S M I L E

Chapter 1: Home sweet home..

The room was a dull pink, curtains drawn over barred windows and the bed decorated with stuffed animals of all types. A girl no older than 13 sat at the foot of the bed staring blankly at the wall. Her eyes a dull brown and her hair a silky blonde, her eyes bore into nothing in particular.
"Cassio, come down here," A gravelly voice echoed from the stairs. His call snapping the young girl from her thoughts as barely a second may pass before she is at her door.
"Yes father," she spoke, a sweet tone buried beneath what one would describe as fear and worry. She descended the steps two at a time swift to reach the bottom without any room for missteps. And even despite her speed it was not swift enough for the man at the base of the staircase. He stood with his arms crossed above his beer belly, a look of disdain drawn across his features.
"What the fuck is this? Do you think cleaning is some sort of fucking joke?" His voice was cold as he held up a shirt, a bleached splotch evident on the under arm of it. He shoved the object in her face as an abusive owner would to their dog.
"No- no no I didn't- I mean that was already there-" she stuttered in her panic her eyes darting between the accuser and the object. He shoved it against her more, his movement toppling her with ease. Her eyes widened in panic more seeing her father as he looms over her just as he has done many of times before
"Quit the fucking bullshit before I take that damned distraction of a mutt away for good." His voice was cold a sound all too familiar to her. "You better fucking get it right then." he spoke as she shook her head yes.
He turned and returned to the couch where her mother sat, a flask in her hands already even at this hour. Habits never die in this household no matter how many fights may occur. Her mothers eyes shift to her and a flash of anger dances behind her inebriated pupils. Cassio was quick to take the unspoken hint, standing up and running to the laundry room in attempt to get away from the woman that blames her and the father that harms.
There just beyond the door of the room sits a puppy, a small greyhound a rusty color almost as dirt matts his short fur. But his smile is wide all the while as he stares up at his beloved human.
"Hello Asha!" the young girl smiled crouching to be greeted by many sweet puppy kisses, her smile bright and honeylike despite her earlier panic. The worry melting from her eyes before she froze seeing a shadow cast above them. There stood her grandmother who swiftly delivered a back handed slap to the gal for simply being near her.
"Out of my way," the woman almost growled despite her raspy lungs, years of cigarettes leaving her voice almost nonexistent. Her cane hit the ground with a metal clank, her foot steps fading as she walked off. The girl could only sit and hold back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks as she stared at the ground between her growling dogs paws. Though slowly her smile returned, a soft smile one common to be seen as she hides away the hurt she feels.
Its simply another day in a hell hole she calls her home, her home sweet home as she hears strangers call it. 'Perfect' they call it, 'Beautiful' They whisper as she and her mother take walks. The perfected family dynamic between the four.
'What would they think if they saw what truly is behind our doors?...' her mind would wander for days on end on if she would be taken or if she would be stuck forever. She stood again, her thoughts dying off as she put the shirt back into the wash, a cold calm falling over her as the puppy she loves so dearly sat beside her feet sweetly staring at his human as if she were his god.
In the room near, her parents eyes watched as news of chaos spread among the news stations. People in hysteria speaking of delusions and odd southern lights showing up across oceans. Stories of balloons of smiles and hearts appearing above ships miles from shore spread rapidly online.. Voices dancing through streets as no one wandered..
What do they want?..
Why are they here?..
Why can't father hear them as i do?..
I'm scared..
Mom..
I just want puppy..
I don't want to die....