Almost

Deep in her consciousness- an ancient recipe for a warning system; it has existed for thousands of years, dating from a time when man was vulnerable, when he was not at the top of the hierarchy of power, before he tamed nature and predators. Its signals alerted Mia to the fact that something was seriously wrong; even though she couldn't see it, she had the increasing feeling of being hunted and her pace increased until, she was almost running along the path.

Within the space of an hour she had covered almost double the distance that her usual pace would allow; dehydrated, her worn out muscles screaming for relief, she pressed on regardless as the feeling of being chased grew by the minute. Finally noticing some of the little features around her that indicate she was approaching the edge of the woods, her trepidation lessened slightly; nonetheless, an old truck in the forest that had looked very exciting in the sunlight on a trip down to the beach, now appeared both out of place and scary, a rustic witness to the relentless world of the forest. By her reckoning, by this time she was only around twenty minutes from the dirt road where the path forked towards the parking lot.

Mia has used her cell phone for company in her desperate walk out of the forest, listening to music to calm her nerves, and making a lot of use of the built-in flashlight feature. The phone in her hand vibrated, and checking the screen, she was alarmed to discover that she had used almost all the battery life, with only five per cent now remaining. She quickened her pace even further, but came to an abrupt halt as the phone died and her only light source disappeared, leaving her swallowed by the shadows of the forest. Looking around in despair, Mia felt the blackness, threatening to suffocate her, dragging her screaming brain into its sinister realm.

Mia gave a violent start as she was startled by a strange humming sound behind her in the depths of the forest - a hum. Turning in horror, she was greeted by the sight of the very monster her inner- alarm had warned her about. In that moment, the wide, tall shadow appeared in detail, camouflaged by the power of darkness; as he moved closer, she saw the face of a man as he passed through a brief patch of light. That brief glimpse was enough for her to see that he had dark hair and an attractive face -, but something in his expression was seriously wrong, and his devilish smile causesd Mia to swallow hard in fear. The lump formed by the trapped cry stuck in her larynx was hard to swallow for Mia; as the man started humming an unknown melody. She wanted to scream out loud, to pray on her knees to a God she had never believed in, that the man is just playing a practical joke and doesn't want to hurt her. This denial of the seriousness of the situation had a very short life, as he shouted,"RUN!", and gave her a terrifying grin.

Mia sprinted away towards the end of the forest with all the energy she had left, her instincts sharpened and her senses heightened in alarm readiness as she began the struggle of her life.

Richard.

Richard, lay in the tent, listening to the approaching footsteps, as the woman came up the path from the beach. Satisfied that she was finally there, he got out of the tent and began to stretch his whole body up towards the sky; he knew that his sore muscles needed to flex properly, ready for the hunt. He sniffed the air as the darkness in the forest, his best friend at times like these, enveloped him. While waiting for the woman, he had masturbated to the memory of her sun-drenched body and was now physically and mentally ready for an exciting evening, and hopefully a good challenge. He rushed to get dressed, before slowly following Miss Orange Bikini as she passed him. Her steps were much more deliberate now, he noted; suddenly, she is turning around as if she were sensing him. Damn, he thought; was he so visible? The goal was clear, he had to wait to attack, keen to have the hunt first.

Richard carefully pulled away from Mia, into the camouflage of shadows. He swore that he could almost taste the fear in the air from her slightly panicked body language, as he licked his lips in hunger for what was to come. He could almost taste her sweat when she nervously looked around, and he followed her cautiously along the trail towards the edge of the forest. He knew the trail well and was not concerned; other women had met their fate here, and so would this one. There was only him there in the dark; nobody else to help, no white knights. He fought with the hunger of the beast, asking for patience - this wasn't perfect yet. He liked to let women get close to the end of the path, - so close that he could risk losing them, before he made his attack. The feeling of seeing a woman realize in horror and disbelief that he pulled them back into the depths of the darkness of the forest, to an uncertain fate - was pure joy. He lived for that feeling.

Richard suppressed the beast's hungry cries for action, the screams of blood lust, keeping them deep within his chest as he followed Mia step by step like a friendly shadow with a backdrop of destruction. As they reach his goal, on their little trip together, he could both see and hear that the woman was exhausted; from the way she drank the remnants from her water bottle and threw it away he also surmised that she was very dehydrated. Observing confusion in her step, it looked as if she was starting to get dizzy; this would make her easy prey, and he was almost disappointed.

It was time to end the hunt; Richard began to hum an old children's song that his mother taught him; she had died in childbirth when she was pregnant with his little brother when Richard was just six years old, leaving him in the care of his mostly absent father. He remembered the tune well, and always used it to alert his inattentive prey to the fact that they were being hunted.

He watched as Mia paused, suddenly becoming aware of the danger looming behind her. With a big smile on his lips, Richard stepped closer and showed himself, watching as she turned with a shocked expression and finding the fear in her eyes - intoxicating. His genitals reacted instinctively, his cock vibrating with desire in his boxer shorts, which suddenly became too tight. He trembled in his almost uncontrollable hunger for her as his eyes took in her sweaty body, little blonde curls pasted to her face. Her cheeks, - red from exertion and too much sun, offered a tease of the pleasures he would soon enjoy. Her dry lips, protecting an equally parched mouth, parted as she panted in fear, and he reminded himself that he must give her water as soon as possible. She licked her dry lips, and his pulse increased dramatically at the sight. Water was not a problem for Richard; he had water bottles in buried boxes throughout the trail, his readiness based on knowledge and experience. At that moment that he screamed, "RUN!" as loud as he could in order, to get a quick response, to completely dissolve any last vestige of security, and to start the hunt properly.

It was as if a starting pistol had been fired, a fight to the finish line beginning for both; prey and predator. Mia took off, and he remained still for a few moments; at her current pace it would only take five minutes or so before she reached the edge of the forest. He watched her running in pure panic in front of him, the beast that has been digging under his chest for hours - a constant rush to get a taste of today's catch - finally let's go. He's stronger, better hydrated, and more well trained than her, and he knows that there is no competition.

Mia ran as if she has the devil herself in her heels; panting hard, her throat dry, her eyes and lungs were burning as she flung herself along the path; a constant sense of fear and horror, she realized that her efforts were in vain as she heard her predator closing in. In an act of desperation she darted off the path; shocking herself with the insanity of this decision, hopelessness and confusion became her only companions in following a plan that seemed unthinkable. The footsteps behind her suddenly changed direction, heading away from her, and relief began to creep in as she thought that her would-be attacker hadn't known that she had left the path.

Richard liked to play with his victims, knowing that he could easily catch the woman he was hunting, but there was no fun in that. He decided to wait a little before finishing the game with her. They were nearing the edge of the forest and he increased his pace to a sprint and closed the gap between them. He soon got really close, his arms outstretched, ready to grab her; his fingers came into contact with a few of the loose hairs from the ponytail that was dancing wildly behind her, like a robe of blonde silk. The merest of contact with her only served to increase his hunger, but just as he was about to lunge for her, the ponytail suddenly danced from his grasp. A sideways glance showed him that she had left the path and darted into the shadow of the trees; caught unawares, with none of his victims to date ever having made so bold a move, his pace was far too fast for him to follow immediately and she got a lead on him for several seconds. Anger and frustration welled within him at first until he realized that she would not get far, as there were few ways out of the dense forest and he knew each and every one of them. He changed course, sprinting to the spot where he had last seen her, determined to hunt her down.

Mia ran in complete confusion through dense forest towards what she hoped was the end goal. She could hear her pursuer sprinting towards her again, only a short distance behind. Her limbs were screaming in protest, their heaviness threatening that they may soon give out altogether. Her parched mouth was begging desperately for water that she could not give it, what little moisture she had left in her body was oozing as sweat from every pore, stinging in her eyes and the myriad of small cuts and grazes that littered her face and arms from the numerous collisions she made with stray branches on her frantic dash through the dense woodland.

Just as Mia was losing all hope, she spotted the glimmer of opportunity; an old rubbish bin, which she knew was right by the entrance to the trail, shone faintly beneath the light of the dirt road's only street lamp. It was exactly the sign she needed to realize that she was almost out of the forest and very close to safety. With furious footsteps of her pursuer still closing in behind her, she knew this was her last chance to escape; summoning the last of her strength and willpower, she burst into a full sprint towards the sanctuary she could see in that humble illuminated symbol only a few hundred meters away.

Mia could literally feel his fingertips contact her hair as he made his first attempt to grab her; taking charge of her senses she hurled herself out of the forest onto the dirt road. She landed with a sickening thud on the gravel, feeling the stones cut into her side; rolling onto her back, she watched in horror and shock as her attacker emerged from the gloom of the trees only a couple of meters away. In the meeting between the shadow of the forest and the light of modern society, Mia's fate lay in the hands of her predator. She was empty, her energy reserves were exhausted and she knew that she couldn't move if she tried. With the sharp stones cutting into her skin, her elbows drilled into the gravel, she lay fighting a desperate battle with her own panicked breath as the man, appearing to her- as a demon in human form, lurked in the gloom.

Richard quickly regained his breath, unable to believe it - that the woman had managed to escape from the path, and almost from him. She lay winded on the dirt road just in front of him, illuminated by the solitary lantern, easy to seize if he so desired. They were still a twenty-minute walk from the turn where the nearest house was located, and there was nobody around to stop him from dragging her back into the woods. This realization passed through them both at the same moment; Mia recoiling in horror and Richard smiling in careful consideration.

Mia saw the flicker of the smile that passed across Richard's face, and revulsion coursed through her. Her parched throat was painful; the warmth she had loved earlier in the day having now become her greatest enemy. The heat of the day and her recent exertions had taken its toll, and the sweat was pouring off her in long rivers into damp valleys of her body and seeping into her clothes. She saw Richard looking at her like a predator would observe a prey before eating it and shivered in fear, a whimper of terror forcing itself from her aching throat. Dizzy, worn out, and with a hammering heart, Mia finally gave up her fight against the man. She flinched, as he started to move again; her big, frightened eyes taking in his twisted smile, as he squatted down in front of her.

Richard's intense gaze caressed her body, and she looked on in surprise as he reached behind him and produced her little walking bag. She felt her stomach knot in fear once more as it dawned on her that he could find out everything about her from its contents; her wallet, driving license, house keys and phone were all in that small haversack that had been torn from her shoulders as she flung herself through the dense forest.

Mia's despair increased as her pursuer opened the bag and proceeded to empty its contents onto the ground at the boundary, between the dirt road and the dark temptations of the forest. She almost puked as she watched the man find her cellphone and quickly put it in his own shorts pocket, all the while giving her a hideous smile. Her emotions began to overwhelm her as he began his eerie humming again, her panic and nausea threatening to consume her. He looked away suddenly, as if focused on something. Unsure of what he was watching so carefully, her guts churning in fear, she raised herself up with her arms - to try and work out what he had found that had so captured his interest. Her eyes still stinging with sweat, she struggled to focus as he taunted her with something, dangling it from one hand, a big grin on his face and an expectant look in his eyes. Despair spread over her like a suffocating blanket as it dawned on her what he was mocking her with as his hand moved closer. It was her identity card from work; dangling from its string between his fingers in a vicious taunt was the object that gave her full name, job role and details of her workplace. Her world collapsed around her as she cursed herself for forgetting to take it out of her bag; all she could do now was look on helplessly as he pocketed yet another key piece of her life.

Richard relished the shock that registered as he teased her spitefully with the card. He noted her name-- Mia -- and after regarding her exhausted and dehydrated body for a moment, he decided that she should not be dragged into the forest today. As he rose to his feet once more, she noticed a small running bag around the waist; he reached inside it and retrieved, a bottle of water, which was still full.

"Drink, Mia!" he growled, throwing it to her, before raising a finger to his lips as a sign that she should stay quiet and tell no-one of the terrifying encounter. He held that gesture until her eyes met his, when he could be sure she understood; noticing the understanding in her expression, he gave a final smile before disappearing once more as the darkness of the forest enveloped him.

Mia stared in confusion at the water bottle he threw at her, a thousand questions crashing into her mind at the same time. Why? What is going on? Why didn't he attack her? Would he come back? Overwhelmed by her terror and bewilderment, she curled her body into a foetal position, trembling with the fear that she might never be able to move again. She remained just like that for an indeterminate time, -heavy tears flooding from her frightened eyes to cascade down her scratched and grazed cheeks, her exhaustion from the heat, the pursuit and her fear of attack having left her in a state of shock. Eventually, as if urged by some inner warning, she stirred and sat up, opening the water bottle he had left her and taking a few tentative sips. As if in slow motion, she staggered to the edge of the track to gather her back and the last of its contents that still lay on the ground. After a few minutes, she felt her strength start to return and began to stagger in the direction of home.

As Mia walked, agonizingly slowly, towards safety, horrific memories from the ordeal played like a perpetual movie in her head; the 'shush' gesture played over and over, leaving her a screaming echo of the woman she once was. That night, she made the decision to escape from everything; from the village, the job, and especially the man in the shadows, and go far away.

The aftermath:

Mia.

Two years after the incident in the forest, a more cautious and attentive Mia lived a sheltered life, and she had taken a number of steps to safeguard her personal security. She got a new job in a new city and switched her surname to her mother's maiden name. Nevertheless she was in constant fear of her attacker appearing, especially for the first year, and almost waited for him. She was determined to be ready when he did, enrolling herself in self-defense classes and acquiring a handgun. As time passed and nothing had happened, she calmed down, and started suppressing the memories of the incident. Her assumption was that her decision to relocate far from the scene of the attack, together with the change to her name, had rendered her impossible for him to find. Slowly, but surely, her lost desires for exploration and adventure began to return.

One day, Mia was wandering the streets in a big city, the large crowd, the traffic and the noise, left her longing for a hike. She rarely walked alone anymore, so she called her friends to see if any of them could join her on a hike, but unfortunately no one of them had time that day.

With the feeling of adventure burning in her chest, the urge to get away from the city and out into the silence of nature again was overwhelming. She told herself that she had nothing to fear, that there was no way he could find her and that she needed to stop being so paranoid. She parked her car, and with a full sack of water and equipment, she slowly walked up the cliff to the lake she had heard so much about. It was an area unknown to her, but now the explorer's urge was in full force within her. When she finally came to the small lake at the top of the mountain, she was tired, but very happy. It was the middle of the day, with the hot sunshine beating down; the calm filled her mind as she sat down on one of the stones at the water's edge. She looked out over the water, which was almost still and eerily. Smiling, she let the sun warm her tired body.

She stiffened in alarm when she heard a voice call, "Mia!"

At first, she thought she was mistaken; that someone was calling someone else,- then she wondered if she had been hallucinating due to the heat. It was when she heard someone say her name again, weaker this time but still clear, that she recognized the voice. An alarm went off in her head, her body on red alert, when she realized that voice was close to her. Her instinct told her to get up immediately, to escape, to run away - to do anything but sit there quietly looking out over the water in hopelessness. Mia felt a certainty in the depths of herself - there was no way out this, not this time; she closed her eyes and, drew in a deep breath, overlooking the roaring sound of the inner survivalist. She gently bowed her head downward- in a kind of submission; as she could hear he was getting closer and closer. She was almost overwhelmed at the feeling of panic spreading inside her when she heard the footsteps behind her. She just wanted to run from him, run from the unknown he represented.