Young Writers Society

I ran, not looking back. Through the trees I ran, and I never stopped. I wanted only to go forwards, and I didn't want to turn back. My legs were badly scrapped by branches and sweat was dripping from every pore of my body. Even in the dead of night, it still felt as hot as summer.

I was running from a man whom was my worst nightmare. Being in his presence itself was a mental torture for me. His devilish contorted face was full of burn marks and his laugh was hysterical and threatened to break the sound barrier. His skin was icy cold and his old bony hands were like that of a skeleton's. He was a looming figure over me, and my fear for him was unmatched. His name was Professor Blem. I had always feared him since I met him. He made me turn into a mouse each time he came near. When he left it was only for moments before he returned.

I continued to run through the thick undergrowth, my pace slowly decreasing. I was exhausted, I wanted to give up. I wanted to end this all and start again but I couldn't. Professor Blem wouldn't give me that chance. No, he was far more cruel than that. He would make me suffer a thousand times more if I chose to end it all right here. I would feel the guilt and remorse towards my family. I felt bad for keeping Professor Blem away from them. I ddin't want them to worry, I didn't want them to lose sleep over night over this. This was something I wanted to handle on my own.

Professor Blem's voice still rang out like a broken record in the silence of the night. His footsteps could always be heard, his voice broke the silence in the tranquility of the place.

"Daaaanniielllll, doon't ruuuunnn"

His voice always seemed to get nearer and louder. It never seemed to go away. Suddenly Professor Blem appeared in front me, like a wizard who could transport himself anywhere at will.

He looked me in the eye, and fear seemed to come out from his eyes and into mine. I stood there, muscles seemingly paralysed and my mouth dry and constricted. My pupils become dilated and my face turned into a white sheet. I was like a frozen mannequin, my mind wasn't in control of my body any more.

Professor Blem leaned in close to me, and I got even more terrified. I started shaking on the spot, my arms and legs making short jerky movements, my breathing came in short bursts and my heart felt as if it might tear itself out of me.

“Daniel,” he whispered in my ear, his icy breath piercing the skin of my ear. “You can run from me all you want, but you can never hide.”

I looked at him, his eyes were still the same after all these years. His hands were still bony and his fingers still looked liked talons instead. He never seemed to change, he never seemed to go away either. I remember when he first came, he was a small part of my life. I didn't care about him, I brushed him aside. He was at that period a speck of dust in my life. A part of me which I didn't care about even though I needed to. It was soon after that he made himself more prominent in my life. He started involving himself in my affairs. He started placing himself in my circle of friends. He stuck to me constantly, he became a pest. It became worst, he started to abuse me. He started beating me and strangling me if I refused to talk to him. He transformed into a monster that would hunt me till I died.

Then I decided I had enough. I snuck out of the house in the dead of the night, and I ran. But Professor Blem was smart, and he knew what I had planned. He followed me, and he was persistent. He chased me everywhere, and never stopped. Finally he had caught up.

But it felt different this time. I felt oddly calm after the sudden surge in fear had passed. I felt strangely comfortable around Professor Blem. I felt used to him being around me. I wasn't afraid of him anymore, to me he was just another pest that I wanted nothing more than get rid of.

I looked him in the eye, and his expression changed. He seemed surprise that the buy whom he had struck fear in for such a long time was now staring him in the face without so much as a sweat.

“I'm not afraid of you any longer, get out of my way.”

Professor Blem looked back at me, and then I saw in his eyes, something that I had never seen in him. In fact given how he had acted before, I thought it was impossible. He had fear in his eyes. Then he ran, far away from me. I knew he wouldn't turn back, I knew he wouldn't return. He was gone from my life.

And he wasn't coming back.

A/N: This story tells the story of a boy trying to run away from Professor Blem, which if you managed to figure out, means problems. I wrote this on the basis of trying to run away from our problems but in the end we have to stand up and face them. :) Hope you enjoyed it!