Chapter 1
In a small, run down apartment in the heart of the city lived a 15 years old girl named Alice with her younger sister Lily and their father Michael who was once a caring and loving father, always putting his family first, but after the loss of his wife, nothing was the same anymore.
As days turned into weeks and weeks into months since the devastating tragedy that took Alice and Lily's mother, the pain only seemed to deepen in the family.
Alice, in particular, found it hard to shake the memories of that day, the weight of her mother's frail hand in hers, the sound of her voice barely above a whisper, the last words she uttered before passing away, a plea for her daughter to stay strong, to look after her sister, all of that played in her mind like a haunting melody, refusing to fade with time.
The apartment they called home was a reflection of the struggles they faced within, the walls were peeling, the furniture was worn and old, but despite the constant ache in their hearts, Alice did her best to stay strong and fulfill her mom's last request by taking care of Lily, she made sure they both go to school on time, did their homework, and had something to eat everyday.
The loss of their mom had left a void that their father failed to fill, he was struggling to make ends meet ever since and lately he has been more stressed than usual, he turned to smoking as a way to cope, a habit he had quit when his wife was still alive.
It was a sore subject for Alice, she hated the smell of cigarettes that always filled their house, she knew that her father's smoking was only adding to their financial troubles, she found herself getting into arguments with him about it very often, but it always ended the same way, with apologies and empty promises.
On a chilly afternoon, Alice decided to take her younger sister Lily to the park to play, she had been begging to go for days, and Alice finally caved in to her constant pleas, they put on their warm coats and scarves, and headed out, Lily ran ahead as she giggled and called out for her sister to hurry up.
As they arrived at the park, Lily's eyes lit up with excitement, it was full of children laughing and playing, Lily quickly made friends with a group of kids her age, they ran around, played tag, and laughed as they swung on the swings, Alice couldn't help but smile as she watched her sister play so carefree and happy.
As the sun began to set, Alice suggested they head back home, Lily pouted at first, not wanting the fun to end, but eventually she agreed after Alice promised they would come back another day, they walked hand in hand back home, Lily chattering happily about all the fun she had at the park.
When they arrived home, the house was quiet, the only sound was the soft whirring of the ceiling fan and the faint sound of traffic outside, Lily ran to her room to play with her toys, while Alice made her way to the kitchen for a glass of water, she noticed the door was closed, and could see the harsh orange glow of the lighter flickering through the crack under the door, and hear the familiar rasp of her father's breath as he inhaled, followed by a cough.
Alice swung open the door, slamming it behind her, her father was sitting at the table, taking a long drag and exhaling a cloud of smoke, the light from the flame illuminated his tired face, he seems lost in thought, a sight that Alice despised the most.
The smell of the smoke filled the room, mixing with the stale odor of old food and the unwashed dishes in the sink, her father, startled, looked up from his plate of cold food.
