Little Daniel Davidson hid in the shadows, hoping his dad would leave the kids alone. They had never done anything to him. But his dad was a drunken fool who had scared his wife back to Canada with his two daughters. It looked like his dad would get his way yet again, but the girl's dad came out and punched the man. Daniel smiled, silently cheering. He didn't want the girl to get hurt. She lived in the same tenement building and always had a smile on her face, just like her cousin, who was currently lying on the ground. Just then, the trashcan Daniel was hiding behind caught fire. He screamed and jumped away, looking around for the other kids.
"Benjy!"
Daniel looked up at the girl's terrified voice, calling for her cousin. She stopped and stared as a horse raced towards her, showing no signs of stopping. Daniel moved as fast as he could, hoping he would reach her in time. Just before the horse stepped on her, Daniel jumped and pushed her out of the way. She fell hard, hitting her head on the edge of the sidewalk and lay unmoving.
"Are youse okay?" He shook her limp body, hoping she was okay. "Please wake up! Why won't youse move?" Getting no answer, he dragged the girl over to a woman with 5 children gathered around her. "Please help my friend?" he begged.
"I don't got time kid. Bring her to someone else."
Daniel tried several other women who all refused. Looking around, he finally settled on setting her down next to the lamppost where everything had started. At that moment, she opened her eyes and looked around.
"What happened? Where's Benjy?" She sat up and saw the flaming building. "Ma! Pa! My violin!" She stood up and shot towards the flames.
"Wait! Are youse okay? You shouldn't be running; you could be hoirt!" The girl didn't listen, intent on getting to her family. Daniel caught up to her before she could run into the fiery inferno.
"Goirl, youse can't go in dere! Lemme go. Wat floor?"
"Da fifth. Da door right by da stairs." She sounded frightened and close to tears. Daniel felt his heart clench at her pretty face, her curly reddish-brown hair falling in a cloud down her back.
"Ise is gonna help youse. I promise nothing will hoirt youse."
"Ya promise?"
"I promise." She nodded, tears now falling down her face. "I'll be right back." He turned around and ran into the building.
"Blink! Wassa matta wit ya today? Youse been starin inta space for an hour," said Racetrack. Getting no answer, he threw a used napkin at the one-eyed boy across the table.
Blink shook his head and looked at Race, who was sitting across the table at Tibby's. "Wat? Did youse say somethin Race?"
"Yeah, Ise said wassa matta wit ya?"
"Nothin. Just tired. Late night last night."
"Wit a goirl?"
"No, dat's you're job Mush," Race said. They immediately began discussing Mush's newest girl.
Blink stared at a spot on the wall, his mind wandering back to his dream last night. It was one that only started after he had met that girl in the park. The girl with the violin that looked exactly like the one from his dream.
Daniel coughed, choking on the thick smoke. He looked around, trying to find the right door.
"Fifth floor. Door by da stairs," he thought to himself. Finding the right door, he pushed on the door, hoping it would be unlocked. It opened right away, revealing a woman hugging two children to her chest lying near the open window. He stood and stared for a minute, shocked at seeing the dead bodies. Hearing a shout come from outside, Daniel franticly searched for the missing violin, finally finding it in the nearest bedroom. Running back down the stairs, he almost ran into a moving figure.
"Ma! Ma, is dat you?"
He looked at the person, recognizing her as the girl whose violin he had.
"I told youse ta wait outside!"
"My ma is still in dere! Please help!" she cried. "Please! I want-"
Hearing a loud cracking sound, Daniel looked up just in time to see a piece of falling wood hit him in the left eye. He cried out in pain, dropping the instrument to grab his injured eye. The girl started for a moment before grabbing her violin and pulling him out of the building and straight into the man with the eye-patch.
"Git ova here goirly. Ise got business to finish wit ya."
"No!" shouted Daniel, shoving the man. Grabbing the girl's arm, he ran with her over to the nearby Brooklyn Bridge. "Listen ta me. Run ova da bridge and don't look back. Ise will be here tomorrow mornin and we can find ya family. Go!" Giving the girl a gentle push over the bridge, Daniel silently wished her luck.
"Excuse me, can I have one pape please?"
The soft female voice startled Blink out of his daydream.
"Penny a pape," he replied automatically, before realizing it was Laura Mae and her friend. "Oh."
Carey giggled, taking the paper. "Where's your friend today? I was hoping to talk to him."
"Crutchy? He's around. I think he's sellin ova by da lake."
"Is that his name? Laura, will you be okay if I go visit with Crutchy?"
She nodded, smiling shyly at Blink. He stared back, thinking her eyes looked familiar.
"Are youse sure we neva met before?" he suddenly blurted out. She blushed, shaking her head. "Your eyes…" He trailed off, not sure what he had meant to say. She pointed to her eye, then his, looking curious.
"Me eye?" She nodded again. "Wat happened to me eye?" Another nod came. "Ise injured it years ago." She tilted her head, still looking curious. "Ise was helping a friend outta fire and a burning log hit it." She mouthed the words I'm sorry, making a sign on her chest as well. "Youse can't hear, can youse?" Another shake of her head. "How do ya knows wat I'm sayin den? And how do ya speak?" She held up her hands. "Hands?" This time, she smiled as she nodded. "Ya speak wit ya hands?" Another smile and nod. "But how-" Before he could finish, she held out her hands together, palms up, and then pointed to her mouth. Blink looked confused. She sighed, looking around her. Seeing the stack of papes Blink held, she grabbed one and pretended to read it. "Read?" She pointed to her mouth again. "Mouth? Ya read mouths?" She mouthed the word lips. "Lips? Ya read lips?" She smiled again, clapping her hands in delight. "Youse can tell wat Ise sayin by readin me lips?" She nodded, still grinning. "Youse can't hear but youse can play da violin? Ise neva hoird of dat." Laura just shrugged, looking at him so intently that he squirmed. "How'd ya lose your hearing?" She shrugged, looking uncomfortable and frowning for the first time. Just then, her friend walked over with Crutchy.
"Laura, this is Crutchy. He's asked us to see a flicker with him and his friend Blink, if that's okay with you."
Laura looked at him, lifting a shoulder and smiling slightly. Blink smiled and nodded, already looking forward to spending more time with her.
As the two girls walked back to the orphanage, Carey talked excitedly about the few minutes she had spent with Crutchy.
"He is such a sweet boy. He hurt his leg when he was younger, just like you. I think he said his dad saved him and his cousin from two bad men and then his tenement building caught fire. His dad died telling everyone to get out and his cousin got lost that day and no one knows what happened to her. It's a sad story. Sorry mister," she said, moving to walk around the man standing in her path.
"Dat is a sad story," he growled. "Know how it ends?"
"I do. Wit dese two goirls comin wit us before somebody gets hoirt," responded a second voice.
Laura looked up and instantly paled, recognizing the eye-patched man from her dream.
"Hey, dis here goirl looks familiar." He studied her face intently. "Yeah, youse dat goirl dat I almost snatched years ago. Remember me goirl? Youse and your cousin got away, didn't ya? But not dis time."
Laura tried to bolt, but he grabbed her and dragged her into a nearby alleyway. She tried screaming, but he covered her mouth with his hand. "No noises. Dis time Ise will get what Ise want."
She started crying, wishing she had her ears so she could tell if someone else was coming. She gasped when the man started pulling her shirt out of her skirt. Crying harder, she struggled to get away. When he leaned towards her, she punched him as hard as she could and ran again, straight into someone. Looking up, she saw Blink standing there, looking angry.
"Wat is ya doin here boy? I hoird youse died years ago."
"Youse hoird wrong. Ise still here and Ise won't let you hoirt my goirl."
"Your goirl? Dis is your goirl?"
"Yes. And youse is gonna leave her alone."
Laura's eyes went back and forth between the two men as they talked. She couldn't help noticing they looked almost like father and son. She stepped back to study Blink's face harder, but was suddenly turned around.
"Youse is comin wit me goirl, and youse is comin now!" yelled the older man.
Out of nowhere came a fist that landed squarely on the man's jaw. A few punches later (with the help of Crutchy, who had just appeared with Carey), the man was lying on the ground, knocked out.
"Youse goirls okay?" asked Blink.
They nodded, looking shocked.
"Let's go den, before dey wake up."
Before he could walk away, Laura touched his arm. Looking quizzical, she waved her arms around. Blink and Crutchy looked at Carey, asking for her help.
"She says you look like that man. She was wondering if you were related."
Blink sighed, having hoped he would never have to tell anyone. "Yeah, Ise related ta him. Dat's me pa."
Well, this is the longest chapter so far. Hope it's good and you guys enjoy Blink's backstory. Pretty please review and tell me if it's still good?