BARSTOOL FOR A BARMAID

Description: After a long night behind the bar, wiping down counters and listening to the slurred stories of strangers, rachel finally got to lock up and walk the few, she hoped, quiet blocks to her apartment. the air was heavy, the streetlights flickering like they were holding their breath. she didn't notice the figure trailing a few steps behind, silent and steady. as she reached her door and fumbled for her keys, a voice whispered her name. she turned, heart lurching—there he was, the man who always stayed too long at the bar, always watching, always asking questions that got too personal. “i just wanted to make sure you got home safe,” he said, smiling like it was nothing. but his presence was wrong, too close, and the night that had felt routine just seconds ago now curled inward with dread.