The escape of the snake had earned Silver his longest punishment yet. By the time he was out again the summer holidays had started and Menniker had already broken all his Birthday presents. Silver was glad school was over but this brought a new problem. Menniker's gang were at the house almost every day now. They were strong and stupid and Menniker was the strongest and stupidest so he was naturally the leader. This meant that they were happy to follow Menniker in his favourite game: Silver hunting. Silver managed to avoid this mostly. He was old enough to leave the house as long as he didn't go too far. He spent most of the holidays doing this. Walking about with his mind focused on the one ray of hope he had. He was going to start Secondary school after the holidays and he was to go to the local school while Menniker and all his friends were going to Menthor's old private one, Techno Tower. In July Cynthia had taken Menniker into Knothole to get his school uniform so Silver had to stay with Mrs Rosie. This wasn't nearly as bad as usual however. It turned out she had broken her leg tripping over one of her Chao and wasn't as fond as them anymore. She let Silver watch TV and even gave him some chocolate cake. When Silver returned home that night he had to deal with Menniker parading about the place in his new uniform. A maroon tailcoat, a straw hat and a fancy stick that Silver for the life of him couldn't see a use for. Menthor was going on about how this was the proudest moment of his life. Cynthia meanwhile had burst into tears and said she couldn't believe her little Menikins looked so handsome and grown up. Silver didn't dare say anything as he knew he couldn't hide his laugh.

The next morning a terrible smell was coming from the kitchen. He got out to look and saw Cynthia standing over a metal tub in the sink. Silver got closer and saw it was full of dirty rags "What's this?". Cynthia's lips tightened as they did whenever he asked a question "You're new school uniform" "Oh… I didn't realise it would be so wet" "Don't be stupid. I'm dyeing some of Menniker's old things grey for you. It'll look just like everyone else's when I've finished". Silver seriously doubted this but it was best not to argue. He sat down ready for breakfast trying not to think about what he's going to look like on his first day at school. Menniker and Menthor entered both trying to ignore the smell coming from the sink. As they waited they heard the click of the mail arriving "Get the post, Menniker" said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. Menniker obviously didn't like this "Make Silver get it" "Get the post, Silver". Silver decided to test his luck "Make Menniker get it" "Poke him with your Techno Tower's stick, Menniker". Silver dodged the stick easily and headed for the door. Three things lay on the mat. One was from Menthor's sister Thunderbolt who was on holiday. A brown envelope that Silver assumed to be a bill. The final letter much to Silver's surprise was for him. He must have made a mistake. Who would write to him? He had no other family, no friends and he wasn't part of any clubs but there was his name clear as day

Mr Silver the Hedgehog

The Cupboard Under the Stairs

4 Penders Drive

Sunset Park

The envelope was thick, heavy and written in green ink with no sign of a stamp. Silver turned it over and found a seal with a coat of arms bearing four symbols. A green lizard eye with an infinity symbol in the pupil, a web, a jewel with a pair of wings next to it and the final symbol was a sword with a lightening strike as the blade. The four symbols surrounded a large S "Hurry up, boy. What're you doing, checking for letter bombs?" Menthor laughed at his own joke. Silver returned to the kitchen and handed Menthor the other letters before sitting down to read his own. "TB is ill again" Menthor said read his letter "Ate some bad fish" "Dad! Dad, Silver's got something". The letter was suddenly wretched out of Silver's hand "Hey, give it back! That's mine!". Menniker gave it to Menthor who chuckled "Please, who'd be writing to you?". Menthor opened the letter and within seconds his eyes were wider than Silver had ever seen them "Cyn-Cynthia". Menniker tried to grab it but Menthor kept it out of his reach. A confused Cynthia took the letter and looked like she was about to faint the moment she read the first line. There was silence as the two stared at each other until "I want to read it!" Menniker and Silver said at the same time. Menthor got to his feet "Out. Both of you!" "Let me see my-" "OUT!". Menthor grabbed them both and threw them into the hall slamming the door behind them. The two boys had a rough but silent fight over who could look through the key hole. Menniker won leaving Silver to have to listen from the crack under the door. Cynthia was pacing and her voice quivered "Menthor, look at the address. How could they possibly know where he sleeps. You don't think their watching us?" "Watching. Spying. Might be following us" "What should we do, write back? Tell them we don't want him to go". Silver could see Menthor stop pacing "No. No, we'll ignore it. If they don't get an answer… Yes, that's best. We do nothing" "But-" "I'm not having one in my house, Cynthia. We swore when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense".

That evening after Menthor got back from work he did something he had never done before, he visited Silver in his cupboard. "Where's my letter? Who's writing to me?" Silver asked the moment he got through the door. He half expected Menthor to shout but he was with struggle staying calm "No one. It was addressed to you by mistake. I've burned it" "It wasn't a mistake! It had my cupboard on it!" "SILENCE!". Menthor took a breath and forced his face into a smile that looked quite painful "Er, yes, Silver, about this cupboard. Your Aunt and I have been thinking… You're really getting big for this old cupboard. We think it might be nice if you moved into Menniker's second bedroom". Any other day this news would be amazing to hear but Silver knew what he was trying to do "Why?" "Don't ask questions! Take your stuff upstairs now!". This only took one trip to do. Silver looked around his new room which was full of Menniker's toys. Most of which were broken, a camera, a toy tank and Menniker's first TV which he put his fist through when his favourite show got cancelled. There was a shelf on the wall that had a few books all of which looked like they hadn't been touched. Silver lay on his new bed and listened to Menniker downstairs bawling his eyes out over not wanting Silver in his room. Silver would have given anything to be up here yesterday but right now all he wanted was his letter.

The next morning was rather quiet. Menniker was especially in shock, his constant whining and threats of violence last night didn't get him his room back. It was probably the first time in his life he had no power over something. When the post arrived Menthor seemed to be making an effort to be nice to Silver since he made Menniker go get it. Menniker did so although not without hitting his school stick against the wall the whole way "There's another one. Silver the Hedgehog. Smallest Bedroom-". Menthor ran out of the kitchen with Silver not far behind. Menthor had to wrestle the letter out of Menniker's hand something that was even more difficult with Silver jumping on Menthor's back trying to get the letter himself. After a minute of very confused fighting Menthor finally got it "Both of you to your rooms!". Silver did so and began pacing around his room. Whoever was trying to talk to him somehow knew he had a new room and they knew he hadn't received the first letter. This meant it was likely they were going to try again and this time Silver would be ready for it.

It seemed Menthor was two steps ahead of him. Very early the next morning Silver tried to get up and get the posts first but Menthor was already waiting and sent him back to bed. Silver got a glance of him tearing up the three newly arriving letters. Menthor didn't go to work that day, instead he spent his time nailing the letterbox shut "See, if they can't deliver them they'll give up". Cynthia didn't look convinced "Are you sure, Menthor" "Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Cynthia, they're not like you and me". Silver listened and was just even more determined to find out who these people were.

The next day no less than twelve letters arrived for Silver, they were slid under the door and one even came through the bathroom window. Menthor stayed home again and blocked all the gaps under the doors and made everyone close the windows. He was started to lose it as he was constantly whistling and jumping at small noises.

Saturday was when it got seriously out of hand. 24 letters had arrived inside the eggs that the confused milkman had to hand Cynthia through the kitchen window. Cynthia shredded these letters in her food mixer while Menthor was on the phone complaining to the post office. "Who wants to talk to you this badly?" Menniker asked Silver.

On Sunday Menthor was sitting at the breakfast table looking exhausted, very ill and yet he looked very happy "No post on Sundays. No damn letters today" he told them as he spread butter over his newspaper. Something suddenly hit him in the face. It was a letter and then amazingly hundreds of letters were pouring out of the fireplace at high speeds. Silver got to his feet to try and grab one but Menthor was too fast and grabbed him by his quills "OUT!". He got thrown into the hall. The others ran out as well and Menthor slammed the door shut "That's it! I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!".

10 minutes later they were in the car heading away from the house. Menniker was sobbing in the back after Menthor hit him over the head for holding them back while trying to carrying all his toys. They drove and drove and drove nobody daring to ask Menthor where they were going. Every now and then he would make a sharp turn and head in completely the opposite direction muttering "Shake em off. Shake em off" whenever he did. They didn't eat anything all day, Menniker was miserable. Finally at night they stopped at a gloomy looking hotel. Silver and Menniker had to share a room. Menniker's snoring would have kept Silver awake if he was actually trying to sleep. Silver instead was at the windowsill hoping to see some sign of the people who had his letters.

The next morning they at stale cereal and old tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast when the owner of the hotel came over. He was looking at Silver "Excuse me, my boy, is your name Silver by any chance? I only got about a hundred letters asking for him" she held up letter: Mr Silver the Hedgehog, Room 17. Silver made a grab for the letter but Menthor got it first "I'll take them". They spent the rest of the day waiting for Menthor to find somewhere remote enough to stay. They checked a forests and fields but none of them satisfied. Finally they stopped near the coast and Menthor left to talk to someone. Menniker began to complain that it was Monday and his favourite show was on, he then asked if his father had gone mad. Silver suddenly realised, if it was Monday today then that meant tomorrow was 31st of July. Menthor returned holding a package but he didn't answer when Cynthia asked what is was "Found a great place". He looked deranged as he pointed at a very small island out in the water with a small old shack on it. Menthor laughed "Storm forecast tonight and this gentlemen has agreed to lend us his boat" he gestured to an old duck without any feathers and a nasty grin pointed at an old rowboat. After what seemed like hours of the cold water hitting their faces they managed to reach the island. The house was horrible, it smelled like seaweed, there was no power and there were holes in the walls that let the cold air in. Menthor handed out rations he had collected which turned out to be four bananas and crisps. He tried to burn the packets once everyone finished to start a fire but they just shrivelled up "Could do with some of those letters now, eh" he said cheerfully. Silver didn't find this cheerful at all as he couldn't see anyway his letters could get to him now.

Once night rolled around Cynthia found some old mouldy blankets. She and Menthor slept in the one bedroom while Menniker got the couch. This left Silver with the thinnest blanket trying to find the most comfortable part the floor. He almost wished the roof would cave in so he would have something more to cover him. It wasn't just the cold though, the thunder was so loud he couldn't hear Menniker's snoring. He tried to get his mind of how hungry he was by wondering where the letter writer was now. Maybe the house was so full at this point that he'd be able to steal one when they went back. He looked over to the clock, it was two minutes to midnight. Silver quickly turned on his stomach and used his finger to draw something on the dusty floor. After a minute it became clear. He drew a cake with the words Happy Birthday written inside and eleven candles surrounding it. Silver stared at it "Make a wish, Silver". He blew the dust away when *BOOM* Silver shot bolt upright staring at the door. Something outside was trying to get in.