The Dark Heirs Volume 1

Chapter 4 (1): Cigarettes

This is sort of a little off-story bit of the chapter. If you don't want any information to the character Kate then you can skip this bit of the chapter because it's not the main story and is only for character understanding.

Tw: Neglection, Smoking, a minor smoking, drinking, pregnancy at 16, a minor drinking, a minor going into clubs, mention of depression, being too mature for your age, mention of overwhelming stress ig
(Oh god it's so long this time)
Anyways enjoy!
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Kate always took care of everyone. They always asked why but she would always say: "Well, they can't take care of themselves alone."

Kate's mother was an alcoholic teenager that was badly raised. You could not even blame her mother to be the way she was. After all her parents were never home due to work so she raised herself with fashion magazines. She dreamed of becoming a model but she knew that dream was over when she got pregnant with Kate at 16 due to a one night stand because she had gotten drunk at a party since she went to them almost every night. She was too scared of abortion and so decided to give birth to Kate and give her up for adoption right away. Kate was the youngest of all in the orphanage. A caretaker felt bad for her and decided to raise her like her own daughter. A certain caretaker caretaker named Nanako.

Nanako was a younger woman. Probably the youngest of all caretakers there. She loved Kate like a real daughter. She didn't feel that connection to anyone else. But the other caretakers at the orphanage were extremely neglecting and left Nanako alone with all the work and caretaking of the children. When Kate was only 3 she noticed her struggling with taking care of all the children. At that point Kate saw Nanako as her mother. Sadly she couldn't adopt Kate due to Nanako's parents forbidding her to do so (they were really controlling).

One day when Kate was 4 she went up to Nanako and asked the following: "Would you please teach me how to cook?" Nanako would look at Kate with surprise. She had noticed Kate being too mature for her age but it still surprised her. "Of course, little one." Since that day Kate took cooking lesson from Nanako when all other children were asleep. When Kate was 5, Nanako would see her cook for the children whenever she could trying to help Nanako and make her job easier. Kate would also watch her washing clothes and doing other chores like cleaning the orphanage and helped her alot with that too.

One particular evening, Kate noticed Nanako on the balcony lighting up a cigarette.
"What are you doing, Nana?"
"Huh, what are you doing here?
Well... I think you're mature enough to know. I'm smoking."
"What's smoking?"
"It's breathing in smoke from cigarette and breathing it out leaving a good feeling because there's something in there that makes you atleast a little happier."
"Well, does it make you happy?"
"..."
"You just said it would make you happy. So does it?"
"No."
"Then why are you doing it?"
"You'll understand when you're older."
"But I will understand if you just tell me!
Please!"
"Well sometimes... People just do things like smoking or perhaps also drinking to numb their feelings when something is bothering them or when they need to do something they don't want to do or maybe when something really bad happened in their life and they feel like giving up."
"Something's bothering you?... What is it?"
"Don't be sad when I tell you, alright?"
"I'll try!"
"Well... I need to move towns. My parents force me to go. They're not really the best, you know..."
Kate started to tear up a bit but then looked at Nanako with hope.
"Then take me with you. Please."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"My parents won't let me. I tried to convince them so many times but nothing works... Kate, I love you like my own child and if we would ever meet again later, when my parents aren't there anymore, I will still adopt you! I promise."
Kate looked upset but didn't want to bother Nanako even more so she wiped away her tears and tried to smile for her.

"Well Kate, I'm worried about the other kids. I mean the other caretakers are all too neglective to take care of them. So when I'm gone... Who will?"
"I will! I will take care of them all! You taught me everything I need to know!"
Kate was determined to atleast do that for her.
"Oh Kate... You're so mature... But taking care of so many children is hard. The stress got me overwhelmed so many times... It was the reason I started smoking."
"I will get my friends to help me maybe... I mean William's pretty mature too!"
"Well Kate... I'm sure in your hands they're all safe. Thank you for reassuring me."
"No problem, Nana!"

With that Nanako left a few days after. She cried one last time in Kate's arms and then left.

Kate was now determined to take care of all the kids but Nanako was right. The stress is much but she would hold on in hope to one day see Nanako again and tell her that she did it. So that evening she went on the balcony, lights up a cigarette and starts smoking for the first time when she is just 6.

"I'm doing this for you, Nana. I'll give my best, I promise. I will take care of them all..."

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Yeah here's a different kind of story bit because I wanted to really talk about characters motives more. There will definitely be more of story bits in between the original storyline The next chapter will continue the original storyline.

Btw here goes a thank you to two of my best friend that always inspire me to keep writing: flakey852 and TheodorMaid55
Thank you to you both and also to everyone else reading my stories!
Nathaniel out!