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 pretty937Please respect copyright.PENANAdAUYyNhiQG
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air937Please respect copyright.PENANATMli8Q91oU
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come937Please respect copyright.PENANAiDJA3KZIUs
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for937Please respect copyright.PENANADkOXxbrCpW
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree937Please respect copyright.PENANALZtRXhs2Lp
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 now937Please respect copyright.PENANA7Flk8IUl56
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I937Please respect copyright.PENANAXvnIjLk2jS
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I937Please respect copyright.PENANAYK3lhnO7ZV
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’t937Please respect copyright.PENANAkJ1dpttsDT
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 the937Please respect copyright.PENANAutMJGWX0PC
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what937Please respect copyright.PENANAMciXBcZN7r
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 whatever937Please respect copyright.PENANAmgUtnc3Upo
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand937Please respect copyright.PENANAg2z0XYXbYm
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it937Please respect copyright.PENANAS87m5i4Yg9
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I937Please respect copyright.PENANArrllzC3t5F
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel937Please respect copyright.PENANAeE12Qmo3TF
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree937Please respect copyright.PENANA53HAFrDj8j
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was937Please respect copyright.PENANAwosNVd0hBe
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips937Please respect copyright.PENANASHjm1zHm7z
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my937Please respect copyright.PENANACF7xrLE3TZ
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell937Please respect copyright.PENANAegdcfFDKwr
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect937Please respect copyright.PENANAgjT6JnsXaS
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 in937Please respect copyright.PENANAXEc2m3uOqn
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I937Please respect copyright.PENANAudrYetWTlY
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt937Please respect copyright.PENANA32f1Skj7kr
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 the937Please respect copyright.PENANARv3T0HlHp9
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t937Please respect copyright.PENANAVliHUqoECj
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,937Please respect copyright.PENANAWrOnYmMVvF
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area937Please respect copyright.PENANAHvOTvpJtj8
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see937Please respect copyright.PENANA3lK0YWrQ63
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I937Please respect copyright.PENANA0WyD6Vxpdf
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so937Please respect copyright.PENANAn0HkjQI3Te
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 out937Please respect copyright.PENANAzWmfPa83Lv
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.937Please respect copyright.PENANArJsQECyeg4
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 feel937Please respect copyright.PENANA0SVsmcS56k
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things937Please respect copyright.PENANAlp3jgmKfG4
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first937Please respect copyright.PENANACH9KavgQWI
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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