"So what did you think of the prologue?" Roxie asked.
Sophia stared at Roxie. "That was only the prologue?"
"Shortened, might I add. We are using the School Edition, after all."
Sophia sighed. "Let's get cracking, then. So what happens now?"
"Well, remember how Phineas swore to change his name and start over as a new man? That's just what he does...as we shall see here in Chapter 2!"
Roxie sketched out the rough outline of a large town for Sophia's reference, and wrote the time and place at the top before continuing to write the story.
1823, A Town called Montreuil-sur-Mer
Eight years had passed since Phineas' release from prison, and the poor of France were no better off than he had been before prison. The aftermath of the French Revolution had left many penniless, desperate to feed their children and to keep a roof over their heads. They were a bitter crew, hardened by the life they led.
"At the end of the day you're another day older
And that's all you can say for the life of the poor
It's a struggle, it's a war
And there's nothing that anyone's giving
One more day standing about, what is it for?
One day less to be living."
They were forced to beg for the simplest of things: bread, blankets, a coin or two to pay for a scrap of whatever they could find. Those who passed them tried to ignore the cries of the helpless, barely giving them a glance.
"At the end of the day you're another day colder
And the shirt on your back doesn't keep out the chill
And the righteous hurry past
They don't hear the little ones crying
And the winter is coming on fast, ready to kill
One day nearer to dying!"
As rough as life was for them, the poor still had a grain of hope, that someday the cruel kings would be overturned and they could earn a living for themselves.
"At the end of the day there's another day dawning
And the sun in the morning is waiting to rise
Like the waves crash on the sand
Like a storm that'll break any second
There's a hunger in the land
There's a reckoning still to be reckoned and
There's gonna be hell to pay
At the end of the day!"
The poor often gathered about the factories at the end of the day, hoping that those who were lucky enough to work inside would spare them a coin. One of these factories was a textile factory, owned by a man known as Monsieur Phineas Madeleine. Nobody really knew where he came from, but he was kind-hearted enough, and he was the mayor of the town now.
The foreman of Phineas' factory was carrying the box containing the daily pay for the workers. He grumpily set it down on the table near the door, which he used to pay them, and sat down next to it.
"At the end of the day you get nothing for nothing
Sitting flat on your butt doesn't buy any bread."
The workers had finished for the day, and began to wander over to the pay station, talking about their problems as they went. Three women huddled together, worried for the fate of their families.
"There are children back at home," the first woman said. "And the children have got to be fed."
"And you're lucky to be in a job," the second woman commented.
"And in a bed!" added the third.
"And we're counting our blessings!" they all agreed.
First in line to receive her pay was a beautiful, but proud young woman named Isabella. She had lots of attention from many of the men in the town - indeed, most of the other factory workers were quite jealous - but she always turned them down, even when they promised to pay her for her favors. The foreman of the factory was no different from the others, often accosting the poor girl while she was at work. The women in line behind her watched as she struggled to retrieve a letter from the foreman, which was apparently addressed to her.
"Have you seen how the foreman is fuming today?" the blonde one gossiped. "With his terrible breath and his wandering hands?"
"It's because little Isabella won't give him his way," the auburn-haired woman told her matter-of-factly.
A black-haired woman pointed at the scene they were witnessing. "Take a look at his trousers, you'll see where he stands!"
"And the boss, he never knows that the foreman is always in heat," said a woman with brown curly hair.
The auburn-haired woman turned to the others, warning them sarcastically. "If Isabella doesn't look out, watch how she goes. She'll be out on the street!"
Isabella finally got her letter, and the line moved more quickly now as women simply took their pay and left.
"At the end of the day it's another day over
With enough in your pocket to last for a week
Pay the landlord, pay the shop
Keep on grafting as long as you're able
Keep on grafting till you drop
Or it's back to the crumbs off the table
You've got to pay your way
At the end of the day!"
Out of all the women in the factory, there was one who was particularly jealous of Isabella's beauty, especially the fact that she received the most attention from the blond, hunky foreman. Her name was Adyson, and she often made it her mission to make Isabella's life miserable.
So when she spotted Isabella reading her letter, growing increasingly worried, she decided that this was a perfect opportunity to harass her.
"And what have we here, little innocent sister?" she said, smirking at Isabella as she walked over to her. "Come on, Isabella, let's have all the news!"
Adyson grabbed the letter from Isabella and read it aloud so the other gossips could hear its contents.
" 'Dear Isabella, you must send us more money
Your child needs a doctor
There's no time to lose...' "
The other women laughed at this, whispering to each other intently. Embarrassed, Isabella tried to get her letter back from the spiteful Adyson.
"Give that letter to me
It is none of your business
With a husband at home
And a bit on the side!
Is there anyone here
Who can swear before God
She has nothing to fear?
She has nothing to hide?"
In trying to get the letter back, Isabella lunged for Adyson, tripping over her own feet, falling down, and knocking Adyson over in the process. Adyson fell on top of her, and the two women were soon scrambling and fighting madly on the ground, trying to prevent the other from getting the letter. The others began egging them on, happy to see such a show. It caused quite a riot, and soon the owner of the factory was called to put a stop to it.
Phineas strolled into the room quickly, but importantly, and all of the other women immediately stopped shouting and looked to him for instructions.
"Will someone tear these two apart?
What is this fighting all about?
This is a factory, not a circus!"
Isabella and Adyson finally stopped and stood, dirty and ashamed. Adyson had ended up with the letter, but she threw it at Isabella's feet.
"Now come on ladies, settle down
I run a business of repute
I am the Mayor of this town."
He turned to the foreman, shaking his hand solemnly.
"I look to you to sort this out,
And be as patient as you can."
Phineas began to leave the factory, and Isabella desperately reached out to him to show him the letter, but he ignored her and walked out the door.
"Now someone say how this began!" the foreman said imposingly.
Adyson turned toward Isabella and pointed at her accusingly.
"At the end of the day
She's the one who began it!"
Isabella gasped. That certainly wasn't the truth!
"There's a kid that she's hiding
In some little town
There's a man she has to pay
You can guess how she picks up the extra
You can bet she's earning her keep
Sleeping around
And the boss wouldn't like it!"
Adyson winked at the foreman, and Isabella felt that she simply had to interject her side of the story, or risk losing her job. She held out the letter for the foreman to read.
"Yes it's true there's a child
And the child is my daughter
And her father abandoned us,
Leaving us flat
Now she lives with an innkeeper man
And his wife
And I pay for the child
What's the matter with that?"
Isabella couldn't believe what she heard the other women saying in response.
"At the end of the day
She'll be nothing but trouble
And there's trouble for all
When there's trouble for one!
While we're earning our daily bread
She's the one with her hands in the butter
You must send the slut away
Or we're all gonna end in the gutter
And it's us who'll have to pay
At the end of the day!"
Isabella thought that they might have had some decency, but here they were, demanding her dismissal! She'd done nothing to them, not a thing. Even the fight had been in self-defense.
The foreman was no kinder than her coworkers.
"I might have known the bitch could bite
I might have known the cat had claws
I might have guessed your little secret..."
He stroked Isabella's cheek, and it took all of her strength not to flinch.
"Ah, yes, the virtuous Isabella...
Who keeps herself so pure and clean
You'd be the cause, I had no doubt
Of any trouble hereabout
You play a virgin in the light
But need no urgin' in the night."
"She's been laughing at you while she's having her men!" Adyson yelled.
"She'll be nothing but trouble again and again!" the other women echoed.
Adyson pointed at Isabella again. "You must sack her today!"
"Sack the girl today!" cried every woman in the factory.
The foreman looked Isabella right in the eyes. "Right, my girl." He then shoved her out the door. "On your way!"
As Isabella ran away from the horrible factory, she swore she could hear the others celebrating.
oOoOoOo
"Is that even legal?" Sophia asked.
"Back then it was," Roxie replied, erasing a mark she'd made on her illustration of Isabella. "No such thing as labor laws."
"That's horrible!" cried Sophia, reading the words over again in disbelief. "And is my character really sick?"
Roxie smirked. "No spoilers. We'll get to you in a bit."
A/N: Thanks to BroadwayFanGirl91, we now have fun dividey lines! Yay! So here's chapter two. "At the End of the Day". Fun fact: I sing the line "And the boss, he never knows that the foreman is always in heat." XD But poor Isabella! Why must the French be so judgmental? First Phineas, now Isabella...