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 pretty574Please respect copyright.PENANAwh2nNtxqlA
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air574Please respect copyright.PENANAGm6lIkhH6k
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come574Please respect copyright.PENANAOzBGnrBzv9
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for574Please respect copyright.PENANAdEju7E2dZq
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree574Please respect copyright.PENANAqZvWbfSvxm
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 now574Please respect copyright.PENANAEPu6edWBfo
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I574Please respect copyright.PENANAaVW3YCGsJB
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I574Please respect copyright.PENANAhZmdAkje4v
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’t574Please respect copyright.PENANA3DgJdMsUgv
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 the574Please respect copyright.PENANAQ5t5u48pWK
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what574Please respect copyright.PENANAcBfW3mLU2M
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 whatever574Please respect copyright.PENANApkg97VO4rl
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand574Please respect copyright.PENANAJr9KSYlAaN
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it574Please respect copyright.PENANAFpmuoDM66e
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I574Please respect copyright.PENANAyPM2LsDBDu
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel574Please respect copyright.PENANASSN07XPVyo
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree574Please respect copyright.PENANAR34jgslERK
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was574Please respect copyright.PENANAUf5GT4jcs6
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips574Please respect copyright.PENANAkpk7uFlUqo
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my574Please respect copyright.PENANAcIDLHSZn51
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell574Please respect copyright.PENANATiSGzdCkJA
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect574Please respect copyright.PENANAMzizLAQPBv
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 in574Please respect copyright.PENANAjtmjoB6WFX
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I574Please respect copyright.PENANADpDN9G3pfR
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt574Please respect copyright.PENANAt0pfZQ1m8v
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 the574Please respect copyright.PENANACrQJZDV8un
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t574Please respect copyright.PENANA6BnGB1HXrz
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,574Please respect copyright.PENANAtqGRopjQ35
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area574Please respect copyright.PENANAf0ozlvxDml
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see574Please respect copyright.PENANAG8SYUetB9Z
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I574Please respect copyright.PENANAcKWNa8NTrl
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so574Please respect copyright.PENANAPNXNRtzOl6
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 out574Please respect copyright.PENANAlJM90MO4Mh
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.574Please respect copyright.PENANAXodzK1ToWf
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 feel574Please respect copyright.PENANAQKq8fTg3vV
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things574Please respect copyright.PENANApm7ek96iJm
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first574Please respect copyright.PENANAQnkiz81F5x
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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