Maschinenmensch
Moon
- Joined
- May 16, 2011
Miss R. Potter
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
There had to be some mistake. It couldn’t possibly be a letter for her. But here it was, large as life, a thick yellowish envelope with the spidery writing in bright green ink. Rose turned the envelope over in her hands, feeling the smooth paper crinkle beneath her fingertips. She padded back into the kitchen, handing her uncle a bill and a postcard and sat down, easing her index finger under the red wax seal rather than breaking the rather splendid symbol stamped into it.
‘Dad! Rose’s got something!’ came a loud, bullying voice and the sheet of vellum that Rose had just eased out of the envelope was snatched from her hand by her horrid cousin Dudley. The fat blonde boy was surprisingly quick as he thundered over to his father and grinned nastily at Rose.
‘That’s mine!’ said Rose, following Dudley and attempting to take back the letter but Uncle Vernon moved with the same prissy speed and took the letter from his son.
‘Who on earth would be writing to you?’ he sneered at Rose and unfolded the thick creamy paper. His eyes scanned the ink, slowly widening until Rose was certain they’d just fall out of his head like marbles and roll across the floor.
‘PETUNIA!’ he shouted, and a tall, thin woman with a pinched and sour expression appeared, and Vernon handed her the letter.
‘Oh my goodness!’ Petunia said as she read the first line, and turned an accusatory, goggling look on Rose which made the girl shrink back against the wall.
‘I want to read the letter,’ announced Dudley.
‘I want to read it, as it’s mine anyway,’ said Rose.
‘GET OUT!’ shouted Vernon, and swept the two children out of the room, slamming the kitchen door behind them.
Rose pressed her ear against the door, but Dudley shoved her out of the way and polished the keyhole with his ear instead. He needn’t have bothered, Rose could hear her aunt and uncle even through the door.
‘Look at the address Vernon,’ said Petunia, ‘They must be watching the house. They know where she sleeps!’
‘Watching, spying, maybe following us,’ said Vernon.
‘What shall we do?’
‘We’ll do nothing, we don’t want anything to do with those people. We’ll just ignore it.’
‘But Vernon-’
‘We’re not having one of those freaks in this house! Didn’t I say I wouldn’t have any your sister’s nonsense here when we took her daughter in?’
Rose frowned and wanted to continue listening but Dudley got bored and chased her into the garden, carrying a stick he used to occasionally thwack her with when he caught up with her. After breakfast Rose asked for her letter but Uncle Vernon told her he’d burnt it and she wasn’t to ask about the contents unless she wanted to go without supper that night. Rose had gone outside again and kicked an old tin can down the road in frustration, earning herself an evil look from the old woman who lived next door. She entertained herself with the image of Dudley falling into the snake pen a few weeks earlier and reminded herself that she snake had talked to her, actually talked. But apart from that she was convinced nothing exciting would ever happen to her.
The Cupboard under the Stairs
4 Privet Drive
Little Whinging
Surrey
There had to be some mistake. It couldn’t possibly be a letter for her. But here it was, large as life, a thick yellowish envelope with the spidery writing in bright green ink. Rose turned the envelope over in her hands, feeling the smooth paper crinkle beneath her fingertips. She padded back into the kitchen, handing her uncle a bill and a postcard and sat down, easing her index finger under the red wax seal rather than breaking the rather splendid symbol stamped into it.
‘Dad! Rose’s got something!’ came a loud, bullying voice and the sheet of vellum that Rose had just eased out of the envelope was snatched from her hand by her horrid cousin Dudley. The fat blonde boy was surprisingly quick as he thundered over to his father and grinned nastily at Rose.
‘That’s mine!’ said Rose, following Dudley and attempting to take back the letter but Uncle Vernon moved with the same prissy speed and took the letter from his son.
‘Who on earth would be writing to you?’ he sneered at Rose and unfolded the thick creamy paper. His eyes scanned the ink, slowly widening until Rose was certain they’d just fall out of his head like marbles and roll across the floor.
‘PETUNIA!’ he shouted, and a tall, thin woman with a pinched and sour expression appeared, and Vernon handed her the letter.
‘Oh my goodness!’ Petunia said as she read the first line, and turned an accusatory, goggling look on Rose which made the girl shrink back against the wall.
‘I want to read the letter,’ announced Dudley.
‘I want to read it, as it’s mine anyway,’ said Rose.
‘GET OUT!’ shouted Vernon, and swept the two children out of the room, slamming the kitchen door behind them.
Rose pressed her ear against the door, but Dudley shoved her out of the way and polished the keyhole with his ear instead. He needn’t have bothered, Rose could hear her aunt and uncle even through the door.
‘Look at the address Vernon,’ said Petunia, ‘They must be watching the house. They know where she sleeps!’
‘Watching, spying, maybe following us,’ said Vernon.
‘What shall we do?’
‘We’ll do nothing, we don’t want anything to do with those people. We’ll just ignore it.’
‘But Vernon-’
‘We’re not having one of those freaks in this house! Didn’t I say I wouldn’t have any your sister’s nonsense here when we took her daughter in?’
Rose frowned and wanted to continue listening but Dudley got bored and chased her into the garden, carrying a stick he used to occasionally thwack her with when he caught up with her. After breakfast Rose asked for her letter but Uncle Vernon told her he’d burnt it and she wasn’t to ask about the contents unless she wanted to go without supper that night. Rose had gone outside again and kicked an old tin can down the road in frustration, earning herself an evil look from the old woman who lived next door. She entertained herself with the image of Dudley falling into the snake pen a few weeks earlier and reminded herself that she snake had talked to her, actually talked. But apart from that she was convinced nothing exciting would ever happen to her.