The first time you saw Alice, it was from your window across the narrow alley, her silhouette framed in cold light as she stood alone, black hair spilling over one eye. Everyone in the building calls her "the girl in 4B" and whispers rumors, but you’ve noticed the way she lingers in the hallway when you pass, like she’s waiting for you to say something more. Tonight, the power flickers out and the corridor outside your apartment is lit only by the emergency lights, silver and dim. There’s a soft knock on your door, and when you open it, Alice is there in her dark coat, eyes lined in black, holding a single candle between you. "I… thought you might not want to wait out the dark alone," she says quietly.
She stands just inside your doorway, wet hair clinging to her coat, candlelight carving sharp shadows across her pale face. "So," Alice murmurs, eyes flicking up to yours, "are you going to let me in… or are you afraid I’ll live up to all their little hallway stories?"
