PROLOGUE
A small, young girl twirled around in front of the mirror, admiring her new pink satin dress. It was New Years Eve and she was excited because this was the first year she was allowed to go to her parent's party. My how grown up I look, she thought to herself, like a real lady… Her thoughts were suddenly cut off by the echo of two gunshots followed by her parent's screams. Her older sister Christine shrieked and ran downstairs crying. Another gunshot rang through the house; this time followed by then screams of Christine. The young girl was too stunned to know what to do at first but the sound of three men coming up the stairs sent her flying out the window and down the fire escape. Not knowing what to do or where to go she just kept running through the rain until she reached the boardwalk and tripped over a loose board. She banged her head and lay there, only semi-conscious until a voice called out,
"Ello? Who er you'se?" She felt a tap on her head. "Are ya even alive…?"
Startled she jumped up and looked up to see a scrawny little boy with dark blonde hair, a key on a string around his neck, a slingshot hanging at his side, and a gold-tipped cane as big as he was in his hand, standing on a crate with his hands on his hips like he was king of the world.
He cocked his head to the right and looked down at the tiny, shivering girl in a ripped and muddy pink satin dress, her chocolate brown hair wet and stringy, and her emerald green eyes glistening with tears.
"Are you'se awright?" he asked.
"Well, I was until you smacked me in the head," she replied. He grinned.
"Whatsa poity liddle goil like you'se doin' out heah awll alone in dis parta town anyway?"
"I…I…don't know. My parents were…were…and I was just….just trying to get away…" she stammered and began to cry.
"Awright now, calm down. Lets take dis a liddle moah slowly foh ya." He paused in thought. "Got a name kid?"
She sighed, "I'm not sure…no wait…" She sat there deep in concentration until her eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, "Marie!" she squealed.
"Marie?" the boy said with a tone of disgust. "Well dat won' do. I'se jist gonna hafta t'ink of a new name fer you'se." He sat down, rested his chin on his hand, and thought hard. He jumped up, "I gots it! Yer new name'll be Rat cause ya look like a drowned rat." She scowled at the name, looking utterly insulted. "But dat aint a goils name so Mouse woiks," he add quickly. A grin spread across her face. He smiled back,
"Name's Spot Conlon by da way. I'm seven, you'se?"
She paused. "Umm….6." She declared. He grinned, spat in his hand and extended it towards her.
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