1999
Dear Rosie,
They say they are sending my letters but Mummy hasn’t written back. Is she still cross with me?
Daddy hasn’t written either so I’m writing to you because you sent me that picture when I first got here and I know you aren’t mad with me. How did you send it? Did Uncle Toby help you?
I miss you.
It’s all right here. We do school and on Fridays they let us watch a film. Last week, we made popcorn. We’re working on an art project. It’s about lightning and conduction. We have to make a model of a storm. Do you remember that big storm we had last year when the tree outside rattled the windows and we hugged each other in bed because we were scared?
You can’t act scared here. If you feel it, you have to hide it deep inside. If they know you’re scared, they laugh at you, and one girl, who’s always crying, got pushed into the wall because they knew she wouldn’t tattle-tale. I don’t cry here. Only sometimes at night, in bed, when it’s dark and they can’t see or hear me. That’s when I miss you the most. And Mummy and Daddy.
I’ve got a nice teacher. Nicer than Mrs Brooking at school. She lets me get three books out of the library instead of two. I got out Horrid Henry the other day because it reminded me of you. But then that made me sad so I took it back again. Now I’m reading Black Beauty. It’s not bad.
Anyway, I hope you write back. And that you come and see me some time.
Love,
Laurel xxx
P.S. Do you still play the game?