The echo of my voice faded into nothingness, leaving a chill that crawled up my spine., But retreating wasn't an option. I had to muster all the courage and shout,

"Who's there, for heaven's sake?

",

"It's me!

" came the reply, followed by footsteps and an explanation,

"I was the guy you met at the coffee shop this evening.

", Him? Of all people? I couldn't believe he decided to follow me home after our brief encounter. The thought was more unsettling than comforting., The hallway was pitch dark, save for the sliver of moonlight sneaking through the window, barely illuminating anything beyond a few steps ahead., I hadn't seen his face yet, as he hadn't reached the top of the stairs. Clutching my keys tightly, ready to strike any moment, I demanded,

"Why are you following me?

",

"Please don't get me wrong. I meant no harm. I wanted to make sure you got home safely. It's not safe for a lady to walk alone at night,

" he said as he finally came into view., His explanation made me scoff. How was scaring me half to death supposed to make me feel safe? We had only met once. I hadn't agreed to anything. His insistence on 'protecting' me was absurd. But since he knew where I lived, antagonizing him seemed a bad idea., Trying to stay calm but firm, I attempted to reason with him.

"Thanks for the concern, but I'm home now. You should head back.

", As I spoke, he rounded the corner of the stairwell.

"I'm thirsty. Could I get a glass of water?

", His intentions couldn't be more evident with such a terrible excuse. I tightened my grip on my keys and flatly refused,

"It's too late for that. Sorry.

", He stepped closer.

"Come on, we're about to date, aren't we? What's the big deal?

", As he inched closer, the fear inside me peaked.

"Don't come any closer.

",

"Just a glass of water. How hard can it be?

" He smiled sinisterly in the dim light., Even though I was ready, my hands trembled. But I was determined to defend myself if the guy came any closer. Yet, as he took the final step toward me, I lunged at him with my keys. Before I could reach him a gust of wind brushed my cheek, followed by a loud thud. As if struck by some invisible force, the guy was hurled against the wall, bouncing off before crashing face-first down the stairs. The sequence of his fall was almost comical if it weren't so terrifying., Before I could turn around, a familiar voice rang in my ear.

"So, you went on a blind date?

", It was Ernest., Before I could reply, he coldly warned the man crumpled on the stairs,

"Get lost, or I'm calling the cops for harassment and breaking.

", Looking pretty beaten up, the man glanced at me one last time before Ernest's large hand shielded my view, his voice stern,

"Want to lose your sight or something?

", Frightened, the man ran away, leaving Ernest and me alone. His hand was still in front of me, leaving me almost in his arms, and the silence between us was suffocating. I moved his hand away, about to say something, when Ernest beat me to it.

"You choose guys like that to go on dates with?

", His words stung, even though they weren't meant to be harsh. I hadn't anticipated my blind date turning into a nightmare., Facing Ernest's handsome yet cold face, thinking about his previous rejection, I retorted,

"Well, you didn't say 'yes,' did you?

", Ernest fell silent. After a moment, I probed further,

"Why are you here?

", Ernest said,

"I came for you.

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