Lost Principessa of Italy

The blaring sound of an alarm clock tears you from slumber. You sit up in the cramped, familiar space you call a room – a storeroom. Stretching, you feel the ache of recent bruises, a common occurrence in your life. You recall the latest 'punishment' from your father, the sting of the belt, the forced compliance.

Rising, you navigate the small space to the grimy washroom, catching a glimpse of the purple and blue marks in the cracked mirror. Another sigh escapes you as you prepare for the day, the routine of survival deeply ingrained.

Breakfast is a quick affair – preparing food for your parents before slipping out unnoticed with just an apple for yourself. The walk to school is long but a welcome escape from the house. School itself offers a different kind of torment: Zack and his relentless bullying. Today is no different; a book hurled at your face is your unwelcome greeting.

Later, an announcement over the loudspeaker summons you to the principal's office. Confusion twists in your gut – what now? Entering the office, you find Principal Sir looking unusually distraught. His words, when they come, are a shock that threatens to shatter your already fragile world: your parents, Jack and Elina, are dead, killed in a truck accident.