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 pretty662Please respect copyright.PENANAaPH5WQfEqy
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air662Please respect copyright.PENANAy6zeO2tQCo
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come662Please respect copyright.PENANAur0zLI1BTU
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for662Please respect copyright.PENANAFMEhBepTtr
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree662Please respect copyright.PENANAu5O2PT9unD
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 now662Please respect copyright.PENANAV3n3GFmkIQ
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I662Please respect copyright.PENANAOgmwfJCbDZ
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I662Please respect copyright.PENANAlm8iU8Li3q
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’t662Please respect copyright.PENANAp3nr5ZSZ8d
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 the662Please respect copyright.PENANAfekDWhXXBn
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what662Please respect copyright.PENANAt74dHVJEQj
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 whatever662Please respect copyright.PENANAt3CtxVPRYu
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand662Please respect copyright.PENANAEaYrTyF7AL
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it662Please respect copyright.PENANANIr8rgrDPy
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I662Please respect copyright.PENANA5zdCqfevAx
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel662Please respect copyright.PENANA1jdAQiojvu
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree662Please respect copyright.PENANAKh7neZMZbg
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was662Please respect copyright.PENANAkZsyY5eAlc
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips662Please respect copyright.PENANAMaVZLcjMa6
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my662Please respect copyright.PENANAHnY73KRrkt
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell662Please respect copyright.PENANAYgF64U0L20
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect662Please respect copyright.PENANAiZejQkHCVI
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 in662Please respect copyright.PENANA6FNqGOoPhk
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I662Please respect copyright.PENANAXe2j6GrPT7
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt662Please respect copyright.PENANAfeSzeeG5vC
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 the662Please respect copyright.PENANAxKGx6hooYB
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t662Please respect copyright.PENANAcSame5P3Z5
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,662Please respect copyright.PENANAc3w11wPkmr
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area662Please respect copyright.PENANAcDOOBG3cP8
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see662Please respect copyright.PENANAV218dwxjgc
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I662Please respect copyright.PENANAjrRGa9eUj7
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so662Please respect copyright.PENANAbyRRqd0ira
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 out662Please respect copyright.PENANAbRT2mruYpv
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.662Please respect copyright.PENANAiJvdEuARNL
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 feel662Please respect copyright.PENANATW1vBsXZqf
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things662Please respect copyright.PENANA8LGkaPsnhW
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first662Please respect copyright.PENANAlCceUMMSMH
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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