She is a Hunter - By Zain Alhashemi

Written By: Zain Alhashemi

Category: Flash fiction

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

Zain Alhashemi presents "She is a Hunter," an evocative piece of flash fiction submitted to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This compelling narrative delves into the complexities of identity and the human struggle to reconcile reality with fiction. Alhashemi skillfully explores the theme of self-discovery through the lens of a character caught between her own truth and an alter ego, reflecting on familial bonds and personal isolation.

About the Work

"She is a Hunter" offers a reflective journey into the protagonist's psyche, marked by introspection and emotional depth. The narrative is imbued with a haunting sense of longing and the tension between reality and illusion. Alhashemi's use of vivid imagery and poignant language captures the reader's imagination, inviting them to contemplate the nature of truth and identity. The work's style is both lyrical and raw, resonating with anyone who has ever questioned their place in the world.

She is a Hunter

Original Submission by Zain Alhashemi

She is a Hunter

By Zain Alhashemi

A hunter searches, tracks, and even captures. I’ve spent the last five years figuring out what exactly I’m hunting. A purpose feels like the right answer, but god knows it is so much more than that. I yearn for feeling, for passion, for life.

I have a certain attitude towards everything. Never give more than you get. Always find out what they’ll ask for in return. If it does you no good, drop it. Some say I’m cold; I say I’m honest. It’s not like me to just let anyone into my life. In fact, I actively try to avoid it. My brother is quite the opposite. A social butterfly who attracts anyone and everyone. His personality looks to have taken the better part of me. Being born minutes apart seemed to have given us the same shaking backstory, but different mechanisms to cope.

We never resonated with our parents; losing them at a young age always altered the memories. I was there in the field picking out Lillies under the May sun, my mother taking pictures on her Nikon. My brother, not far behind, is trying to do another cartwheel after slipping for a third time. Or it could have been a backflip.

I feared my father. No reason to, really. He wasn’t scary or mean; he was just extremely absent. I feared the attachment I could have formed, and thank god I steered clear of that.

We always make up a different story of how we lost them, so that the truth never really comes out anymore. Not even to me. A car accident. Plane crash. Drug abuse. Murder. Science experiment gone wrong. Failed mission to Mars. Alien abduction. Secret evil lab capturing them and never returning.

I didn’t even mention the reality.

I think the stories my mother told me are the reason I’m pulled towards the truth. Harmful or not. I was done living off fiction. Everyone always feels the need to make-believe. To entertain. But what happens when you get so invested in sunshine and fairytales, just for life to make you face the harsh reality? Why do we even call it a harsh reality? Society gets so consumed by happy endings that we have to throw in a rough word to describe what’s real. Reality is what’s real.

My brother would disagree with me severely. This argument has come up since we were fourteen. Mainly because I still lived in make-believe until then.

I think it’s funny when twins have opposing personalities on the surface, but deep down they really are one and the same. Alec is good; he loves before he breaks. I can’t be that. I break before I love. He sees hope where I see truth.

You can never erase the bond of twins. They’re a pair for a reason. Even though we may have different outlooks, we both feel. Deeply. Alec drowns his pain away. I sink into the suffering. And all that does is make me suffer more.

I sometimes question if I’m waiting for something to save me. Someone, maybe. But my body rejects letting someone in. I hurt them before they can hurt me. My mind doesn’t wander; it runs. It takes every song I’ve heard, book I’ve read, drink I’ve consumed and turns it into full-blast noise. All I can do is live vicariously through anything else. I feel safer in my escape.

And that’s what me and her have in common.

People underestimate the power of an alter ego. Someone to channel in a time of need. She strengthens me, empowers me, becomes me. She was your writer.

How do I stop it when she consumes me?

I named her without even considering what it meant. A last name like Hunter gives her the edge I was always missing. The confidence I lacked, the drive I have, but cannot apply. She is everything I am not. I love. I make-believe. I hope.

I call on her too often. The vision of the truth I’m living versus the fiction she has written for herself gets lost in a haze. I live through her. She, herself, has her own many lives. She forces reality upon herself because I seem to have lost it.

Which is why she hunts when I get lost. But what if she’s the reason I’m losing me?

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, is a prestigious platform celebrating diverse voices in literature. This competition brings together writers from around the world, providing an arena for showcasing exceptional talent in poetry and creative writing. Participants are given the opportunity to share their unique perspectives and engage with a global audience, fostering a vibrant literary community.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Zain Alhashemi for sharing "She is a Hunter" with us. This compelling entry in the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 offers profound insights into the human condition and the search for self. Thank you, Zain, for contributing your voice to this enriching literary event.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.