"The Most Dangerous Game" Ending Re-write

The Final Battle

I did not smile.

“I am still a beast at bay,” I said in a low, hoarse voice. “Get ready, General Zaroff.”

The general made one of his deepest bows.

“I see,” he said. “Splendid! One of us is to furnish a repast for the hounds. The other will sleep in this very excellent bed. On guard, Rainsford.”

Zaroff looked to the back wall. Mounted there, was a large hunting sword. He slowly slid the weapon off of its mount and held it out in front of him, ready to fight.

“There’s another sword on the wall behind you,” he informed me.

I turned around to retrieve it, when I realized he’d been lying. The wall was bare.

I quickly whipped back around, just in time to narrowly miss the sword that was about to plunge into my back. In a flash, I pulled my knife out of its holster and slashed Zaroff across the cheek. He screamed.

He backed away and held the sword in front of his face to protect himself. When he was certain that I wasn’t going to strike him again, he reached up and wiped away the blood with his sleeve.

“I’ve underestimated you, Rainsford,” he admitted. “I didn’t expect you to be so skilled in fighting humans.”

I twirled the knife around my fingers.

“I know a thing or two,” I added.

Zaroff raised his blade once more and swung at my head.

Yes, his technique may have been good, but my instincts were better.

I bent down to avoid the attack, and the steel plunged itself into the bedpost next to me. While he attempted to remove it, I ducked under his arm and cut a large gash across his back.

He screamed in pain and fell to the floor. It was silent for a few moments.

Zaroff slowly turned around to face me.

“Please, Rainsford,” he begged. “Have mercy.”

I pulled his sword out of the wood and pointed it at his neck.

“You didn’t seem to have mercy for all the people you’ve hunted!” I screamed. “You’ve taken away countless lives without a single care!”

I paused to catch my breath.

“You’re a monster.”

The general smiled.

“And what makes you any different?”

I cocked my head to the side.

"What are you talking about?"

“You hunt animals. I hunt humans. What makes you any different from me?”

I slowly lowered the sword.

“Animals don’t have-”

“Feelings?” Zaroff interrupted.

He laughed.

“Rainsford, please don’t tell me you believe animals have no feelings. Haven’t you ever seen the fear in their eyes? The pain in their souls?”

I thought about it for a moment. Then it hit me.

“You’re absolutely right,” I agreed. “There’s no difference between you and I.”

The general reached up and wiped the blood off his cheek once more.

“See, Rainsford? I knew you would come to your senses.”

He slowly lifted himself off of the floor and held out his hand.

“Stay here with me. Hunt with me. We’d make a great team.”

I shook my head.

“Never.”

“Why not?” He inquired. “You just said-”

“I just said that there’s no difference between the two of us,” I interrupted. “You’re a monster, and I’m a monster.”

I raised the sword once more.

“But I’m determined to change that.”

I swung at Zaroff’s neck, but he’d been expecting my attack. He ducked and reached down underneath the bed. In a flash, he pulled out a sword identical to mine.

For what seemed like hours, the two swords clashed over and over again. Bookcases toppled over, chairs were broken, and several cut marks were made in the walls.

“Rainsford!” Zaroff finally said. “Stop fighting. It’s no use. You can’t defeat me!”

I suddenly noticed then that Zaroff had been standing in front of an open window. I could hear hear the dogs outside, hungrily awaiting their next meal.

“Accept your fate,” he continued. “I am the hunter, and you are the hunted.”

I smiled and dropped the sword. Before Zaroff could even process what was happening, I pushed him out the window, and he fell down into the dog pens below.

“Not anymore.”

I closed the window and laid down in Zaroff’s bed and went to sleep.

I had never slept in a better bed, I decided.