Chapter one
The moon shone brightly, lighting up the dark night as a girl walked down the sidewalk. The girl was one that people tended to avoid. The combination of her tattered clothing and the passionate spark captured in her green eyes was intimidating. Her messy brown hair was tied back in a green ribbon that was frayed and discolored with time. Her stride was that of purpose and her face held an expression of sleepless vigilance. No one would offer the girl a place in their homes nor would anyone give the mud caked girl a job, but no matter how many times she was turned down she kept asking never letting go of that hope that someone would show kindness. She stopped. The building that she stood by weathered but the sounds coming from inside were inviting. The ring of laughter drifted through the open window trying to coax in the non-existent breeze. Her eyes traveled to the sign above the door.
Newsboy Lodging House
She had seen the newsies on the street everyday in rain or shine but after some while they became a part of her surroundings and she blocked them out as she did the rest of the world. But the noises that floated through the open window sounded so enticing. When she caught the smell of food on the air her stomach growled and she bit her lip against the pain. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear she ascended the stairs to the front door. Her knuckles met with the worn wood of the door. A few minutes passed and she was about to knock again when the door opened and two brown eyes peered out into the night. He stared at her intensely for a moment then opened the door a little wider so that she could see his face in the fool light.
"What do ya want?" he asked, his tone slightly agitated. He shook his head to get the bangs that had fallen in his face out of his eyes. The girl looked at him wondering whether to be threatened by his tone or not.
"What I want is work and a place to stay," she said with a defiance that was to be taken seriously. The boy looked slightly taken aback that a girl in such a state would answer in such a way. But he dismissed it. The boys face mouth turned up in a half smile as he eyed the girl up and down.
"Well if youse don mind bein round a bunch o' guys, den I guess we'se got room for ya."
"No, I-" but she was cut off in mid sentence as another one of the boys walked up beside the one already at the door. He was shorter with messy brown waves covered by his hat, a cigar stuck behind his ear. The new boy studied the girl closely and she him. They both seemed to be glaring at each other then the boy broke away his gaze and whispered something into the taller one's ear. The smile melted off of the brown- eyed boys face and was re-placed with a stern frown. It was a disapproving look he gave her.
"We don't want any of ya kind livin' wit us!" he said and slammed the door in her face. For a moment she stood slightly shocked, wondering what the other boy had told him. She gritted her teeth in anger at the shorter one. She hated him, despised him, loathed him with a passion. He was on of the reasons that she remained defiant and strong in nature. She wouldn't be torn down by the likes of him. She stormed down the stairs and around the corner where she waited till morning.
She didn't sleep that night, even though the air was warm and comfortable. When dawn came she watched from the brick wall and when she caught sight of the boy grabbed him by the arm dragging him around the corner and slammed him against the wall. She held his neck with an amazing grip while the other hand pinned one of his hands so that he couldn't knock her away as easily.
"You bastard!" she screamed through gritted teeth, "Look at me! Look at what you've done! I'm hungry Anthony; I'm hungry and tired. Why can't you just leave me alone? You've already ruined my life enough, can't you ever just stop."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Anthony stared at her with his brown eyes full of resentment. She shook herself mentally and pressed hand even deeper into his neck. All of a sudden her arms were pinned to her side by a heavy wrapped around her.
"I hate you Anthony, I hate you!" she continued to scream as she watched him rub his neck with his hand. She had been so close. She finally pulled away from the arm that bound her. She ran back a couple of steps to be out of arms reach.
"All my life I have lived in terror because of you, but now it's your turn. I won't stop until I've gotten my revenge. Just remember that Anthony!" she yelled before turning and running down the street.
Anthony still stood leaning against the wall breathing hard, rubbing his hand over the place where she had held him. The other boy stood in wonder at the whole situation that had just taken place. He had seen his friend disappear around the bend and decided to follow only to find himself in the most confusing situation.
"Race, ya all right?" he asked after several minutes of silence.
"Yeah, I'm ok Jack. Da little whore was just angry dat I let her secret slip before ya let her inside," he said laughing nervously. Jack smiled and didn't pursue the subject further though he felt like Race was keeping something from him. Race didn't speak the rest of the way to the distribution office shaken by the whole encounter. His hand moved to his neck one last time. She had been so close....so close.
Go ahead, scream at me like I know you want to. There's nothing stopping you. Let your cruel words that cut me down so many times before pierce me deeper then they ever have. I know that's what you intend to do.
The girl didn't stop running until her legs would no longer work. Hunger and exhaustion finally overpowered her and she let them, slowly slipping into the darkness of her mind. When she woke again she heard the subtle sound of water lapping against wood. She looked around her and realized for the first time that she was on a dock. As she stared at the murky depths of the water a thought entered her mind.
She pulled herself up, never lifting her gaze off the inviting waves. She closed her eyes and jumped.
When she opened her eyes again she was enveloped in a foggy green. It was going to be over. No more pangs of regret, no more hatred. Nothing. She breathed in the life taking liquid letting fill her lungs. The pain she felt in her lungs was like no other but that would be gone soon enough. Her vision began to blur, darkening around the edges but closing in quickly. Before the last ray of light left she thought of nothing. She was at piece, finally.
The moon shone brightly, lighting up the dark night as a girl walked down the sidewalk. The girl was one that people tended to avoid. The combination of her tattered clothing and the passionate spark captured in her green eyes was intimidating. Her messy brown hair was tied back in a green ribbon that was frayed and discolored with time. Her stride was that of purpose and her face held an expression of sleepless vigilance. No one would offer the girl a place in their homes nor would anyone give the mud caked girl a job, but no matter how many times she was turned down she kept asking never letting go of that hope that someone would show kindness. She stopped. The building that she stood by weathered but the sounds coming from inside were inviting. The ring of laughter drifted through the open window trying to coax in the non-existent breeze. Her eyes traveled to the sign above the door.
Newsboy Lodging House
She had seen the newsies on the street everyday in rain or shine but after some while they became a part of her surroundings and she blocked them out as she did the rest of the world. But the noises that floated through the open window sounded so enticing. When she caught the smell of food on the air her stomach growled and she bit her lip against the pain. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear she ascended the stairs to the front door. Her knuckles met with the worn wood of the door. A few minutes passed and she was about to knock again when the door opened and two brown eyes peered out into the night. He stared at her intensely for a moment then opened the door a little wider so that she could see his face in the fool light.
"What do ya want?" he asked, his tone slightly agitated. He shook his head to get the bangs that had fallen in his face out of his eyes. The girl looked at him wondering whether to be threatened by his tone or not.
"What I want is work and a place to stay," she said with a defiance that was to be taken seriously. The boy looked slightly taken aback that a girl in such a state would answer in such a way. But he dismissed it. The boys face mouth turned up in a half smile as he eyed the girl up and down.
"Well if youse don mind bein round a bunch o' guys, den I guess we'se got room for ya."
"No, I-" but she was cut off in mid sentence as another one of the boys walked up beside the one already at the door. He was shorter with messy brown waves covered by his hat, a cigar stuck behind his ear. The new boy studied the girl closely and she him. They both seemed to be glaring at each other then the boy broke away his gaze and whispered something into the taller one's ear. The smile melted off of the brown- eyed boys face and was re-placed with a stern frown. It was a disapproving look he gave her.
"We don't want any of ya kind livin' wit us!" he said and slammed the door in her face. For a moment she stood slightly shocked, wondering what the other boy had told him. She gritted her teeth in anger at the shorter one. She hated him, despised him, loathed him with a passion. He was on of the reasons that she remained defiant and strong in nature. She wouldn't be torn down by the likes of him. She stormed down the stairs and around the corner where she waited till morning.
She didn't sleep that night, even though the air was warm and comfortable. When dawn came she watched from the brick wall and when she caught sight of the boy grabbed him by the arm dragging him around the corner and slammed him against the wall. She held his neck with an amazing grip while the other hand pinned one of his hands so that he couldn't knock her away as easily.
"You bastard!" she screamed through gritted teeth, "Look at me! Look at what you've done! I'm hungry Anthony; I'm hungry and tired. Why can't you just leave me alone? You've already ruined my life enough, can't you ever just stop."
Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Anthony stared at her with his brown eyes full of resentment. She shook herself mentally and pressed hand even deeper into his neck. All of a sudden her arms were pinned to her side by a heavy wrapped around her.
"I hate you Anthony, I hate you!" she continued to scream as she watched him rub his neck with his hand. She had been so close. She finally pulled away from the arm that bound her. She ran back a couple of steps to be out of arms reach.
"All my life I have lived in terror because of you, but now it's your turn. I won't stop until I've gotten my revenge. Just remember that Anthony!" she yelled before turning and running down the street.
Anthony still stood leaning against the wall breathing hard, rubbing his hand over the place where she had held him. The other boy stood in wonder at the whole situation that had just taken place. He had seen his friend disappear around the bend and decided to follow only to find himself in the most confusing situation.
"Race, ya all right?" he asked after several minutes of silence.
"Yeah, I'm ok Jack. Da little whore was just angry dat I let her secret slip before ya let her inside," he said laughing nervously. Jack smiled and didn't pursue the subject further though he felt like Race was keeping something from him. Race didn't speak the rest of the way to the distribution office shaken by the whole encounter. His hand moved to his neck one last time. She had been so close....so close.
Go ahead, scream at me like I know you want to. There's nothing stopping you. Let your cruel words that cut me down so many times before pierce me deeper then they ever have. I know that's what you intend to do.
The girl didn't stop running until her legs would no longer work. Hunger and exhaustion finally overpowered her and she let them, slowly slipping into the darkness of her mind. When she woke again she heard the subtle sound of water lapping against wood. She looked around her and realized for the first time that she was on a dock. As she stared at the murky depths of the water a thought entered her mind.
She pulled herself up, never lifting her gaze off the inviting waves. She closed her eyes and jumped.
When she opened her eyes again she was enveloped in a foggy green. It was going to be over. No more pangs of regret, no more hatred. Nothing. She breathed in the life taking liquid letting fill her lungs. The pain she felt in her lungs was like no other but that would be gone soon enough. Her vision began to blur, darkening around the edges but closing in quickly. Before the last ray of light left she thought of nothing. She was at piece, finally.