Frankie heard the humming of a woman in the black and smelled the sweet scratchy scent of a cigar. Her head felt heavy and her mind was hazy. She didn't remember what had happened. She tried to fight the black away but memories filled her mind and she was powerless. The attack played back and she cringed in her sleep. She fought against the imaginary foe and struggled to swim in the inky green water. She suddenly remembered the boys and the shooting pain as she ran away. "Don't soak me!" she yelled sitting up quickly. The room was small and seemed more like a dressing room than a bed room but it was cozy and filled with cushions and pillowed stools. The bed she sat on was soft and smelled like lavender and cigars. "Nobody is gonna soak you here. It's alright now child…Medda is here." Said the red head woman she had seen before she blacked out.
"What happened? I was running and then…" she stopped as the thick pain of hungry shot through her thoughts. "We'll talk about it later child, lets get you something to eat at the restaurant a few blocks away. I wont tell nobody you'se a girl if you don't want me to." Medda said with a bright smile. She waved a feathered fan in Frankie's face and went back to fixing her hair and her clothing. Frankie got out of the bed and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She stuffed her hair back under the hat that hung off the side of the bed frame and slipped her feet in a pair of shoes that Medda handed her. Medda nodded in approval and lead Frankie out of the room and building. It was a short walk to the restaurant and there was a large group sitting inside.
"Medda!" they all yelled as the two women entered. Frankie lowered her head and moved closer to Medda. "Who's the shadow, Medda?" said one of the older looking boys. He had a red scarf tied around his neck and a cowboy style hat in his hand. "Oh Jack this is…." Medda started and turned back to Frankie who whispered her name and moved farther behind her. "…this is Frankie. He's the son of a friend of mine from the country. Just arrived yesterday, don't talk much I'm afraid." Medda lied with a bright cheeky smile. She ordered and paid for a drink and a sandwich for Frankie and after a few more hello's she left. Frankie pouted for a moment but when the roast beef sandwich arrived she forgot that she had no one and ate quickly. "Don't they feed you in the country?" Another boy said. He was shorter and had a cigar in his mouth. Frankie merely shrugged.
"He don't look like much, does he?" said a snide voice that was dripping with malice. "Why don't you go bother someone closer to your species, Delancy." Jack said crossing his arms over his chest. The man shrugged and left the restaurant followed by another who looked similar. Frankie let out a death breath and downed the last of her drink. She let out a loud belch and didn't excuse herself. She patted her belly and sighed. Frankie felt the stares of the other boys as she stood and fled from the restaurant. "Hey Frankie." Jack said running after her. She looked down at the ground and cleared her throat. "A bunch of us are gonna head to Brooklyn to see a friend of mine. If you'se gonna be in New York you gotta's know Spot Conlon."
Frankie walked in silence as she followed Jack, the boy who smoked cigars named Racetrack and a short boy named Les into Brooklyn. Les yammered on about his brother David who was in school at the time and really smart. Frankie smiled a bit and nodded periodically to let Les know she was listening. When they arrived at the pier, Frankie felt her chest tighten and the bruises seemed to ache more. She took a few deep breaths as the boys spit shook with the boy with the cane. In the sunlight she could see a serious look set on his youthful face when he looked at Frankie. She spit in her hand, shook his quickly and ran back off the pier, over the bridge and back to Medda's.
Medda was in her room, powdering her face and neck. "Back so soon, Frankie?" she said with a smile. Frankie glared at the back of her head and rolled her eyes. "If it wasn't so hard to make me sound like a man I wouldn't mind pretending. The spit shakes and bad manners don't bother me but everyone is always trying to look me in the eye. You can tell I'm a girl." Frankie said letting a few tears fall from her face. She didn't care that she wasn't home, she didn't fret over the fact that she had time traveled, she only cared about the fact that she couldn't be her tomboyish self and be a girl at the same time. "Why don't you be both? You look boy enough in that get up but I'm sure you're a sight when you're all dolled up. Let's see!" Medda said with a bright chirp. She was practically stripping the oversized clothes off of Frankie but she let out a small scream when she saw all the bruises on her back and legs. "My dear, what happened to you?" Medda gushed placing a cold wet cloth on her bruises. Frankie explained what had happened, leaving out the time travel as Medda placed a cool ointment that smelled like mint onto her skin.
