This story was written for the second round of The Newsie Pape Selling Competition. Hope you guys like it.
My prompts were:
Your newsie meet their counterpart in a broadway theater
The color yellow
Talking with myself, and other strange mishaps
Jack Kelly couldn't believe he was doing this on a Saturday. Of all the things Jack could be doing right now, this wasn't anywhere near the top ten. While other boys were either playing poker at the lodge, watching the show at Ivring Hall, or out with their girl, the one where Jack wanted be the most right now, Jack was here, trying to find a way into the run down building before him, The Yellow Canary Theater.
One might ask why Jack Kelly was trying to find a way into long since shut down Vaudeville theater. The reason being that Medda was trying to expand her business and had asked Jack to take a look around The Yellow Canary for her. Seeing how Medda had gone above and beyond in anyway she could to help the newsies whenever she could, Jack had earnestly agreed to scope out the potential prospect for her. Now, however, he was slightly regretting that decision.
After scanning the front of the building trying to find a way in and having no such luck, Jack moved to the side alley where he found a few loose boards on a window that he able to tear off. Once he did that he crawled through the small space and landed in a cloud of dust on the other side. He looked around the building and found it very reminiscent of Irving Hall, just a lot, dirtier. The fancy wallpaper on the wall was peeling in places, the metal bannisters were rusting, and the velvet curtains were covered in a thick layer of dust. But other than that the theater was in pretty good shape.
Jack walked through building, checking for all things Medda told him to check for. He looked at the stage, and the lights, and the rigging before finally making his way to the dressing rooms before he left. The first two he looked at where nice and he was about to open the door for the third when he heard a crash coming form inside it, which immediately set him on edge. No one else was supposed to be here, at least that's what Medda had told him. He looked around what was closest to him, trying to find something to defend himself with if need be. He opened the door, and the first thing he was meet with when he walked into the room was its very strong smell. It smelled like…paint.
After he senses were through with being assaulted by the strong aroma of paint in the, Jack noticed the other things in the room. Mainly, the boy with his back to him who was painting something on a large canvas. As Jack walked in, the boy turned around. He was about as tall as Jack, maybe an inch taller with dark hair and clothes stained with paint.
"What are you doing here? Jack asked.
"Writing the great American novel, what does it look like I'm doing here?" He answered sarcastically, gesturing to the picture behind him. "Why are you here?"
"I'm scoping this place out for my friend. She is thinking about buying it." After jack said that the other boy just laughed at him.
"In case you didn't notice all those people, I feel like I should tell you that this place is already bought." What people? Was this guy drunk? Hallucinated?
"I don't what your seeing buddy but there ain't no people out there."
"You've been on the bottle, haven't ya? Cause that's the only way someone could possibly miss all those people out there." This just made the both of them more frustrated.
"I'm telling you there ain't anyone out there. And I ain't drunk either."
"Sure, buddy, sure. And I'm Joseph Pulitzer." The guy laughed. "What's sure name anyway?"
"Not that it's anything to you, but my name is Jack Kelly."
The boy burst out laughing.
"Is mine name funny to you?"
"No, but it also ain't your name." Now Jack was really getting upset.
"Who are you to say what my name is."
"I ain't got no say your name, but I got a say in mine and my name is Jack Kelly." He said as he gave Jack a small push.
"There ain't no way your name is Jack Kelly. You impersonatin' me or something." Jack gave the other boy a push back.
"You're the one pretending to be me. Did the guys set you up to this? No, it was Ace's idea wasn't it?" He laughed. "I'll forgive you for pretending to be me if you tell who put you up to this."
"No one put me up to this. Either someone put you up to this or you just messing with me. Either way I'm out a here." And he stormed out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.
That was weird. Jack thought to himself as he made his way down the hall. I swear I'm going to find out who put that guy up to this. My name's Jack Kelly. There are people outside. What the hell was he thinking?
But then Jack stopped, because he realized that the hall he had walked down minutes before, the one that had been bare and drab, know had shiny red carpet and gold wallpaper, with the distinct sound of voices coming from the end of it.
Okay this is weird. I must of hit my head coming into through the window. That's what happened. I'm lying passed out in the theater and this just some weird dream. Only explanation.
So Jack decided to wonder through what he deemed his "dream".
He came to the end of the hallway where the noise was loudest, and turned the corner that lead to the stage, where the noise was loudest. What he saw there was people buzzing to and fro, trying to set up the stage. Some were hanging curtains, fixing lights or moving set pieces. In the center of it was one woman in a flamboyant pink dress, who called out to him when she saw him.
"Kelly, how are those back drops coming. I'm sure they'll be the talk of the town." The woman said. Jack was trying to wrap his head around how she knew him and form a response when someone else ran over to get her attention.
"Heya Medda, where do you want the big plant?" He asked gesturing to a large pot behind him. Medda! Okay I must be dreaming cause there ain't no way this is Medda.
"Put it over in the corner of the stage, would you Jim. Thank you," Then she turned back to Jack. "Now, about those backdrops, how are they coming?"
"They's, uh, finished." He blurted out before really thinking about it. This caused "Medda" to hug him fiercely.
"You're a saint, kid. You're coming to the show tonight I hope. Grand opening and all."
"Yeah, sure." It was only a dream; he might as well go along with it. "Wouldn't miss. I'll be back later."
"See you then kid." She called out to him as he left. "And bring that lovely girlfriend of yours to."
So Jack made his way down the streets of dream, though everything looked so realistic it was hard to believe he was dreaming. He could feel the cold wind in his face, another indication of a dream, because it was actually July, and could smell food from the venders and flowers from the shops. He didn't realize it while he was walking but his feet had ended up carrying him to the distribution center.
"Hey guys there's Jack." He heard a small voice yell as a little boy game barreling towards him. As the boy got closer Jack couldn't figure out for the life of him how he knew him.
"Les, wait up." I tall boy called after the younger one, No that couldn't be, was that Davey? Damn Jack you must of hit your head pretty hard.
"Where ya been Jack, we've been looking all over for ya?" The kid looked up at him, and this kid looked absolutely nothing like the Les he knew.
"Les, you know Jack was painting over at Medda. And how many times do I have to tell you don't run off like that." Oh, yeah this kid was definitely supposed to be Davey. He was a lot skinner than the real Mouth though, and this guy was almost as tall as Jack.
"We weren't the only ones looking for ya, Ace was looking for you two. Something about you missing a date." Said a guy swaggering over to them with a Cigar in his mouth. Was he supposed to be Race?
"Yeah, she was looking real upset. Better watch out, we all know she could soak ya." A shorter kid with dark hair laughed.
"Who is going to be soaking Jack, Romeo?" A distinctly female voice came from behind them, Jack turned and saw probably one of the prettiest girls he had laid eyes on. She had dark hair and the most fantastic purple dress. He and Sarah had called it quits a few weeks ago and he felt no shame in looking at the beautiful women before him. The only thing that stopped was when she came right up and kissed him.
The catcalls and the wolf whistles started and Jack didn't quite know what to do. On one hand a beautiful woman was kissing him, and on the other hand a beautiful woman he didn't know was kissing him. Right as those thoughts went through his head she pulled away. She looked up at him and smiled at him, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the others had backed away to give them some privacy.
"Where were you this morning? We had a date." She asked playfully.
"I was…uh…" Come on Jack, excuse, "I got caught up at Medda's. painting backdrops."
"Well, I guess that's okay, but you'll will have to make it up to me later."
"Hey, Ace, better not stand to close to Jack, ya Dad can probably see you throw his big window." One of the guys hollered over, which caused "Ace" to pull away.
"Which reminds me why I am here. Father wanted me over dinner. So, what should we do later in order for you to make it up to me?"
No harm in playing along. "I could, uh, take you to Medda's new theater?"
"I'd like that." She pecked him on the check and the scurried off into The World Building. The World Building.
"I still think it's so funny that you is in love with Katherine Pulitzer." Before Jack had time to process that this new voice had said, Katherine Pulitzer, that was Katherine Pulitzer, he saw a rather short person walking towards him, with a crooked cap on his head and crutch under his right arm. A crutch. Was that Crutchy?
"Hey,… Crutchy?" He said slowly.
"You alright Jack? Ya look like you don't recognize me." Well he sure was intuitive like Crutchy.
Yeah, I have just had really weird day, that's all."
"Maybe should go and get some sleep clear your hear." SLEEP! Sleep in a dream, wake up in reality. That's how it goes right. Thank you dream Crutchy.
"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea Crutchy. Thanks."
So Jack went off to find the lodging house. It was only that he was halfway through his walk when he realized he had no way of knowing the lodging house was in the same place in here as it was actually. Luckily for him, it was. So he went inside, was slightly surprised that there was no sign of Klopman, but he brushed it off and collapsed on the nearest bed and shut his eyes.
Alright Jack, it all be over when you wake up.
But it wasn't.
Jack woke up a few hours later, in the same strange bed, by a towel being thrown at his face.
"Get up. You don't wanna be late for ya second date with Ace do ya." He saw that it was "race" who had thrown the towel at him and was speaking to him.
This is insane. I should have woken up. What the hell is going on?
He sat up, which only resulted in him hitting his head on the bunk above him. He clutched his head to try to ease the pain.
Pain
Wasn't it in dreams that you aren't supposed to feel pain?
"I think it's really cool what Medda is doing to the new theater." He heard Crutchy say from the next bunk over.
"Same. Especially seeing as what happened to the old owner." Race replied.
"What happened to the old owner?" He asked.
"He went mad. Starting raving about other worlds and portals. Said he had conversation with himself. They locked him up in the loony bin for it."
No. There was no possible way. But...
"Guys, I got to go...uh, pick up Ace. See ya'll and the theater." And be ran down the stairs, and the other guys watched him run down the street from the window.
"Where's he going?"
"He said he was going to pick up Ace"
"I know that, but Ace is in the other direction."
Jack couldn't help the tension building up in his chest as he ran towards the Yellow Canary. When he got there he bolted through the doors and past people, bumping into a few and earning shouts from some of them. But he didn't care, all he cared about was getting this crazy situation to end.
He ran all the way to the back of theater and when he reached the door he was looking for he swung it open to find that the same guy from earlier was in there, looking almost as confused as Jack was.
"Okay," the other Jack spoke up, "What the hell just happened?"
"I take it things were as weird for you as it was for me."
"Are you kidding? I go outside expecting everything to be normal and find the Medda's Swedish, all the guys are shorter, and that apparently I dated Davey's little sister. His sister, really."
"And you're one to talk? Katherine Pulitzer? Are you out your mind? She is gorgeous but..."
"Hey, that's my girl. You ain't allowed to talk about her like that."
"I am you. Or you're me. Or we're both Jack Kelly, I'm assuming. Just in two different...worlds."
"Do you know how crazy you sound?"
"Technically its how crazy we sound."
"That ain't funny. Okay, so were both Jack Kelly. How do we get this thing sorted out?"
"The door." Jack said. "For you the theater has been fixed up, the walls are red and nice and all. For me, the theater is all old and broken. So we open the door, and which ever it is, that Jack goes out, and then the other Jack stays, and hopefully the next time the door opens it'll be the different theater.
"And if it ain't?" The other Jack asked him.
"Then its that guys problem." He stated and then walked over to open the door.
"You know this plan aint perfect."
"Are our plans ever?" And then he opened the door and was greeted by grey walls and the smell of dirt and mold. "Well, I guess it this is me." He said as he turned back to the other Jack, offering his hand. "It was pleasure meeting you, or me, or…never mind. It was a pleasure, but I aint gonna lie, I'm gonna try and forget that this thing ever happened."
The other Jack took his hand and shook it. "Believe me, I'll be doing the same thing."
So Jack took one last look back, and then stepped out into the hallway, shutting the door and leaning about against with three thoughts in his head.
One, that this had been the strangest day ever. Two, he needed to see if he could find this world's Katherine Pulitzer. And Three, he had to tell Medda that should could not buy this theater.