"Get up! Hurry up and get up!"
The shrill roar scraped across the air like rusty iron against glass, piercing through the uninsulated wooden door and advancing with an unquestionable pressure.
The next second, a thunderous bang bang bang sounded at his door, so forceful that it seemed the door would be torn off its hinges at any moment.
Harry forced his heavy eyelids open, his mind still muddled—once again, he had broken free from a bizarre nightmare.
There were always roars tearing through the air in his dreams, explosions of multicolored light, and faint whispers circling his ears... But no matter how chaotic the dream was, the moment his aunt's voice lashed out like a whip, he would wake instantly—though waking up was often even more suffocating than the nightmare.
And what did being awake change? It only meant leaving one cage for another.
Boom—!
A tremendous crash exploded above his head. Harry's heart clenched, and for a moment, he thought there had been an earthquake.
He hurriedly fumbled for his glasses and put them on. Dust sifted down through the cracks in the bed frame, and only after a long while did he realize that his cousin Dudley was stomping around upstairs again.
Ptooey, ptooey!
Tch, what kind of stimulant had he taken today?
Harry pricked up his ears and listened carefully. From the scattered words he caught, he learned that it was because today was Dudley's birthday.
Harry curled his lip, then forcibly pulled on a stiff smile before unlocking the door and walking out.
The kitchen was spacious enough to fit a small truck. Harry stood on tiptoe, flipping the frying pan with quick, practiced movements.
He knew these motions by heart. His thoughts were nowhere near the bacon in the pan, while his ears stood