Chapter 1: 8 years later
"You good for nothing filthy whore I sadly must call my daughter!" my father would scream. "No more Francis to protect you. What are you ganna do now?" he sneered.
I was huddled in a corner sprawled on the floor. My eyes widened as my father took his empty beer bottle and smashed it on the floor. Gagged and dangerous edges faced me now. Silent tears fell from my eyes, there was no use in crying anymore but I couldn't help it. I screamed as the shattered class hit my body. I could scream for hours and no one would ever come and help me. I longed for the brother that I used to cling to at times like this. He would try and defend me and then get royally beat for trying, my body still under the attack. When my father saw the blood he smiled and said to me. "You're a filthy, rotten, good- for nothing whore!" He stood and turned around to leave the room. As his hands clenched the door knob he turned his head and scoffed. "I'll be back Mary, I always come back for you." he said as he opened the door and quickly left. I was terrified to move, I never would dear until he is either passed out or left. I heard him shut the door and then I moved. I tried to sit up and fell back to the ground. I was laying in a pool of blood. I was bleeding no doubt every were I didn't even have to look at my mangled body to know that much. I once again tried to sit up, this time succeeding and leaned on the wall. I looked at my arms, legs, and core all were slashed open somewhere.
"Great, another scare another Day lets just go look in the same mirror I always do after this happens, clean up, and wait for it to happen all over again. What a life Mary!" I said to myself rising uneasily from my pool of blood to stand a walk to the shattered mirror. The mirror was old and shards were missing form it. Often used as a weapon in our house. I looked in the mirror. I had a cut on my forehead, a black eye, badly bruised face, more scares for my arms and legs, then my abdomen I lifted my shirt to examine myself and was reminded of last nights beating. A badly bruised stomach with cuts and now even more cuts. I pulled the wash basin over and washed my cuts. The water now literally looked like blood from all the uses. My mind flashed to Jack for some reason as I touched a scar on my arm.
Flashback:
"Come on no more cryin' Mary. Please I'se just helping' ya." Jack said as he dabbed at a deep wound on my arm. I still cried.
"I want mama Jack," I said. I was only 6 at the time.
"She died Mary, we gotta stick together now." he said pulling me into a hug.
"How?" I screeched.
"Shh, I'se will figure some'tin out."
(End of Flashback)
I snapped out of my silly mental state long enough to realize that I had to run. I was going to run just like Jack. I ran out into the hallway and ran right into my fathers door. I quickly opened the door and went to the dresser. I opened up the drawer and saw the tin container that I knew held all of papa's money. I opened the container and counted 3 dollars then I stuffed it into my bra.
"Wow, papa's rich!" I said quietly to myself. Then I ran back to my room were I flew out the window and I was hit in the stomach by the bar of the fire escape. "Ouch, shit!" I said as I rubbed my stomach. I ran down the fire escape not looking determined to get away from my father. I hit the ground and I ran about a block before I slowed down. I was free, then I realized were am I? Were do I go from here?
"Extra! Extra! Scandal in Mayors Office" called a boy. He was dressed like a newsie. A turquoise/ bluish colored shirt with cut off brown shorts, big brown eyes, curly brown hair covered by a newsie hat, and a bright face and smile. He was absolutely adorable, I walked towards him. He was not facing me so I tapped his shoulder. He spun quickly on his heel to face me. He was startled by me being so close to him. He leaned against the building next to him. His papes tucked in one arm the other leaning on the wall. "Hey dar' miss. Lookin' to buy one od' me papes?" he said almost like a cheesy pick up line. I smiled and turned my head to hide my red, bruised, and scared face. "Come on I'se don look dat bad. Neider do's you'se come on shows me you'se pretty liddle face." Then he reached out and used a finger to move my face to his. "Dar," he said smiling brightly. I let out a little laugh and he joined in laughing. "What's you'se name?" he finally asked. He was so amazing he was kind and bright something I hadn't experienced for years.
"Oh, Mary Sullivan," I said extending a hand in the little room that was between us. His expression turned from happiness to utter shock. "Hello?" I said waving a hand in front of his face.
"Sorry bout dat. Um, are you?" He looked me up and down. I looked at him with a confused look on my face. "Holy shit you are your brothers' sister!" he said a little louder.
"You'se knows my brouder?" I asked stepping closer to him.
"Yea ever since he became a newsie 8 years ago." he said like it was a no brainier.
"Is dis da same boy you'se thin' of?" I said pulling out a ripped photo of Jack and I as little kids. He smiled taking the picture and laughed a little.
"Whoa Jack was real liddle once upon a time." He said smirking with a laugh in his voice handing me back the picture. I put my hand on my mouth as tears formed in my eyes. "Know's he's a leader' of da Man'hadden newsies!" he added.
"Dame it Francis! You sold me out!" I screamed as I threw down the paper and started running down the busy street. Then I heard foot steps behind me, the newsie was fallowing me. He was going to catch me no doubt. I turned into an alley thinking it wasn't a dead end. So much for that I rounded the corner and I hit the wall of the alley. I fell backwards right to the ground my head hit the cobblestone hard with a deathly smack. Then the newsie was kneeling next to me.
"Dame it Jack ganna kill me if he t'inks I let you lie here for God knows what to happen to you!" he said as he cradled my head. My head hurt as bad as papa hurt me at times. "Mary comes on! I'se taken you'se right tah' Jack!" he said picking me up.
"Shit my head hurts!" I said putting a hand to my head.
"You'se got ya brouder mouth too," he said smiling warmly.
"Tanks," I said smiling up at his warm face which smiled back.
"You'se real pretty you'se know dat?" he said.
"Tanks! Please tell me yur name." I pleaded.
"Mush! Hey bud where's you been bud…What the hell who is dis?" the other boys said running over to us.
"Blink! This is Mary. Jack's sis, come on she's hurt!" he said heading down the alley back to the street.
"Mush! How da hell does you'se wind up wid Jack's little sis?" Blink asked.
"She's was ganna buy one od' me papes." Mush replied. We were briskly heading towards the industrial district of Manhattan.
"Mush? Where's we'se goin?" I asked faintly. I was almost passing out now my vision was blurry and growing darker. I grabbed his shirt slightly and my grip tightened as he started to pick up his pace.
"We'se headin' to da Manhattan Newsboys Lodin' House." he said looking down briefly.
"Why dar'?" I asked. My memory was going.
"Dat's were Jack's at and were da both of us live too." Mush responded with a little laugh in his tone.
"Blink, run ahead an tell Kloppman we'se got a goil who needs a doctor real bad!" Mush ordered his friend, his fried taking off in a fast sprint. "We'se almost dar. You'se ganna be alright Mary. I'se know you'se will." Mush said in a comforting voice.
"Ya, if you'se say I'se will den I'se will." I said my grip still tight on his shirt. The other hand was resting on the open part of his shirt reveling dirty long johns. "We'se here! Ready tah see you'se brouder?" Mush asked standing on the door step to the lodging house.
"Ya!" I said with all the energy I had left.
"Ya here da are!" Blink said rushing over again. A mass of boys made there way into a circle around me. I was to be honest a little scared.
"Looks like you'se found a 'little friend' dar Mushy." An Italian boy said. He reached out and tried to touch me and I was flinching and clinging tighter to Mush. He was referring to me the small, filthy, bruised and bloody girl in Mush's arms.
"Shove it Race she's Jack's little sis'ter." Mush snapped back.
"Kloppman says pout 'er up in da spare roim." Blink said to Mush.
"Kay!" Mush said pushing through the boys heading for the stairs.
"Don't fuck her up Mush! Remember you'll have hell to pay from Jack!" Racetrack screamed.
"Race are you drunk?" Blink asked putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Maybe?" he slyly replied. Mush took me up the stairs me wincing every stair.
"I'se sorry! I'se don't means tah hoit ya." Mush said as he resourcefully opened the door.
"I'se fine. Dat Race kid, he I'se not liken' to much,' I replied. Mush walked though the door and shut the door behind him. The room was dark, but he found the bed and set me on it very gently. Then finding the lamp and lighting it.
"Ya I'se can beat da crap out of im later." Mush said with a laugh. Mush got down on his knee's beside my bed and sat with me. Then bursting through the door almost falling on his face a young man with dirty blonde hair and a cow boy hat came through the door fallowed by Blink, a doctor and an old man. Me being scared I accidentally grabbed a hold of Mush's shirt.
"Hey, its okay if you'se need somtine tah hoild onto. If us'e needs sometine den' hoild me hand not chock me wid me own shirt." he said grabbing my hand. "I'se aint lettin' go so don't worry'."
"Mary?" Jack said with an unsure gaze stepping closer to me.
"Ya it's me Jack!" I replied softly me energy low. He came over and held my other hand.
"Now one of you boys has to move so I can fix her." the doctor said. I grabbed tighter to Mush's hand. Jack backed away slowly. "You all can stay just stay away from were I am working." the doctor said. He opened up his bag and started to work. "My God what happened to her?" the doctor asked a little appalled.
"She's ran into a wall. Dah odder stuff I's don't knows'?" Mush answered.
"Our's fader got's a hold' of er'." Jack added. "It was papa right' Mar?" Jack asked concerned. I nodded, wonder what they would do.
"Well I am only going to look her over and fix her face up alright boys!" the doctor said. He quickly went to work checking my head. He wrapped it with a bandage and then started looking for bruises. "All who are not needed in the room must leave. You two boys stay!" he said referring to Jack and Mush. "What's your name son?" the doctor asked Mush.
"Nicolas but you'se can calls' me Mush." He said smiling.
"Alright and you?" he asked Jack.
"Jack Kelly! Her brouder." Jack replied protectively.
"Okay Mush you take both hands and hold them. Jack roll her over on her side and hold her legs if she starts to kick." The doctor ordered. Mush took both of my hands and saw the look in my eyes. I was terrified beyond belief and looked like a scared little girl.
"Well I'se mights' as well start houldin' er' legs now. She's a kicker'!" Jack said.
"Shut it Jack! Or I'll kick you'se!" I warned. Then I felt the doctor's hands on my back and he was examining scare after scare and charting them.
"Okay were done with her back let's check everything else." He said. He took my arms and say all the scaring. "Jack my boy can I see your arms?" the doctor asked. Jack sighed then rolled up his sleeves and revealed all the scaring form living with our papa for 11 years. Not as bad or as much scaring as mine because I was trapped for 15 years. "My God you poor children!" exclaimed the doctor.
"Well you'se move on in life!" Jack said with a smile. The doctor nodded and finish checking me over.
"Well I think that since she is out of harms way now she will heal and live life to the fullest. She is going to be sore for a while she should stay in bed for today and then tomorrow she can walk around a little but nothing big. After 2 days she should feel much better. You take good care of her Mush. You too Jack!" the doctor said heading for the door.
"I'se will!" Mush called as Jack and the doctor left the room.
