Nalisha's world shatters when she returns from school to find a police "Do Not Cross" line surrounding her home. Panic surges through her as she rushes forward, only to be stopped by a detective. Through frantic tears, she struggles to make sense of the chaos. Once she regains composure, she learns the devastating truth-her family is gone. Determined to uncover the truth, Nalisha embarks on a journey fueled by grief, vengeance, and the search for justice, ultimately discovering herself along the way.
Chapter 1 Last Normal Day
**Chapter 1: The Last Normal Day**
POV: First-Person ( Nalisha's Perspective)
The morning had been ordinary. Too ordinary. That day will always be a memory lingering everytime i close my eyes .I remember waking up to the smell of my mother's cooking 'mmh delicious..' i thought, the sound of my little brother's laughter echoing through the house. If I had known that would be the last time I'd ever hear him, I would have held on to that moment a little longer.
As a teenager school isn't an exciting place ,but i was different many called me a 'nerd '.School was the usual drag. Teachers droned on, friends gossiped. After classes i headed to the library , i always loved the solitude that came with the silence in the library. Two hours passed without my realization, checking my phone i found missed calls from my family, I rushed out to the bus stop . But as I stepped off the bus , something felt...wrong. The air was too still, the street too quiet. And then I saw it.
A crowd. Flashing red and blue lights. Yellow police tape wrapped tightly around my home.My heart stopped. My backpack slipped from my shoulders as my legs moved on their own, running toward the scene. "No! No! No! That's my house! That.....that is my house! Let me through!" My voice was raw, desperate, but strong hands grabbed me before I could cross the tape.
"Miss, you can't go in there," a deep voice said firmly. A detective, judging by the badge on his belt. He held me back as I thrashed against his grip ."That's my house! My family-my mom, my dad, my brother, where...where are they?" I asked hysterically. The silence i got made me look at him, his face said it all, it told me everything. The world blurred, my knees gave out, and I collapsed into the arms of a stranger as the truth swallowed me whole.
My family was gone.The chaos around me became a distant hum. I barely registered the voices of neighbors murmuring in hushed whispers, the sympathetic looks thrown my way. Someone placed a blanket over my shoulders, but I couldn't feel its warmth. I couldn't feel anything at all.
A female officer crouched down beside me. "Nalisha, I know this is hard, but we need to ask you some questions."Questions? What kind of questions? My family was dead. What else was there to ask? But even through my shock, a cold shiver ran down my spine. Why did she sound so careful, so deliberate? I turned my head slowly, my gaze locking onto hers.
"What happened?" My voice was barely a whisper.She hesitated. "We're still investigating, but... it wasn't an accident."The words hit me like a slap. Not an accident. That meant... someone did this. Someone took them from me. My stomach twisted violently.
"Who?" I croaked, my throat raw from the lump forming there. "Who did this?"
The detective who had stopped me earlier stepped forward. He was older, with graying hair and tired eyes that had seen too much. "We don't know yet, but we'll find out. I promise."
Promises meant nothing to me in that moment. I wanted answers. I wanted my family back. I wanted to wake up and find out this was all a horrible dream. But it wasn't. It was my new reality, and something deep inside me whispered that my life had taken the worst turn.