I collapsed to my knees; my nose splattered with thick, hot blood. I was scared stiff as I slumped down the rough earthy ground. I felt beaten, unable to move.
It was nearing nightfall when I strolled back home through the woods.
As I had spent my entire day in my office, dealing with mountains of paperwork and countless calls, I did not realise it was already dusk outside.
A chilly wind started swirling around the bushes as dark clouds gathered in the sky, spitting heavy drops of rain onto my blue lightweight jacket.
Everything was cold and silent except for my racing footsteps following my fast-paced, warm breaths when suddenly I felt a big heavy palm grabbing my shoulder, twisting my arm behind my back and jerking me brutally.
As I turned my back in dread, I noticed a giant, strong, shaggy-haired man standing right next to me.
Was he a mean-looking man? He was, indeed. He was a cruel, cunning man with icy, malicious eyes and a rigid, alarming expression that covered his pale face.
He stared at me with his blue razor eyes, sniffing up my shoulders like a predator on the chase.
Then, with a firm voice, he began to snarl at my startled face. “Who are you? What are you doing in my woods?”
My heart skipped a beat as he hissed his fatal words, a devilish smile spreading across his face.
“I am on my way back home. This is the first time I have crossed this road,” I stuttered as I began to sweat frantically.
“Really? Poor boy. You’re shaking like a leaf. Hahaha.” He continued laughing in a high-pitched voice. “Welcome to the land of terror, man. You’ll never get out of here.”
“Please let me go,” I begged as I tried to twist myself free from his grip, trying to recall some tricks to escape, but his muscled hands held me by my jacket like a rope.
“I let you go after invading my wood? You’re bonkers? Ya know that whoever gets in here, I’m gonna cut him into little pieces,” he snickered as he pressed tightly on my twisted arm.
I let out a loud wail of pain.
“Does it hurt you, huh?” he asked as he shook his head furiously, his face etched with a frightening cold smile.
He was a tall man in his mid-forties. He had long, lanky hair that curled over his nugget-like ears. His gloomy face looked like the face of someone who was a serial killer and never felt a twinge of slight guilt or mercy.
I was scared out of my wits. A sour taste of terror filled my dry mouth as I realised I was trapped in this dreadful forest, awaiting my tragic end, with no hope of escape.
Suddenly, I raised my hand over his arms to break free from him, but his reaction was faster than mine.
“What do you want from me?” I shrieked, as my voice grew sharp with terror.
The devilish scoundrel stood back for a short period, still gazing ferociously at me, and then he began laughing madly, followed by his wicked echo.
“Nothing! I wanna let you go. Do you want me to show you the way to your home? Cool! I wanna show you the way to your home. Come on,” he replied nervously as he dragged me deeper inside the forest.
I kept screaming, yelling and kicking when an eerie cry cut through the silence, and two of his henchmen came running.
“What exactly do you expect of me?” I shouted bravely, threatening him with a sharp-edged, thorny branch I had grabbed from the ground.
“Boo! That was scary! Haha. Look at this brave guy!” yelled the strange, cunning voice once more. “I like brave guys, man. Well, I kinda like to fight with my prey before I kill it.”
Then suddenly, he approached so close to me and pointed his long dirty finger at my chest, pressing it strongly as if he was digging a pointy dagger inside my heart and yelling in my face, “Shh! I say shh, SILENCE! What do you think that you can do here, in this dense nowhere, huh?”
His face bloomed and his veins popped neatly as he violently grabbed the branch from my trembling palm, threw it away, and slapped me fiercely.
I collapsed to my knees; my nose splattered with thick, hot blood. I was scared stiff as I slumped down the rough earthy ground. I felt beaten, unable to move.
My heartbeats thundered in my ears as my entire body shook uncontrollably.
My life flashed before my half-open eyes. I felt paralysed by fear when, all of a sudden, he pounced on me with a prompt, crazy move as the eagle pounced on his prey.
Thank you talented writer for this stunning story. Actually I cannot find the appropriate words to describe how wonderful your writing is. Every time I read your stories, I feel that I am not reading to a simple writer, but to a writer who was born and carries with her the talent for writing and that made the way you write different from the rest of the writings of the other writers that i have read here. When the first sentence of the story begins, I know that it bears Zayneb’s imprint🖊️ I wish you every success, and I hope that your stories will conquer the entire world, and see you as a famous international writer. Indeed, you have already set your foot on the path to success and fame🖊️