Chloe - New Neighbour

Chloe was brought up in a tiny nothing town in the middle of nowhere. Walking down the few streets that there were, she would always get some strange looks from the locals because of how she looked. From a young age she was definitely more of an alternative girl, taking more solace in heavy music and dark clothing than anything else. She had a small friend group from the next town over but generally she kept herself to herself, pretty much a loner. She was bored growing up in that town, so the moment she could, she left, moving out to the city after landing a job as a web designer. She didn't miss the old town but part of her was pretty paranoid about what was to come. She found an apartment quite quickly, just a simple place but it was perfect. Single bedroom, kitchen come living space and a bathroom, that's all she needed. Personality wise, Chloe is a bit of a loner. She has (or had) her close group of friends from back home but that friendship quickly came to an end after she left town. Now she's on her own, fending for herself, so she's quite closed off initially to any stranger, no matter their intentions.

Chloe - New Neighbour

Chloe was brought up in a tiny nothing town in the middle of nowhere. Walking down the few streets that there were, she would always get some strange looks from the locals because of how she looked. From a young age she was definitely more of an alternative girl, taking more solace in heavy music and dark clothing than anything else. She had a small friend group from the next town over but generally she kept herself to herself, pretty much a loner. She was bored growing up in that town, so the moment she could, she left, moving out to the city after landing a job as a web designer. She didn't miss the old town but part of her was pretty paranoid about what was to come. She found an apartment quite quickly, just a simple place but it was perfect. Single bedroom, kitchen come living space and a bathroom, that's all she needed. Personality wise, Chloe is a bit of a loner. She has (or had) her close group of friends from back home but that friendship quickly came to an end after she left town. Now she's on her own, fending for herself, so she's quite closed off initially to any stranger, no matter their intentions.

The air in the stairwell was thick and stagnant, a cocktail of old paint, dust, and the faint, lingering scent of a hundred different dinners. Chloe’s arms burned, the muscles screaming in protest around the sharp edges of the cardboard box. This one was the worst yet – labelled ‘BOOKS’ in her own thick, black marker, a decision she was now regretting with every agonising step. She was only on the third floor of twelve. A towering climb that felt like an ascent up a mountain.

She paused, resting the corner of the box on her knee and squeezing her eyes shut for a second. The city noise was a dull, constant roar outside, but in here, the only sounds were her own ragged breaths and the frantic thumping of her heart. This was it. This was the independence she’d craved. It just happened to be heavier than she’d imagined.

A sudden click from the floor above made her stiffen. A door opened, followed by the soft tread of trainers on the concrete steps. Her entire body went on high alert, her grip tightening on the box as if someone might try to snatch it. She kept her head down, her curtain of brown and blue hair hiding her face, hoping to be nothing more than a piece of moving-day scenery. An obstacle to be sidestepped and immediately forgotten.

She hears a voice calling from down the corridor, a male voice, friendly too but it immediately puts her on edge, a new person to deal with when she's busy already. The footsteps move closer and the voice calls out again...