1982 Part 01 - Emily

DAY 1

As Emily Cloverfield pulled up to the grand but rundown mansion, a stub of cigarette dangled loosely from her lips, smoke trailing behind her as she stepped out of the car and began to unload it. Her son, David, looked up at the imposing structure in awe, while Emily grasped a box from the trunk and headed towards the entrance of the mansion. She stopped for a moment, taking a drag of her cigarette, and smiled around the shrinking filter, her thoughts on the possibilities and what the future held for her and her son.

"This is it, buddy. This is the place," she said to David as she examined the house.

"Please, mom, can we explore the mansion now?" David asked, looking up at Emily with pleading eyes as she set a box down on the ground.

Emily's hands rummaged through her pockets, searching for another cigarette. "Not now, David," she said, her voice rough from the cigarette smoke, as she took the smoldering filter from her lips. "I need to get these boxes inside first. We've got a lot of work to do to make this place livable."

David's face fell in disappointment, but he didn't give up. "Please, just a little? I promise we'll come back and help unpack afterwards," he said, watching intently as Emily reached for a new cigarette from her pack.

"Fine," she said, the new cigarette bobbing up and down as she spoke. She raised her hand, signaling for David to wait, while she used the embers of her previous cigarette to light her new one. After a deep drag, she added, "But just for a little bit."

As David smiled, Emily crouched to his height, the cigarette ever-present in her mouth, and used her free hand to mess up his hair playfully. "And we're coming back to unpack as soon as we're done, young man!" she added, her voice filled with a sense of excitement and new beginnings. The cigarette bobbed up and down with each word, and faint wisps of smoke escaped from her nose as she spoke.

With a huge drag, Emily removed the cigarette from her mouth for the first time since they got in her car, welcoming the house with a huge cone of smoke that quickly expanded in the entryway. David ran off to explore the mansion, and Emily flicked the spent butt into the garden, following him. Her cigarette was never far from her lips as she explored the new home with her son, the smell of smoke filling the air as they took in the grandeur of their new surroundings.

DAY 2 - EARLY EVENING

David sat at the kitchen table, his gaze fixed on his mother as she bustled around the kitchen. Her cigarette dangled from her lips, smoke trailing behind her as she moved from the stove to the counter. The kitchen was a bit of a mess, with pots and pans scattered about one cabinet and the sink, and a specific cabinet reserved for her ashtray, already overflowing.

As she opened the oven to check on the roast, she noticed David's gaze fixed on the cigarette in her mouth. With a grin, she plucked it out and held it out to him. "Want a puff?" she asked, teasingly.

David shook his head, making a face. "Ew, mom, no!" he said, laughing. "Those things are gross."

Emily laughed, taking a drag herself. "Suit yourself," she said, blowing a smoke ring. "More for me." She left the cigarette in her mouth and turned to David, "Remember when you used to ask me to play 'train' with you?"

David laughed, remembering the silly game they used to play. "Yeah, I remember," he said. "But I'm getting too old for that now."

Emily nodded, taking another drag. "I know, I know. You're growing up so fast." She glanced around the kitchen, taking in the mess. "Speaking of growing up, you're old enough to help me with this mess, you know."

David groaned good-naturedly, standing up from the table. "Fine, fine. I'll help you clean up. But only if you put that gross thing out first." He gestured to the cigarette still in her mouth.

Emily protested, "Come on, David, just one more drag? I'm almost done with this one." as she shook the cigarette butt at him. But David remained firm, "Nope, sorry mom. You know I don't like the smell and neither should you."

Reluctantly, she took a monstrous cheek hollowing double pump from her cigarette before extinguishing it in the ashtray with a loud sigh. The sound of her inhale and exhale without the cigarette on her mouth was very noticeable, almost like a roar.

"Fine," she said, with a smirk, wisps of smoke still coming out of her mouth. "But you owe me one." She winked at David and both started to clean the kitchen, with the lingering smoke and smell of cigarettes in the air.

DAY 2 - AFTER DINNER

Emily and David are seated in the living room, the flickering light of the television casting shadows on the walls. Emily's hand holds a freshly lit Pall Mall Red, smoke spiralling from the cigarette as she takes a deep drag, her eyes fixed on the screen. David sits next to her, flipping through the pages of a comic book, the ashtray on the coffee table already half-full, and the room thick with the familiar smell of smoke.

Suddenly, a strange noise echoes from the attic, a faint scratching or scurrying sound, like something big just moved around up there. Emily is caught in the middle of a drag, the cigarette temporarily forgotten as she turns her head towards the ceiling, her eyes wide with surprise. David looks at her, his voice a mix of curiosity and fear. "Did you hear that?"

Emily nods, smoke from the drag billowing from her nose as she exhales. "Yeah, I heard it. It sounded like it came from the attic."

David's eyes widen, "Do you think it's a ghost?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Emily chuckles, smoke trailing from her mouth as she speaks. "I doubt it, buddy," she says, her voice reassuring. "It's probably just the old pipes or something."

David nods, but still looks uncertain. Emily notices his unease and dangles her cigarette from the corner of her mouth, the cherry of the cigarette glowing bright in the dim light. "Come on, let's go check it out," she says, the cigarette bobbing up and down with each word, her hands gesturing for David to follow her.

They cautiously make their way to the creaky attic door. The mother held her Pall Mall Red between her lips, smoke trailing behind her as she fumbled for the handle. With a gentle creak, the door opened, revealing the inky blackness of the attic. The only illumination came from the cherry of Emily's cigarette, which flickered and danced with each drag she took.

The faint scratching sound echoed louder now, coming from the far corner of the room.

As they inched closer, the smell of musty old wood and lingering smoke filled the air. Emily, with her cigarette still dangling from her lips, reached for a matchbook in her pocket and struck one, quickly illuminating a candle. The dim light revealed a small hole in the wall, which was the source of the draft, and the scratching noise.

"Looks like it's just a hole in the wall," Emily says, needing to hold the cigarette between her teeth to laugh a bit. "See, that's your ghost." She takes a real big drag, the smoke swirling around her head, and let the cigarette in her teeth as she speaks, moving her lips in exaggeration, smoke forming her words. "The ghost of autumn's cold!" she laughs a bit, then takes the cigarette out of her mouth. "Seriously, buddy, see...Nothing to be afraid of."

David laughs, relieved, "Yeah, you're right. Just a hole in the wall," he says, looking at the small gap. "I guess I let my imagination get the better of me."

"It's alright, buddy," Emily says, putting an arm around him. "I'll make sure to patch that up tomorrow so it doesn't get any colder in here." She takes drag from her cigarette, the cherry glowing bright in the dim light of the candle as she lets it dangle from her lips. The smoke filling the air, making the attic less scary. "Thanks, mom," David says, smiling. "I'm glad you're here to protect me from the ghosts."

Emily grins, "Anytime, buddy. Anytime."

They both share a smile and head back downstairs, leaving the attic and the strange noise behind. As they descend the stairs, Emily makes a mental note to herself to fix that hole, as she extinguishes her cigarette and goes to light another one, before settling back down in front of the TV with David.

DAY 3 - MORNING

David is off to his first day of school, and Emily is left at home to tackle some renovations around the house. It's an unseasonably warm day in the fall, and she's decided to take advantage of it by working on the woodwork of the house. She's dressed comfortably in a tank top, cutoff shorts and sandals, her hair tied back in a messy bun. The heat has caused a bit of a sweat on her, but she's not bothered by it as she's focusing on her work.

With goggles and protective gear, accompanied by the presence of an all but spent cigarette but in her mouth, she's a sight to be reckoned. The sun shining through the windows, the sound of her power sander filling the room, and a cigarette smoke swirling in the air, she feels a sense of peace and accomplishment as she starts to transform the space.

As Emily takes a pause to change out the light on her power sander and take a break, she chains into a new cigarette and hears a knock at the door. Conscious of her smoking habits and tendency to dangle, she decides to keep the cigarette smoldering between her fingers and moves towards the door.

She opens it to find a young plumber standing on her porch. He's tall and lean, with dark hair and a friendly smile on his face. He's wearing a clean and crisp plumber's uniform and a tool belt around his waist.

"Hi, you must be Emily," he says, introducing himself. "I'm Alex, the plumber you called."

As Alex steps through the threshold, the smell of sawdust and smoke envelops him. He can't help but notice the overflowing ashtrays and discarded cigarette butts scattered throughout the living room where Emily and David have been sleeping. Emily greets him with a friendly smile, smoke trailing from her lips as she speaks. "Nice to meet you, Alex. Thanks for coming out on such short notice," she says, trying to make small talk as she opens the door to let him in.

"No problem, happy to help," Alex says, taking in the mess. He looks around the room, taking in the dust and debris. "Wow, looks like you've been busy," he comments with a smile, trying to make conversation.

Emily takes a drag from her cigarette, a hint of ash falling from the end as she chuckles. "Yeah, it's been a bit overwhelming, but we're getting there," she says, gesturing for him to come in. "I apologize for the mess, usually I'm a bit more tidy." She finishes the sentence with a puff of smoke, exhaling in the opposite direction of where Alex is standing.

Alex nods, understanding. "No worries, I've seen worse. Plus, it's a good sign that you're getting things done around the house," he said, trying to make her feel better."So, where's this leak I'm here to fix?" he asks, as he looks around the house. "It's in the kitchen, this way," Emily replies, gesturing towards the kitchen with a wave of her hand, her cigarette smoldering between her fingers.

As he gets to work on fixing the leak, Alex can't help but notice Emily's constant reach for cigarettes, the way she dangles it from her lips as she works, smoke swirling around her as she toils away on her renovations.

As the morning wears on, Emily finds herself running low on cigarettes. "Hey, Alex, can you grab me a fresh pack of smokes from that cabinet over there?" she says, nodding towards the cabinet where she keeps her cigarettes while dangling a spent cigarette from her lips. Alex obliges, and grabs the pack of cigarettes, noticing the overflowing ashtrays and cigarette butts scattered around the room, but chooses not to comment.

She spits the spent orange butt. "Can you do me a solid and open it up for me?" Emily says with a grin, smoke swirling around her words. He obliges, and takes out a cigarette for her, placing it on her lips. With her head and eyes, she motions towards the matchbox.

As Alex strikes a match and lights her cigarette, he can't help but notice how beautiful and carefree she is, even amidst the mess and constant smoking. He watches as she takes a deep drag, smoke billowing out of her mouth as she exhales

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," Emily says,the cigarette dancing with each word as she speaks. "I owe you a cold one for this," she says with a chuckle.

"No problem, happy to help," Alex says with a smile, trying to hide the thoughts running through his mind as he goes back to work, while Emily continues to work and smoke, unaware of the impact she's leaving on him.

As morning turns to afternoon, they put the final touches on the repairs and renovations for the day. Emily invites Alex to join her for a cold beer on the front porch, as a way to celebrate their hard work. As they sit and relax, the conversation flows easily between them, like the smoke from Emily's cigarette dancing in the warm evening air. They talk about their lives, their hopes and dreams, and the things that make them who they are.

As they finish their beers, Alex can't help but feel a connection with Emily. She's a widow and a single mother, raising her son David on her own, and despite the challenges she's faced, she's still full of life and energy. They exchange numbers, with the promise to catch up again soon, maybe grab a bite together.

DAY 4 - MORNING

As the sun rises, Emily stirs from her slumber, her eyes slowly adjusting to the light filtering through the windows. She's still lying on the air mattress in the living room, surrounded by the familiar smell of smoke. She reaches for the pack of cigarettes and matchbox on the nearby coffee table, lighting one up and taking a deep drag as she sits up.

The familiar tickle in her throat, a symptom of her heavy smoking, causes her to cough as she gets up from the mattress and makes her way to the bathroom to start her day. She takes another drag as she uses the bathroom, cigarette dangling from her lips.

As she brushes her teeth, she tries to hold the cigarette away from her mouth, but the familiar need for the nicotine takes over and she takes a drag, smoke billowing from her mouth as she brushes.

Stepping out of the bathroom, she chains into her second cigarette of the day and moves to the kitchen. With the cigarette still dangling from her lips, she starts a pot of coffee brewing, the rich aroma filling the house as she flips pancakes for her son David. She hums to the tune of "Love Ain't No Stranger" as she works, quickly finishing her second cigarette and chaining into the third.

David stirs in his sleep, the smell of pancakes and coffee filling the air as he wakes up. He rubs his eyes and stretches, taking in the familiar sight of his mother in the kitchen with a cigarette hanging from her lips, flipping pancakes on the stove. "Morning, mom," he says with a smile, as he gets up and makes his way to the kitchen island that doubles as a table.

"Morning, buddy," Emily says, looking up from the stove and smiling at her son. She hands him a plate of pancakes and pours him a glass of orange juice. "Excited for the second day at school?" she says, the cigarette bobbing up and down with her words.

David nods, taking a bite of his pancakes. "Yeah, I am," he says, his words muffled by a mouthful of food. "I hope I can make some friends today," he says, looking up at his mom with a hopeful expression.

"You will, son," Emily reassures him, taking a drag from her cigarette and finally removing it from her mouth to sip on her coffee. "Just be yourself and don't be afraid to talk to people. You're a nice kid, they'll be lucky to be your friend," she says, with a wry smile, and reaches over to ruffle his hair.

As David scarfs down his pancakes, Emily takes a moment to enjoy her coffee and cigarette. She takes a sip and a drag, relishing the familiar taste and feeling of the nicotine hitting her bloodstream, then exhales, smoke swirling around her as she watches her son eat. When the boy is finished with his plate, Emily takes her last drag and extinguishes her cigarette in the ashtray. She stands up and begins to clear the table, making sure to dispose of the cigarette butt properly.

"Alright, buddy. Time to get ready for school," she says. David groans but gets up, grabbing his backpack and heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

While David gets ready, Emily starts to check her to-do list for the day, a new and unlit cigarette already in her mouth. The kid comes out of the bathroom, backpack slung over one shoulder and his bike helmet in hand, while Emily is lighting her smoke with a match.

"You have everything you need, buddy?" she asks, the cigarette still bouncing in her lips, smoke coming out in wisps with each word.

David nods, looking up at her with a grin. "Yeah, I'm all set, mom. Thanks for breakfast," he says, as he gives her a quick hug before heading out the door.

As David rides off to school, Emily grabs her tools to work on the renovations again. The first task on the list: patching up the hole in the attic. She grabs her tool belt and climbs the ladder to the attic, her cigarette still smoldering between her lips.

DAY 4 - AFTERNOON

As the scorching sun beats down, as Emily makes her way through the aisles of the local supermarket, a freshly lit cigarette in hand. She's dressed in a beat-up t-shirt and some old jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. The store is crowded with people, all of them pushing carts and talking amongst themselves, but Emily pays them no mind.

She's on a mission - to get some quality meat and groceries for dinner. She makes her way to the meat section, dodging the other shoppers and ignoring their stares. She ain't from round here, and they ain't too happy about the newcomer. Typical small town people.

She stops at the beef section, her eyes scanning the different cuts on display. She's trying to decide between a sirloin or a ribeye when she notices the young butcher behind the counter watching her. She gives him a nod, wisps of residual smoke coming out of her nose, as she tries to make her choice.

"Ma'am, can I assist you with anything?" The butcher asks, his friendly smile making his eyes crinkle.

"Yeah, I'm trying to decide between a sirloin or a ribeye," Emily responds, her smile genuine, cigarette in hand.

"Well, if you're looking for something tender, I'd recommend the sirloin. But if you're looking for something with a bit more flavor, the ribeye is the way to go," the butcher explains, his eyes briefly flickering towards her cigarette.

"Thanks, I think I'll go with the ribeye then" Emily says, taking a drag from her cigarette, the cherry glowing brightly in the dim light of the meat section.

As she watches the butcher expertly wraps the meat, taking care to ensure that it's properly sealed for freshness, she nods in approval and takes another drag from her cigarette, smoke billowing out of her nose.

"Thanks, this looks great. I'll definitely be back for more" Emily says, with a polite smile as she accepts the package, instinctively placing the cigarette in her mouth and holding the package with both hands. She turns to make her way to the next aisle, the cigarette bouncing in her lips as she moves.

As Emily meanders through the pasta aisle, cigarette still in her lips, smoke trailing behind her like a ghostly apparition, her eyes scan the different types of pasta on display, trying to decide between spaghetti or fettuccine. She's so focused on her choices that she doesn't even notice the disapproving glances from other shoppers, one of which was a woman with a young child.