Part II
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Michael was very tired and leaned against the cool window to think. Just as he always did when he was deep in thought, he involuntarily grabbed the silver chain he wore around his neck and pulled it out of his shirt. The chain fell to his waist, and a small key dangled on the end. He could remember when he had received it…
"Now don't you go and lose this key, Michael," said Ma sternly. "If there's ever trouble down in Aunt Breanna's apartment, or if you need something when we're not there, you may use it, but never any other time. Never let anyone know that you've got it, all right?"
"Yes, Ma," said Michael, serious for a moment. Ma smiled and kissed him, and the serious moment was over as quickly as it had come. Michael went running off after Dana, only thinking how glad he was that he had a key of his very own!
The very next day, Michael forgot his cap in the apartment. Sally came home, and Aunt Breanna decided to take the two children for a walk by the river.
"But I forgot my cap!" wailed Michael.
"You don't need it. Why do boys wear such ugly caps, anyway?" asked Sally.
Michael glared at her. "Sally-"
"Now, now children. Michael, you can go without."
Michael pouted.
"Wait, Momma, I'm not nearly ready! Just let me fix my hair, and change my dress, and get my hat, and…"
While Sally was still going on about the things she needed to do, Michael glanced around, very quietly opened the door, slipped out, and closed it behind him. He tiptoed up the stairs to his apartment, checked the number on the door, and was beginning to pull the chain out of his shirt when-
"What are you doing up here, you little brat? Get back down to our apartment! Trying to break into your own apartment… you'll be a little thief yet, just wait and see! You'll be living on the streets by the time you're fifteen!" said Sally, grabbing a struggling Michael by his collar.
"Shut up, Sally!" growled Michael.
Sally's eyes widened and she let go of his collar, letting him tumble to the floor. "Momma! Momma! Michael told me…"
Michael groaned and rolled over. He didn't think there would be any bruises or cuts…
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Michael snapped out of his daydream. He didn't feel like thinking about the past anymore. It hurt to think of Dana, Stephanie, Maria, Ma, and Pa. Yes, they'd been dead for over a year, but the pain hadn't faded. If anything, the memories had grown more painful in the year Michael had spent living with Aunt Breanna and Sally. He didn't go to school, for Aunt Breanna was spending all of her money dressing Sally in fancy clothes and sending her to a private girls' school. Michael spent his days at home, "helping" Aunt Breanna and thinking about his family.
"I'm hungry," Michael suddenly said, turning to Aunt Breanna.
"Is food the only thing you think about?" asked Sally harshly.
"Sh… be quiet, Sally," Michael corrected himself. "Can't I go back to the dining car? I know where it is!"
Aunt Breanna thought for a moment. "Yes, but only if Sally goes with you."
"Momma! I'm ashamed to be seen in public with such a ragged little boy!" whined Sally.
"Hush, Sally. He's too young to go alone."
"No I ain't!"
"Yes, you are," said Aunt Breanna sternly. "Go on, now."
Sally made faces as Michael climbed over Aunt Breanna and started to the dining car. They walked back through the cars, and were about halfway to the dining car when there was a loud cracking noise. Michael and Sally turned to see the first few cars of the train break apart from the rest. The cars picked up momentum and flew over a cliff. In only a moment, they would be sure to follow.
"Quick! We've got to jump!" shouted a man, pushing Sally and Michael onto the small step between the cars. "Jump!" he ordered.
Michael scrambled up on top of the railing surrounding the step and jumped off into the grass. Sally tumbled off beside him, followed by that man.
"Are you two all right?" he asked, sitting up.
Michael nodded.
"Thank you ever so much, Mr.…" said Sally, reached out to shake his hand.
"Conlon. Thomas Conlon. You are…?"
"Sally Elizabeth Winters. This is my cousin, Michael."
"You're very brave, Michael," said Mr. Conlon. "Where are you two from?"
"We're from Pittsburgh, and we're going to New York. Oh, what are we going to do? Momma's dead, and we've got nowhere to go!" sobbed Sally.
"Calm down, Miss Winters. I've got a boarding house that you're welcome to stay in. If you do a bit of work around the boarding house, you can stay there for free."
"Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Conlon! We surely appreciate it!" said Sally.
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Michael was very tired and leaned against the cool window to think. Just as he always did when he was deep in thought, he involuntarily grabbed the silver chain he wore around his neck and pulled it out of his shirt. The chain fell to his waist, and a small key dangled on the end. He could remember when he had received it…
"Now don't you go and lose this key, Michael," said Ma sternly. "If there's ever trouble down in Aunt Breanna's apartment, or if you need something when we're not there, you may use it, but never any other time. Never let anyone know that you've got it, all right?"
"Yes, Ma," said Michael, serious for a moment. Ma smiled and kissed him, and the serious moment was over as quickly as it had come. Michael went running off after Dana, only thinking how glad he was that he had a key of his very own!
The very next day, Michael forgot his cap in the apartment. Sally came home, and Aunt Breanna decided to take the two children for a walk by the river.
"But I forgot my cap!" wailed Michael.
"You don't need it. Why do boys wear such ugly caps, anyway?" asked Sally.
Michael glared at her. "Sally-"
"Now, now children. Michael, you can go without."
Michael pouted.
"Wait, Momma, I'm not nearly ready! Just let me fix my hair, and change my dress, and get my hat, and…"
While Sally was still going on about the things she needed to do, Michael glanced around, very quietly opened the door, slipped out, and closed it behind him. He tiptoed up the stairs to his apartment, checked the number on the door, and was beginning to pull the chain out of his shirt when-
"What are you doing up here, you little brat? Get back down to our apartment! Trying to break into your own apartment… you'll be a little thief yet, just wait and see! You'll be living on the streets by the time you're fifteen!" said Sally, grabbing a struggling Michael by his collar.
"Shut up, Sally!" growled Michael.
Sally's eyes widened and she let go of his collar, letting him tumble to the floor. "Momma! Momma! Michael told me…"
Michael groaned and rolled over. He didn't think there would be any bruises or cuts…
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Michael snapped out of his daydream. He didn't feel like thinking about the past anymore. It hurt to think of Dana, Stephanie, Maria, Ma, and Pa. Yes, they'd been dead for over a year, but the pain hadn't faded. If anything, the memories had grown more painful in the year Michael had spent living with Aunt Breanna and Sally. He didn't go to school, for Aunt Breanna was spending all of her money dressing Sally in fancy clothes and sending her to a private girls' school. Michael spent his days at home, "helping" Aunt Breanna and thinking about his family.
"I'm hungry," Michael suddenly said, turning to Aunt Breanna.
"Is food the only thing you think about?" asked Sally harshly.
"Sh… be quiet, Sally," Michael corrected himself. "Can't I go back to the dining car? I know where it is!"
Aunt Breanna thought for a moment. "Yes, but only if Sally goes with you."
"Momma! I'm ashamed to be seen in public with such a ragged little boy!" whined Sally.
"Hush, Sally. He's too young to go alone."
"No I ain't!"
"Yes, you are," said Aunt Breanna sternly. "Go on, now."
Sally made faces as Michael climbed over Aunt Breanna and started to the dining car. They walked back through the cars, and were about halfway to the dining car when there was a loud cracking noise. Michael and Sally turned to see the first few cars of the train break apart from the rest. The cars picked up momentum and flew over a cliff. In only a moment, they would be sure to follow.
"Quick! We've got to jump!" shouted a man, pushing Sally and Michael onto the small step between the cars. "Jump!" he ordered.
Michael scrambled up on top of the railing surrounding the step and jumped off into the grass. Sally tumbled off beside him, followed by that man.
"Are you two all right?" he asked, sitting up.
Michael nodded.
"Thank you ever so much, Mr.…" said Sally, reached out to shake his hand.
"Conlon. Thomas Conlon. You are…?"
"Sally Elizabeth Winters. This is my cousin, Michael."
"You're very brave, Michael," said Mr. Conlon. "Where are you two from?"
"We're from Pittsburgh, and we're going to New York. Oh, what are we going to do? Momma's dead, and we've got nowhere to go!" sobbed Sally.
"Calm down, Miss Winters. I've got a boarding house that you're welcome to stay in. If you do a bit of work around the boarding house, you can stay there for free."
"Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Conlon! We surely appreciate it!" said Sally.