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 pretty553Please respect copyright.PENANAvGYzfH6zXi
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air553Please respect copyright.PENANABx4J7yQHaK
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come553Please respect copyright.PENANADoYtnacOyM
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for553Please respect copyright.PENANA397uVGw2VG
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree553Please respect copyright.PENANAQPgiLg2d09
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 now553Please respect copyright.PENANAMoA6Iy1Vi5
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I553Please respect copyright.PENANAuJ6pDxjwU1
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I553Please respect copyright.PENANAx0YM25HrPq
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’t553Please respect copyright.PENANAfUHOqVwlbL
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 the553Please respect copyright.PENANAFiD1tfook4
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what553Please respect copyright.PENANAGLOVTemhxF
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 whatever553Please respect copyright.PENANAdnrNwWZS5K
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand553Please respect copyright.PENANAykIcJ8eQyG
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it553Please respect copyright.PENANAl3YFIWHDt3
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I553Please respect copyright.PENANAuU9U5NjQ6i
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel553Please respect copyright.PENANAnWfdWK50uo
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree553Please respect copyright.PENANAnWu0S3iAqo
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was553Please respect copyright.PENANAUaKPSHQw4R
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips553Please respect copyright.PENANAwLN1WdXesK
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my553Please respect copyright.PENANALhyP60CvfU
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell553Please respect copyright.PENANALTmU0xCWSR
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect553Please respect copyright.PENANAelEneB0V7R
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 in553Please respect copyright.PENANAWamgZuiw3M
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I553Please respect copyright.PENANAe1jixOj3EA
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt553Please respect copyright.PENANA0Y0Uq3ROUZ
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 the553Please respect copyright.PENANAWnkAvfOmwy
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t553Please respect copyright.PENANAS1fvC6q3Fr
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,553Please respect copyright.PENANAJJVSJvBbBV
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area553Please respect copyright.PENANAovzcLY69tM
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see553Please respect copyright.PENANAekdEpCOVa9
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I553Please respect copyright.PENANAJJ9Lfb436f
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so553Please respect copyright.PENANAYvbz2rwxtU
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 out553Please respect copyright.PENANAjP7Xzi9GSO
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.553Please respect copyright.PENANATQPwi4FiCy
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 feel553Please respect copyright.PENANAxxv27o2WRh
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things553Please respect copyright.PENANAxrVlZY1P8X
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first553Please respect copyright.PENANAWQB75ByJ5C
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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