Chapter 1
The sky swirls with despair, the sun retreating behind the mass of grey clouds that drape delicately over the gloomy Friday afternoon. The fluffy clouds hold no trace of lightness as a drab and dreary air blankets the street. Raindrops fall gently onto the empty pavements as puddles start to form.
Pitter patter. Pitter patter.
The beads of water hit the glass windowpanes with a light sound dispelling the silence that had previously fell over the bedroom. Looking out onto the street, Felicity sits at her desk, boredom plaguing her mind as her thoughts wanders aimlessly. The sheet of maths homework lays undone infront of her as her pencil taps rhythmically against the wooden surface.
A low rumbling on the street outside brings her out of the daze as she tilts her head to get a better view at the source of the interruption.
A van.
A moving van.
Her gaze subconsciously wanders to the house next door. In the front garden a large sign with the word โsoldโ stands proudly though now slightly worn.
Her dark nail polish clad fingers clench her sleeve as she brings a sweatshirt covered hand up towards the widow to wipe away the light mist that had formed on the inside of the widow. Rubbing it away methodically she adjusts her spinny chair slightly, pulling the lever to bring the seat higher giving her a better view.
She felt naughty spying on the neighbours, a sense of guilt settling in the pit of her stomach but her curiosity got the best of her as her eyes stayed trained on the road ahead.
She watches curiously as the moving van parks up on the street followed by a car. At first only a tall man gets out of the car hastily, running across the pavement he rushes onto the front steps while trying to shield himself from the now heavier rain.
Pitter patter. Pitter patter.
His hands fiddle with a large bunch of metallic keys before he grabs one and unlocks the door, his large hand then signals to whoever else is in the car to come out aswell. His previously pristine figure now stands damp, his hair now soggy and flattened as he rushes in through the door and disappears from felicityโs view.
Hmph.
She slumps back in her chair, her body melting into the plushy cushion as her eyes flutter close in boredom. With her eyes still closed she drops the pencil gently before resting her head against the cold desk, her worksheet acting as a pillow. Her arms move to support her head as a small sigh leaves her throat.
Low muffled voices reach her through the window making her perk up once again. Looking up she sees the man coming back out of the house to join a woman standing on the pavement. They start unloading the van quickly, the rain acting as an obstacle for the both of them before their voices both get louder. Their hands frantically coax someone out of the car, the words getting caught in the air being rendered inaudible through the downpour of raindrops that slither down felicityโs window and create little patterns through he trails. Normally Felicityโs bored self would trace the raindrop trails with her eyes but instead her gaze stays focused on her new neighbours.
The door of the car opens slowly, almost reluctantly, as Felicityโs interest peaks at who may be her last new neighbour. A tall boy smoothly exits the car, his back facing felicityโs window. His head hangs low as his large hands quickly move to bring his hoodie up to cover his dark hair. Going over to whom Felicity assumed to be his parents he grabs a few cardboard boxes stacking them up in his arms and effortlessly carries them in a slight jog to escape the ever worsening weather.
Felicityโs vision becomes obscured as more and more rain sets on the outside of her window, not able to identify the young boys face properly.
Tomorrow she can.
They form a sort of pattern as felicity watches the blurred figured carry box after box inside before eventually closing the van doors shut and waving the big burly drivers off.
All too quickly the street resumes its emptiness, any sign of life dying down as the sky darkens significantly. The shades of grey swirl together majestically, the light draining slowly as a silvery sprinkling appears in the midst of the darkness. The streetlights turn on one by one as the little yellow light illuminates the path in front of her house. She once again looks to the house beside her own, her mind wanting to know more about her new neighbours, curiosity eating away at her.
Why did she even care?
21/5/2021
