Shattered But Not Lost

The morning in Greenfield City began like any morning with soft sunlight stretching across rooftops and the distant sound of life slowly waking up. Prisca stood on the veranda of her family house holding a plastic cup of water in both hands. She wasn’t drinking it. She was just holding it watching the surface tremble slightly whenever her fingers shifted. She liked mornings like this. Quiet. Predictable. Safe. Inside the house her mother’s voice carried gently from the kitchen humming a tune while preparing breakfast. It was a sound Prisca had grown up with something that always made her feel like nothing in the world could go wrong. Her father sat in the living room already dressed for work reading a newspaper while occasionally adjusting his glasses. Everything about him felt steady like he had made a promise to reality itself that nothing would break in this house. “Prisca," her mother called out softly "stop standing and bring those cups inside before they catch cold.” Prisca. Stepped back into the house. Her mother, Grace Daniels moved around the kitchen with ease. Even when she was tired she never showed it clearly. There was always strength in her movements in silence. Her father lowered the newspaper. Looked at Prisca with that calm expression that always made her feel seen. “ morning, my star " he said. Prisca smiled shyly. "I’m not a star.” “You are " he replied without hesitation. "You just haven’t learned how bright you are yet.” Her mother laughed softly. "Don’t start filling her head with much confidence. She still has school.” “I want her to have confidence " her father said calmly. "Life already takes enough from people. She should least grow up knowing who she is.” Prisca sat down quietly at the table watching them talk. She didn’t always understand everything they said. She understood how it made her feel. Safe. Protected. Loved. At that time in her life she believed love like that was permanent. She believed people like her parents didn’t disappear. Prisca attended Royal Hope Academy, a secondary school located not too far from her home. It was not the kind of school that made headlines or produced famous students. It was strict enough to keep discipline and simple enough to feel familiar. She was in her years preparing for exams she believed would decide her future. She had dreams. Not complicated ones. Just simple dreams of finishing school going to university. Making her parents proud. At break time she always sat under the tree behind the classroom block with her two closest friends. Diamond was the one. The kind of girl who laughed like she was challenging the world to touch her. She spoke without fear. Acted like nothing could ever break her spirit. Pina, who everyone called Pinny was the opposite. Quiet, emotional and deeply sensitive. She felt things than she said them. Sometimes she would stare at people like she understood pain even when no one was speaking about it. “You’re quiet today " Diamond said while chewing on a snack. “I didn’t sleep well " Prisca replied. “That’s what you always say " Diamond laughed. Pina glanced at Prisca for a moment than usual. "It doesn’t look like sleep.” Prisca forced a smile. "I’m fine.” Pina didn’t look convinced. The bell rang across the school compound pulling them back to class. Diamond groaned. "School's suffering disguised as education.” “It’s not suffering " Prisca said softly as she stood up. "It’s preparation.” Pina didn’t say anything after that. She just walked quietly beside them. Prisca didn’t notice then that silence sometimes carries meaning It was a Tuesday when everything changed. Not a special Tuesday. Not one that felt different in the morning. Just an ordinary day that refused to remain ordinary. Prisca came home earlier than usual because one of her teachers had been absent. She walked through the gate without thinking expecting the usual sounds from inside the house. Her mother cooking. Her father talking. The normal rhythm of life. There was no sound. Not even the faintest movement. She paused at the entrance for a moment feeling something she couldn’t name. Stillness. Too much of it. She pushed the door open. “Mom?" she called. Silence. “Dad?” nothing. She stepped inside. The living room was exactly as it should be. Her father’s newspaper was folded neatly on the table. Her mother’s scarf rested on the arm of the couch. Nothing looked disturbed. Something felt wrong. Not visually wrong. Emotionally wrong. “Hello?" she called again now. No response. Then she heard voices outside. Many voices. Low murmurs. Heavy tones. A gathering. Her chest tightened without understanding why. She walked outside quickly. The compound was already filled. Neighbours stood in clusters speaking in tones that stopped immediately whenever she got close. Some looked at her briefly before looking. Others avoided her completely. Prisca’s eyes moved from face to face searching for something normal, something that explained why her world suddenly felt strange. Then she saw her uncle, Samuel Brown. He was standing near the wall of the house still. His face was different from usual. He wasn’t speaking to anyone. He wasn’t even looking around. It was like he had forgotten how to participate in the moment. “Uncle Samuel?" Prisca called. He didn’t answer immediately. That delay made something inside her tighten. “Uncle, what is happening?" she asked quickly walking toward him. "Why is everyone here? Where are my parents?” He finally looked at her. Prisca stopped walking. Because his eyes were not normal. They were heavy. Red. Tired in a way she had never seen before. “Prisca…" he said quietly. Her heart began to beat. "Tell me they are inside. Tell me they are just resting. Please.” He didn’t respond away. That silence was enough to make her body feel cold. “Uncle?" her voice cracked slightly. He exhaled slowly like the words were too heavy to carry. “There was an accident.” Prisca blinked. Once. Twice. The words didn’t land They floated in her mind without meaning. “No " she said immediately. "No that’s not true. They were here this morning. My mother cooked. My father spoke to me. You’re mistaken.” Her voice rose slightly. People around them shifted uncomfortably. Her uncle stepped closer. "Prisca, listen to me…” “Don’t!" she snapped suddenly stepping back. "Don’t come near me. Just tell me where they are!” Her voice broke at the end. No one answered her question. Because there was no answer left. Her legs weakened. Her hands trembled. Slowly her body stopped obeying her mind. She fell to her knees without realizing it. For the first time, in her life she couldn’t recognize the world she was standing in.