Beginning: The Prey and The Predator
Midnight, such a simple, beautiful word! But behind the simplicity, there remains privacy, secrecy, and sometimes mysteries, dark and dangerous mysteries. This was one of those nights. Clouds floated lazily in the sky, and the tops of the trees glittered like silver, adding to the glory of the night. Moonlight trickled through the thick branches to the rough ground underneath, creating a playground for shadow and light. Misty fog swirled around the dead leaves littering the ground. It was a perfect place for romantic couples who wanted to get lost in a mysterious maze of trees at night.
Then, there she was, running. Running through the trees and continuously looking back. Her once beautiful and elegant cream gown was a torn mess. Perfect makeup was ruined with her running eyeliner and smudged red lipstick. Not to mention her perfectly curled hair that now resembled a bird’s nest. But she didn’t care.
Fear consumed her face, marring her beautiful features. She was continuously looking back at something. But nothing was in sight. Instead of feeling relief, she grew more fearful. She had to get out of this hell somehow. As she ran, she saw fewer and fewer trees. The lake in the distance was a welcome sight. Her heart ignited with small hope of survival. The lady quickened her speed. The more the open space neared, the wider her smile grew. She didn’t know how fast she was running, but she managed to get out of the hell hole of dark trees and under the full moon. She felt relieved that now at least if something came for her, she’d at least be able to see it. She would at least get enough time to run.
She stood for a second to breathe. Then, she looked back. It was the worst mistake of her life. She saw him. He was coming straight to her. His long, muscled legs ate up the space between them, mercilessly tearing apart the delicate curtain of fog. He looked so relaxed, so comfortable, yet so dangerous. Her eyes widened in fear. She stumbled back. Her plan of ‘seeing him and run away’ soon escaped through the window.
She felt her knees wobble. Her whole body started to shiver, and it certainly wasn’t the cold. She didn’t know how long she had been backing away. It took maybe minutes, but to her, it was an eternity. Suddenly, she gasped. Incomprehensibly, he seemed to speed up. He looked annoyed with this slow-motion game. Even in that state, she somehow managed to gain enough courage to run again, this time towards the lake. Why? She couldn’t tell. She wasn’t thinking clearly. She just wanted to escape from the hell, from him. While she was running, her unfortunate luck brought her more misery when one of her feet collided with a stone. She gasped again.
The impact was clear. She collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Moonlight shone perfectly on her back. She looked like an angel even in her ugly state, a trapped angel to be precise. Misty fog in the distance strained to surround her. She quickly scrambled to her knees, ignoring both of the bleeding elbows. When she was about to stand up, she accidentally turned her head backward. Fear turned into terror. Her body froze on the spot. She seemed to have forgotten to stand up and run. Her eyes saw her nightmare was dangerously close to her. His tall masculine frame declared his undying pride. She shook her head, tried to speak something but her throat betrayed her.
She wanted to move, scream for help and get away as soon as possible. But none of her wishes came true. Instead, the predator prowled closer. Soon his dark shadow covered her, towering over her frame.
She shook her head, vigorously.
“N-no, please, no,” She stuttered with much difficulty.
She swallowed a dry lump.
“L-leave, me. Go away, p-please.”
She felt her predator smile an evil smile. Nature instantly became silent. Not even the crickets dared chirp. It was as if they were holding their breath for something to happen, something sinful, something cruel. Only the waves of the careless lake made a sound as they crashed against the rocky shore. The lady saw him swiftly raise his dark hand. She shook her head again. Tears were running down her cheek, and her lips were trembling. Her whole body was shaking with intense fear, fear of death. Before she closed her eyes, she saw something sharp and shining move swiftly.
She let out an inhuman shrill scream, tearing apart the silence of the night. Birds of the night fled, crying out loud, joining in her intense agony.
