Going Nowhere but Ending at the Bottom of a River
"Don't you understand?
We're not gonna make it back alive."
The rain fell in heavy sheets, a steady bombardment against our meager shelter. My clothes were drenched, and the air was cold. I shivered from a chill that ran deep within my bones. My disheveled hair was plastered to my face. I was a mess. My companion fared no better. His rain sodden hair dripped small droplets of water onto his nose, which was red from the sharp wind that cut through the cracks of our makeshift hideout with an uncaring ferocity. His clothes, which were layered more heavily than my own, had hardly begun to dry. He was trembling and his voice shook when he tried to speak. I couldn't speak without my teeth chattering either. So mostly we sat in silence, focusing all of our energy on warming ourselves up. We didn't sit very close; two frigid, soaking bodies didn't do each other any good. He was my best friend, my family, and my lover. He was my everything, and I was everything to him. But here, in this place, it was every man, or woman in my case, to themselves.
Once I had warmed up a little, I turned to my companion at last, breaking the silence that had rested between us for at least two hours.
"Skittery?" I asked.
"Yea," he answered, voice still quaking from the cold.
"Shouldn't we keep moving?"
"What's the point? It'll never be over. We can't run forever," he replied carelessly in a tone completely devoid of hope.
"What are you saying?" I questioned, my eyes narrowed, challenging him to say what I desperately hoped I wouldn't hear.
"Don't you get it? They've got all the power. More power than anyone I've ever been up against before. Hell, they have more power than Pulitzer. More power than the president. They always have. They always will. They won't stop. Ever." He was starting to get angry. I could hear it in his voice, but I wasn't going to make guesses as to the meaning of his cryptic words. I wanted a straight answer, so I sat in silence until his frustration compelled him to continue.
"Don't you understand?" he yelled. "We're not gonna make it back alive." His words pierced my heart like a jagged arrow. Shivers of terror ran up and down my spine. "We won't make it anywhere alive. They'll get us no matter where we go." I felt sick to my stomach. This couldn't be happening. My breath caught in my lungs; I needed air. Before I knew it, tears began to fall down my cheeks in hot streams. I sucked in air like a fish out of water, gasping and hiccupping. I felt pathetic, but what could I do? I had just been handed a death sentence. Skittery's hardened look softened, and his resolve broke. He slid over beside me, wrapping his arms around me.
"I'm sorry, Ellie. I'm so sorry I dragged you into this," he whispered. I could see the tears welling up in his eyes. I looked at him for a moment. Was it really his fault? He was everything I had. I would have followed him to the ends of the earth.
"I forgive you," I said softly, reaching a hand up to the side of his face. A single tear escaped from the stronghold of his eyes. I leaned forward and kissed his cheek, catching the tiny droplet on my lips. I moved closer and pressed my lips against his, returning the salty fugitive to its rightful owner. The tears began to fall from his brown eyes. Beautiful tiny droplets. I rested my cheek against his and cried as well, our tears mixing into one sweet sorrow. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity, perfectly happy in our misery, until the gentle patter of horse hooves against dampened ground interrupted the silence. My heart stopped in my chest. Goosebumps rippled across my skin. I glanced over at Skittery for a moment. Our eyes locked. This was it, we said to each other without words. This was the end.
Disclaimer: I don't own newsies. I own Ellie. I own this story.
Author's Note: This is not a one shot. Its the kind of story that starts with the climax, or the end. Then goes back and tells you all the events leading up to it. It should be pretty interesting. You should read. And review. Even if you hate it.