Megan Potter Book 1 *Editing*

Chapter 18. Stupid Memory

18. Stupid Memory

Megan POV

Christmas was coming although it didn't mean much to me, I'd never celebrated Christmas when I had lived in the orphanage. We hadn't been able to afford to buy any small decorations or even a tiny gift for one another. Besides even if we'd had the money Mrs Johnston wouldn't have cared about us being happy, she would have spent all the money on magazines and smokes like she already did.

One morning in mid December I woke to see snow out the window. I'd never been allowed out side in the snow. All the other children would be wearing their warmest clothes and making snow men and having snow fights while I would get locked in the orphanage and be made to stock up the fire and clean the building from top to bottom. Mrs Johnston had always seemed to hate me, maybe deep inside of her she had been scared of me because she had known I was different.

That morning I dressed quickly and ate my breakfast in a record breaking time. I was wearing warm clothes and was ready for the snow.

I rushed out of the Great Hall and pushed open the huge front doors to the castle. I went to take my first step into the snow but I froze. The snow brought back so many bad memories that I had been blocking out ever since they happened but as soon as I saw snow they would come back.

*Memory*

I woke up early, it was Christmas morning. I walked over to the small window in my attic bedroom and peered out as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.

The usually rundown neighbour hood had been transformed over night. Everywhere I looked there was snow, it glistened as it clung to the branches of practically dead trees and disguised the sickly looking plants and the drab houses.

My eyes shone with delight, maybe this year Mrs Johnston would let me go out side and play in the snow. I imagined what it would be like and then I began to think what I would do first. Should I make Snow angels or join in with a snow fight with the rest of the children or make the biggest snow man anyone had ever seen.

My dreams were shattered as the door creaked open and Mrs Johnston's crabby voice filled the room.

"Get ready quickly and get downstairs to make breakfast. You have twenty minutes to have something on the table so make it snappy."

"Yes Mrs," I sighed.

"Keep your filthy mouth shut you freak!" she roared and struck me across the face.

She stormed out without a glance back I placed one hand over my stinging cheek. I guess there would be no snow for me today.

I dressed fast and headed straight to the kitchen and began to toast some slightly stale looking bread. It would do for now, not like any of the others would notice if the food was going off, no one else ever came in the kitchen unless it was to yell at me to hurry up and if they thought that the food tasted bad they would blame it on my cooking.

Soon I had three plates stacked up high with toast, I took them out and stuck them on the rickety dinning table. Slowly all of the others began to come and sit at the table. I set out the plates and watched hungrily as they devoured the breakfast I had just made for them.

"My toast is burnt," snapped Tommy, one of the other orphans. "Go make me some more."

I sighed and went to get another plate load of toast. Once I placed the fresh toast on the table I began collecting the used plates and taking them to the kitchen so I could do the dishes.

I took Tommy's plate once he was finished and began doing the dishes. I wasn't interrupted until I was half-way through. It was Mrs Johnston.

"Megan," she barked. "Once you've done with that you need to sweep the floors and dust the lounge room then you can do the washing and clean the bathrooms."