Do you want to know what happened at the beginning? Well, I woke up yesterday and Mummy and Daddy were arguing in the kitchen. I don’t know what about. They are always arguing. 

When I got downstairs Mummy was saying something like ‘You don’t know what it’s like being shut in here all day’ and she was crying. And Daddy was saying ‘You need to pull yourself together’ or something like that. They are always arguing. 

Then Daddy put her arm round Mummy but she just said ‘Get off’ and pushed him away. So Daddy said ‘I can’t stand much more of this,’ and went off into the hall. When he came back he had his coat on. He said, ‘I’m going to the shop.’

And Mummy said, ‘You’d better take her. I can’t stand the sight of her.’

That made me feel bad. It was not my fault they were arguing. And I wanted my breakfast. But Daddy said, ‘Don’t worry, pet. Mummy doesn’t mean it. She’s just not feeling very well.’ 

When I don’t feel very well I don’t say nasty things. 

Daddy brought me in my coat and put it on me. It was my best purple coat with a zip up the front. Then he held my hand and we walked to the front door. ‘Bye Mummy,’ I said, but she didn’t say anything. Daddy didn’t say anything either. He slammed the door. 

We got to the car and Daddy put me in my car seat. I’m too big for it but I like it because I can see out. Then Daddy started the car and brmm brmm off we went. 

We didn’t drive very far. I saw my street, and then we turned and I saw another and another. And then we stopped outside a little shop. You could see inside. It sold groceries.

‘I won’t be a minute, Pet,’ said Daddy, and then he went into the shop.

I wondered how long he would be. It was boring, so I decided to practise my counting. I was up to five hundred and sixty three when there was a noise from the front and a man got in. 

I didn’t know who he was. He was wearing jeans and a pullover and he smelled bad. I was too shocked to say anything, so I just sat there. Then he put his hands in under the steering wheel and pulled some wires out and fiddled with them. Then he got the steering wheel and jerked it from side to side until there was loud noise like something breaking. 

And then we drove off. 

I was so scared I could not speak. We went away from the shop, faster and faster, through the town and into the countryside. And then we came to another town. 

I was really scared and I wanted to go to the toilet. So I began to cry. 

The man looked round at me and said something rude. I can’t tell you what he said. I’m not allowed to say words like that. 

And then he stopped the car very quickly and my head went forward and the seatbelt hurt me. And then he ran away. 

I was still afraid and I did not get out. I weed in my seat. I thought Daddy would be cross. 

And then I saw the flashing lights and heard the nee-naw of the police car and thought I’d be all right. A nice policewoman came and lifted me out. ‘It’s OK, sweetheart,’ she said, and I knew I’d be safe. She put a blanket round me and put me in the car. Daddy was there too. He looked very pleased to see me. And then they took me home, and Mummy was pleased to see me too. She didn’t look sad any more.

And the next day they brought me here and asked me to tell you all about it. So here I am.