Anne and W.D walked down the street, they headed for the nearest market place where they would attempt to steal themselves something to eat for the day.
Anne scrambled to keep up with W.D, he was particularly tense that day.
They had been sleeping in an alleyway behind a butchers. They pushed out the heavy metal dumpsters and lay huddled on the floor behind it.
The dumpster did a poor job of blocking the harsh bitter cold wind, Anne wrapped her dirty worn out grey shawl around them for warmth but they still shivered violently.
W.D gave Anne his hat to rest her head on as a poor substitute for a pillow.
Snow began to fall, a light layer of frost began to settle upon Anne's thin shawl, "I-I'm s-so c-cold D" she shivered.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders pulling her closer to his chest, he lifted his shirt so she could place her hands on his stomach to try and take from whatever warmth he had. She couldn't feel her fingers.
"I know you are Anne, it'll be okay, just go to sleep we'll try and find somewhere warmer at dawn" he whispered.
He could feel her shake against him, she'd turned a pale blue colour. He worried she would catch hyperthermia, it had happened before. It had been difficult to warm her up but he begged all day on the streets for enough money to buy her a warm drink and he'd stolen a blanket for her, that blanket was long gone now. It had been stolen from them when they were sleeping one night.
They awoke to a large angry man pointing a sharp cleaver at them, he kicked W.D hard in the ribs jarring him awake "what are you two niggers doing behind my dumpster?" He screamed waving the cleaver threateningly.
Anne's eyes shot open, she grabbed her shawl as W.D hauled her quickly to her feet, "we're sorry Mister, we just needed somewhere to shelter us from the cold" W.D replied quickly grabbing his hat from the floor.
Anne shook the snow from their clothing and stood behind W.D as she shook in fear, "you dirty homeless bums! I ought to chop you up and serve your meat in my shop" He lunged forward his cleaver raised.
W.D pushed Anne out of the way and dived under his arm, "let's go! Run!" He yelled at Anne.
The cleaver flew past W.D's ear as they legged it out of the alleyway as fast as they could, the angry butcher's insults echoing off the walls.
He tried to chase after them but Anne and W.D were too fast for him.
They'd lived on the street for too long, ran from too many fights. They were quick and speedy, nobody could ever catch them when they attempted to chase after the two.
They didn't stop running until they entered an entirely different neighbourhood, they could not risk being followed.
Anne breathed hard as she tried to keep up with her older brother, "W.D... Can we- slow down?" She panted, jogging to keep up with his long, quick strides.
He looked over his shoulder, "we can't risk being followed, we might still be attacked by folks on the street, shawl on" he commanded.
The shawl had began to slip from Anne's shoulders in their haste, she pulled it up once again.
It was safest for them to show as little skin as possible, to hide their black skin as best as they could.
She grabbed his arm as she began to lag behind, "how much further?" She gasped.
He looked angrily ahead, scanning for potential threats, "not much longer I suspect, stay close" he barked.
When they turned the corner they saw a few food stands with bread, cheese, apples and pies.
W.D pulled Anne into the shadows cast by the walls, "right how are we going to do this?" Anne asked.
W.D glanced towards the stands, they hadn't been spotted yet, "pull your shawl over your head, don't let them see your skin, walk casually past and grab what you can, if you hear a shout or footsteps you run and I will find you. If you get away with it keep walking until you find a tree, stay there I will try and steal what I can after you do if the coast is clear" he whispered.
She pulled her hair back off her face, making it easier for her to fit the shawl onto her head, covering the most of her face. She could see very little, only from the mouth down and a few feet in front of her.
"Are you ready?" W.D asked, she nodded, he kissed the top of her head and hugged her quickly, "be safe, go" he faced her in the direction of the stalls.
She walked blindly forward, hiding her hands under the grey material, her lips and chin the only skin visible.
She walked as calm and casually as she could, though her heart raced as it did every time she stole for food.
She was so afraid she would be caught and beaten, she still had the scar for the last time she had been seen, a thin scar from where the belt buckle had cut her skin.
She could see the wooden stall up ahead, she raised her head ever so gradually. The vender had his back turned to her, he was talking to a woman Anne suspected was a prostitute.
Anne walked a little quicker, her hand shot out and she grabbed two apples before she walked briskly away.
She held the apples tightly to her chest, hidden by the shawl.
Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs as she walked forward, her ears searching for any sound suggesting she had not gotten away with it.
No sound followed so Anne raced down the street, she could see the tree W.D had told her about.
She hid behind the trunk lowering her shawl so it was wrapped around her shoulders once again and she could see the stalls once more.
She searched for W.D in the crowd of people, it was harder for him, all he had was his hat to hide his face. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets, only pulling them out at the last second to grab as much food as his arms could carry.
Anne spotted him, he lingered in the shadows across the street from where the stalls stood. She watched as he crept behind a large wealthy looking white man, he hid from the vendor's behind the back of the man.
At the last second he grabbed a loaf of bread and a wheel of cheese, "hey!" The vendor yelled having seen W.D, he tried to grab W.D's tattered waistcoat but he weaseled out of his grip.
The man ran around to the front of the stall pointing at W.D, "stop! Thief!" The man screamed, W.D locked eyes with Anne, the message clear. Run.
He shouldered people aside as everyone turned to look at W.D a few men tried to block his path but he dodged their hands or pushed through past them.
Anne turned and ran after W.D as he turned a corner, he could not reveal her location too.
Her eyes focussed on him as they ran through the people on the street, she was only a few feet behind him now, "keep running!" W.D yelled over his shoulder.
They were attracting too much attention, they needed to hide out somewhere, somewhere safe.
They cradled their treasure in their arms as they ran through New York, "the alleyway off 2nd!" Anne called as she recognised her surroundings.
A few minutes away there was a long alley they could hide in, it had fire escapes leading to other buildings and dumpsters they could hide behind.
They ducked into the alleyway only stopping when they were sure there was no footsteps following them.
Anne sunk to the floor clutching her chest as she gulped airfulls of stabbingly cold air, "are you okay?" W.D asked.
He sat next to her and tore the bread in half, "that was close" Anne panted.
W.D offered Anne half the bread loaf, she accepted it eagerky and tossed up the other apple, W.D caught it and took a big bite out.
"God, I'm hungry" he said through his mouthfull, "me too, it's been like 2 days since our last meal" she attacked the bread rarevnously.
W.D held his hand up, "wait, stop a sec" he said. Anne looked at him grumpily, "do I have to? This bread is so good, still warm" she protested.
He held his hand to her mouth, "shh shh, do you hear that?" He asked.
Anne swallowed her mouthful and listened, there was a faint hammering coming from the other side of the alley.
She looked at him, "what do you think? Should we check it out?" She asked.
He looked at the food before them, "we'll eat then have a look" he decided.
Once they had wolfed down their stolen goods they creeped along the alley until they reached the other side.
It opened up into a bright street, filled with shops and busy people.
They searched for the source of the hammering until they saw a middle aged looking man with two girls.
The man had brown uncut hair that fell nearly to his shoulders, he wore a smart dress shirt like the one W.D wore but it was cleaner and didn't have holes in it.
He had a dark waistcoat and tie, he was accompanied by two young girls. One with long blonde hair wearing a smart pink coat the other with long brown hair like the man's and she wore a smart red coat.
They hammered something to the notice board, it looked like a poster of some sorts.
"How's it looking girls?" The man asked, his voice was kind and rich.
The girls hammered in some sort of fast synchronised beat before they turned and smiled at him, "we're done daddy" the younger, blonde haired one said.
He knelt down in front of them, "awesome, come on let's go, there's more posters to put up around town girls" he said.
They grinned and took his hands as he lead them away.
Anne looked at W.D in confusion, "what's it say?" She asked.
He shrugged, they looked up and down the street making sure it was safe before they ran over to the notice board to read the poster.
W.D's eyes moved left to right as he read the poster, "wanted, unique persons and curiosities" he muttered under his breath.
Anne's eyes lit up, "daring acts, wonders of the world at Barnum's American Museum! D we should go!" She cried.
W.D lips moved silently as he read the poster again, he looked down at his sister, "I'm not sure Anne..." he said.
She shook his arm, "oh come on, it could be a chance to take up a paying job! We can do trapeze!" She begged.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully, "I don't know, remember what happened at the last circus we performed at?"
They had bounced around from circus to circus, they had performed trapeze together for years.
They were amazing but sooner or later they would always be kicked out for the colour of their skin, having a black brother and sister perform trapeze to the public was controversial and bad for business.
That or Anne and W.D had to escape, there had been a few instances when the ringmaster would lock Anne in his room, corner her and try to have her way with her. W.D had always managed to break down the door in time but there were moments that were just way too close for comfort.
Being a young attractive black girl was dangerous, the ringmasters would call her a black whore, assuming because she was a minority figure she would sleep with anyone for protection from the streets.
It was way too often men would try to slip their hands up her skirt when she was sleeping or promised they would give her a place to sleep if she gave them what they wanted.
The last circus they were at the ringmaster tried to rape Anne and got very violent when she said no. As big as her fear of white men was the man she had just seen it had been so long since she and W.D had slept inside or eaten a real meal.
Her ribs were beginning to show from the malnourishment and lack of food. The idea of food and money semed so warm and inviting to her.
"but think of the pay, we could have shelter and food, not to mention we'll be able to perform again, it's been forever since we've done trapeze" Anne pleaded.
W.D looked at the poster again, "it's on Broadway corner on Ann street, that's not too far from here..." he mused.
Anne shook his arm harder, "exactly! Come on, let's at least check it out, what's the worst that can happen? We get turned down, come on D, this could be good for us" she persisted.
He looked at the excited look on his sister's face, she hadn't looked this estatic since he'd managed to steal a whole roasted chicken.
"Fine, we will go and check it out, but don't get your hopes up, remember who we are. Nobody wants black kids performing on their stages, and tighten that shawl" he pulled her shawl around her shoulder's so she was better covered.
Anne kissed his cheek, "imagine if we had a real meal again" she sighed dreamily.
W.D ripped the poster off the wall, shoving it into his pocket and then they headed for Barnum's American Museum.