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 pretty537Please respect copyright.PENANAxX7UiMGNtn
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air537Please respect copyright.PENANAcUTCK5Dpcy
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come537Please respect copyright.PENANAugXDHAv7gX
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for537Please respect copyright.PENANAeIL9unwvg7
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree537Please respect copyright.PENANAbauTfJNNCY
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 now537Please respect copyright.PENANAb21lai6UqN
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I537Please respect copyright.PENANAztYuks0V5g
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I537Please respect copyright.PENANAYbzYv1tLPU
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’t537Please respect copyright.PENANAXoX3RpBGse
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 the537Please respect copyright.PENANAuEUK6cVS6J
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what537Please respect copyright.PENANAhAGlrhjYHG
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 whatever537Please respect copyright.PENANACusBz0KuTy
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand537Please respect copyright.PENANAt1TmBOp36u
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it537Please respect copyright.PENANAgYs8CTECcP
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I537Please respect copyright.PENANA6pGLDMZrYN
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel537Please respect copyright.PENANAdqWNTKpmTF
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree537Please respect copyright.PENANAftuq0aUvlq
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was537Please respect copyright.PENANA3PKfHGqU9x
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips537Please respect copyright.PENANAGAZ89yixKw
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my537Please respect copyright.PENANAobD0KPfdMn
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell537Please respect copyright.PENANAOS7q0dbh8V
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect537Please respect copyright.PENANAvjQ434Coaz
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 in537Please respect copyright.PENANANPsWkMiQQ6
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I537Please respect copyright.PENANAglLX7Q5UOt
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt537Please respect copyright.PENANAbHd1F8Flrm
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 the537Please respect copyright.PENANA5iYn5yvm3p
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t537Please respect copyright.PENANA5BDCdNvSLC
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,537Please respect copyright.PENANAdq6M7pALnT
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area537Please respect copyright.PENANAe4yHPoJDO8
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see537Please respect copyright.PENANAYrPsE1Zlly
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I537Please respect copyright.PENANA0LNnV1vS0L
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so537Please respect copyright.PENANAf5v8oUIlta
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 out537Please respect copyright.PENANAar31qQY2u4
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.537Please respect copyright.PENANANwLv497R1q
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 feel537Please respect copyright.PENANA8Q7UtPEPT7
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things537Please respect copyright.PENANACWgGT04zKA
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first537Please respect copyright.PENANAhdAEgjDTRx
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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