The alarm clock ticked slowly towards 06:40am, Dan sat up in his bed his room felt colder than usual, he could see the breath he had expelled from his nose.
He shivered, yawned and rubbed his eyes, his mother bellowed up to him " breakfast is ready" Dan quickly got washed and dressed in his hand me down school uniform, which was two sizes to big for him. He went down stairs and walked into the usual cold damp kitchen.

Dan's mother was stood at the sink in her old grey overcoat and curlers washing up in cold dirty water. She always had a roll up hanging out her mouth, Dan couldn't work out how his mother could afford to smoke but not pay the electricity bill.

Dan sat at the table on an old apple crate, in front of him laid a bowl of cold lumpy porridge, he thought about throwing it away but he knew this might be the only meal he had today , so he ate it quickly.

The clock ticked towards 7:00am, Dan gave...