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Pairs quietly entered the graveyard and sat before the spot that Father Lawrence had told him they would bury Jewel. He sat still on the ground and laid the flowers he had brought on the dirt that all too soon would hold Jewel. "Oh Jewel. Why did ya hafta do dis? Why'd ya hafta die? I loved ya. Why couldn't ya believe me an' accept dat as it is? I mean, we coulda been happy. I woulda let ya do whateva ya wanted to. Ya didn't hafta love me, jest let me love ya." Pairs sighed and his eyes drifted to the dark sky. When his eyes fell back to the ground, he squinted and stood. There entering the cemetary was a tall boy. He was walking quickly towards the very spot where he himself was standing. Pairs suddenly gasped and his hand went in his pocket. When it emerged, the moonlight struck the glimmering blade of his knife. "You'll pay Cowboy. Pay fer killin' da only goil I could eva love. You'll pay." He whispered. "Hey Cowboy! Come an' fight me! I've got woid dat I'm supposed ta kill ya!" Pairs screamed.
Jack stopped in his tracks and squinted at the figure. He couldn't tell the person's identity in the dark night, but he scoffed. "Don't tempt me kid! I'm already playin' wit' death now!" He yelled across the graveyard. "So you won't fight me? Then you are da coward dat dey say ya are! Scum! Scab!" Jack's eyes blazed and he pulled out a knife from his pocket. "Come an' git me kid!" He yelled as he dashed towards Pairs. The two fought long and hard, each pressing the other for an advantage. Pairs tried desperately to use his knife to some good purpose, but he could not find a way. But finally Pairs' knife slashed Jack's arm hard. Jack screamed and pushed his knife into the boy. Pairs gasped as Jack pulled it out again. Pairs shuddered and then lay still. Jack peered into his face as the moonlight shone through the clouds. Jack started at the face beneath him. "Pairs. I killed him. Haven't I done enough?" He lifted his prayers to the heavens as he sat beside the body.
Then as the tears began to fall, he glanced at the flowers that were laid on the spot of earth where Jewel would be buried. He stood up and laid on the grave. "Oh Jewel. I wish, I wish dat I coulda been here. Ya cain't be dead, buried unda dis hard an' cold ground. I cain't believe it. I ain't neva gonna be happy unless I'm down dere wit' ya." Jack pulled out the vial of poison and held it to his lips. "I'm comin' Jewel." He whispered as he drank it. Then he laid down on the mound of earth and breathed until he breathed no more.
Father Lawrence stumbled into the cemetary a moment later and his eyes caught the sight of a boy resting in the clearing, panting. "Hey there! Boy! What are you doing here this hour of the night?" The priest asked him. Snipeshooter looked up and smiled warily at the priest. "Hello Fadda! I might ask you da same ting. I'm lookin' fer Jack. You?" The priest started. "Why Jack? What has he done?" The priest asked worriedly. "Oh nothin'. He jest heaid dat Jewel was dead an' took off. I followed him here." Father Lawrence paled and took the boy's arm. "Come with me. We have to find him." He said shakily.
Snipeshooter and the priest stopped dead in their tracks when they came upon the sight, Pairs lying on the ground, his chest still bloody, and Jack Kelly lying on top of the mound of earth, flowers at his side, the vial still in his cold hand. Snipeshooter turned around and ran away, but the priest merely stood and watched, knowing what had happened. "Oh Francis. Why couldn't you have waited?" The priest moaned as he fell to the ground. "Jack! Jack! I'm here! I'm fine! Fadda! Where's Jack?" The priest whirled around to face Jewel running into the cemetary, her face rosy and full of life. Her happy gaze went past the priest and Snipeshooter and her eyes befell Jack. Her eyes misted over and her hand clenched as she ran over to him. "Jack! Jack c'mon Cowboy, speak ta me. Jest one woid. Jest one. What did ya do to yerself? Ya poisoned yerself? Oh Cowboy. An' ya didn't even leave me any? I thought ya loved me Cowboy." Jewel said softly, tears falling from her eyes as her hand caressed his still face.
"Hello? What's going on here?" Jewel turned around and cocked her ears as she listened intently. "It's da bulls. Okay Jack, here it goes. I'm not about ta let ya roam da streets of paradise widout me. Dat wouldn't be fair. Here I come." She whispered as she picked up the bloodly knife that had formerly destroyed the life of Pairs. With a swift stroke, she plunged it into her heart, falling backward onto Jack. The priest gazed at her in horror as the police arrived on the scene. "What's going on here? Why are all you people here at this time of night? What happened! Who killed all these people?" The policeman cried, observing the bodies on the ground. "Depends who you want to know about, the girl, or the boys." The priest murmured.
"Okay, who took a shot at Cowboy Snipe! Whoeva it is dey'll pay!" Kid Blink's angry voice came out over the din. "Dey'll pay! It'll be you who pays Manhattan! Yer stupid leada Cowboy is da one dat killed Jewel!" Ace's angry voice called out. Two groups of boys came out of the darkness, one Manhattan, the other Brooklyn. Manhattan was lead by Snipeshooter and Kid Blink, Brooklyn was lead by Tinker and Ace, both angrier than they'd ever been. "Cease this! Stop! I ask you to! Does anymore killing have to occur tonight?" Father Lawrence cried, stepping between the two groups.
"Hey, Jewel, she, she nobody stabbed her!" Ace faltered. "She's still warm Ace!" Tinker cried as he felt her still hand. "Who killed Jack??" Kid Blink cried out. "Poison killed him Blink." Snipeshooter said dismally, fingering the vial. The boys stood in a silent shock. "Father, do you know what happened here?" The policeman asked. "I can tell you this, Jewel and Jack fell in love and asked me to marry them in secret. I did. Jack got in a fight with Spot and after Spot killed Racetrack, Jack killed Spot and was banished. Jewel discovered that she was to be married to Pairs and came to me for help. I gave her a mixture of things that would put her in a sleep that looked like death until I could get word to Jack. Word wasn't able to get through to him and he came here with malice and pain in his heart. Pairs as well. I came here to find Jack and tell him, and I found this. Pairs stabbed and Jack poisoned. Jewel ran here and as I watched, she stabbed herself, unable to go on living. That is the truth." The priest said sadly. "Do you see what you've done? What your fighting has lead to?" He cried out over the boys, who stared at him in sadness and shock.
"Because of this mindless fighting, you have lost friends. Good friends. You've lost Racetrack and Jack, Jewel, Spot and Pairs. How many more have to die before you see what is going on!" Father Lawrence called out. The boys were silent, a few of them wiping tears from their eyes. "How many more must die Ace?" Father Lawrence repeated to the boy. "How many more must die Kid Blink?" He asked Kid Blink softly. Suddenly, Ace raised his head and walked over to Kid Blink. "Kid, I'd like ta take right now ta say dat, I'm sorry. Sorry fer yer loss." He said quietly. "Me too Ace, I mean, we ain't been on da best of coicumstances, an' you've had loss too." Kid Blink remarked. Ace dropped his head a moment, then spit in his hand and held it out. Kid Blink stared at it, then did the same, taking the offered hand. "Consida Brooklyn an' Manhattan one." Ace said firmly as he shook Kid's hand. Kid nodded and smiled. And as the three bodies lay in the graveyard, the two groups united and with the rising sun, the souls of Jack Kelly and Jewel Conlon were united amid the morning stars.
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Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardoned, and some punished;
For never was a story of more woe,
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
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