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 pretty532Please respect copyright.PENANAREzUT3RSfG
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air532Please respect copyright.PENANA9Ka8IqfozB
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come532Please respect copyright.PENANAX1YFAsAl9j
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for532Please respect copyright.PENANA9GRMUkgn5K
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree532Please respect copyright.PENANAfFDSx6JNjC
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 now532Please respect copyright.PENANAncXLG2QBSA
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I532Please respect copyright.PENANAZeFtmC2O8s
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I532Please respect copyright.PENANAJrajTBUyGH
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’t532Please respect copyright.PENANALTtMY7RJFM
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 the532Please respect copyright.PENANAO4YJTZ4Wds
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what532Please respect copyright.PENANAzBGuB6QhP9
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 whatever532Please respect copyright.PENANAQWaSgKcLzj
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand532Please respect copyright.PENANA0u4GTpF8yH
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it532Please respect copyright.PENANAzxOH676lk5
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I532Please respect copyright.PENANAWQsxYylxaT
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel532Please respect copyright.PENANAOFJuzOirQk
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree532Please respect copyright.PENANAOi0UWTJpmu
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was532Please respect copyright.PENANAL1XXF1eEh8
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips532Please respect copyright.PENANAzoeXSIsGsF
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my532Please respect copyright.PENANAyI52CKlvxQ
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell532Please respect copyright.PENANAHwzgNRpJoj
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect532Please respect copyright.PENANA4FSoVqb8ZJ
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 in532Please respect copyright.PENANAbBnwXIf9PR
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I532Please respect copyright.PENANABPIVLiVpTJ
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt532Please respect copyright.PENANA4PCwshwBIm
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 the532Please respect copyright.PENANAxVAZV162Ec
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t532Please respect copyright.PENANAvWN2hVaqUK
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,532Please respect copyright.PENANAqcmiyHUyjj
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area532Please respect copyright.PENANAehw9rYtus1
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see532Please respect copyright.PENANArGEJN81550
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I532Please respect copyright.PENANATaPLPyyedv
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so532Please respect copyright.PENANAuyjQyAEfxu
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 out532Please respect copyright.PENANAcABtcjmpYk
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.532Please respect copyright.PENANAVZogQD7dyE
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 feel532Please respect copyright.PENANAanMWuax0Ty
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things532Please respect copyright.PENANA7I6k7vx9LL
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first532Please respect copyright.PENANA4rJ4cdPc1u
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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