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 pretty520Please respect copyright.PENANA7TtcCbfTrH
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air520Please respect copyright.PENANASyCflOi0Tk
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come520Please respect copyright.PENANAbdW8rtr4jY
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for520Please respect copyright.PENANAlGXp9aEfkg
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree520Please respect copyright.PENANAt3V5cxNUWI
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 now520Please respect copyright.PENANARbyiBuDttC
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I520Please respect copyright.PENANA2Cq4ic9LrE
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I520Please respect copyright.PENANAcLDfaXdvjv
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’t520Please respect copyright.PENANAhotEKxABrv
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 the520Please respect copyright.PENANAHuRibh6PUN
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what520Please respect copyright.PENANAOgK0xb6ih4
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 whatever520Please respect copyright.PENANAgHv3cwKN4F
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand520Please respect copyright.PENANA0ytyJbzsbg
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it520Please respect copyright.PENANA230v60pwbQ
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I520Please respect copyright.PENANAmnxMgsH2OP
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel520Please respect copyright.PENANAybgmNVfPoe
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree520Please respect copyright.PENANAE8FrOqGHJs
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was520Please respect copyright.PENANAyxcEzhMqO7
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips520Please respect copyright.PENANA6b1KabN9M8
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my520Please respect copyright.PENANAP0Ab7erOtL
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell520Please respect copyright.PENANAGjphuViRPP
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect520Please respect copyright.PENANAUFCA9dV2cz
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 in520Please respect copyright.PENANAJ0IgEmQU0q
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I520Please respect copyright.PENANAYNYDpm6MlC
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt520Please respect copyright.PENANAeKMETsPvef
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 the520Please respect copyright.PENANAQt792Iy4rC
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t520Please respect copyright.PENANAT7mSYwafv5
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,520Please respect copyright.PENANA3ouA3awqCm
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area520Please respect copyright.PENANA0wSmekVgwq
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see520Please respect copyright.PENANAGMWdc4QDWW
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I520Please respect copyright.PENANAEho3BJNfCd
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so520Please respect copyright.PENANAWRSLipaJNn
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 out520Please respect copyright.PENANAVk9eOUrCfT
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.520Please respect copyright.PENANAIdm1tKI7HF
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 feel520Please respect copyright.PENANAGf0HoKewn2
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things520Please respect copyright.PENANADzGx33l8jj
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first520Please respect copyright.PENANAGGElnW1WH4
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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