Present
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Leaves and branches scratched my arms, face and other parts of my body as I ran along the dark wooded forest. I didn’t know where I was going, but I was pretty570Please respect copyright.PENANAxRNM8uAS1s
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air570Please respect copyright.PENANAHmPCXGKR5a
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come570Please respect copyright.PENANAsY0AvXajiI
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for570Please respect copyright.PENANA8NqqR6xrXb
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree570Please respect copyright.PENANAbkr86htNyd
leaves above.
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I ran, trying to dodge every branch and jump over any fallen log blocking my path. I had fallen over a log at some point and must have badly injured my knee, but now570Please respect copyright.PENANAHR1FA8jYSD
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I570Please respect copyright.PENANAQU539ZRauS
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I570Please respect copyright.PENANAPbwS1gvaoI
could tell it wanted to find me. I could tell it wanted to kill me.
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Whenever I felt it coming closer, I would try to push myself and run a little faster. Sweat ran down my face and I was panting so much. No matter what, I couldn’t570Please respect copyright.PENANAn56d85LbUl
stop running and I wasn’t planning on doing so any way.
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This was just like those American horror or Africa Magic movies about witchcraft I had watched. I never thought I would be going though whatever happens in such movies in my life. Everything's so real and my heart pumped so fast that the570Please respect copyright.PENANA7BAFr2144x
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what570Please respect copyright.PENANAEz5HN0svyX
seemed liked hours.
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All of the sudden, I felt something grab my waist and draw me a few steps back. I found myself pinned to the bark of a tree. For a moment, I thought whatever570Please respect copyright.PENANAU9Hzfr1OTw
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand570Please respect copyright.PENANASTYxlZPwbI
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it570Please respect copyright.PENANAjOnLBhEzWW
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I570Please respect copyright.PENANASUG4Ru5xHm
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel570Please respect copyright.PENANAOX3JQVJZrY
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree570Please respect copyright.PENANA5stPt4TxTC
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was570Please respect copyright.PENANAdSipPOFah5
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips570Please respect copyright.PENANAQq42ceeaMo
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my570Please respect copyright.PENANAlyWSaRnsED
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell570Please respect copyright.PENANA2tsjjfDyki
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect570Please respect copyright.PENANAk2fab3uzuv
me, but that didn’t mean I had forgotten about the danger around us.
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A chilling sensation came over me. The feeling became stronger and I knew it was coming closer. The man still had me pinned to the tree and he just waited in570Please respect copyright.PENANADL3bbuoqoE
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I570Please respect copyright.PENANAKr19RCTV2e
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt570Please respect copyright.PENANAq69SmMdaGw
about that. Thank goodness the man came before anything happened.
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A few seconds later, the chilling sensation had subsided and I couldn’t help but feel relived. The man’s hand that held me to the tree loosened and he took me by the570Please respect copyright.PENANAsAJv8XR7B6
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t570Please respect copyright.PENANA8ZGjqLzjqc
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,570Please respect copyright.PENANAeKRqVCbGNh
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area570Please respect copyright.PENANAGkxRntEkxF
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see570Please respect copyright.PENANASpc4wNTw9Q
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I570Please respect copyright.PENANA3QiwovlZOD
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so570Please respect copyright.PENANAq6AaJprZ7K
badly and curiosity took the better of me: I spoke.
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“Do I know you?” I asked.
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The man stopped walking and I bumped into his back. I felt his body go rigid because of my question. I hoped I hadn’t upset him. He was the only key to getting out570Please respect copyright.PENANA3gIc8Nffr2
of here.
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“Now isn’t the right time for this,” he whispered, “and you better stop talking. We aren’t safe here.”
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“I just wanted to know who are you, that’s all,” I whispered. “I want to thank you for what you did for me back there.”
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“Don’t thank me; we aren’t out of the forest yet.”
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I couldn’t help but say, “You sound very familiar, do I know you?”
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For a moment there was only silence and all I could do was stare at the back of the man who had saved me. He sighed out heavily and he finally spoke:
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“Knowing you, you aren’t going to give up so easily, asking the same question just to annoy me. You’re always so persistent and stubborn, Diana.”
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It was now my turn for my body to go rigid. I stared at him with shock. How did he know my name? How did he know I was persistent and stubborn? I needed answers.570Please respect copyright.PENANADatke9CZX1
And I needed them right away.
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I didn’t have to ask the questions that were running around my head as the man immediately turned to face me. My jaw suddenly dropped and I couldn’t help but feel570Please respect copyright.PENANAHh28pl9HE9
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things570Please respect copyright.PENANAEVqcx9EFN3
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first570Please respect copyright.PENANArg6HRHo7V0
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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