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Back The Chalet Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise for The Chalet
  3. Dedication
  4. PART ONE
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. PART TWO
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. PART THREE
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. Epilogue
  71. Acknowledgements
  72. Keep Reading …
  73. Prologue
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

‘Mama, I clean it,’ I said, dabbing at it again and holding up the cloth. ‘Look.’ I stared down at the mush on the floor. It was still there but I said, ‘All gone now,’ even so.

Her hands were covering her face and she was still sobbing loudly. I didn’t know what to do. ‘Mama, I put myself to bed. You have rest. I a big girl now,’ I said. I thought that would make her feel better. She was always so tired.

I wandered into the room we shared, took off my clothes and put on my nightie. It was too small and had a rip in it, but I didn’t care because it had pictures of bubbles on. It was my favourite thing to wear and sometimes I wore it all day as well as at night. Usually Mama didn’t notice.

I got into my little bed with Teddy and opened a book. I couldn’t read but I didn’t have many books and I knew all the stories off by heart. I could tell which one this was by the pictures – it was the one about the giant – so I started to read to Teddy. Mama didn’t always read me a story, but sometimes when she had had a good day she did. Mostly, she didn’t.

It was difficult for me to tell when Teddy was asleep because he didn’t move or talk very much, so I read all the way to the end of the book, even though I couldn’t remember all the words and I might have got some of them wrong. I didn’t think Teddy minded. He and I spent a lot of time together because I didn’t know any other children. Then I lay down and shut my eyes tight. I left the light on because that’s what I always did when I went to sleep. That way, no monsters could come in before Mama did. When Mama came to bed she would turn off the light, but that was OK, I didn’t mind because monsters definitely wouldn’t come in while she was there, even if she was asleep. She would protect me.

I squeezed my eyes so tight it started to hurt. I opened them again, but Mama still wasn’t there. I held my breath to see if I could hear if she was still crying but I couldn’t tell. I sang softly to Teddy – he liked songs. I didn’t know many songs, only the ones I’d heard on the TV, but I didn’t think Teddy minded.