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 pretty895Please respect copyright.PENANAWgut9gvSZ2
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air895Please respect copyright.PENANAIEQAagRHTE
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come895Please respect copyright.PENANA4mz8kR2HQg
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for895Please respect copyright.PENANAoC7duvd7my
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree895Please respect copyright.PENANAtMEtnMeRKS
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 now895Please respect copyright.PENANAd9pmd5KDPJ
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I895Please respect copyright.PENANAdzM4FcUBX9
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I895Please respect copyright.PENANA5YR0512tFB
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’t895Please respect copyright.PENANAI0FjLNaPUn
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 the895Please respect copyright.PENANAZ9D9wYXFd3
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what895Please respect copyright.PENANAOMAji8NMCg
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 whatever895Please respect copyright.PENANA1gDYw2lQfE
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand895Please respect copyright.PENANAlUqPwYoZWA
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it895Please respect copyright.PENANAlh7oOxxod6
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I895Please respect copyright.PENANAMPtmRvMgEJ
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel895Please respect copyright.PENANAQIwc8nfA3w
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree895Please respect copyright.PENANAEz8x6go4uZ
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was895Please respect copyright.PENANAqQ5BGADqtx
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips895Please respect copyright.PENANAnDVxNfBZJ3
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my895Please respect copyright.PENANAv1bCBBdq9e
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell895Please respect copyright.PENANAyGfrB0DAfv
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect895Please respect copyright.PENANAQ17kJabFlG
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 in895Please respect copyright.PENANAWX51JRHm7G
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I895Please respect copyright.PENANAJarWimdX04
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt895Please respect copyright.PENANA9anvrex5gE
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 the895Please respect copyright.PENANAge1yldgSbX
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t895Please respect copyright.PENANARvvtIQSpl2
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,895Please respect copyright.PENANA73uJZ9JDmn
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area895Please respect copyright.PENANAXHMP1ro61O
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see895Please respect copyright.PENANAtGTSeYWMGt
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I895Please respect copyright.PENANAvh2dprkl6D
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so895Please respect copyright.PENANAlZJSVD8QOj
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 out895Please respect copyright.PENANAzUNsC3Cxv7
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.895Please respect copyright.PENANAkxcsg0Itgt
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 feel895Please respect copyright.PENANAim3YmVNJdb
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things895Please respect copyright.PENANAwzk34NvTmW
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first895Please respect copyright.PENANAG5vK1twJlG
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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