When my boss came and saw that the bar was almost empty, he decided to close it sooner because it would save electricity. And I was more than happy to get out of that shit hole.

Madeline suddenly looked in a better mood, and as we walked to her apartment, which is very close to my bar, we started to talk about random stuff.

Maybe making a friend wasn't so difficult after all.

We entered her apartment and crashed down onto her dark red leather couch, which I deeply envied.

I still had to get my clothes and necessities, but that could wait until tomorrow. I called my grandma, and she was in shock when I said I was staying over at my friend's house.

She knows I have no friends. Well, now I have one. It's too early to call it a friendship, but I just can't help but feel overjoyed.

"I'll go make us something to eat, and meanwhile, you can jump into the shower. Down the hall to the left." She informed me and headed to the kitchen.

In a few minutes, I could hear the kettle slowly reaching the boiling point. Then I smelled the sweet, fruity scent in the air as the boiling water was poured into a cup with a fruit tea bag.

I shook off my trance, hurried down the hall, and turned left. I stripped off my sweaty shirt and long black skirt and hopped into the shower.

Then I realized that I had no towel or other clothes for me to change into. I stopped the shower and yelled, "Uhm, could you tell me where some spare towels are?"

I heard no answer, just her footsteps getting closer until she opened the door. I covered my breasts with my hands, even though she couldn't see anything. It was a reflex.

"Here are my clothes, which you can borrow, and a towel," Madeline said quietly, leaving the bathroom immediately.

Even though it was my first time coming into her apartment, I didn't feel uncomfortable, but sometimes I get an uncertain feeling from her. When her mood changes suddenly, so does mine. I'm impacted by the vibe that she gives off, and I have no idea if that's a good thing or not.

I dried myself and put on a large-sized gray T-shirt with white shorts. I walked into the living room and saw her sitting on the couch, eating meat pasta. On the round black table next to a cup of tea was my portion of the meal.

She stopped eating as she looked at me. "Sorry, I don't sleep in sweatpants. I hope you feel comfortable in shorts. It's quite hot here, so you shouldn't be cold." A faint smirk appeared on her lips but quickly went away.

I shook my head with a half smile and took a seat next to her, cross-legged. I took the plate full of tasty-looking pasta and dove in with a fork. I was immediately amazed by the delicious aroma that wafted up from the plate, and as I scooped up a forkful of pasta, my tongue was met with a pleasant and creamy texture. She wasn't kidding when she said I'd love her food.

I glanced at her, and her face was full of worry. Madeline wasn't feeling as comfortable as she did back in the bar. I noticed her mood changing more often. I mean, I know little about her, and there's a lot to discover if she will let me.

As she said, she is in the same shoes as me. We're both clueless about how female friendships work, and it's okay to make mistakes and feel slightly off, right?

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"Thank you again for inviting me. I appreciate your gesture. But if you feel uncomfortable because we don't know each other so well, I could leave right now." I asserted when there was complete silence, and I placed the empty plate on the table.

She looked up to meet my eyes, and I noticed how her features softened. She giggled as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

A loud exhale escaped her lips. "I apologize for acting so weird. I don't feel uncomfortable one bit. It's just that I feel so alone in this apartment, and I invited you here for my own misery too. I feel guilty, if I'm honest with you." She confessed.

Perhaps I should've felt downhearted by her words, except I didn't.

I decided not to reply. I didn't want to focus more on our selfishness because if every person on our planet were honest, we would realize we are all collectively selfish.

I laid my head on the velvet pillow. I was exhausted and needed proper sleep, and this place made me feel calm. The maniac surely doesn't know I came here, so there's no need to worry for tonight.

My thoughts wandered to the mysterious man I'd saved two days ago. I haven't seen him yet; I just hope he's doing well. What if I wrapped his wound the wrong way and now he's dead?

Oh god. I'm pessimistic again.

"What are you doing?" Madeline asked, and that thankfully crashed my dark thoughts.

"Well, I'm preparing for sleep. I'm feeling sleepy, so can we continue our conversation tomorrow?" I said.

"No, that's not what I meant. Why are you lying on the couch?" She gawked at me like I was from Mars or any other planet except for Earth.

"Where else should I sleep? Don't you only have one bed?" I asked.

She chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. "We'll sleep together in my bed, silly."

In one bed. Together. Alright.

"C'mon, girls have sleepovers and sleep in the same bed or not? And my bed is king-size. There's plenty of space for both of us." She added.

She extended her hand to mine. After a few seconds, I placed my hand on hers, and she grabbed it. We walked down the hall to the right and entered her spacious room. I couldn't help but admire the elegant decor and feminine touches that adorned her room, from the delicate deep red curtains to the dark gray hues of the walls. It was a reflection of her personality. Warm, inviting, and full of dark feminine energy.

The darkness only made me overthink everything that has been happening lately. Madeline fell asleep almost immediately, whereas I heard every beat of my heart. I was up for maybe half an hour, just thinking about my life, and once you start to think about that, you can say goodbye to sleep.

Why can't I be normal for once? Why do I constantly have to have a problem in my complicated, miserable life?

"Can't sleep?"

Oh no, I recognize that voice too well. Weak word, even. Excellently well.

I bring myself up by my forearms. The room was pitch black, although his shadow was the darkest to see. I turned my head where Madeline was supposed to be sleeping. Key word:'supposed to'.

"Is this real, or am I just seeing you inside my head?" I asked myself.

"Of course, it is happening inside your head, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" He replied.

Is he seriously quoting a Harry Potter book?

"What do you want from me?" I sternly said, looking at his silhouette.

"I'll give you three chances to guess, and if you get it right, I'll leave you alone." He declared, moving closer to me.

After a few seconds, I guessed. "My Soul?"

"W-R-O-N-G! Even though it's on my to-do list. Now that you failed, I should move my suitcase into your room, so I could annoy you and bother you even more frequently."

"But you said I have three chances?" I almost yelled at him.

"My game, my rules, kitty." If I could see his face, I'm sure I would see him wink at me.

I hope wherever Madeline is right now, she won't come back soon because I don't want to drag her into my mess. How would I explain to her that a Grim Reaper, the Angel of Death, is stalking me and wants something from me?

I would ruin what's been slowly building between us. She might even send me to the psychiatric hospital.

"What do you want, you freak?" If I show him my fear of him, the fear alone will kill me.

He came even closer to me, grabbing the hem of the comforter. He pulled the cover off me, exposing my bare legs.

I couldn't see what else he was doing due to the darkness, except once I felt a cold, slender hand on my knee, I understood.

"You." He whispered in a husky voice against my ear. I flinched away and rolled my body into the free space next to me. When I looked where he was previously standing, he was gone. Again.