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 pretty821Please respect copyright.PENANArwHtUdk0zj
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air821Please respect copyright.PENANAIF1queplTs
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come821Please respect copyright.PENANAffKWzh90tr
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for821Please respect copyright.PENANA7yEcefBcQt
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree821Please respect copyright.PENANAtKSfy0Hq3i
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 now821Please respect copyright.PENANAZHI6QLFGCw
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I821Please respect copyright.PENANAxNfrwbdbnZ
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I821Please respect copyright.PENANAolzG62ZO55
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’t821Please respect copyright.PENANAvK1fmoJAPk
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 the821Please respect copyright.PENANApYTvttPeg8
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what821Please respect copyright.PENANA9Brm9t5qSU
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 whatever821Please respect copyright.PENANAtSQSWUTg0u
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand821Please respect copyright.PENANAFiNVuZSUqa
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it821Please respect copyright.PENANAm5vjq7jxoO
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I821Please respect copyright.PENANAQVjv6WhEQG
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel821Please respect copyright.PENANAxlS9ttyyge
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree821Please respect copyright.PENANAP6XFURpGyu
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was821Please respect copyright.PENANAYiHVOBnOc8
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips821Please respect copyright.PENANAJzipW6fCHI
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my821Please respect copyright.PENANAT7Q1bqXu7P
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell821Please respect copyright.PENANACxCDnHJX1Q
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect821Please respect copyright.PENANAOeT8vhY7Nl
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 in821Please respect copyright.PENANAhnctgMgA4P
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I821Please respect copyright.PENANAuEoF241xWk
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt821Please respect copyright.PENANA8a0A3TMMSX
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 the821Please respect copyright.PENANAxLAXGhF5Ey
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t821Please respect copyright.PENANAssjAqRxUEN
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,821Please respect copyright.PENANAhefHIrrqTp
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area821Please respect copyright.PENANAy2mcWbOR2e
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see821Please respect copyright.PENANAx0uwvBlGvf
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I821Please respect copyright.PENANA8tzDSrZ5uI
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so821Please respect copyright.PENANAcJWi4l024j
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 out821Please respect copyright.PENANATP145hRXVG
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.821Please respect copyright.PENANAXMfDbQlxe0
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 feel821Please respect copyright.PENANAZBfNkPj2JR
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things821Please respect copyright.PENANAw5j3EdiS4r
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first821Please respect copyright.PENANAs0bHBqjCOu
place?
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And why of all people did it have to be him?
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