Melissa June Myers started upright in bed when she heard the pounding. Someone was banging on her door as if the very world depended on her getting out of bed to open it.

Groggy, she focused her eyes on the clock. Three-thirty in the morning! Who could it be? Scott, her friend, a musician from across the way in the next building? Cameron? No, not Cameron Clayton. The kiss, the long embrace, those few tender words between them had meant nothing, she was certain. Despite the usual domestic problems, Clayton was committed to his marriage. She knew this well, yet a part of her prayed it was him at the door.

The banging at the door was so loud it must surely be disturbing the neighbors. She threw on her robe and got out of bed, hoping it was him.

She unlocked the door, leaving the chain on, and peeked out through the slit. She saw a hunched figure sitting beside a bouquet of flowers, a box of candy, and a larger box, gift-wrapped. For a time she did not recognize the man. He looked small, boyish ... a far cry from Cameron, she thought. Then she realized who he was.

Shocked to find him here at this hour dressed neat as a pin, rather pathetic in his gesture, she felt her heart go out to the little man. He looked so terribly sad, obviously distraught. Poor bastard, she thought. A teacher, she'd often had students imagine they were in love with her, but never quite like this.

He glanced up, saw her eyes on him. He rose up, all smiles, his broken teeth reminding her of an old man. He was older than she, but not so old as his leathery skin would suggest. He'd lived a tough, difficult life, she knew. He'd lost some of his teeth, he had told her, in fights during his youth and later as a boxer in the ring.

She unlatched the door and went to him. No one, thank God, had been awakened by the noise. "Come on in," she sighed and gave him her arm.

"What are you doing here at three AM, huh? You know I work, I need my sleep. What's all this? Flowers, candy? Really, you should not be doing these things for me."

He took the lecture as if it were a scolding. She thought he rather enjoyed being treated this way, enjoyed having her play mother to his prankishness. He pushed the candy at her and she set it aside with an annoyed tsk and a "What am I gonna' do with you?"

He said, "Sit down, Melissa, and open your present." He hoisted the gift-wrapped package to her.

She took it and was instantly intrigued by its weight. It was much heavier than she'd expected. No lacy underwear, then. Thank God for that.

The little man was one large grin from ear to ear.

"Now no more gifts after this, okay? I have a boyfriend, a man I work with at the school, who wouldn't like me to accept gifts from other men."

"I don't care about that." He said. "I don't want nothing in return, I swear--just to be friends."

Shit, she thought. She was tired. All right: open the damned package and pack him off. She was exhausted. But as she ripped ribbon and paper, the thrill of opening a package was there--it was just like Christmas time. When the lid came off the box, she just stared down at the thing in her lap. It was big and metallic and cylindrical: what the hell is it? She didn't have to say the words. He could read it on her face.

"It's a fire extinguisher. Everybody should have one, and last time I come in, I noticed you got no alarm in here, no extinguisher. I think, what if there's a fire, you know? What'd happen to Melissa?"

"Fire extinguisher, huh? That's really nice of you. But it's very late." she said. This guy was even weirder than she'd thought.

There was a coil and a wand on the canister and he lifted the whole thing, saying he'd show her how to use it.

She began to protest but suddenly everything before her went white. She knew in a blinding instant he had fired the "extinguisher" in her eyes. It was no extinguisher at all, but a laser torch, blinding her, burning out her eyes. The instantaneous realization ran through Melissa's brain. She was ablaze. She would die in the fire. It was over....