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 pretty863Please respect copyright.PENANAN9eOuqxS58
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air863Please respect copyright.PENANA1HzNiVmNUb
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come863Please respect copyright.PENANA9c4tfRtXx2
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for863Please respect copyright.PENANA91DPJ5wGKV
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree863Please respect copyright.PENANAnu3lLiT1eU
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 now863Please respect copyright.PENANASZpbe5AMJy
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I863Please respect copyright.PENANAIljgVVnWtb
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I863Please respect copyright.PENANAhRvpgNvHug
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’t863Please respect copyright.PENANAFMnh6SCt0N
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 the863Please respect copyright.PENANA2XdrxbhgJ1
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what863Please respect copyright.PENANA1r4enpdicA
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 whatever863Please respect copyright.PENANAQQkt7wWcB8
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand863Please respect copyright.PENANAp58vgL2B4w
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it863Please respect copyright.PENANAInJAjDcw3m
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I863Please respect copyright.PENANAVbZUlPE7IZ
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel863Please respect copyright.PENANAWAUSAJQI7B
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree863Please respect copyright.PENANA80Sd9VZgBW
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was863Please respect copyright.PENANAWFuwkg0H9h
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips863Please respect copyright.PENANAKCoglWokWM
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my863Please respect copyright.PENANAkkJaRkaoEX
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell863Please respect copyright.PENANA9BbUxpt5dQ
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect863Please respect copyright.PENANA4JX1anGzat
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 in863Please respect copyright.PENANAKxGqW0RzDg
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I863Please respect copyright.PENANAJKLAhivTjp
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt863Please respect copyright.PENANAU8HUY7K33z
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 the863Please respect copyright.PENANARHgipDQiYq
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t863Please respect copyright.PENANAbQQa3imP6f
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,863Please respect copyright.PENANAwgFs387Kdi
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area863Please respect copyright.PENANAXOF6u2Fse2
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see863Please respect copyright.PENANAUZ2mVG2IQY
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I863Please respect copyright.PENANACh1zprDB5x
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so863Please respect copyright.PENANAcJmoCuJNuH
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 out863Please respect copyright.PENANA6lxeQPRNUk
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.863Please respect copyright.PENANANV3ldNpou4
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 feel863Please respect copyright.PENANAt67rp3SABF
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things863Please respect copyright.PENANAhvuvDJh7fW
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first863Please respect copyright.PENANAFkSGQX8Xcz
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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