It is indeed quite luck-dependent as getting a spacious map or a map with many dead ends can make it hard to find items. Having the enemy become aggressive early can also put you in a bad spot.
Spoilers ahead regarding enemy mechanics:
The enemy only moves once for every two steps you take. It doesn't always attack you but it does also stalk, which can indeed put you in rather awkward situations if it follows you into a dead end.
It does not like candles at all and will teleport away if you come too close while "illuminated". You can use this to your advantage by only lighting a candle if it gets too close.
When stalking it (should) always keep a 1 tile distance from you, so you could try moving back and forth and hope your neck doesn't get snapped.