He walked 2.1 miles home from school with heavy feet and a heart that sank to the core of the earth. Each breath drifted a stream of white in the frigid air and disappeared into the harsh winter. His emotion flushed from his soul while his memory blurred to forget the misfortunes life bestowed upon him. He whispers his pain alone in his room to the darkness that encompasses his peace. He longs for comfort, but the only thing that hugs him is the powerful smell of alcohol that emanates from all crevices of the family’s home. It pierces the air with an aroma so intense it drowns the echoing sound of popping bottle caps. No one knows the dysfunctions behind the closed doors; or about the abuse of a fruit whose fermented sugars have afflicted only harm.

Sweetness slips away one last time as he succumbs to the substance that his parents embodied as their favorite child – it cascades through his veins until his organs give up, much like his mind. 2.1 miles from school, he is light on his feet and his heart soars high above the earth.