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 pretty803Please respect copyright.PENANAKWawg8Y3Mp
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air803Please respect copyright.PENANA2wNO9BNvAa
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come803Please respect copyright.PENANASwKUkP17H7
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for803Please respect copyright.PENANAvuuzZ0RADM
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree803Please respect copyright.PENANAtIoVY0PolA
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 now803Please respect copyright.PENANAqDdRqvn35Z
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I803Please respect copyright.PENANAsxl0jQICAv
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I803Please respect copyright.PENANAMX2n6ROF4I
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’t803Please respect copyright.PENANAlhmXLmlt0T
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 the803Please respect copyright.PENANAR0V7C9F6hR
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what803Please respect copyright.PENANActyHyZ0bA3
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 whatever803Please respect copyright.PENANALS6ff4hLY0
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand803Please respect copyright.PENANADGCEXunFcy
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it803Please respect copyright.PENANAV1g8QEGqWT
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I803Please respect copyright.PENANAvRxJY1C8sM
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel803Please respect copyright.PENANATmiHUem9ZA
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree803Please respect copyright.PENANAa2LRcSAPty
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was803Please respect copyright.PENANAQnDCPzHGlh
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips803Please respect copyright.PENANAlLhVqNBCjg
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my803Please respect copyright.PENANAMN1TNkyvOk
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell803Please respect copyright.PENANA33UdZUonOM
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect803Please respect copyright.PENANAyTp2h3bCFY
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 in803Please respect copyright.PENANAAks2CmRLHg
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I803Please respect copyright.PENANAimQw1jioc4
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt803Please respect copyright.PENANAgGUiDc0pRh
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 the803Please respect copyright.PENANArVrGmbj9nZ
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t803Please respect copyright.PENANAAqNgULYQzF
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,803Please respect copyright.PENANAjPZaMG55Oa
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area803Please respect copyright.PENANAyMyXFdNGGV
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see803Please respect copyright.PENANAaZx0WxNtaC
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I803Please respect copyright.PENANAUOffpfD4Jq
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so803Please respect copyright.PENANAlv7BNOgzdd
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 out803Please respect copyright.PENANAsnBbQkYzAA
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.803Please respect copyright.PENANAXqpvhMCmtv
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 feel803Please respect copyright.PENANAB3rE746aOA
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things803Please respect copyright.PENANAIxVKUu7mHw
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first803Please respect copyright.PENANAzRYTMaSmZM
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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