Present
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNXRVRFTmux
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 pretty686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR4gYvutEpM
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6aJqnrMc3
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaJcnPBO35x
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡund1D2X335
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpCWa8HXMw4
leaves above.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPwO7R6ugu
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 now686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB160ERgm5j
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GGFlIStBg
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9EqFSHGMt
could tell it wanted to find me. I could tell it wanted to kill me.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdTo5Ry8ilR
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’t686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtmztMTBL7s
stop running and I wasn’t planning on doing so any way.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZg9Ok0eGyf
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 the686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6BeqiD8lv
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOnp30Uhww
seemed liked hours.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCdNFYuLSM
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 whatever686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZK6KTnsRY
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HbHHgF0e7
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20chZgKpWl
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyGeN2ghvn
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmmEsIftyxp
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XrRE3DJuh
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNpHlcQJui
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZZqQ1iMgV2
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZvNuHPtnMa
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1LtyIppDZ
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZBl3RD8mJ
me, but that didn’t mean I had forgotten about the danger around us.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLikmU3ta5E
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 in686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcw4heeCXt
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYk7mLUxSKJ
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJyeEkzvHe
about that. Thank goodness the man came before anything happened.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2h26WuuCpo
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 the686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHXYE5yD2s
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q62ksdqik
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAwHnGie9M
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyOhmlFiAf3
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHnvKFk5o3
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTGAhSypTyl
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3l5RvzLnqW
badly and curiosity took the better of me: I spoke.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3wKcDYqYc
“Do I know you?” I asked.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1ebnt4k2U
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 out686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBk9t9GDoIg
of here.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡna714qJBLb
“Now isn’t the right time for this,” he whispered, “and you better stop talking. We aren’t safe here.”
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShxWVEWkUm
“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.”
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMlFNFuUuJO
“Don’t thank me; we aren’t out of the forest yet.”
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSWSeMHsFH
I couldn’t help but say, “You sound very familiar, do I know you?”
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73EzOtS7zj
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:
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOhc8usj6UE
“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.”
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcQE8sVMRLu
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.686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZqzgqmf6Uh
And I needed them right away.
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5zEB48w14K
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 feel686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcd3aVtFO4h
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9yX2CIJPK5
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFJ9fqVyzK
place?
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pd69kneH1
And why of all people did it have to be him?
686Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWO8d662y6
