I had been walking around outside, when my necklace chain had broken. I knew I had a small case in my trunk, including pliers and a spare chain that I could use to fix it, so I walked back inside, and pulled out my trunk when I arrived in my room.
I put my hand inside it, and rummaged around in the bottom of it, trying to find the case. Finally, my hand hit something, so I gripped onto it, and pulled it out.
It wasn't the case that I was looking for. It was an old, crinkled envelope, which, when I held it up towards me, smelt of lavender and roses. I realised that I knew what the envelope was, I remembered being given it. I sat back, and closed my eyes, letting the memory wash over me.

I was four, and was sitting outside in the back garden, watching the dragons, while sitting with my aunt, and my Grandma came out, holding an envelope, then she passed it to me.
"This is from your mum." she said, "I've just found it. It's addressed to you."
I opened the envelope, which hadn't been sealed, and pulled out a bit of paper. I unfolded it, and laid it on the grass in front of me and my aunt. When I looked at the letter, I saw that it had been written in purple ink. My aunt laughed slightly. "She always liked that purple ink." she said. I picked up the letter, and started to read it, with help from my aunt with the words that I didn't know. But, from then, the memory faded, and I couldn't remember what had happened.

I heard a crash, and opened my eyes with a jolt. The lid of my trunk had slammed shut.
I took a deep breath, and then opened the envelope, and unfolded the piece of paper inside.
My mum’s handwriting was staring back up at me, in her purple ink, and I saw with horror that some of the words were obscured by a stain. But, as I looked closer, I realised that I was still just about able to read the letter. I whispered the words as I read them.
“Darling Cinder, if you are reading this, then I have left, whether permanently, or for a short while. I am going to tell you a story. It is about a family of hedgehogs.
Once upon a time, in a place not too far away from our home, there were families of different animals. One day, the youngest hedgehog got into trouble. A dog came along, and saw her, and asked “Are you alright? Do you need help?”. The little hedgehog replied, “No, I’m fine, thank you, Mr Dog.” But then, as the different animals came past, asked her if she needed help, she kept saying no, that she was fine. So, she was left, in trouble, refusing any help, until another hedgehog, little hedgehog’s sister, came along, and helped her. However, if the other hedgehog hadn’t come along, little hedgehog would still be in trouble to this very day. So, she needed to learn to rely on other people. But, refusing help, like little hedgehog, passed down through the generations. I love you, little Cinder, and I will always love you, no matter where I am, or what happens to us.”
I lay on the floor, staring at the letter. What did it mean, all this stuff about animals. As I’d heard from my Grandma, Mum had hated stories, particularly nonsense stories like that, unless they meant something.
But then, at that moment, I remembered a true story my aunt had told me, from back when she was in the first year of Hogwarts. Mum had been in trouble, and refused help from anyone, even her closest friends. Aunt Spark had come just in time, helping her out.
So, was that the story mum was trying to tell me? It made sense. But, why would she write it about hedgehogs, why did she even need to tell me at all.
Had she written about the hedgehogs so that I, as a young child, wouldn’t know what she meant? So, now, what was she trying to get across, and tell me about, even after her death.
I stared at the letter mindlessly, for what must’ve been at least five minutes, maybe more. Finally, I looked at the last few lines one final time. “But, refusing help, like little hedgehog, passed down through the generations.”
“Oh.” I put my head down on the cold floor for a few seconds. “If mum was the little hedgehog…”
She was warning me, I saw now. She was warning me against myself, that I would be like the hedgehog, refusing help, leading me into deeper trouble than I was in to begin with.
And, although I hated it, I knew she was right. I was already like the hedgehog, distancing myself from others in my greatest time of need.
I took a deep breath, before sitting up.
“Mum, if you can hear this in any way.” I paused for a second. “I promise I won’t be like the hedgehog.”
I promise… easier to say than keep. But, I knew I had to try. If I don’t, then I would just be ignoring my mum.
I promise…