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 pretty663Please respect copyright.PENANAnGaZCzul9m
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air663Please respect copyright.PENANA1eK0TGSirA
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come663Please respect copyright.PENANAcmLnTFHKTz
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for663Please respect copyright.PENANACeZ0eiCdaX
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree663Please respect copyright.PENANAMItQDhmOsn
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 now663Please respect copyright.PENANADTqnQ6YRgP
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I663Please respect copyright.PENANA1RXTVj850J
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I663Please respect copyright.PENANA1WvEwuydCE
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’t663Please respect copyright.PENANAuvoy20vxFW
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 the663Please respect copyright.PENANAQRrtlje9pY
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what663Please respect copyright.PENANAge1pieltTO
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 whatever663Please respect copyright.PENANAVkQj8JYWvi
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand663Please respect copyright.PENANAJvhav3y7Qn
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it663Please respect copyright.PENANA4DvGgFDQkq
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I663Please respect copyright.PENANAw0IjOYt7xc
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel663Please respect copyright.PENANAD25bm6edne
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree663Please respect copyright.PENANAkxiJH0BO9C
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was663Please respect copyright.PENANAomBG7hkYfO
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips663Please respect copyright.PENANAQLuP8gUuGu
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my663Please respect copyright.PENANA4INjTqlxkX
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell663Please respect copyright.PENANAPyeN3LEn4R
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect663Please respect copyright.PENANAcpAo6GGPiY
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 in663Please respect copyright.PENANAMxFO4Um8C7
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I663Please respect copyright.PENANAVLhAjo1qA4
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt663Please respect copyright.PENANAik8yA3ncc8
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 the663Please respect copyright.PENANAAbLr5aOWJ5
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t663Please respect copyright.PENANA4MlyHJkr9Z
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,663Please respect copyright.PENANA9jrE3UzwhR
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area663Please respect copyright.PENANAE88G4fZYSN
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see663Please respect copyright.PENANAK3aUOQu4n9
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I663Please respect copyright.PENANAtwpWOAdejZ
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so663Please respect copyright.PENANAFTCaV2qaao
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 out663Please respect copyright.PENANA0AKD9eRN51
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.663Please respect copyright.PENANAmG6tftlEo9
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 feel663Please respect copyright.PENANAD8pXTUQLzV
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things663Please respect copyright.PENANAck4rF1Dv1D
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first663Please respect copyright.PENANAAHgTfoxbJG
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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