Chapter 1: The Letter
I rolled out of bed, just as any other morning. I looked over and saw my sister and brother. They lay sound asleep, so I decided not to wake them yet. They didn't have to wake up for another hour and ten minutes.
I ran out of our room and into the kitchen. It was pretty empty because most people were still in bed. Normally I would be, but I just couldn't sleep. I went over and grabbed a bowl. I walked up to the big pot and they dished out my soup.
Chicken Noodle, I thought. Molly's favorite. She'll be happy to know that when she wakes up. I sat down at an empty table. As I was eating my soup, an owl swooped in. This wasn't too unusual. Birds always flew in the shelter in the morning. The unusual thing was that it had a letter in its mouth. To even more of my surprise, it dropped the letter right to me, then perched itself on my shoulder.
I stroked the owl a few times. It was soft and groomed, not like a wild owl. It was snow white and absolutely beautiful. Then I turned to the letter. On it said:
Maive
The London Shelter
That was all it said. I had no last name, nor an address. I wondered how it had gotten to me, because there were plenty of shelters in London, and probably more than one Maive. Very carefully, as to be sure not to rip any contents of my very first letter, I opened it.
Inside were four sheets and a quill. The first one stated that I was excepted into Hogwarts. It told of the Hogwarts Express, how I had powers, and a lot more. I couldn't read very well, so I'm not sure what it said.
The next sheet had a supply list. I had no money. I couldn't buy anything.
Next was a letter saying that I could keep the owl. Her name was White. I could send a letter with any questions with White.
The fourth sheet was blank. I guessed that was what I was supposed to use to write back. I checked my watch. They had thirty minutes left to sleep.
I picked up the quill. It had feathers streaming out the end. It looked like magic. I couldn't really have magic.
Well, there was that one time- when it all started. We were sleeping... in our house. Our house was in California. I just remember this because that day my preschool teacher taught made us memorize our state. We lived in California because my mom was on T.V. all the time. I think it was called an actress. My dad had just tucked me in when he fell. He fell right into the fireplace that kept me warm at night. His hair turned red, then so did the rest of him. I tried to help but he told me to run- to grab Molly and Josh. I ran into their rooms reluctantly- but I never disobeyed my dad. My mom heard him scream and ran into my room.
I put together the ends of Molly's blanket, enclosing her inside. I carefully and slowly drug her into Josh's room and picked him up and placed him in with Molly. I wasn't strong enough to drag them. And I could never get them down the stairs. All of a sudden they started to float. I was only in preschool. I thought, maybe they were supposed to float. So, I pulled them along behind me as I ran down the stairs. All of my servants were up helping my dad. I just had to run alone.
Out the door I flew. That's when I realized I had no where to go. I turned to see the house was all red and orange, just like daddy. I started to cry, but I ran. Daddy said to run. He never said to stop, so I wouldn't.
I didn't make it very far. I fell to the cold street from exhaustion.
The next morning I woke up, the sun shining in my face. I looked over to see Josh and Molly sleeping on the blanket. I stood up and looked around me. It wasn't anywhere I remembered. And I thought I fell asleep on the road, but I was on a sidewalk. There weren't any sidewalks in my neighborhood.
The streets were full of strange looking cars. I had never seen any like them. Then I started to think about my dad, and my mom, and how they turned red with the house. I knew I'd never see them again. I started to cry. Tears poured down my cheeks. Nothing could stop me from crying.
A stranger walking down the street stopped and asked what was the matter.
"I... I don't know where I am! My mom... and my dad... are dead! Turned orange!" I blurted out. It was all I could say. I was crying so loud, my sister and brother woke up. They started crying, too.
Without saying a word, the stranger picked all three of us up and carried us down the street. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I didn't care, really. At least someone cared.
It all went blurry then. The next thing I remember is sitting in the room I have today, in this shelter. The stranger was telling me I could stay here and get meals. When I asked where I was, they said in London.
"We are in London. Where are you from? Are you from London?"
I knew I was from California. But I also knew that I didn't want to go back. They would make me live with my aunt, I knew. And I didn't want to. "I dunno... maybe London, maybe not... I don't remember," I lied.
I rolled out of bed, just as any other morning. I looked over and saw my sister and brother. They lay sound asleep, so I decided not to wake them yet. They didn't have to wake up for another hour and ten minutes.
I ran out of our room and into the kitchen. It was pretty empty because most people were still in bed. Normally I would be, but I just couldn't sleep. I went over and grabbed a bowl. I walked up to the big pot and they dished out my soup.
Chicken Noodle, I thought. Molly's favorite. She'll be happy to know that when she wakes up. I sat down at an empty table. As I was eating my soup, an owl swooped in. This wasn't too unusual. Birds always flew in the shelter in the morning. The unusual thing was that it had a letter in its mouth. To even more of my surprise, it dropped the letter right to me, then perched itself on my shoulder.
I stroked the owl a few times. It was soft and groomed, not like a wild owl. It was snow white and absolutely beautiful. Then I turned to the letter. On it said:
Maive
The London Shelter
That was all it said. I had no last name, nor an address. I wondered how it had gotten to me, because there were plenty of shelters in London, and probably more than one Maive. Very carefully, as to be sure not to rip any contents of my very first letter, I opened it.
Inside were four sheets and a quill. The first one stated that I was excepted into Hogwarts. It told of the Hogwarts Express, how I had powers, and a lot more. I couldn't read very well, so I'm not sure what it said.
The next sheet had a supply list. I had no money. I couldn't buy anything.
Next was a letter saying that I could keep the owl. Her name was White. I could send a letter with any questions with White.
The fourth sheet was blank. I guessed that was what I was supposed to use to write back. I checked my watch. They had thirty minutes left to sleep.
I picked up the quill. It had feathers streaming out the end. It looked like magic. I couldn't really have magic.
Well, there was that one time- when it all started. We were sleeping... in our house. Our house was in California. I just remember this because that day my preschool teacher taught made us memorize our state. We lived in California because my mom was on T.V. all the time. I think it was called an actress. My dad had just tucked me in when he fell. He fell right into the fireplace that kept me warm at night. His hair turned red, then so did the rest of him. I tried to help but he told me to run- to grab Molly and Josh. I ran into their rooms reluctantly- but I never disobeyed my dad. My mom heard him scream and ran into my room.
I put together the ends of Molly's blanket, enclosing her inside. I carefully and slowly drug her into Josh's room and picked him up and placed him in with Molly. I wasn't strong enough to drag them. And I could never get them down the stairs. All of a sudden they started to float. I was only in preschool. I thought, maybe they were supposed to float. So, I pulled them along behind me as I ran down the stairs. All of my servants were up helping my dad. I just had to run alone.
Out the door I flew. That's when I realized I had no where to go. I turned to see the house was all red and orange, just like daddy. I started to cry, but I ran. Daddy said to run. He never said to stop, so I wouldn't.
I didn't make it very far. I fell to the cold street from exhaustion.
The next morning I woke up, the sun shining in my face. I looked over to see Josh and Molly sleeping on the blanket. I stood up and looked around me. It wasn't anywhere I remembered. And I thought I fell asleep on the road, but I was on a sidewalk. There weren't any sidewalks in my neighborhood.
The streets were full of strange looking cars. I had never seen any like them. Then I started to think about my dad, and my mom, and how they turned red with the house. I knew I'd never see them again. I started to cry. Tears poured down my cheeks. Nothing could stop me from crying.
A stranger walking down the street stopped and asked what was the matter.
"I... I don't know where I am! My mom... and my dad... are dead! Turned orange!" I blurted out. It was all I could say. I was crying so loud, my sister and brother woke up. They started crying, too.
Without saying a word, the stranger picked all three of us up and carried us down the street. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I didn't care, really. At least someone cared.
It all went blurry then. The next thing I remember is sitting in the room I have today, in this shelter. The stranger was telling me I could stay here and get meals. When I asked where I was, they said in London.
"We are in London. Where are you from? Are you from London?"
I knew I was from California. But I also knew that I didn't want to go back. They would make me live with my aunt, I knew. And I didn't want to. "I dunno... maybe London, maybe not... I don't remember," I lied.