Tom Marvolo Riddle
The Matron at my orphanage is a crazy, clucky person. She runs around the halls all day with one hand on her waist and the other holding her iron gray hair in its loose bun on the top of her head. She is always shouting things like,
"Oh Richard, Jenny, what's happened to you?" With a horrified look at their faces. After calling frantically for the nurse, a suspicious look will steal over her face. "Where is Tom?" She says. But I pull into the shadow of the cupboard, where the near-sighted old bat cannot see me. She thinks it was me…she knows it was me. But she can never know for sure; for I will never tell her, Jenny and Richard will never tell her, and she cannot ever see what happened.
Yes, it was I. I am not ashamed of this, as I know you would suggest, for I had every reason to punish them as they deserved. Jenny was being a bothersome pest, grabbing and snatching at my harmonica, and Richard thinking he could lord it over me. It wasn't her harmonica at all, the little liar! I saw her receive it in a package one day, as I stood behind the doorpost opposite the girls room. Where could she have gotten it? None of us has any parents after all; else we wouldn't be living in an orphanage.
Jenny ripped off the brown paper eagerly, and then looked in awe at the little white box inside. Just a plain little white box, and probably someone's old shoe box, the pathetic girl.
She slowly, reverently took off the lid to this white box, smudging the whiteness with her dirty little fingers, then pulled aside the creamy white tissue paper to behold a little brass harmonica snuggled happily in a wad of cotton. It did not look like an expensive instrument, and I laughed that Jenny would think such a worthless thing was so wonderful. Jenny picked it up carefully, pulling off stray bits of cotton, and then looked at the Matron as if she were doing something wrong, wondering whether it was all right to blow on such a beautiful thing.
The Matron nodded and looked very pleased when Jenny put the harmonica to her lips and gave it a small hoot, which was followed by giggles of delight.
She clutched the harmonica in one hand as she ran across the room and gave the Matron a tight hug around the knees, exclaiming how it was the most wonderful present in the world. At this the Matron looked very pleased, and explained to Jenny that it was from the nice little couple that had visited a few days earlier, and that they were looking to adopt a little girl. Jenny was so happy she began to blow on her harmonica with all of her might.
It was at this time I knew that there had been a mistake. That stupid old Matron had delivered the package to the wrong child, putting the present on Jenny's bed, instead of my own. The middle aged couple that had visited a few days earlier had shown special interest in me, I knew, and though I had loathed the thought of being adopted by the pair, I stood graciously in line and nodded my head when they passed.
"My what a handsome young man!" The woman had said upon seeing Tom. She had red hair that was set in a nice bun and had very humble, but clean clothing, and Tom stared coldly at her. When she knelt down to stroke his thick black hair, he swatted her hand away furiously and stepped back out of reach of her groping fingers. The lady stared at her hand as if it had been stung, and her husband helped her up off of the floor while she said,
"Oh my, George!" She stared at her hand, which looked very limp, and flexed it carefully. "I think all of a sudden I am intent upon adopting a little girl."
She looked very worried, and threw a small, frightened glance at Tom, but smiled reluctantly at Jenny as they left the building.
This is how I knew that the Harmonica had been meant for me, and not Jenny. It was the least that old woman owed me, in return for approaching me in such a manner.
Still, the Matron was there, watching as Jenny enjoyed my harmonica, blowing happily, clutching it in her dirty fist and attempting to polish it on her filthy dress.
At long last, the Matron left the room and let Jenny enjoy her harmonica in peace. I peered through the doorframe into the girls room, where I could still see Jenny, sitting contentedly on a bunk, and this time blowing quietly on my Harmonica.
Finally, She looked to be enjoying her present so much that I could no longer restrain myself. I walked slowly across the hall and stopped just inside of the threshold.
"Hello Jenny." I said casually. Jenny stopped blowing and looked up slowly. Her face was fearful when she met my eyes, and this filled me with pride. I enjoyed making others fear me, making them tremble when I stepped into the room. "Give me that Harmonica." I insisted. Usually, when I spoke, the other children in the orphanage obeyed, but Jenny simply clutched the little instrument to her chest even tighter and glanced fearfully toward the door. I laughed inside and waited for her to run for it.
Sure enough, she made a desperate attempt for the door, but I blocked it with skill and stuck out my foot to send her sprawling. Jenny fell with a loud whump, and when she rolled over her nose was bleeding furiously and her hands and knees were scraped and bloodied from the fall. She moaned piteously.
Meanwhile, I saw the harmonica lying on the floor a few feet away and picked it up slowly. Jenny followed the motion with her eyes, and got painfully to her feet.
"That's mine Tom! It was a present for me. Give it back!" She reached for it desperately, but I slapped her hand away just as I had done the older woman, and she recoiled.
"No it isn't. It's mine, and you stole it from me." Jenny looked as if she might faint. "It was meant for me not you, and they delivered it to the wrong person, that's all." Now that I held it I had no desire to play the harmonica at all. But I held it triumphantly and walked back across the hall to my room where I immediately placed it in a box at the top of my cupboard.
To my annoyance, I turned away from my cupboard to see Jenny limping across the hall after me. She stopped in the doorway and pleaded with me.
"Please Tom please!" She begged. " I'll let you play it if you like, but please give it back!" Tears from her eyes mixed with the blood from her nose, and it was quite an ugly sight really. This poor stupid girl didn't know when to give up. I had almost decided to simply hit her and slam the door, when a wonderful idea came to me.
I had recently been noticing something about me that was special, though I had always known I was different. It had started with a few headaches and tingling in the fingers, and not long after I noticed that spectacular things would sometimes happen when I got very angry. I had nearly learned to control these abilities and had a sudden burning desire to test my discoveries on Jenny.
"Of course Jenny. I apologize for stealing your harmonica. Won't you please come in?"
Jenny warily stepped inside and held out her hands expectantly. I pretended to fish in the cupboard for her harmonica and then whirled around. The tingling in my fingers was running up my arms like fire, and I knew that this was going to be the best I had done yet. My head felt like it might explode, and yet it was a wonderful feeling.
I whirled around to face Jenny, but met instead, Richard. He was the oldest boy in the orphanage, probably twelve or so and was the very biggest block between me and controlling the orphans. He watched over the other children like a hawk, especially when I was around, and I had been hit many times on the nose for being what he called 'cruel'. He was clever and large and I hated him.
"Tom, do you know why Jenny is bleeding?" He asked intently. He knew it was me, but I didn't care.
"She fell." I said, shrugging my shoulders.
Richard grabbed the front of my shirt and lifted me a couple of inches off of the ground. "She fell because I tripped her." I told him defiantly. Richard looked rigid with anger.
"Why you little-" I could see the battle going on in his eyes. It was obvious he was sorely tempted to teach me a lesson I would never forget, but the idea of harming someone younger and smaller and more helpless than himself was not a notion he would ever consider. He threw me to the ground and then put his hands on Jenny's shoulders, steering her across the room to the door.
Now I was angry. Before it had been cold anger, annoyance at Jenny's impertinence, but now it was hot rage. I stood up slowly and stared at the door. It swung shut.
"What the-?" Richard exclaimed. He put his hand on the doorknob and they met with a sizzling sound. He yelped and withdrew his burned hand.
Richard whirled around to look at me, but black fog began filling the air, swirling around out of nowhere and pouring in from the ceiling. The room got chilly, and poor little Jenny began to cry.
"Stop it Tom, stop it!" Richard screeched. Richard was holding Jenny close and trying valiantly to shield her from the surroundings. Meanwhile I watched happily as my new found power unfolded in the most wondrous way imaginable. Now if only I could. make them scream. The dark mist swirled and at last the room got totally dark, so I approached the huddled pair.
"If I find you Tom Marvolo Riddle!" Richard yelled. His voice sounded hoarse and I could still hear Jenny crying.
"I'm right here." I whispered into his ear. He lunged and swung with his fist, but I dodged it easily because I could see and he could not. I laughed harshly.
"Come on Richard." I baited him. "Hit me. I'm right here." He swung again with one fist, hugging tight to Jenny with the other.
Richard jumped and shrieked when something wet touched the back of his neck. Jenny screamed. I almost laughed at how easy this was, and went back to laugh into his ear. He was breathing heavily now and I could smell the fear in him. I was special. I had the power to frighten others. It was a wonderful feeling, and yet…I wanted more.
At last an idea came to me. A wonderful, horrible idea.
I cupped my hands over Richard's ears, and before he could even yank them off, I saw his face turn from fear…to horror. He screamed and twisted and shrieked but I held on tight. Richard had a powerful imagination. After only a minute Richard's eyes rolled back into his head and his left arm fell from Jenny's waist. Now she was alone.
Jenny screamed and screamed, sobbing so hard that she nearly choked herself for air, but I grinned and cupped my hands over her tiny ears as well.
The nurse could find nothing wrong with either child, other than the fact that they had both fainted and lay cold and wet and pale in the hallway. Looks of utter terror were frozen on both faces, and Tom enjoyed his triumph in the shadow of the cupboard next to his bed. Both children were removed to the hospital for examination that evening, and neither one returned. I am pleased to have discovered my new powers and enjoy holding my harmonica late at night. I think of it as a trophy as I stroke the shiny brass instrument and ponder on what sort of life I could have, what sort of success, if I could only get out of this orphanage.
"She thinks it was me…she knows it was me. But she can never know for sure; for I will never tell her, Jenny and Richard will never tell her, and she cannot ever see what happened."