Disclairmer: I don't own Kid Blink, Jack Kelly, Mush Meyers, or any other Newsie (Quite a bummer). I do, however, have the pleasure of owning Katilin, Little Alley, Mouse, Scamp, Snatch, and Nun. Enjoy...
The world shimmered in and out of focus. 3 beautiful women began fluttering around Kate's mind, onto a crystal pond which soon transformed into a deep brown wood floor. Kate vaguely noticed that she was dreaming, and that she was now watching a Christmas party going on in a beautiful house in a snowy place that resembled Ireland. A sturdy hand playfully clasped a small girls back, and she looked up to see a young man, no more than 15, extending his hand to the girl. She noticed the other people clasping hands, before twisting and skipping around the room in a giant circle.
They traveled in a circle a few times, before breaking into partners. The young man grasped her small frame to his, and spun the girl in a waltz. The girl had on a beautiful indigo dress, that swished around her ankles. The young girl was no more that 5, and giggled when an old woman gestured for her to join her at the front of the room.
"How are you, my beautiful Katilin?"
"Good, Maimeó ." Kate smiled, watching interaction between child and elderly.
"I have a gift for you."
"Really?"
"Of course, Katilin. This is a good luck charm your Daideó gave to me." The woman whispered, gesturing to the old man smiling next to her. She handed the girl a small necklace with a 4 leaf clover pressed into the glass that was shaped like a heart. Kate instantly recognized it as the charm she always wore around her neck. Katilin turned around and let her Grandmother fasten the necklace.
"Remember me whenever you wear this necklace." The grandmother whispered. The girl smiled, turned around, and jumped in shock when she saw her Maimeó 's ashen face.
An angry hand embedded itself in Katilin's hair, yanking her back to the ground. She noticed the figure had unruly pale blonde hair, much like her own. He was her Uncail.
"Aiden." Her Daideó chocked.
"Hello Father. I heard you were leaving for America."
"You heard correctly."
"Are you taking the little rat with you?" Her Uncail sneered towards her. Katilin quietly crawled towards her grandparents. "We are taking Katilin."
"She'll never survive the journey. The illness will take her before you even reach The Statue of Liberty."
"Hush, Aiden. You're just jealous we gave the land to Brian, instead of to you." Her Grandmother scolded.
"That whelp of a little brother will run your fortune into the ground."
"That is his decision to make." By now Kate had noticed that everyone had left except for the Grandmother, Grandfather, Uncle, another woman, and a butler.
"Was it his decision to take his daughter with you?"
"Yes."
"He's willing to let her go?"
"Yes."
"Well, the I guess he won't mind if she dies." He said with a sick smile on his face. Fear for the small child crept into Kate's mind. She felt a whoosh fly through her ears, and noticed that she was closer to the floor that before, and was wearing the blue dress. Her Uncle had lit a match, and flicked it towards her feet. Only then did Kate jumped, and noticed the woman tugging her away from the growing fire.
"Siobhan. Run!" The Grandpa yelped, flailing uselessly behind the wall of now growing fire. The woman jerked Kate to her feet, and threw her out the door. Kate screamed at the girl to stop, but was running away anyways. The butler struggled with the man, before a gun shot went off, and he went still. Her Uncle was now chasing them down the street of bustling people.
Kate clutched uselessly at the woman's hands, but she couldn't get a solid grip. She cried out, and pushed her small legs faster. Kate was used to her frail, skinny, quiet body. One that allowed her to make a fast get away is the time called for it. She didn't have heavy clothes, and nothing to burden her. This body had baby fat, a heavy dress, and impossible dress shoes.
They skidded across a frozen pond, the uncle still fast on their heels. The cry of a boat could be heard in the distance, and Kate noticed they were rushing faster, hurrying to get on. They shoved the way through the crowd. With Siobhan screaming at her to run faster. Katilin complied, only to have her legs jerked out from her. She screamed, and fought as the uncle struggled to grasp at her ankles. Siobhan jerked, and Kate felt her legs being scraped across the pavement.
A boy tackled her uncle, Kate instantly recognized him as the boy she danced with earlier in the night. He bellowed at her to run. She jerked up, fear coursing through her veins, making her hands sweat and legs tremble. She wordlessly fought her way through the crowd. When she reached the dock, she noticed Siobhan arguing with the man on board. The captain. A woman appeared behind the man, smiling sweetly. The smile was fake, like eating too much dessert and the bitter feeling that fills your mouth.
"She can go, but you can't." Siobhan nodded, and clutched Kate to her stomach.
"Listen Katilin. Your new name is Kate Nelson. Katilin Bambrick is dead. Do you understand?" She said, crouched down to her level. Katilin sobbed and nodded her head.
"Little sister. I will always love you. I will come find you when it is safe." She soothingly stroked Katilin's hair. Somehow, Kate knew it would never be safe. Siobhan clutched Katilin to her once again, before handing her over to the scowling woman. The boat was leaving the doc, but Siobhan wasn't getting on. She was standing in a defensive posture in front of Katilin.
Katilin leaned over the barrier, while the captain was pulling her back. She grasped for Siobhan's hand, holding on until the boat ripped them apart. The horn blocking out a child's scream. Katilin watched as her life blew away, disappearing like dust in the wind, a large fire touching the full moon. The woman tossed a blanket around her shoulders, herding her towards the cabin. Kate felt fear that she had never known. Katilin would never see them again, and part of Kate felt like she had lost something too.
Kate jerked awake when she felt hands slap her feet. Ms. McKinney was shouting at them to get up. The girls at the orphanage yawned and quietly crawled out of bed, complaining the entire time. Kate's stomach growled from lack of food since breakfast yesterday.
"Up, up, up! Girls! Get up! Now! You've got jobs to do. They ain't gonna do themselves, y'know." McKinney shouted, shoving a piece of bread and meat into our hands, and shoving us out the door.
"Wait, Kate." She shouted into the street, calling me back.
"Yes, Ms. McKinney?" "You're turning 17 in a few months." In an orphanage, 17 was a death sentence and a life saver all in one. It was bad, because no more free food or shelter. Good because it was freedom. When an orphan turns 17, they are given $5, a job (if they want what is offered), some clothes, and whatever they came in with.
"I know."
"Then you know I have to make you leave." She said with fake sadness in her eyes. Her skin was ripped back over her sharp face, and her hair was ebony black, strung painfully back in a bun. She was Bumlets aunt, and I tried to show her kindness, but she made it difficult.
"Yes, Ms. McKinney."
"Good, now beat it." I smirked, a trait I picked up from Jack Kelly a few years ago, and headed back out.
"Flit, what did Satan's mistress want?" Scamp asked while finishing off her bread. Scamp was older than me by two weeks. She had ratty brown hair that looked like a dog that ran through mud. Hence the name.
"She's kickin' me out." I said while plopping down on the sidewalk, chewing on my bread.
"Why?" Little Alley asked. Alley was only ten, with dark blonde hair and wide, innocent brown eyes. We found her when she was six, eating raw fruit in an alley. She was so small you could hardly see her.
"She's too ol'." Mouse said from her perch on the empty crates from the market. Mouse had deep brown hair and deep brown eyes. She could steal food from right under your nose even with you looking right at it. Her best friend, Snatch, was smart, and knew how to get food without even trying. Snatch had red hair and green eyes, but still didn't call attention to herself.
"You leavin'?" Alley whispered.
"Yeah. But I'se gonna stay here for a while, until I can find out where my family went." I said, finishing my skimpy meal. I saved a small slice of meat, searching around for the stray dog; Nun, we stumbled upon walking across the Church yard a while ago.
"What'cha lookin' fo?" A familiar voice rang out as I crossed the street. The thick Manhattan accent told me it was my newsie friends. Nun trotted over towards me, nuzzling his nose into my palm.
Mush ran up to me and tossed me over his shoulder, almost whacking my head on the wall. He chuckled when I struggled, and just tossed my further over his shoulder. I huffed, blowing my hair outta my eyes.
"How'se ya doin' Flit?" He asked while jostling me.
"Betteah I'se sur', if she's could see's straight." Kid Blink joked, walking over to me and dragging me off Mush's body.
"Thanks." I said, while nudging his shoulder, giggling when he smiled and blushed. I took the opportunity to steal his hat, running down the street to buy my papes.
"'Ey! Get back!" He shouted, chasing me the rest of the way down the street. I avoided him easily, until he found a short cut and tackled me. The air left my lungs in a loud gust of stale morning breath. His face contorted in disgust, before he chuckled and started tickling me. His face was inches from mine when he stopped, his lips almost touching mine.
I decided not to fight it. I was in love with Kid Blink. The one eyed wonder.
Aw. Ain't that special? Reviews are Oreo's and Milk. :D