Laina awoke on a warm summer night in a cold sweat. She'd been dreaming
that Snyder had found her and threw her back in the Refuge. It had been
two years since she'd escaped, and Snyder had been chasing her since.
She had left her beloved Manhattan to live in Queens, in hopes of throwing Snyder off her trail for at least a day or two. But her hopes had been disappointed when in less than two hours the cops had found her..again.
Looking around the empty warehouse that she'd been sleeping in, she thought ' I should just go back to Manhattan. They'se gonna find me anyways, so I might as well be in a place I'se familiar with.'
Making up her mind, she quickly packed the only bag she owned and threw it over the ledge and out onto the fire escape. She was just about to go over herself, when she heard a loud "BANG" from behind her. As the sight of the two police officers fully registered in her exhausted brain, it was only by instinct that she jumped over the window ledge, down the fire escape and out onto the deserted street.
At this point, Laina was no longer thinking about how tired she was. Now the only thought going through her head was, 'Run like mad hell!'
However, a few seconds later, a cop whipped out from an alley right in front of her, wiping all thoughts from her mind, indulging her with fear. They were quickly closing in on her, coming from every direction. 'If I find out who tipped off Snyder, I'll beat the shit out of them!'
___________________________
An idea suddenly popped into Laina's head. 'Hit and Run'. So she snapped her fist into an officer's nose and took off running at a fast sprint, leaving the stunned police in her dust.
After what felt like an eternity, she slowed down to catch her breath, and was overjoyed to see the boat docks. She glanced around, and when she was sure she was alone, walked onto a boat, figuring she'd hide on the lower deck.
She walked hesitantly down the stairs. It was quiet. A little too quiet for Laina's taste. Just as she settled down under a wooden bencher heart skipped a beat. She slowly lifted her head as her jaw dropped in horror
Snyder was staring at her from a bench across the hall from her. He had relaxed yet triumphant look about him. "Boy, am I getting sick of chasing after you, Miss Thomson." As she tried to get up and run for her life, she realized Snyder wasn't alone. Two police officers were coming at her carrying night clubs. Memories of the refuge flooded her mind. She wanted to scream. She wasn't about to go through that again, not as long as she could help it.
While trying to think up a really brilliant escape maneuver, she suddenly thought, 'screw it, I'll jus go wit dah flow'. Deciding on keeping it spontaneous, she jumped out and kneed the first officer she found in the crotch, and, grabbing a pipe from the ceiling, swung her legs up and kicked the second officer square in the face. 'That was easy' she thought, surprised at the lack of challenge. Even though Snyder was still chasing her, she knew she was fine, because as she skipped two steps at a time on her way up, Snyder was already huffing and puffing on his way up. Knowing his style, she half expected to see all of the cities cops waiting for her on the upper deck, but was shocked (as well as greatly relieved) to see that the boat was deserted.
Laina, now feeling a sudden burst of energy, decided to throw her bag back over her shoulder and swim to the docks across the harbor. After two years of running from the cops, she had become extremely athletic, so swimming wasn't work at all.
The sun had just risen, and the newsies had just started to buy their papers for the day. Even though she was thrilled to be back in Manhattan, she collapsed out of exhaustion from lack of sleep and the eventful evening. As she began to fall, the prospect of her sore body hitting the pavement didn't bother her. As long as she could sleep, she could care less. But it wasn't the ground that met her first. In her half consciousness, rather than feeling rocks and broken glass along the cobble stone, there was something much more welcoming.
As she was hoisted back to a level standing position, she tried desperately to focus on the warm, soft thing that was still holding her close around the mid-back and shoulder blades. As she opened her eyes, she nearly melted. The thing that was holing her, that had prevented her from falling, was a young man. Laina couldn't believe how handsome he was. He couldn't have been more than eighteen, (A/N: for those of you wondering, Laina's seventeen), with his toned muscles, tanned skin, chocolate eyes, and wavy brown hair.
The boy was in no better condition. He marveled at her beauty, dumbstruck. 'Oh my God' he thought. 'She's gorgeous!' With her small, athletic figure, dark auburn hair reaching the middle of her back, creamy skin, and amazing dark honey eyes surrounded by ridiculously long eyelashes, he pleaded to know what he'd done to deserve to even be looking at her.
It was a while before either of them came back to reality. He was still holding her securely, and Laina never wanted to let go. They were both in heaven.
She had left her beloved Manhattan to live in Queens, in hopes of throwing Snyder off her trail for at least a day or two. But her hopes had been disappointed when in less than two hours the cops had found her..again.
Looking around the empty warehouse that she'd been sleeping in, she thought ' I should just go back to Manhattan. They'se gonna find me anyways, so I might as well be in a place I'se familiar with.'
Making up her mind, she quickly packed the only bag she owned and threw it over the ledge and out onto the fire escape. She was just about to go over herself, when she heard a loud "BANG" from behind her. As the sight of the two police officers fully registered in her exhausted brain, it was only by instinct that she jumped over the window ledge, down the fire escape and out onto the deserted street.
At this point, Laina was no longer thinking about how tired she was. Now the only thought going through her head was, 'Run like mad hell!'
However, a few seconds later, a cop whipped out from an alley right in front of her, wiping all thoughts from her mind, indulging her with fear. They were quickly closing in on her, coming from every direction. 'If I find out who tipped off Snyder, I'll beat the shit out of them!'
___________________________
An idea suddenly popped into Laina's head. 'Hit and Run'. So she snapped her fist into an officer's nose and took off running at a fast sprint, leaving the stunned police in her dust.
After what felt like an eternity, she slowed down to catch her breath, and was overjoyed to see the boat docks. She glanced around, and when she was sure she was alone, walked onto a boat, figuring she'd hide on the lower deck.
She walked hesitantly down the stairs. It was quiet. A little too quiet for Laina's taste. Just as she settled down under a wooden bencher heart skipped a beat. She slowly lifted her head as her jaw dropped in horror
Snyder was staring at her from a bench across the hall from her. He had relaxed yet triumphant look about him. "Boy, am I getting sick of chasing after you, Miss Thomson." As she tried to get up and run for her life, she realized Snyder wasn't alone. Two police officers were coming at her carrying night clubs. Memories of the refuge flooded her mind. She wanted to scream. She wasn't about to go through that again, not as long as she could help it.
While trying to think up a really brilliant escape maneuver, she suddenly thought, 'screw it, I'll jus go wit dah flow'. Deciding on keeping it spontaneous, she jumped out and kneed the first officer she found in the crotch, and, grabbing a pipe from the ceiling, swung her legs up and kicked the second officer square in the face. 'That was easy' she thought, surprised at the lack of challenge. Even though Snyder was still chasing her, she knew she was fine, because as she skipped two steps at a time on her way up, Snyder was already huffing and puffing on his way up. Knowing his style, she half expected to see all of the cities cops waiting for her on the upper deck, but was shocked (as well as greatly relieved) to see that the boat was deserted.
Laina, now feeling a sudden burst of energy, decided to throw her bag back over her shoulder and swim to the docks across the harbor. After two years of running from the cops, she had become extremely athletic, so swimming wasn't work at all.
The sun had just risen, and the newsies had just started to buy their papers for the day. Even though she was thrilled to be back in Manhattan, she collapsed out of exhaustion from lack of sleep and the eventful evening. As she began to fall, the prospect of her sore body hitting the pavement didn't bother her. As long as she could sleep, she could care less. But it wasn't the ground that met her first. In her half consciousness, rather than feeling rocks and broken glass along the cobble stone, there was something much more welcoming.
As she was hoisted back to a level standing position, she tried desperately to focus on the warm, soft thing that was still holding her close around the mid-back and shoulder blades. As she opened her eyes, she nearly melted. The thing that was holing her, that had prevented her from falling, was a young man. Laina couldn't believe how handsome he was. He couldn't have been more than eighteen, (A/N: for those of you wondering, Laina's seventeen), with his toned muscles, tanned skin, chocolate eyes, and wavy brown hair.
The boy was in no better condition. He marveled at her beauty, dumbstruck. 'Oh my God' he thought. 'She's gorgeous!' With her small, athletic figure, dark auburn hair reaching the middle of her back, creamy skin, and amazing dark honey eyes surrounded by ridiculously long eyelashes, he pleaded to know what he'd done to deserve to even be looking at her.
It was a while before either of them came back to reality. He was still holding her securely, and Laina never wanted to let go. They were both in heaven.