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 pretty694Please respect copyright.PENANA21iuvqi3FX
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air694Please respect copyright.PENANAZGILLlwvGL
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come694Please respect copyright.PENANAbbzGMzgQtM
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for694Please respect copyright.PENANABmsyLjXreD
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree694Please respect copyright.PENANAzN9cZEdr4k
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 now694Please respect copyright.PENANAvnf6E6fiAq
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I694Please respect copyright.PENANAFPdFbki37g
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I694Please respect copyright.PENANAXTUSNV7GUb
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’t694Please respect copyright.PENANAyG6fNZJtP0
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 the694Please respect copyright.PENANAFMLzfPoL6E
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what694Please respect copyright.PENANATaQmElPnyt
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 whatever694Please respect copyright.PENANAldUoJ19Cvt
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand694Please respect copyright.PENANAtSSWc8zSVg
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it694Please respect copyright.PENANAS1zFkcNl3d
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I694Please respect copyright.PENANArOTieK4zEx
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel694Please respect copyright.PENANAAO16NWCi5b
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree694Please respect copyright.PENANA46wfXWjlrR
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was694Please respect copyright.PENANAcZGSfvoUFd
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips694Please respect copyright.PENANAUodzxY1H1I
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my694Please respect copyright.PENANAecISNL49x3
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell694Please respect copyright.PENANAJz08QXtgyc
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect694Please respect copyright.PENANAbyNisZWqa6
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 in694Please respect copyright.PENANAW4Xark9tMA
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I694Please respect copyright.PENANAFUXxVPaVeI
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt694Please respect copyright.PENANAxeGr9r3H4A
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 the694Please respect copyright.PENANAbgZ6Gshgou
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t694Please respect copyright.PENANA3bL68EqQPS
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,694Please respect copyright.PENANAS7v31nfd5l
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area694Please respect copyright.PENANAo58gBI7MAZ
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see694Please respect copyright.PENANAAXE31ZMDyQ
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I694Please respect copyright.PENANAEI0jwqwiSj
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so694Please respect copyright.PENANAlornSlw2le
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 out694Please respect copyright.PENANAKljkTBoSKi
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.694Please respect copyright.PENANAIVn4HthTrz
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 feel694Please respect copyright.PENANAgEbmLY9sIg
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things694Please respect copyright.PENANAxrvtTlZ1Ru
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first694Please respect copyright.PENANATQxA8ZfYdz
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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