Hey guys! Thanks to all of you who answered my question from the last chapter. I agree, Snyder is the worst, and now I'm starting to feel a little bad for bringing him into this...oh well...

I know this is a little short but let's celebrate because we're at ten chapters! Woot woot! And I'll hopefully be able to get another one up really soon.

The next day, Mouse's hands still hurt, but she could hold a pencil. Her handwriting was spiky and barely readable, but it was better than nothing. She considered telling Davey and Jack the truth about how the fire had started, but ultimately decided it was too late. They were pretty much over being mad at her anyway, and if she tried to tell them now, they would just think she was making excuses.

Instead, she used her healing hands to write a message to Les in the margin of one of her papes. I WANT TO GO SEE THE FACTORY.

He read it and frowned at her. "Why would you want to go there?"

She just crossed her arms.

Les glanced over at Jack, who wasn't paying any attention to them, and then leaned in closer. "Okay. We'll go after lunch."

Mouse quickly scribbled down another message and nudged him. DON'T TELL JACK.

Les rolled his eyes. "You think I'm stupid or what?"

At lunch they ate quickly and Les thought up some story about Mouse wanting to see Brooklyn. Jack thought this was about the dumbest idea ever, laughing when Les brought it up, but he let them go, with a strict warning not to cross the bridge. Davey was so caught up playing some sort of card game with Race that he didn't even notice his siblings slip out the door.

Les glanced over his shoulder and hoped Jack didn't notice them going in the opposite direction of Brooklyn.

"Remind me why you want to see this place?" he groaned. "It's not gonna be pretty, Mouse. Trust me."

Mouse ignored him and ran faster.

As they neared the remains of the factory, Les urged Mouse to pull her hat down to put her face in shadow and shake down her sleeves a bit more, but she barely heard him. Some kind of strange fascination and horror that she would never be able to explain pulled her toward the factory, and she could not stop running.

And then they were there…and there was no factory…it was gone…no workers would ever enter again…and the remains were black and twisted…and passerby stared at the ruins…and Mouse could see the exact place that the tiny boy had sold her the match…the stupid match…why a match, of all things? And then Mouse realized…she had caused all this damage…she had put dozens of children out of a job…those same children were probably starving because of her…if only she hadn't gone back…why she had gone back, she'd never know…to speak again? It seemed a pathetic excuse now…nothing could help her…it was the same horrific fascination that had tugged her to the burnt remains of the factory, she realized…something had drawn her to the place she had nightmares about every night…

Mouse stood in front of the twisted metal ruins, her mouth agape, looking pale. Les stood beside her, looking at her nervously. Mouse was known to do impulsive things when she was upset, and by the looks of it, she was very upset.

Before he could say anything, a silky voice came from behind them.

"Well, well, well."

Les yelped and whirled around; Mouse grabbed his arm and turned around too. Behind them leered Snyder the Spider, grinning at their fright. Mouse remembered her bandaged hands too late; in grabbing Les's arm she had exposed the white wrappings quite obviously. She pulled her sleeve down and prayed he hadn't noticed, even though she knew he had by the way his eyes lingered there. Mouse didn't know who he was, but anyone who could display such greed and viciousness behind his eyes was not someone she wanted taking an interest in her burned hands.

Les recognized him right away, and raised a shaking, accusatory finger. "You'se Snyder the Spider! You'se supposed to be in jail!"

"Is that what they call me these days? Well, it seems my sentence went by fairly quickly, don't you think?" He chuckled darkly.

Les bravely raised his finger to Snyder's face. "Get away from us!"

"Be careful where you point that finger, young man." He casually pulled out a pocket knife and flipped it open. Les quickly withdrew his hand, but Snyder toyed with him, picking something out from under his own crusty nail with the sharp tip. "One wrong move and my hand just might slip. This thing is beautiful in its simplicity. Bet it could cut through a young boy's thumb easier than slicing a carrot." He snapped the pocket knife shut. "Oh, that's right, I'm not supposed to be intimidating you. My mistake."

"Whaddya want?" Les squeaked.

"Many things, boy, many things, but at this moment, I'm just going to need your sister here to come to Pulitzer's office."

Les immediately clutched Mouse's shirt and pulled her closer to him. As if I'm going anywhere, idiot! "No way."

"You're a curious one, boy. I thought your first question would be 'why."

Les narrowed his eyes. "Are you going to tell us, then?"

"Mr. Pulitzer would like to meet with her. The Mr. Pulitzer, if you don't remember. The man who's the reason you street rats can scrape a living each day. In other words—your boss. And if your boss requests a meeting with you, you can bet your bottom dollar that you're going to that meeting. You don't ever turn down an invitation from your boss. Remember that. It'll serve you well in life."

"She's not going."

"I think young Mouse can decide for herself. Can't you, girl?" Snyder leaned close to her. She could smell his rank breath. She flinched as he slowly ran his big dirty thumb down the side of her face.

"Don't touch her!" Les yelled.

Snyder ignored him and moved his hand to touch her hair. "She'll come."

"Not with you."

"She'll come if her boss requests to see her. Which he has. So you'll be there, won't you, Mouse?" Snyder slowly moved his hand down her chin and onto her neck. Mouse swallowed. "Mr. Pulitzer is expecting you." He was touching her chest. "After you've sold all your papers today. No rush. He told me to tell you." His fingers began to slowly creep down her shirt. "But make sure you're there, or—"

Mouse slapped Snyder hard and ran.

Her hand stung from the impact but the adrenaline kept her running. Les caught up quickly and together they sprinted. "Just go, just go!" he panted, and Mouse ran a little faster.

Finally they slowed to a stop, back in front of the bakery. Jack was just coming out. Les whispered quickly in Mouse's ear before Jack came over to them. "The thing is, you've got to go, or you'll be in even more trouble!" Mouse nodded miserably. "Just stay close to Jack and Snyder won't bother you anymore today. But Mouse, how are you gonna go without being noticed?"

Mouse didn't know any more than he did.

Thank you for reading, sorry for all the cliffhangers, and please review!

-Sis21K