The Escape (Patreon)

— So, what do you think? — Aya asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm but laced with desperation, as she stared off into the distance, addressing the girl sitting next to her, who went by the name Krya here.

Krya didn’t immediately understand what she was referring to. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a guy who had been staring at both of them for several minutes, nervously shifting from foot to foot. They both knew it wouldn’t be long before they were "chosen" by someone from the tribe. But at this moment, Krya wasn’t bothered.

— You mean him? — she muttered, nodding towards the guy. — If I could, I’d deck him. — She smiled, adding — He’s more your type, babe. — Then she laughed.

Aya snorted, abruptly looking away towards some women drying herbs. It infuriated her, this constant reminder of how they, two men, both boxers with several serious fights under their belts, had ended up in the past, stuck in these bodies!

— Babe, huh? — she retorted sarcastically, curling her lip. — I’d punch him so hard, he’d run crying back to mommy, — Aya growled, but her voice faltered with uncertainty.

Still, Krya noticed. She had always been perceptive despite all her bravado. In their past lives, when they were both men, they understood each other easily. Their friendship was built on constant jokes, daring stunts, and that macho sense of superiority. Now, all of that seemed erased. Nobody here respected them. No one cared about their past, their strength, or their status. They were just women, like servants expected to run the household and bear children while the men hunted and protected them.

— What are you so mad about? — Krya smirked, nudging Aya with her elbow. — Yeah, everything’s different now... — She fell silent, struggling to find the right words, though she was always one to bluntly speak her mind.

Aya shot her a quick glance and cursed quietly, lowering her head.

— Different? — she scoffed bitterly. — This isn’t even our life. We’re not even men anymore. What do you suggest? Just sit and wait until one of these guys marries us?

— What else can we do? — Krya shrugged. — We’ve been here a month. No signs that we’ll return. Maybe this isn’t even a simulation. Maybe this is real.

— Nonsense! — Aya snapped upright, her voice hard. — Real? Are you serious? — She clenched her fists, shutting her eyes.

Krya rolled her eyes and sighed tiredly.

— I haven’t given up. It’s just… if I knew how to get out, we’d have been gone by now. But... — she gestured around the camp, — as things stand, we don’t have many options. And yeah, they’ll be the ones choosing us.

Aya opened her mouth to respond, but their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud shout:

— Hey! — A rough voice made both of them freeze. One of the tribe’s men — tall and muscular, holding a massive spear — approached. — What did we tell you? Enough talking, it’s time to get to work!

He looked them over with an appraising gaze that instantly sparked disgust within Aya. Just yesterday, she would’ve put this guy in his place, but now... Now, she had to lower her eyes and grit her teeth.

— We were just… — Krya began, but the man cut her off.

— Chicks don’t talk unless spoken to, — he grumbled, smirking as he glanced at Aya. — You’re probably up first.

Aya gritted her teeth in fury, her eyes blazing with rage, but she stayed silent, waiting for the giant to move away.

— Bastard, — Aya hissed quietly, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Her anger boiled, but this time, she couldn’t do anything about it.

They both remained silent for a while, continuing with their routine tasks.

— What if we run away? — Krya whispered, pressing her lips together, her voice trembling with nervous tension. She stared intently at Aya, waiting for a response, but there was fear in her eyes.

Aya squinted, tightening her lips as her gaze drifted over the camp, where the men were already preparing for the evening. The flicker of the campfires, the smell of smoke, the sound of bare feet stomping — all of it irritated her to the core. But the thoughts of escape... They were dangerous.

— And where would we go? — she whispered back, still watching the dancing shadows of the fires. — Into the forest? Hunters go missing out there. Some don’t return. If even the men here disappear, then what chance do we have... especially in these stupid bodies?

— But we can’t just sit here and wait, — Krya insisted, her voice growing louder. She quickly shut up, glancing around to see if anyone noticed. — You know what’s coming next. These rituals... they’ll choose us as wives. And that’s it, Aya. We’ll be like cattle to them: bearing children, doing chores. We... we won’t escape after that.

Aya stayed silent, her expression growing darker. She knew Krya was right. Staying here meant losing themselves forever. And if it was just about their bodies — that would be one thing. But their pride, their soul... wouldn’t survive this. The ritual would change their lives forever.

— If this is a simulation, — Aya whispered, leaning in closer, — then the way out is here. Somewhere in this camp. We can’t leave, or we’ll miss our chance. You know how virtual reality works.

Krya gritted her teeth, her hands shaking.

— And if it’s not a simulation? What if this is reality? What if we’re really stuck here? Are you ready to live this life? To bear children one after another? To be a servant?

Aya bit her lip, her mind racing, her insides twisting with the realization. Krya was voicing the fear she had been too scared to admit. If they stayed here, their lives would be lost. But running away — that was madness too.

— Okay, let’s say we run, — Aya muttered, thinking through every detail. — Let’s say we get out of the camp. How are we going to survive in that wild forest? We don’t have weapons, we don’t have survival skills. We don’t even know how things work here. Even if we survive, where would we go? We don’t know this world.

Krya was silent for a moment, looking off into the distance, as if trying to find an answer.

— There’s a cave, — she said after a long pause. — I heard the tribe fears it. They call it the "place of spirits." They say no one who goes in ever comes out. Maybe that’s our way out. Maybe that’s where the simulation ends. Or at least it’s a chance to find something. Because if we’re chosen here, we won’t have another option.

Aya snorted.

— "Place of spirits"? You’re serious? That’s total nonsense, — sarcasm dripped from her voice, but deep down, she knew they had no other option.

— You want to stay here and wait until we’re forced to have kids? — Krya stared at her, her voice firm. — I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to spend the rest of my life in this body, popping out babies for these savages, — Krya finished sharply, her voice filled with determination and desperation. She clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles turned white, and she looked at Aya with resolve. — We were fighters, Aya. And I won’t let this place break us.

Aya sighed. Krya’s words struck a chord. It was hard, insane, but...

— Alright, — Aya finally said, nodding slowly, as if battling her own internal resistance. — Tonight. When everyone’s asleep, we go.

Krya exhaled with relief, but the tension didn’t leave her. She knew this attempt could be their last.

— We have to be careful, — she whispered, not taking her eyes off Aya. — If we get caught... You know what’ll happen.