Present
870Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZQuXZX2Cw
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 pretty870Please respect copyright.PENANAOjjk8D3rbU
sure I was running for my life from whatever was chasing me. The air870Please respect copyright.PENANANmByMnrVwF
around me was cold and there was fog everywhere. The full moon had come870Please respect copyright.PENANAaaEne1kPfQ
up and it was as bright as ever. But its light wasn’t bright enough for870Please respect copyright.PENANAxUr3CiudQi
it to illuminate around the forest because of the foliage of the tree870Please respect copyright.PENANAiAx36zql8w
leaves above.
870Please respect copyright.PENANApEGFxccFzL
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 now870Please respect copyright.PENANArMZyB8aRHF
was clearly not the time to check myself. I could feel its presence and I870Please respect copyright.PENANA8sK4iu8mA4
knew it was coming closer and closer. I could tell it wanted me. I870Please respect copyright.PENANAcvoIsJQSHj
could tell it wanted to find me. I could tell it wanted to kill me.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAdyKaLqtKZ3
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’t870Please respect copyright.PENANAZDHAYh8ZuU
stop running and I wasn’t planning on doing so any way.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAMwG8nqOEiu
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 the870Please respect copyright.PENANAWSj3yUseD2
adrenaline that spread throughout my body had kept me going for what870Please respect copyright.PENANAwZQomXV7DD
seemed liked hours.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAepShLG1DZZ
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 whatever870Please respect copyright.PENANA177edCwLR6
was after me had finally caught me. Before I could scream, a hand870Please respect copyright.PENANA1gRyMBSctc
quickly covered my mouth and I could tell I was with a person, but it870Please respect copyright.PENANAjfnqiEdfqx
was too dark to even see who it was. I could tell it was a man because I870Please respect copyright.PENANAKJuz9rhwqe
could make out the person’s physique even in the darkness. I could feel870Please respect copyright.PENANAkHSSPfGpSd
his other strong arm pin my whole body with my back against the tree870Please respect copyright.PENANAyBtQhJ7EXZ
that I couldn’t even move. The hand he used to cover my mouth was870Please respect copyright.PENANA03GNkvrgVg
quickly withdrawn. He put up his index finger and placed it to his lips870Please respect copyright.PENANAQdqfqN1JL1
obviously telling me to be quiet. I silently nodded, and for once, my870Please respect copyright.PENANAhjPlLRWjJ5
breathing slowed down and I felt my body relax a little. I could tell870Please respect copyright.PENANAgeWbllcUKK
that no matter what, this man in front of me was only trying to protect870Please respect copyright.PENANAJxsBTAHW5A
me, but that didn’t mean I had forgotten about the danger around us.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAUMYh35v2Pk
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 in870Please respect copyright.PENANAdwaMqyswEW
silence. Then a black shadow passed us and it was moving as fast as I870Please respect copyright.PENANAQeZPDLi84h
could have ever imagined. The shadow was going to catch me, no doubt870Please respect copyright.PENANA3UssIkyQ3t
about that. Thank goodness the man came before anything happened.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAPVNmzednsv
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 the870Please respect copyright.PENANAARn6aLtQ5x
hand and dragged me along with him to wherever we were going. He didn’t870Please respect copyright.PENANAwhEDoMnYYH
say a single word to me and it was best to keep quiet in these forests,870Please respect copyright.PENANAFgcPNtjzdB
just in case the shadow ever found us. We soon came upon an open area870Please respect copyright.PENANAnmMwFlgMV5
with a few trees around, the moon shone brightly over us and I could see870Please respect copyright.PENANAx57lAoHALR
the man’s back but not his face. As I continued to look at him, I870Please respect copyright.PENANACG5edd6AYI
couldn’t help but feel that I know him. I wanted to see his face so870Please respect copyright.PENANArIiXpbbhKV
badly and curiosity took the better of me: I spoke.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAOiPNnNobLg
“Do I know you?” I asked.
870Please respect copyright.PENANA4DqEWQr5HT
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 out870Please respect copyright.PENANAknSpzdQRCj
of here.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAh92jgKZJ0K
“Now isn’t the right time for this,” he whispered, “and you better stop talking. We aren’t safe here.”
870Please respect copyright.PENANAANll9WADRx
“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.”
870Please respect copyright.PENANAPH2mVCp5Km
“Don’t thank me; we aren’t out of the forest yet.”
870Please respect copyright.PENANAbd3m8aY1u1
I couldn’t help but say, “You sound very familiar, do I know you?”
870Please respect copyright.PENANAyW4QtK4HuD
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:
870Please respect copyright.PENANA7a4Ul9xdPW
“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.”
870Please respect copyright.PENANAwgy9ZHfik6
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.870Please respect copyright.PENANAIMDOBeUx7I
And I needed them right away.
870Please respect copyright.PENANAjbTdtVPyOu
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 feel870Please respect copyright.PENANAehpIPHHaW4
surprised and yet again happy when I saw his face. But some things870Please respect copyright.PENANAXk7ZggW6rO
weren’t adding up though. How did he know where to find me in the first870Please respect copyright.PENANAPjDMffovBz
place?
870Please respect copyright.PENANACRtIujC6g1
And why of all people did it have to be him?
870Please respect copyright.PENANALcXSpEG3Rs