Dear Aunt Estella

Dear Aunt Estella,

Hi! I hope you’re doing awesome! I have to tell you about something that's happening at school, and it's kind of a big deal (at least for me). We’re having a writing contest, and the winner gets a trophy and a gift card to the bookshop, which is like, the best thing ever! When Mrs. Logan first told us about it, I was super excited because I really want that gift card!!

But then... I don’t know. I started feeling like maybe I shouldn’t even try. There’s this girl in my class, Emma, and she’s, like, really good at writing. Her Mum is an edeitor, don’t know if I spell that right. People working in newspaper. So she is telling she will be the winner. It’s like she’s already a professional or something! I bet whatever she writes is going to be so amazing, and I’ll just be like, “Oh, well, never mind!”

It’s really not fair because I really, really want to do it, but I’m scared I’m not good enough. What if my story isn’t any good and everyone thinks it’s silly? I keep thinking about it, and it’s making me so nervous. I don’t want to mess up, but I don’t want to quit either. Ugh, I wish I could just feel as confident as Emma does.

I thought maybe you could help me? Do you have any ideas on what I can write? I know you’ll tell me it’s okay to be nervous and that I should try anyway! You always know how to make me feel better, and I could really use some of your advice right now.

I miss you a lot! I can’t wait to hear back from you. Can you visit soon? I know mum doesn’t like it when you come but we can go to the park! Then you don’t have to fight with her.

Btw, mum and dad are acting really weird. I overheard them talking about a “bad news”. Mum is crying all the time this week and I think they are hiding something from me. Dad barely takes Max out for walk and asks me to clean up all his poops in the garden. Max is growing really old and slow. Baby Robin is no help at all. When I asked them for help with the story, they just ignore me. Mum is asking me who I am writing to. If they aren’t gonna tell me, I am not going to tell them.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Thank you so much for your encouragement!! It really made me feel better. At least ONE person believes in me! Now, I’m totally determined to win, no matter what. I am already thinking about what I want to buy with it! I have to beat Emma! Her mum said she’d publish Emma’s story in her magazine if she wins, and it’s just so unfair! Then, Emma said it is not fair that I have a driver and a night chef and a cleaning lady. I’m so jealous because she can really write, but I want to prove I can do it too. It is more than the gift card now! I’m going to write the best story ever. Emma doesn’t stand a chance this time!

BTW, mum shouted at me when I asked her to take me to the bookshop. I am out of idea what to write. I just want to get some ideas, can you help me?

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Thank you for your letter! I was thinking about what you said, but I can’t do it —Baby Robin is only 5. I can't do that to him! (Can you bring him back? Can you promise?) But our poodle is 12 years old. Do you think you could use Max instead? The Duncan twins used to come over to play with him (Emma said they went missing, I haven’t seen them in school and Mrs. Logan said don’t ask). Max’s been around for a while, so maybe it is time for him to go. I’m not sure how to do this, but my parents are away this weekend (I overheard, it is about a funeral and some killer died in a burning house. They are so busy), so it’s the perfect time to do it.

(I don’t like Max anyway. I want the gift card more than picking up his poop everyday anyway. I saw the trophy today and it looks bigger than Max anyway.)

What do you think? How should I do it?

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

You were totally right! I found Mum’s rat poison exactly where you said it would be—in the garage on the top shelf. It was kind of tricky to reach, and I had to use a stool, but I got it! I was so excited, but then, guess what happened? Baby Robin almost caught me! He came into the garage right when I was putting the stool back. My heart was racing, but I managed to distract him by saying we could play hide and seek.

I can’t believe I actually found it! I feel like a secret agent or something. I’m so nervous, but I know this is going to work out, especially with your help. I mixed it with eggs before pouring it into Max’s food. It looks so blended together.

Thanks for being so smart and knowing where everything is! I’ll let you know how it goes.

Btw, mum and dad said they found a bunch of weird stuff in your home. They won’t tell me about it. Dad sent me to time out when I asked. When I sneaked down for cookies, they said the police found “skulls and red candles and stars in circles” in your home. Mum also said the police said they can’t wash off the words on the wall and the words were “enjoy mum’s in-herit-ence, you selfish (bad word). I’ll come for you soon.” What is in-hertence (I don’t even know how to spell it)?

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

I have some really sad news. Our poodle, Max, passed away yesterday. Mum and Dad broke down completely, and the whole house feels so different without him. Abby our babysitter came over. I know I should feel really sad too, but honestly, I feel a bit relieved. I don't have to pick up his poop anymore, and I didn’t realize how much I hated doing that until now. I feel guilty for thinking that, but it’s true.

Something strange happened after Max passed away, though. It was like my hands were magic or something. Suddenly, I was able to finish my short story and submit it without even thinking! It’s like everything just clicked, and I was done in no time! I should probably feel bad for not being as sad as everyone else, but all I can think about is how happy I am that I got my story in before the deadline.

Now I feel like I have to pretend to be sad around Mum and Dad because they’re so upset. But inside, I’m just really glad I finished my story and got it submitted. Mum didn’t even have time to read my story!

Is that terrible? I hope I’m not a bad person for feeling this way. I think I will feel better when I get the trophy. I can see myself holding it, and the gift card!!

I just wish Mum and Dad have some time for me. They are speaking to the police a lot. I heard them talking about missing kids found in a closet in the house. Maybe it was the Duncan twins! I heard the policeman said they were “blue” and ‘de-ce-s-ed’. Maybe you can tell me.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Guess what? I made it to the finalist round! Emma did too, of course. I really, really want to win this and beat her. I did something bad, though... When Emma was using the bathroom at school, I locked the door from the outside. I don’t know what I was doing! It was like when I was writing the story, my hands just did it magically. But not like happy magically. I was a little bit scared of myself. She was stuck for a while, and I felt worse about not feeling bad than I did about what I did.

I hope this doesn’t make me a terrible person. I just really want to win. No I think wanting to win doesn’t’ make me a terrible person – look at the people at Olympic. They aren’t bad people for winning.

Btw, mum and dad let me stay home today. Our neighbours were throwing rocks and junks at our house this morning! I saw the police pepper spraying Duncan twins’ dad! But Dad closed the curtain before I could see more. When I asked, he sent me to time out. Nobody wants to spend time with me. I guess they will after I win the gift card and the trophy. I will show them. This is a secret between us now.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

The final deadline for the contest is this Friday, and I still can’t think of anything to write!!! I’m starting to panic because I really, really want to win this, but my mind is just blank. I am thinking about what you said. You said you could bring baby back. Can you promise me you’ll do that? I need something, anything, to help me get this done. The deadline is so close, and I’m getting scared.

Please help me.

Btw, someone spat at us at the supermarket! Dad’s race cars were also smashed!! He was really upset about it and had the driver sacked. Too bad because I really liked our driver. We didn’t always have a driver. Only after gramma passed that we moved into this big house and have all these nice things.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Is that the only way? I really don’t want to. But you are right. I really want the trophy. But I also like Baby Robin. But you are also right because Baby Robin just cries and everyone expects me to take care of him now. Mum and dad are really busy because Duncan Twin’s dad is throwing bricks into our house every day and the police stopped helping us. I wonder what happened.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

You promise? You promise Baby Robin will come back? I am scared but I really want to win! Guess I can put it in his cereal? You can bring him back right? It will be like he is taking a nap, right?

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Okay, you promise? I will do it during breakfast. Mum and dad are with the police again. Someone wrote something KILLER outside our wall! They can’t be calling me right? No, silly, no you will bring Baby Robin back. I just put him to sleep for a little while. And Max was old. No, they weren’t calling me that.

Well probably slug killer – dad kills so many slugs in our garden during the summer. It was so gross and he used to chase me and Baby Robin around with them. It was so much fun in our old house. It was smaller and sometimes we didn’t have water because we couldn’t pay the bill and sometimes mum and dad just watched us eat. But mum and dad were nicer. A lot nicer.

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

I put it in and not so much, and Baby Robin felt really sick in the afternoon. Abby called the ambulance and they said Baby Robin was gone. He is sleeping like you said. Right? You are bringing him back right?

Mum slapped Abby when she saw the rat poison in the kitchen counter (I thought I put it back! I am sure I put it back) She was so angry and sad and she hugged me for a long time. I told her I had homework to finish. I don’t want to be around her, because I want to tell her about Baby Robin. I want to tell her that he is just sleeping and you will bring him back soon. I want to tell her that I had a strange dream holding crayons. But it is our secret.

One good thing out of this very bad day: My writing magic came back! As soon as I went into my room, I was writing very fast and 30 minutes later, I finished my story! I will submit it tomorrow. But I don’t know if mum will let me go to school. If she doesn’t, I will go from the back door. I don’t care! I need to win this!

Thank you for always encouraging me. Love you so much!! I cannot wait to show you the trophy!

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Guess what?? I won! I won! I WON!!! I wish I can see Emma’s face!! I won!

Mrs. Logan phoned me because dad and mum asked me to stay home. She spoke to me on phone and asked me how I was feeling. I told her Baby Robin is asleep and will come back soon. Don’t be mad, but I had to tell someone!

Mrs. Logan asked if I had help. I told her you have been helping me!

When are you bringing Baby Robin back? The house is really quite now. Can you bring back Max too! I am missing him too. Mrs. Logan said she will mail us the trophy and the gift card! She said she needs to speak to dad. Can you visit soon? I want to show you the trophy!!

Mum has been quite sick. She woke up this morning saying someone was strangling her and yanking out her hair last night! Her neck was red and purple with finger marks and a patch of her hair is gone! Weird, and we found charcoal footprint on the floor (like from the grill during BBQ)! From the front door to their bedroom! They sleep on the 3^rd floor and the white grand staircases were full of big and small black footprints. Our house also smelled like something burnt.

Dad had to hire cleaners, but nobody wanted to come to our house. Dad had to clean it himself with a mop. I helped him and we made popcorn. He cried at the microwave and said he wished we never took all of grandma’s money. He said he never needed it and he only needed me and Robin. He even said he was sorry for not writing the story with me. He said he is very proud of me for winning. That made me feel bad.

When are you bringing Baby Robin back!! You promised! You didn’t lie to me, right?

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

You haven’t replied my last letter and I am a little bit mad! When are you bringing Baby Robin back? You promised! I overhead dad talking to Mrs. Logan. They think I am imagining things!

I have been hiding your letters and I write in secret now in my bed tent with a torch! When are you bringing Baby Robin back? The trophy is arriving tomorrow.

But I am scared now. Where are you?

Our night chef left. So mum was cooking lasagna last night (she made it better than the restaurants). Then she was screaming suddenly. Dad said he saw them too! They said it was a woman with a burnt face with two twin boys, laughing and swinging on the chandalieer (don’t know how to spell) in the hall! Maybe it is the Duncan Twins? But why are they in our house? The chandalieer fell down and when I came down, it was on the floor. It wasn’t on fire but the crystal and light bulbs all broken! We ordered pizza and mum and dad asked me to stay in bed with them (their bed is king size and really smooth sheet). They let me pick a movie and watched with me and let me eat crisps and cookies on the bed. It felt like home for the first time since we moved into this big house.

I should tell Mrs Logan they are imagining things! The firefighters came to our house (our house is very big and they had to check for many hours). They said they can’t find anything about the smell.

But they found a big star in circle under Baby Robin’s bed. It was drawn with my crayons! But I didn’t do it – I had a dream I did but I didn’t, I swear. It stinks like barbeque.

When are you bringing Baby Robin back!! Why Are You Answering Meeeeeee? You PROMISED!!

Love,

Lydia

Dear Aunt Estella,

Mum sat me down today and told me you died. She said you took the Duncan Twins and your house was caught on fire and the living room was burnt down. I told her it isn’t true. Because you were writing to me all the time.

When I showed them the letters I hid, dad said he was calling Father Pedro from the church. Why is he calling the church? What is happening? Father Pedro came over and shaking and threw up at our front door and said he had to ask Vidican for help? What is even that?

I am scared now. Tell me what is happening. I told her about Max but I can’t tell her about Baby Robin. Where is baby robin? You promised. Did you lie to me? You said Baby Robin is sleeping. I don’t want the trophy or the gift card, or beating Emma. Who are you? What are you?

Lydia 

Dear Sweet Lydia,

I’ll see you all tonight. Sleep well.

Love,

Aunt Estella