Uneasiness. That's what I felt as I looked beyond the trees. I was being followed. I crouched down under a shrub and waited with bated breath for about a minute. Then I saw them. There were about four men wearing black and brown leather clothes coming my way. 

I didn't know what they wanted from me. I hid behind the nearest tree for better cover and tried not to make any sound. I heard their footsteps crunching the dry leaves and branches on the forest floor. 

I heard their conversation as they came closer. "Where is she, Mark? I thought you saw her." One of them said. The man I recognized as Mark, who was probably their leader, walked towards the next tree beside me. I stood still. "I swear I saw her. She ran this way." He turned back to his men and was facing me directly, but I guess my profile was concealed by the tree's shadow because he didn't show any sign that he had seen me. 

"Search the trees and bushes. She wouldn't have gone too far." My heartbeat quickened. I knew I had to run for my life. It was now or never. I didn't care if they had weapons.

 I took a deep breath, afraid to look back, and ran as fast as my bruised feet could carry me. They had seen me. I heard their hurried footsteps behind me, and I ran faster. "There she is! She was right beside you, Mark. I can't believe you didn't see her." One of them said. "She's getting away."

 I knew I couldn't outrun them, so I tried to outsmart them, weaving through the trees and ignoring the nasty cuts on my body caused by the branches.

As I ran, my legs felt heavy, like they were stuck in quicksand. The trees seemed to close in around me, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. I heard the pursuers' footsteps, their voices, their labored breathing. But then, suddenly, everything stopped. The forest was silent.

 I opened my eyes to find myself in my own bed, drenched in sweat, my heart racing. It was all just a nightmare. The trees, the men, the chase – it was all just a product of my own fevered imagination. 

I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, telling myself it was just a dream. But as I looked around my darkened room, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me from the shadows, waiting for me to fall asleep again.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed, pacing back and forth across the room to shake off the lingering fear.

But as I walked, my feet felt heavy, as if they were still stuck in the forest floor. And when I looked down, I saw that my feet were dirty, with leaves and twigs stuck to my skin. I stumbled backwards, my heart racing again. It was just a dream, I told myself. But what if it wasn't? What if it was a warning, a premonition?

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I tried to shake off the feeling, telling myself I was just spooked from the nightmare. But as I looked around my room, I saw things that made my blood run cold. The window was open, even though I was sure I had closed it before bed. And on my desk, there was a small piece of paper with a message scrawled in red ink: 'They're coming for you.'

I felt a chill run down my spine. It was just a prank, I told myself. But what if it wasn't? What if the nightmare was just the beginning?

Just as I was trying to process what I was seeing, my mom walked into my room, a concerned look on her face. "Hey, sweetie, are you okay? I heard you crying out in your sleep."

I quickly crumpled the note in my hand and shoved it under my pillow, trying to composed myself. "Yeah, Mom, I'm fine. Just a bad dream, that's all."

My mom looked at me skeptically, but she didn't push the issue. "Okay, well, if you're sure you're okay... Do you want to talk about the dream? Sometimes it helps to share what's bothering you."

I shook my head, trying to appear nonchalant. "No, Mom, really, it was just a silly nightmare. I'm fine, honestly."

My mom nodded, though I could tell she wasn't entirely convinced. "Okay, well, if you change your mind, I'm here for you. Why don't you try to get some more rest? You can always talk to me in the morning if you need to."

I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and guilt. I didn't want to worry my mom, but at the same time, I was scared and unsure of what was going on. As she turned to leave, I called out to her. "Mom?"

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"Can you... can you close the window on your way out? I think I left it open by mistake."

My mom smiled and walked over to the window, closing it firmly. "There you go, all secure. Get some rest, kiddo."

As she left my room, I let out a sigh of relief. I knew I had to figure out what was going on, but for now, I just wanted to pretend everything was okay. I lay back in bed, my mind racing with questions and fears, but my eyes fixed on the pillow, where the crumpled note still lay hidden.

I lay in bed for a long time, my mind racing with thoughts and questions. Who could have written that note? And how did they get into my room? I tried to tell myself it was just a prank, but deep down, I knew it was more than that.

Eventually, I fell into a fitful sleep, my dreams haunted by images of the forest and the men chasing me. When I woke up again, it was morning, and the sun was streaming through the window.

I got out of bed and began to get ready for the day, trying to shake off the lingering fear and unease. But as I was brushing my teeth, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and saw something that made my heart skip a beat.

On my forehead, in the same red ink as the note, was a small mark. It looked like a cross with two curved horns on either side, and it seemed to be staring back at me like a sinister grin.

I knew then that this was no prank. Someone was seriously messing with me, and I had to figure out who and why. I quickly rinsed my face and wiped away the mark, trying to calm down and think clearly.

But as I was heading downstairs for breakfast, I heard a voice whispering in my ear. "You can't escape, you can't hide. We're always watching, always waiting."

I spun around, but there was no one there. The voice seemed to come from all around me, echoing off the walls. I knew then that I was in grave danger, and I had to do something to protect myself.