that one his fellow humans was a female. And what a female. She was a good six foot tall herself, Brown eyes flashing with fear, intelligence, and a bit of defiance. She had ebony skin, braids halfway down her back, and even in the low light of pre-dawn he could discern her muscular build.

It was stupid of him, but Drew could feel himself getting slightly aroused at her visage. She was a beautiful specimen of womanhood. Perfectly proportioned, toned, but incredibly feminine. It was the intelligence in her eyes that had him getting slightly hard. There was something there that was 'inviting.'

"All in due time my dear" the Colonel said in his smooth southern drawl. And with that statement Drew shook himself out of his haze and focused back on his desire to live.

"Mr. Scott" the Colonel said turning his attention on Drew, "how nice of you to join us for this year's annual hunt."

He paused briefly with a horrible vindictive sneer, "You know I was given the privilege of choosing you myself. And yes, it was quite personal after the public flogging and OOOOHHH so public humiliation I received at your hand."

The Hunter growled a series of words and the Colonel paused to hold his earpiece tight in his ear. He bowed his head, stood back a bit and addressed all the seven humans arranged in front of him.

"As Mr. Scott is now realizing and what you all must understand is that this is all real. As a background," and the Colonel took a deep breath to move forward,

"The movies you have watched over the past 20 to 30 years have been propaganda. They were created lessen the real shock of the real alien life forms when they were introduced to the public. This is going to happen in 2030, but you get the early bird introduction."

"That is so much bullshit" the Biker Dude muttered, while still on his knees.

"No, no it's not, my good man. You have all been selected, for various reasons," the Colonel paused and smiled again at Drew.

"To partake in the annual hunt...Well it's a privilege, at least to the Hunters. They use this opportunity to train their young. You are the prey, and it is your job to evade them and earn your freedom."

"Earn my fucking Freedom? I do not have to do shit. Get me out of here or someone is going to pay," the Biker bellowed.

"That's the spirit, just keep that thought and you might survive the day," the Colonel responded.

"Survive?" the female voice echoed

"Yes, my dear", the Colonel continued," you are a hard one for me, the first female contestant in the hunt. You are here to be the prey of the first female Huntress deemed worthy," at that moment the "child" hunter to the left of the adult Hunter stepped forward and her more "feminine" shape could be discerned.

The female hunter child growled in her own tongue. The Colonel was shaken by the translation in his ear.

"You my dear were chosen for your physical and alleged fighting abilities. As a MMA star, your prowess was watched. She," he gestured to the female hunter child "is looking forward to the challenge."

He paused, and his face showed a mixture of sympathy and angst.

He continued, "But, I am afraid the direct quote is not "challenge," he paused again with a look on his face of disgust. "I am afraid the exact translation is 'eating your heart in triumph'," he concluded.

The woman began to sob and fell to her knees. The "children" all seemed to find great fun in her anguish and started to cackle. Drew remembered from the movie that the Predator has learned to mimic laughter, and this was their version.

There was a growl from the adult and the "children" were silent.

The Colonel again spoke "The hunt will begin at noon. Food will be provided, and I recommend you eat. You will need your strength," he ended with a chuckle.

"You fucking prick. You are setting us up to die!" the Biker screamed. He moved forward again in a rage, heading towards the Colonel. One nod from the adult predator and the young one to his right shot another blue bolt of energy that again had him screaming on the ground.

"So, there is no mistake, this hunt is a matter of your survival. If any of you reach the radio tower on the mountain top above us, within the next twenty-four hours, then you will be spared, like I was 40 years ago. If you kill your hunter, you will also be granted clemency. If you are caught, you die." The Colonel said with heavy certainty.

"How fair is this? I saw the movie, with all their technology, heat sensing equipment, advanced weapons, how do we stand a chance?" a tall dark-haired male asked from the middle of the human pack.

The Colonel turned towards the Adult, and all heard the Predator growl and click. The Colonel nodded and turned back to the humans "The younglings you see before you are on their first hunt. They will not be using any of the technology you have seen in the movies. They will be hunting you with spears, knives, and their bare hands."

The colonel paused, Drew felt for more theatrical effect, "There is little doubt that they can overtake and kill such an inferior species as us humans. Please pay heed, they may look like children to us, but they are from a species that are the greatest hunters in the universe, and they live for the hunt."

"So, Colonel Chicken, how did you best these fucking freak show animals?" the Biker hacked out. The youngling to the right stiffened and stepped forward only to be stopped by the adult with a fist across the chest.

'So' thought Drew, 'they understand us...Humm.'

"I didn't" the Colonel stated quite simply. "The Warrior you see in front of you was a youngling then. He caught me shortly after my release and has kept me for his amusement and his own personal reasons for all these years. Think of me as a pet," the Colonel said with a slight smile. "They find us a fascinating species, so full of contradictions, so lacking in focus and such an easy animal to hunt."

"Do we get weapons," asked another of the men in the group.

The Colonel again checked with the adult, "You will have your choice of a knife or spear at the time of the hunt. But if any of you have dreams of being Arnold Schwarzenegger, please give that up. That was Hollywood, this is your life."

There was a murmur from the group of humans, Drew remained silent. The Colonel finally stated "you have until noon to get something to eat, rest up, talk amongst yourselves. You can plan a strategy, plan your escape, plan anything you want...it will make no difference. I need two volunteers to get the food. Mr. Scott you are one and Ms. Lawrence you are the second, please follow me. By the way, this gun in my hand shoots the same blue energy beam as your big compatriot found so enlightening. Please do not make me use it. The pain is excruciating, as I well know."

As they followed the Colonel, the woman turned towards Drew and whispered "I'm Kyra"

Drew responded also in a whisper," Drew, nice to meet you...even under these circumstances"

Under the watchful eye of the adult hunter, Drew and the woman followed the Colonel to what looked like a space between two trees. The Colonel suddenly vanished and both Kyra and Drew stopped and stared. The Colonel's voice called them from the void. "Come along you two, it doesn't hurt, and you need to gather the supplies."

Drew walked forward and as he reached the trees, he stepped through what seemed like a curtain parting. All at once he was in a foreign, strange place and in some ways familiar. There resting on the ramp to the alien spacecraft was a gold minivan. Drew's first thought was 'you cannot make this stuff up.' The Colonel stood waiting for both to join him, then reached into his pocket pulled out his keys and pushed the button on his key fob. The van beeped and the lights flashed briefly signaling the van was now unlocked.

Drew could not help himself and noted "You locked your van inside of an invisible alien spacecraft?"

The Colonel blushed a bit and mumbled something regarding "old habits die hard." He then squared his shoulders and imperiously stated "Get the folding tables out of the back of the van and take them to the clearing. Then come back for the boxes. Please remember you are being watched and any variation or attempt to escape will be met with a very nasty response." Drew and Kyra made several trips and laid out the tables and then food and water supplies. All the Prey were directed to take food and water to use during the hunt and to eat for sustenance.

While blue bags were supplied for the Prey to carry their provisions, Drew walked over to the bag that the Colonel had brought from the van. It was a basic camouflage backpack, but Drew decided to aggravate the Colonel and summarily dumped its contents on the ground and started to load his supplies into it. The squeak heard from the Colonel was just the response Drew wanted.