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 pretty733Please respect copyright.PENANArkbjoyBqpc
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air733Please respect copyright.PENANARRCgC8mxtT
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come733Please respect copyright.PENANA2crg8NaU1L
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for733Please respect copyright.PENANAPV1CKSgnwG
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree733Please respect copyright.PENANAsX8rn7lYSm
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 now733Please respect copyright.PENANAnECga26vVR
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I733Please respect copyright.PENANA3n2wjkYumU
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I733Please respect copyright.PENANAwLWAINct22
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’t733Please respect copyright.PENANAjjblAdKiqh
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 the733Please respect copyright.PENANAwJx9sttt47
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what733Please respect copyright.PENANAR6b0dKaBSh
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 whatever733Please respect copyright.PENANALfOSF4HvXH
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand733Please respect copyright.PENANAUWwQzXsG48
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it733Please respect copyright.PENANALdJKsLJVK8
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I733Please respect copyright.PENANAfPNMGvl0Qy
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel733Please respect copyright.PENANAgnkzpdrlx0
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree733Please respect copyright.PENANAaXh8nA3bzJ
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was733Please respect copyright.PENANAhkiO5tVmgZ
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips733Please respect copyright.PENANADceDlFf8KT
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my733Please respect copyright.PENANAFl5abdBYPh
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell733Please respect copyright.PENANAXyjNmJDoMM
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect733Please respect copyright.PENANAP8xj6icLki
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 in733Please respect copyright.PENANA77mLVsY2hO
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I733Please respect copyright.PENANAMmsQJ7UVex
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt733Please respect copyright.PENANATWPEP0tYDf
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 the733Please respect copyright.PENANA4WXys95aSo
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t733Please respect copyright.PENANAoTqX52c2Nf
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,733Please respect copyright.PENANAGUfuNrYkuE
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area733Please respect copyright.PENANAdX0DacarVI
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see733Please respect copyright.PENANA9TvwyayGA5
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I733Please respect copyright.PENANAR3w7aXbsw5
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so733Please respect copyright.PENANAeIf2za4cor
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 out733Please respect copyright.PENANAP6eJAeE2m1
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.733Please respect copyright.PENANATT2vcmV96q
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 feel733Please respect copyright.PENANAJBEHP42ZZi
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things733Please respect copyright.PENANAHBaGZohNxT
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first733Please respect copyright.PENANAUDGPbd6md2
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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