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 pretty539Please respect copyright.PENANATTAZ4CCxNo
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air539Please respect copyright.PENANARxqg8NxaBn
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come539Please respect copyright.PENANA1neRoDOAPK
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for539Please respect copyright.PENANAu1LmKl39LH
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree539Please respect copyright.PENANA4fWVBpACv0
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 now539Please respect copyright.PENANA6KffmorBgz
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I539Please respect copyright.PENANABcke2WwYxI
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I539Please respect copyright.PENANA7fadrK5swX
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’t539Please respect copyright.PENANAnx7dfcs6Kp
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 the539Please respect copyright.PENANAgeart7yd1Z
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what539Please respect copyright.PENANAVJ4DAkjTnF
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 whatever539Please respect copyright.PENANA3YRCxLIWem
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand539Please respect copyright.PENANAIc11vUNIDE
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it539Please respect copyright.PENANAE7JZds6xMt
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I539Please respect copyright.PENANAgsCl5jd4u2
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel539Please respect copyright.PENANAUEJ3xSh0DU
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree539Please respect copyright.PENANAdgFbD5q6zp
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was539Please respect copyright.PENANAulI62KgOMH
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips539Please respect copyright.PENANAh1VvdMzFuH
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my539Please respect copyright.PENANAKBHMERajKM
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell539Please respect copyright.PENANApMBCYTPK7k
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect539Please respect copyright.PENANALIpFJPcoc6
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 in539Please respect copyright.PENANAInCtZYXeAc
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I539Please respect copyright.PENANAhzGyYzllQF
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt539Please respect copyright.PENANAWZedE4BerB
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 the539Please respect copyright.PENANA7JIdOhoZgA
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t539Please respect copyright.PENANAv5IRZConOy
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,539Please respect copyright.PENANAw8reqyaVdf
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area539Please respect copyright.PENANADOrIVQJDjP
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see539Please respect copyright.PENANADKpqU6YFH5
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I539Please respect copyright.PENANAflzQnh0b3E
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so539Please respect copyright.PENANABNleX85CHK
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 out539Please respect copyright.PENANA7Gvzug2oST
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.539Please respect copyright.PENANAMLDSIZYoRh
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 feel539Please respect copyright.PENANAl9VX3uP5vZ
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things539Please respect copyright.PENANA3n0GGChGYP
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first539Please respect copyright.PENANAwl33rARGUV
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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