Possession

Him

Her shoulders tensed as she stood there listening, trying to pinpoint where the crunch of the leaves came from, as the breeze swept through the dense trees of the Oakmont Woods. She had picked up on his presence, of being followed. He must've not been careful enough as he followed her quietly. She'd made the mistake of taking a shortcut through the woods to get to the library before it closed at sundown. The sun's last rays painted the darkening sky as it sunk in the horizon. He had been watching her for months and she had made it so easy to stay undetected. Her delicate blond hair swept over her innocent eyes with the breeze. She was beautiful, and he wanted to possess her, protect her, and take her from the world. Anna brought a thin, shaking hand up to her hair and tucked it behind her ear as she looked around her. He was hidden behind a collection of brush and was unnoticeable. "Hello?" Anna's timid voice echoed through the woods around her. He shifted his weight and a branch underfoot cracked and broke loudly. He cursed silently as her head whipped to the direction the sound had come from. "Is someone there?" She asked, he heard the fear in her voice and she cleared her throat. He smiled to himself at having her so helpless. There was no way that she could escape him now, she had made it all too easy, thinking that she was safe had given her the confidence to be reckless. He swallowed and then begin with, "It was foolish of you to come out here alone..."

Anna

Someone was out there. And they were telling her it was foolish to be alone out here. She knew that, but she had to get a book from the library. It's not her fault band practice took so long, she could've been done hours earlier if it hadn't ran so late. She knew it would be faster through the woods, but now she definitely regretted it as a deep, male voice she recognized called out to her. Anna looked frantically around her before she made up her mind and took off running. She heard the man pursuing her quickly through the dense foliage. With the decreasing light it was hard to see in front of her. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she practically flew to the woods. Her eyes stung with tears as she panicked, her legs burned and her breath came in short pants that she ran as fast as she could. Her sandals weren't meant for running at all and as she put her leg down in a step, her ankle twisted to the side, yet she ignored the pain and pushed on. She had never been good at running, but now she pushed herself so hard her legs were almost buckling. She heard a busy street nearby so she sprinted through the space in between the trees towards the sound of cars. Where there were people she'd be safe. Anna didn't know who was following her but she wasn't planning on sticking around to find out. She heard the breaking of branches as her pursuer followed her closely. Almost playing with her head, showing her he was so close, yet he let her believe she had a chance. She glimpsed headlights ahead through the thick trees and ran faster.

Him

He ran after her leisurely at first hoping that her weak legs would get tired and he wouldn't have to try hard before she tired out and he could catch her easily. He underestimated her wit though. She heard cars on the road nearby and she sprinted towards the noise. He knew that if she reached them he'd lose her. He didn't want to resort to shooting her to stop her, but he had to make sure she didn't tell anyone that someone had been in the woods. That would make it harder for him to get to her. Anna would be more careful now if she knew that he was out there, waiting for her to mess up again and be alone. He heard her scream in front of him as she broke through the perimeter of the trees and he knew she had reached the road. He heard a car screeched to a stop in a car door open. He halted in the trees at the edge and watched what was happening. She started rambling frantically about everything as the driver of the car spoke calmly to her, trying to get what happened out of her. He stood behind a tree, out of sight for moment as he thought. It would be harder now, but he'd get her eventually. He had waited for years and years, watching her and learning about her, and he could wait longer. He thought of himself as a guardian to her. Watching everything she did and observing the people she interacted with. He was always there, ever since she was a little girl. He had lived in the house across from her and developed a strange attachment to this girl that would write back-and-forth on her bike in front of her house and sell Girl Scout cookies to everyone in the neighborhood. He had always made sure she was safe and as she grew up it became harder as she went farther from home. And as she grew up she became more beautiful and boys started taking notice of her, he refused to let just any stupid immature boy use her and break her heart. Being a sophomore in high school, he didn't want her to be able to go even further when she started driving. It would be harder to protect her as she went out of his watchful eyes. He couldn't let her leave; he decided that she would never be put in danger ever again. He was going to take her away from anything that would ever hurt her and instead protect her. Eventually, he believed, she'd except him, she might even thank him someday for everything. She knew him and trusted him; he was Mr. Withers to her. In time, she would call him by his actual name; he loved her voice and would love to hear her call him Matthew. Anna couldn't avoid him if he wanted her. But if he couldn't get to her soon and she tested his patience, and he would just have to make her come to him. Although if she wanted to play this game; it was going to come at a price.