classicturtle
I really loved this piece! Everything about it is so visceral and kinetic; I can feel Evets' terror and how frantic he is to find safety and to bargain with his tormentor. You have some really vivid imagery; I think my favorite line is "the only sound was his own panicked heart trying to keep him alive" because of course it's factually true-- that's what hearts do-- but it's a really unique way to phrase that his heart is pounding, and the active phrasing adds so much intensity to the moment.
I also really like how you spent half of the story referring to them as predator and prey before delving in to their actually quite intimate relationship. It's a complicated relationship and you do a great job portraying that here. Evets knows invoking those emotions is his secret weapon here to save his life, but it pains him to say it and in the end he even (horribly) agrees with Ray that death would be better than continuing this cycle. It's tragic and sad, but I can feel how conflicted they both are, and there's something very affecting about that, being locked into this dangerous conflict of murderous hate and tender care, and it makes me wonder what will happen next.
How about this one? It's very short: Octopus