Standing Alone

Part 1

"Wake Up!" I heard the high pitch squeal of my aunt Petunia. I groan and stretch nudging my twin brother.

"Harry" I call waking him

We both make our way out of the cubby.

"Hurry and make breakfast already." Aunt Petunia commands

Harry rolls his eyes as we make our way to the kitchen.

I start to crack open eggs, while harry makes pancake batter.

It was our cousin Dudley's birthday.

Dudley started shouting about his gifts as we set the table.

"Out freaks." Uncle Vernon orders harshly and I hurry out of the room.

I was able to sneak a couple pancakes for harry and I to share.

Harry glares towards the living room.

"Harry" I hiss quietly

"I'm sick of this" he says when we enter our room

"I know" I sigh

Harry and I had completely opposite personalities. Harry was outspoken, headstrong, and brave. I however was quiet, obedient, and skittish. Our appearances were also different. I had long sandy brown hair, freckles and green eyes. Harry had shaggy black hair and green eyes  like me. He also had a scar on his forehead. It was our eyes that we shared in common. We've been living with our awful aunt and uncle our entire lives. They both despise harry and I. Every day we have set chores, hard labor chores. We are allowed to eat one small meal every other day. Almost every night uncle Vernon will drag me out of the cubby while harry sleeps. He drags me to his office where I am whipped with a belt until I'm left either bloody or unconscious.  

I keep that a secret from harry.

The lock on the cubby clicks.

"Did you hear where they are going this year?" I ask harry

"The zoo" he answers and I sigh.

The cubby lock clicks again. I open my eyes and see harry asleep. Meaning its time again. I sit up and curl my knees to my chest and close my eyes tightly. I'm grabbed by the hair and I bit my lip to keep from crying out loud. I don't make a sound. It's always worse when I do. He throws me onto the ground of his office. I always keep my eyes shut. I hear the belt and tense. The first hit is always the worst. I force my mind to go somewhere safe. I grow tired losing count of the blows. I'm dragged back to the cubby where I lay on my side and cry silently.

"Holly?" harry whispers

"Shh Harry" I whisper back and he falls back asleep.

I'm cleaning the living room when Harry walks in looking puzzled. He hands the post to uncle Vernon. He hands me a letter with my name on it. I look at him with the same puzzled look. Before we can open them, Dudley rips them from our hands and waves them around.

"Dad the freaks got letters" he shouts

"Letters from whom?" uncle Vernon looks at them and immediately tosses them into the fire.

"Those are our letters" Harry shouts

I keep my eyes on the ground

"Not anymore" uncle Vernon says and walks away.

Over the next few weeks, we continue to receive these strange envelopes. Uncle Vernon losses his mind after that and moves us far away.

He was satisfied when the letters stopped.