Empire of Dreams
Warning: This story contains adult language, graphic violence, attempted rape, attempted suicide, and sexually explicit themes. Reader's discretion is advised. Rating - R.
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.
Chapter One: Manhattan Life
1905
Sunny and cloudy, the newsies were performing their daily routine, running around, carrying the banner, and enjoying life. Many of the newsies had already finished their course and were headed for Tibby's, the Lodging House, or some other everyday hangout. Numerous young lads in the prime of their youth scurrying about town looking for some after work activities. Many of the newsies had been involved in this line of work for a few years now, whereas others were just starting. The seasoned newsies had coached their younger apprentices on how to use a catchy line from the news in order to sell papers by the dozen. They also learned how to dodge the bulls in case any trouble had arisen. All of these lessons were once taught by one of the masters of the newsies.
One young newsie, a boy twelve years of age, had run up to an older guy. "Kid, the bulls are looking for Checkers. He just stomped on one of the bull's feet and ran." Kid Blink, unaware of the young newsies run-in with the law, acted quickly. He ran up to third floor of the Newsboys Lodging House and informed the boy. "Checkers! Quick, hide! Da bulls are on their way to find ya!" Checkers quickly ran up to the window of the large room and stepped out onto the fire escape.
Shortly afterwards, five policemen came walking into the building and approached the front desk. "Hello officers, uh, what can I do for you today?" Asked Kloppman.
"A young street rat stomped on one of my men's feet after he tried to apprehend him for cheating a man out of his money for lying about the headlines. We have reason to believe that he lives here in Manhattan and, possibly, this lodging house." Said the head policeman. Kloppman, rubbing his head and looking confused, knew nothing of the said attack. "Are you sure he was a Manhattan newsie? He could have been one from Mid-town or even the Bronx." Some of the newsies that were present concurred with Kloppman. "Yeah, he could have been one of them newsies from the udda side of town dat does things dat we get blamed for." Feeling at a loss, the policemen made their way out of the building. Kid Blink saw the whole thing and smiled to himself. Another newsie off the hook . Blink thought to himself. He made his way upstairs to let Checkers know that the coast was clear. "Wow! That was a close one. Next time you attack a cop, run to Brooklyn!" All of the newsies laughed. The newsie was very grateful. Kloppman came upstairs to check on the newsie as well. "Checkers, you get into more trouble that a rooster in a hen house." Checkers just blushed.
The newsies went back to their normal daily activities. Blink would come down to the lodging house to visit Kloppman and play big brother to the other newsies who were just starting out and those that were in the game for a while. He felt the need to protect them, especially since there was a connection they all shared. They were all newsies, both past and present. Racetrack and Mush walked through the door. "Blink, whatta ya doing? Playin' around wid da kiddies?" Racetrack teased. Blink just smiled while rolling his eyes and left the lodging house. All of the newsies bid farewell to the former newsies as they left the premises.
Many of the older newsies of the previous years had moved on to bigger and better things. In Manhattan, Racetrack worked nightly at Sheepshead Races. He shared an apartment with Kid Blink and Mush, who continued to work for The World, taking over Weasel's and the Delancey Brothers jobs, with many other former newsies. Crutchy worked part-time in a grocery store and part- time in an orphanage helping out the unfortunate children by playing mentor to them. Skittery, Boots, Dutchy, and Snoddy worked together in a factory, while Bumlets, Specs, and Snipeshooter worked at Tibby's. All of the guys were making more money than before. Although they weren't rich, they all lived well enough to put food on the table and keep roofs over their heads.
~
Six o'clock was approaching and Apollonia had just got home from closing up shop thirty minutes earlier. She was getting ready for supper for when Spot came home. She wanted to cook him a delicious feast the he would thoroughly enjoy. She had planned on serving him a Porterhouse steak with a side helping of freshly toasted French bread and rice pilaf. Chocolate silk pie would be the perfect dessert.
Laid back and cool, Spot walked in with a solid gleam in his eye. He felt lucky and blessed to be coming home to a woman that truly cared about him and a home-cooked meal. "Hello, sweetheart." Spot says as he kissed his love.
"Bonjour, mon amour. How was your day?"
"Busy, but eventful. My boss came down today and told us what a good job me and the others were doing today. And since I have demonstrated such hard work and determination, I have been given a promotion."
Apollonia screamed with delight as she was hoisted up into the air and hugged tightly. She had given Spot a long kiss for his ascendancy at the steel mill. Some of the former Brooklyn newsies came to work in Manhattan to make better lives for themselves, including the famous Spot Conlon. He quit being a newsie a year after the strike and started making a decent living for himself working in a Manhattan steel mill. After about six months, Spot married Apollonia and moved out of his apartment on the top floor of the lodging house where he and his newsies resided and moved in with Apollonia into her richly furnished brownstone.
Apollonia still ran her bookstore/café without fail. She became more successful when many of the newsies started learning how to educate themselves by reading on their own time and started entering other avenues of employment. Businessmen and others also purchased many books as well as conducted business while sipping coffee. Apollonia was quite the businesswoman, and Spot the hard-working young man. They had been saving money so that they would continue live a comfortable lifestyle in case some hard times lay ahead. Apollonia had hired a woman by the name of Giselle to assist her in running her business. Business was highly active and Apollonia needed the extra help. Giselle had moved to New York from France five years ago and was looking for a way to earn a living. She worked in a factory, but the long hours and low pay made her want to choose another occupation. By chance, Apollonia met her at the recommendation of a customer who once worked with Giselle in the factory. They became close friends.
As they were eating, Spot looked up at her from his meal broke the silence. "Apollonia, I don't know if you know this, but I am really glad that I have you in my life."
Apollonia blushed. "I wanna celebrate my promotion. Why don't we go to the Broadway Theatre and then to Delmonico's for dinner one night?"
"Certainly. I will have to choose something pretty for this occasion." Spot smiled.
After the meal, Apollonia and Spot went into the parlor to relax. Spot rested on the sofa smoking a cigar while Apollonia began working on a needlepoint pattern that was incomplete. It was of her home in Charleston. She had already finished one of the home in New Orleans. Spot took up smoking cigars a year after they were married. At first he thought it made him look like a scab, but he liked the flavor of it. Snipeshooter gave him a box of Cuban cigars as a wedding present.
Both took their baths and prepared for bed since they each had a long day ahead of them. He joined her in the bedroom seeing that she was already dressed for bed. He crept up behind her and encircled his arms around her waist as she stood in front of a mirror brushing her hair.
"When was the last time I told you I loved you?"
"This morning before you left for work." They looked at each other in the reflection of the mirror, gazing into each other's eyes. He kissed her on her hair and proceeded to get ready for bed. He walked over to a large dresser to obtain his underpants when he glanced up at the picture sitting in front of him. It was that of his parents when they were together. They appeared to be a happy and loving couple. He remembered his parents and life before he became a Brooklyn newsie leader.
Spot rarely talked about his mother, who was a beautiful Sicilian woman who immigrated to the United States and fell in love with a handsome Irishman with piercing blue eyes. His father left them when he was eleven, for unknown reasons, and she was left to support the both of them. After spending time working in a lace-making plant, she made the tough decision of becoming a prostitute as a means of making quick money. She did very well until she catered to a customer who was drunk and wanted her services for little or no money. When she refused, he raped and murdered her. Spot was on his own ever since. Since Apollonia was the woman in his life and only woman that he truly loved, he did not have a problem discussing his past with her. She caressed his hair continuously as he lay in bed with his head in her lap, enjoying the comfort and attention he was receiving while she read a book silently before retiring. Closing his eyes, his mind whizzed with thoughts of his life: his mother, his father, his life as a newsie, his desires, his dreams, and Apollonia.
~
A loud, deep moan escaped the soft, pink lips of a handsome man. He shuddered while lying on top of a pretty woman. His head went down into the woman's neck as heavy breathing continued. The woman beneath him was content as she caressed his hair and rubbed his back. The man quickly freed himself of her embrace and put his clothes on. As he got dressed, the woman watched her temporary lover with great admiration. He promptly paid her a wage, got dressed, and left the room. As he made his way down the stairs, an older woman was sitting at a desk sipping Bourbon.
"Thank you for your business, Mister. We hope to see you again soon." Said the stout Madam, raising her wine glass to him.
The rugged, good-looking man hurried out of the building to make it home. As soon as he reached his dwelling, he entered his apartment with ease. He threw his keys onto a table, his coat onto a chair, sat down, closed his eyes, and just relaxed. As his head was lying on the back of the chair, various thoughts dashed through his head. Thoughts of sunsets, tumbleweeds, horses, cattle roaming, women, Apollonia.....Apollonia. The woman who had stolen his heart five years ago. The woman that made him forget all other women. A woman that came close to stealing his heart, mind, and love. The woman who would be his if she hadn't been with another handsome young man that she also bewitched. She had the type of beauty that drove men mad. No wonder Spot wanted her to be his and his alone.
Jack Kelly had not forgotten her. Whenever he passed by her bookstore, he had been tempted go see her. But heartbreak and past grievances had kept him away. For sexual gratification, he sought the services of whores at the brothels on the edge of town. He would occasionally see his past foes, Oscar and Morris, gambling and trying to solicit street prostitutes as he went to the house of ill repute of his choice to address his needs. If he could not have the woman he loved to physically love in his grasp, he would have the next best thing. As he slept with these women of the night, he would fantasize about Apollonia. Pretending the woman he paid for was the woman he loved. It was not hard, but after he climaxed, the fantasy was quickly set to reality. Jack did not like going to prostitutes to live out his fantasies, but it was the closest he came to the real thing.
He then went to his kitchen and pulled a bottle out of the icebox. He sat down at his table, took a sip of his drink, and thought to himself. How did you become such a shell of a man? How could you stoop this low? She would not want you now. Not like this. With these thoughts of moodiness, he went to bed.
Warning: This story contains adult language, graphic violence, attempted rape, attempted suicide, and sexually explicit themes. Reader's discretion is advised. Rating - R.
Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies or any of the Newsies characters. Apollonia, Giselle, Checkers, and other miscellaneous characters are all mine.
Chapter One: Manhattan Life
1905
Sunny and cloudy, the newsies were performing their daily routine, running around, carrying the banner, and enjoying life. Many of the newsies had already finished their course and were headed for Tibby's, the Lodging House, or some other everyday hangout. Numerous young lads in the prime of their youth scurrying about town looking for some after work activities. Many of the newsies had been involved in this line of work for a few years now, whereas others were just starting. The seasoned newsies had coached their younger apprentices on how to use a catchy line from the news in order to sell papers by the dozen. They also learned how to dodge the bulls in case any trouble had arisen. All of these lessons were once taught by one of the masters of the newsies.
One young newsie, a boy twelve years of age, had run up to an older guy. "Kid, the bulls are looking for Checkers. He just stomped on one of the bull's feet and ran." Kid Blink, unaware of the young newsies run-in with the law, acted quickly. He ran up to third floor of the Newsboys Lodging House and informed the boy. "Checkers! Quick, hide! Da bulls are on their way to find ya!" Checkers quickly ran up to the window of the large room and stepped out onto the fire escape.
Shortly afterwards, five policemen came walking into the building and approached the front desk. "Hello officers, uh, what can I do for you today?" Asked Kloppman.
"A young street rat stomped on one of my men's feet after he tried to apprehend him for cheating a man out of his money for lying about the headlines. We have reason to believe that he lives here in Manhattan and, possibly, this lodging house." Said the head policeman. Kloppman, rubbing his head and looking confused, knew nothing of the said attack. "Are you sure he was a Manhattan newsie? He could have been one from Mid-town or even the Bronx." Some of the newsies that were present concurred with Kloppman. "Yeah, he could have been one of them newsies from the udda side of town dat does things dat we get blamed for." Feeling at a loss, the policemen made their way out of the building. Kid Blink saw the whole thing and smiled to himself. Another newsie off the hook . Blink thought to himself. He made his way upstairs to let Checkers know that the coast was clear. "Wow! That was a close one. Next time you attack a cop, run to Brooklyn!" All of the newsies laughed. The newsie was very grateful. Kloppman came upstairs to check on the newsie as well. "Checkers, you get into more trouble that a rooster in a hen house." Checkers just blushed.
The newsies went back to their normal daily activities. Blink would come down to the lodging house to visit Kloppman and play big brother to the other newsies who were just starting out and those that were in the game for a while. He felt the need to protect them, especially since there was a connection they all shared. They were all newsies, both past and present. Racetrack and Mush walked through the door. "Blink, whatta ya doing? Playin' around wid da kiddies?" Racetrack teased. Blink just smiled while rolling his eyes and left the lodging house. All of the newsies bid farewell to the former newsies as they left the premises.
Many of the older newsies of the previous years had moved on to bigger and better things. In Manhattan, Racetrack worked nightly at Sheepshead Races. He shared an apartment with Kid Blink and Mush, who continued to work for The World, taking over Weasel's and the Delancey Brothers jobs, with many other former newsies. Crutchy worked part-time in a grocery store and part- time in an orphanage helping out the unfortunate children by playing mentor to them. Skittery, Boots, Dutchy, and Snoddy worked together in a factory, while Bumlets, Specs, and Snipeshooter worked at Tibby's. All of the guys were making more money than before. Although they weren't rich, they all lived well enough to put food on the table and keep roofs over their heads.
~
Six o'clock was approaching and Apollonia had just got home from closing up shop thirty minutes earlier. She was getting ready for supper for when Spot came home. She wanted to cook him a delicious feast the he would thoroughly enjoy. She had planned on serving him a Porterhouse steak with a side helping of freshly toasted French bread and rice pilaf. Chocolate silk pie would be the perfect dessert.
Laid back and cool, Spot walked in with a solid gleam in his eye. He felt lucky and blessed to be coming home to a woman that truly cared about him and a home-cooked meal. "Hello, sweetheart." Spot says as he kissed his love.
"Bonjour, mon amour. How was your day?"
"Busy, but eventful. My boss came down today and told us what a good job me and the others were doing today. And since I have demonstrated such hard work and determination, I have been given a promotion."
Apollonia screamed with delight as she was hoisted up into the air and hugged tightly. She had given Spot a long kiss for his ascendancy at the steel mill. Some of the former Brooklyn newsies came to work in Manhattan to make better lives for themselves, including the famous Spot Conlon. He quit being a newsie a year after the strike and started making a decent living for himself working in a Manhattan steel mill. After about six months, Spot married Apollonia and moved out of his apartment on the top floor of the lodging house where he and his newsies resided and moved in with Apollonia into her richly furnished brownstone.
Apollonia still ran her bookstore/café without fail. She became more successful when many of the newsies started learning how to educate themselves by reading on their own time and started entering other avenues of employment. Businessmen and others also purchased many books as well as conducted business while sipping coffee. Apollonia was quite the businesswoman, and Spot the hard-working young man. They had been saving money so that they would continue live a comfortable lifestyle in case some hard times lay ahead. Apollonia had hired a woman by the name of Giselle to assist her in running her business. Business was highly active and Apollonia needed the extra help. Giselle had moved to New York from France five years ago and was looking for a way to earn a living. She worked in a factory, but the long hours and low pay made her want to choose another occupation. By chance, Apollonia met her at the recommendation of a customer who once worked with Giselle in the factory. They became close friends.
As they were eating, Spot looked up at her from his meal broke the silence. "Apollonia, I don't know if you know this, but I am really glad that I have you in my life."
Apollonia blushed. "I wanna celebrate my promotion. Why don't we go to the Broadway Theatre and then to Delmonico's for dinner one night?"
"Certainly. I will have to choose something pretty for this occasion." Spot smiled.
After the meal, Apollonia and Spot went into the parlor to relax. Spot rested on the sofa smoking a cigar while Apollonia began working on a needlepoint pattern that was incomplete. It was of her home in Charleston. She had already finished one of the home in New Orleans. Spot took up smoking cigars a year after they were married. At first he thought it made him look like a scab, but he liked the flavor of it. Snipeshooter gave him a box of Cuban cigars as a wedding present.
Both took their baths and prepared for bed since they each had a long day ahead of them. He joined her in the bedroom seeing that she was already dressed for bed. He crept up behind her and encircled his arms around her waist as she stood in front of a mirror brushing her hair.
"When was the last time I told you I loved you?"
"This morning before you left for work." They looked at each other in the reflection of the mirror, gazing into each other's eyes. He kissed her on her hair and proceeded to get ready for bed. He walked over to a large dresser to obtain his underpants when he glanced up at the picture sitting in front of him. It was that of his parents when they were together. They appeared to be a happy and loving couple. He remembered his parents and life before he became a Brooklyn newsie leader.
Spot rarely talked about his mother, who was a beautiful Sicilian woman who immigrated to the United States and fell in love with a handsome Irishman with piercing blue eyes. His father left them when he was eleven, for unknown reasons, and she was left to support the both of them. After spending time working in a lace-making plant, she made the tough decision of becoming a prostitute as a means of making quick money. She did very well until she catered to a customer who was drunk and wanted her services for little or no money. When she refused, he raped and murdered her. Spot was on his own ever since. Since Apollonia was the woman in his life and only woman that he truly loved, he did not have a problem discussing his past with her. She caressed his hair continuously as he lay in bed with his head in her lap, enjoying the comfort and attention he was receiving while she read a book silently before retiring. Closing his eyes, his mind whizzed with thoughts of his life: his mother, his father, his life as a newsie, his desires, his dreams, and Apollonia.
~
A loud, deep moan escaped the soft, pink lips of a handsome man. He shuddered while lying on top of a pretty woman. His head went down into the woman's neck as heavy breathing continued. The woman beneath him was content as she caressed his hair and rubbed his back. The man quickly freed himself of her embrace and put his clothes on. As he got dressed, the woman watched her temporary lover with great admiration. He promptly paid her a wage, got dressed, and left the room. As he made his way down the stairs, an older woman was sitting at a desk sipping Bourbon.
"Thank you for your business, Mister. We hope to see you again soon." Said the stout Madam, raising her wine glass to him.
The rugged, good-looking man hurried out of the building to make it home. As soon as he reached his dwelling, he entered his apartment with ease. He threw his keys onto a table, his coat onto a chair, sat down, closed his eyes, and just relaxed. As his head was lying on the back of the chair, various thoughts dashed through his head. Thoughts of sunsets, tumbleweeds, horses, cattle roaming, women, Apollonia.....Apollonia. The woman who had stolen his heart five years ago. The woman that made him forget all other women. A woman that came close to stealing his heart, mind, and love. The woman who would be his if she hadn't been with another handsome young man that she also bewitched. She had the type of beauty that drove men mad. No wonder Spot wanted her to be his and his alone.
Jack Kelly had not forgotten her. Whenever he passed by her bookstore, he had been tempted go see her. But heartbreak and past grievances had kept him away. For sexual gratification, he sought the services of whores at the brothels on the edge of town. He would occasionally see his past foes, Oscar and Morris, gambling and trying to solicit street prostitutes as he went to the house of ill repute of his choice to address his needs. If he could not have the woman he loved to physically love in his grasp, he would have the next best thing. As he slept with these women of the night, he would fantasize about Apollonia. Pretending the woman he paid for was the woman he loved. It was not hard, but after he climaxed, the fantasy was quickly set to reality. Jack did not like going to prostitutes to live out his fantasies, but it was the closest he came to the real thing.
He then went to his kitchen and pulled a bottle out of the icebox. He sat down at his table, took a sip of his drink, and thought to himself. How did you become such a shell of a man? How could you stoop this low? She would not want you now. Not like this. With these thoughts of moodiness, he went to bed.
