I'm Not Alone
No one could understand. No one could ever understand. That's all Elizabeth could think about as she stormed her way back to the Brooklyn Lodging House. Normally she didn't like to travel alone at night in Brooklyn, not since it happened, but she couldn't stay at the Manhattan Lodging House any longer. Why the hell did Spot have to bring it up anyway? And in front of everyone. It just wasn't fair, it wasn't right. Her business was her business, and she thought he knew that. She guessed she thought wrong.
She walked across the bridge still cursing Spot. As she approached the lodging house she passed it. There. Right down that alley. Memories flashed across Elizabeth's mind. She shook her head and hurried on towards the LH. The dark alleyways crept up towards her as she hurried ever closer. Strangely it seemed the door never came any closer, no matter how fast she walked, until suddenly she was right there. Silently she breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door. Smith sat at the desk and greeted her.
"Back so soon Elizabeth?" He inquired. "Where's Spot and da oddars?"
"I don't give a damn where dey are," she muttered. "I'm tired Smith, I'm goin ta bed."
With that she climbed the stairs to the bunkroom. Her feet grew heavier with each step. By the time she reached the top, it felt as though weights were clamped to her legs. Wearily she opened the door. It was dark in the room, but she didn't need light to find her way to her bed. Jadedly she shuffled over to her bed and dropped herself onto her mattress. She lay there for a few minutes, thinking about that evening. Her mind was racing. She knew not whether from the events of that night, or from sheer tiredness, but at that moment her head was teaming with emotions. A tear crept down out from her eye. At first she was surprised to feel it there, and wiped it away bitterly, but then she gave up and let the tears come.
Silently she lay there, for how long she didn't know, hopelessly crying her eyes out. She heard the sound of people climbing the stairs. Quickly she wiped her face of tears and turned over onto her front. There was no way she could let them see her like this. The door creaked open. Light from the hallway poured into the room, casting a lonely beam of light on the opposite wall. Through her arms, she could see the shadow of the newsboys.
"Elizabeth?" a surprisingly timid voiced asked.
Elizabeth pretended to be asleep. Stifling her tears, she dug her face deeper and deeper into her pillow. After a few seconds the door creaked shut again. Sure that they were gone, Elizabeth let out one last sob, one last bitter tear. She let herself drift away into sleep, comforted with the thought that she was alone. But as she floated away into her dreams, she didn't realize that she wasn't alone. No, there was a single boy at the window, stealthily watching the scene inside. Not wanting to disturb her slumber, he climbed down the fire escape and walked towards the docks. The only thought that occupied his mind, was the question that everyone wanted to know,
"What had happened to Elizabeth." _________________
No one could understand. No one could ever understand. That's all Elizabeth could think about as she stormed her way back to the Brooklyn Lodging House. Normally she didn't like to travel alone at night in Brooklyn, not since it happened, but she couldn't stay at the Manhattan Lodging House any longer. Why the hell did Spot have to bring it up anyway? And in front of everyone. It just wasn't fair, it wasn't right. Her business was her business, and she thought he knew that. She guessed she thought wrong.
She walked across the bridge still cursing Spot. As she approached the lodging house she passed it. There. Right down that alley. Memories flashed across Elizabeth's mind. She shook her head and hurried on towards the LH. The dark alleyways crept up towards her as she hurried ever closer. Strangely it seemed the door never came any closer, no matter how fast she walked, until suddenly she was right there. Silently she breathed a sigh of relief as she opened the door. Smith sat at the desk and greeted her.
"Back so soon Elizabeth?" He inquired. "Where's Spot and da oddars?"
"I don't give a damn where dey are," she muttered. "I'm tired Smith, I'm goin ta bed."
With that she climbed the stairs to the bunkroom. Her feet grew heavier with each step. By the time she reached the top, it felt as though weights were clamped to her legs. Wearily she opened the door. It was dark in the room, but she didn't need light to find her way to her bed. Jadedly she shuffled over to her bed and dropped herself onto her mattress. She lay there for a few minutes, thinking about that evening. Her mind was racing. She knew not whether from the events of that night, or from sheer tiredness, but at that moment her head was teaming with emotions. A tear crept down out from her eye. At first she was surprised to feel it there, and wiped it away bitterly, but then she gave up and let the tears come.
Silently she lay there, for how long she didn't know, hopelessly crying her eyes out. She heard the sound of people climbing the stairs. Quickly she wiped her face of tears and turned over onto her front. There was no way she could let them see her like this. The door creaked open. Light from the hallway poured into the room, casting a lonely beam of light on the opposite wall. Through her arms, she could see the shadow of the newsboys.
"Elizabeth?" a surprisingly timid voiced asked.
Elizabeth pretended to be asleep. Stifling her tears, she dug her face deeper and deeper into her pillow. After a few seconds the door creaked shut again. Sure that they were gone, Elizabeth let out one last sob, one last bitter tear. She let herself drift away into sleep, comforted with the thought that she was alone. But as she floated away into her dreams, she didn't realize that she wasn't alone. No, there was a single boy at the window, stealthily watching the scene inside. Not wanting to disturb her slumber, he climbed down the fire escape and walked towards the docks. The only thought that occupied his mind, was the question that everyone wanted to know,
"What had happened to Elizabeth." _________________