Wait (Harry Styles)

e i g h t

8

The man turned in my direction and his face turned into a look of pure surprise and astonishment. His glasses lifted up upon the bridge of his nose and his mouth was forming a solid 'O'.

"This is truly.." He spoke out, and started to approach the staircase. My knuckles were gripping onto the banister, hard. I didn't even have a weapon to defend myself! Then I thought about all the innocent victims this guy must've killed. Did he kill a clueless grandma that accidentally stepped on his foot? Or maybe a puppy?

If he wasn't wearing that bloody lab coat, he might've seemed nice, even approachable maybe. His salt and pepper hair and small glasses made him look like a next door neighbour you would find in a suburban area. Except this was far from a real estate commercial that promised picket fences and manicured lawn houses. This was a complete stranger that trespassed into our house and seemed to murder people, which was very evident on his lab coat!

My left foot automatically tried to step back up the stairs as the man had started to walk up the steps, still with the same expression plastered on his face.

"Stay away from me!" I croaked, as my panic levels arose.

Luck would have it that I missed the step as I tried to find my footing.

Embracing myself for the fall, I froze in the air, with my back falling first, my life flashing before my eyes. Would I die from a head concussion before this serial killer got to me?!

My eyes were sealed shut, until I felt a pair of strong arms block my fall. My breath hitched, and I quickly turned my head around to come face to face with Harry's.

By now, the man had already reached us and his expression remained unmoved, like a kid in a candy store. I scrambled to hide behind Harry, fearing for my life. Clutching onto the flannel sleeve, my voice came out uneven and raspy. "P-please, get away from u-us!"

The mysterious man remained oblivious to my feeble sentences and stared straight ahead at Harry.

As if he had seen him before.

"Abnormal.." The man said, in a voice barely above a whisper.

I froze, my fingernails digging into Harry's sleeve.

Did this man know about Harry's condition? Was he going to kill him?

His hand started to reach out to touch Harry's face, and I feared that he was going to snap Harry's neck in half- my hand flew out to block his incoming action, before my mind could process what I was even doing.

I gasped and quickly covered my mouth as I had just realized what I had done.

Was he going to murder me first now? I could literally feel my body temperature turn into an icy, cold mess.

The man simply turned towards me, as if he had just noticed my presence right now.

His eyebrows immediately dropped and his smile turned into an apologetic one.

"Oh dear, there I go again! Getting all excited!" He chuckled to himself, before extending his right hand out to mine. Did he really expect me to shake it?

Wild scenarios ran around in my head. He's probably going to crush all 5 of my fingers, or even worse.

Cut it off with a chainsaw he probably has in that briefcase he's been clutching onto this whole time.

He must've sensed my unease and withdrew from the handshake.

"I guess I should explain my state and reason for being here." He gestured towards his lab coat, which my eyes had been anxiously darting towards every 2 seconds.