Villains on the Pathway – Part II: A Merciful Savior

“YA RIPPED BUG!! I WILL ALWAYS HAUNT YOU IN YOUR DREAMS!! I WILL BURY YOU WITH MY HANDS IN THIS FOREST!”

He grabbed my head and shook me hard. “Do you think you can defy me, huh? You should save your last breath before I kill you! ” he bellowed in my pale horrified face.

My head was whirling quickly as the blood flew from my face, blurring my vision.

I was in pain. I was breathing hard. I let out a loud, desperate yell that tore through the dreadful silence. 

“Now, I will bury you here,” hissed the man as he took a razor-sharp knife from his pocket pointing it at my trembling chest.

“I think we should tie him to the tree all night then kill him before we leave?” yelped one from his gang, his skinny blond ponytail swaying as he bounced right and left in a mad excitement. 

“Listen to me. You don’t think at all. You’re nobody, huh?” roared the man. “No one ever gives orders in these woods. I am the leader. Ya, understand me? I see you didn’t realise yet who’s the boss here.”

As the wicked man turned his head to the other side, arguing with his guard, I spotted, from the corner of my eye, a narrow hidden muddy pathway amidst the massive trees.

I promptly realised this was my great opportunity to flee. With all my might, I barely rose to my feet, slipped quietly behind them, and began to sprint without hesitation. 

On my way back, I heard his voice booming behind me as I rushed along the pathway. “YA RIPPED BUG!! I WILL ALWAYS HAUNT YOU IN YOUR DREAMS!! I WILL BURY YOU WITH MY HANDS IN THIS FOREST!”

While I was sprinting, it grew dark and I barely distinguished the path, but I kept running at a frantic speed as the loud, fierce voices pursued me, roaring like a river in its frenzy.

While running, I passed a large stone, and I found myself lying face down in the bushes when I heard a faint voice behind me start screaming, “Come on, get up!! We have to hurry.”

As I lifted my head to observe what had happened, I noticed a long, dark figure running ahead of me. “Come on. FOLLOW ME!” the voice yelled.

Despite the intensity of my fear, I rose promptly, pursuing my way through the harsh bushes.

As I persisted in my run along the sombre woods, the terrifying sounds grew closer and closer.

For an instant, I felt the road grow increasingly longer. It seemed never ending.

Did I lose my way? Was I running on the wrong side?

I felt exhausted as my whole body was paralysed.

My legs turned into jelly when suddenly the dark figure let out a nervous yelp. “Come on. Keep following me!”

As we began to run amidst the trees, heading right and left until, to our great relief, we finally caught sight of the city lights from afar.

We sprinted toward them, and the roaring sounds still seemed to be right behind us as if they had erupted from here and there.

Without looking back, I kept following the dark shadow, sprinting as swiftly as I could. 

Finally, a faint glimmer flickered in the darkness as we reached one of the city streets. 

I couldn’t stand. My feet could no longer carry me after I had sprinted madly for hours.

I dashed into a corner of the street and sat down on the ground to catch my breath and clean the dirt from my clothes.

“Thank you, I …” I murmured, lifting my head toward the shadowy figure. “Where has he disappeared?”

It was approaching one o’clock in the morning. 

As the first light of the full moon gently began to illuminate the empty streets, I made my way back home, while a warm feeling of serenity and comfort enveloped the surroundings.

As I marched towards my home, my mind wondered about this dark figure that had emerged from nowhere and mercifully landed in my path. 

Who was he? Was he one of the henchmen? Did he live in the forest? Did he know me?

“Whatever!” I mumbled. “Whoever this figure is, I owe him my life.” I let out a long, comforting sigh of relief as a wide smile carefully made its way across my face.