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 pretty555Please respect copyright.PENANADEDkfmFFX3
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air555Please respect copyright.PENANABcGIfBsm7J
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come555Please respect copyright.PENANAY2ysi0Z3Ym
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for555Please respect copyright.PENANArzP3VoND3Z
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree555Please respect copyright.PENANAyk8mjAFAXv
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 now555Please respect copyright.PENANAEXRp9e3K2b
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I555Please respect copyright.PENANAYTmLNcab17
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I555Please respect copyright.PENANA1Fk1EXj5t9
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’t555Please respect copyright.PENANAgEp9DHetPT
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 the555Please respect copyright.PENANA7foUpbzjDn
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what555Please respect copyright.PENANAZpgGM4qAmy
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 whatever555Please respect copyright.PENANALPWXq9SF5J
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand555Please respect copyright.PENANAdMalTQt8Ex
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it555Please respect copyright.PENANAORSEZ1KjqD
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I555Please respect copyright.PENANACevjMdPvqh
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel555Please respect copyright.PENANAeJyCB1Nzym
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree555Please respect copyright.PENANANLTTS0SK7q
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was555Please respect copyright.PENANA0oS961kf9p
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips555Please respect copyright.PENANAvX2uhfYP2B
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my555Please respect copyright.PENANASFTDtCo9zm
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell555Please respect copyright.PENANAJJabotSkVb
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect555Please respect copyright.PENANAakYzqZQhJq
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 in555Please respect copyright.PENANAhedHqvCagX
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I555Please respect copyright.PENANAcoVySLLS62
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt555Please respect copyright.PENANA8fXY1dZumo
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 the555Please respect copyright.PENANACtT25XgjiS
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t555Please respect copyright.PENANADhwd5UU6Du
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,555Please respect copyright.PENANATwGhV7tAkg
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area555Please respect copyright.PENANAnhJ5yLR0oH
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see555Please respect copyright.PENANAXqh7y4qNIY
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I555Please respect copyright.PENANAvp2h0qPLxO
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so555Please respect copyright.PENANAzznsthJW54
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 out555Please respect copyright.PENANA78xpcFrQsb
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.555Please respect copyright.PENANAyxIctZ8RGf
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 feel555Please respect copyright.PENANA2xjFjCzYNv
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things555Please respect copyright.PENANAflhwJ78Lcs
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first555Please respect copyright.PENANASDbELypFzY
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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