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 pretty576Please respect copyright.PENANAk7jcypQ85x
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air576Please respect copyright.PENANAClTVmnlm8y
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come576Please respect copyright.PENANABqVsunzyMx
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for576Please respect copyright.PENANAp4ANunpGSG
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree576Please respect copyright.PENANA6gLeDMLDoO
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 now576Please respect copyright.PENANAd1JM1wGe6W
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I576Please respect copyright.PENANAdgxJ9zYFnH
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I576Please respect copyright.PENANAIl0n03waM7
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’t576Please respect copyright.PENANAI4HCcYsDvN
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 the576Please respect copyright.PENANApGMzL6ylvi
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what576Please respect copyright.PENANAAzyHhzjNRX
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 whatever576Please respect copyright.PENANA8T2wDnKwal
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand576Please respect copyright.PENANAvQkM2UhODN
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it576Please respect copyright.PENANAMQIm7qr6Y8
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I576Please respect copyright.PENANAmmyV9JEPpU
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel576Please respect copyright.PENANA47k4PhPI6h
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree576Please respect copyright.PENANAc69UypI6ak
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was576Please respect copyright.PENANAXrBaGgeG33
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips576Please respect copyright.PENANAcB9tqs0KKG
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my576Please respect copyright.PENANAGNWXn03BMQ
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell576Please respect copyright.PENANA5L0dI3BDXt
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect576Please respect copyright.PENANAJpwoLzpLEH
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 in576Please respect copyright.PENANAGbPX2yRQmW
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I576Please respect copyright.PENANAt9o1pd8KzC
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt576Please respect copyright.PENANAMRuBp6dxfU
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 the576Please respect copyright.PENANAJObY2gV7Xm
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t576Please respect copyright.PENANAwBinw9boTE
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,576Please respect copyright.PENANAjSWDOvgipc
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area576Please respect copyright.PENANA01qN8Fw0aF
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see576Please respect copyright.PENANAoeL28hNNWG
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I576Please respect copyright.PENANAAELhiN0AHF
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so576Please respect copyright.PENANA8VYN2PnR9g
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 out576Please respect copyright.PENANA0Niw6HnGAk
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.576Please respect copyright.PENANAAoAo4FPRym
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 feel576Please respect copyright.PENANAKYkor3IPRs
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things576Please respect copyright.PENANAxdjJTbqBvv
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first576Please respect copyright.PENANA3QzXxhlJrj
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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