There was a knock on the door. She got to her feet and walked down the hallway.

A man and a woman, both about her age, were standing on the doorstep.

‘Hi,’ the woman said. ‘I’m Mandy. This is Nick. We live next door. We noticed you’d moved in, so we thought we’d come and introduce ourselves.’

‘Oh,’ Alice said. ‘Thanks. I’m Alice.’

‘It’s nice to meet you,’ Nick said. ‘Welcome to the neighbourhood.’

There was an awkward silence.

‘Would you like to come in?’ Alice said. ‘I’ve not really got any furniture yet. I do have a kettle though. I could make some tea?’

‘That’s OK,’ Mandy said. ‘We were on our way to the village to pick up some breakfast. One of the best things about the weekend – you can get out in the day for some fresh air!’

‘Right,’ Alice said. ‘No work.’

‘Do you work locally?’ Mandy asked.

‘No. I’m looking for a job.’

‘What field?’ Nick said.

‘Journalism.’

‘Oh,’ he replied. ‘I don’t know any journalists. I work in Engineering. A Swedish company has an office nearby.’

‘I just saw an ad for a job,’ Alice said. ‘I was about to send in an application.’

‘Don’t let us keep you,’ Mandy said.

‘It’s fine. There’s no hurry.’

‘OK,’ Mandy said. ‘Well, it was great to say hi. By the way – a few of us are going out tonight to the local pub – the London Bridge – if you wanted to, you could come along? Meet some people?’

It was the last thing she wanted to do. She had other plans, plans that involved feeding the hunger inside her.

But she had to act normally. And that meant agreeing.

‘That would be lovely,’ she said.

The pub was packed, the drinkers spilling onto the terrace beside the canal. She spotted Mandy and Nick standing with a large group and headed over.

‘Hey,’ Mandy called. Her face was flushed from the alcohol. ‘So glad you came. Everybody, this is our new neighbour, Alice.’ She went around the group, name by name. There were three other couples, all about her age.

‘Nice to meet you all,’ Alice said. ‘I’m going to get a drink. Anyone need anything?’

‘I think we’re all OK,’ Mandy said. ‘But I’ll come with you. Show you the way.’

‘Great,’ Alice replied.

They walked into the pub and headed to the bar. As they waited to be served, Mandy took out her phone.

‘What’s your number?’ she said.

Alice told her, and she typed it in.

‘I’ll call you now so that you have mine.’

‘It’s very kind of you to include me,’ Alice said.

‘Not at all! It’s hard moving to a new place on your own.’

‘Not with great neighbours like you!’

‘What brings you here?’ Mandy said. ‘If not work?’