A thin urchin crept up to the fruit cart, the apples gleamed in the late September dawn. A hand reached out and pilfered an apple before thin legs use to running took off running in a zigzag pattern. Finding a hiding place in the nearest alley the urchin sat down to eat her prize. Never before had she been so hungry not even when her family barely had the money to pay for rent. It had been six months since the train accident that had claimed her family's lives and Katie had yet to find her cousin. She had just about given up finding him after she searched the Manhattan and Brooklyn Boroughs without success.
The only thing she was able to find was trouble. She had been successful so far in avoiding the bulls but as winter approached she wondered if her luck was going to be running out with the warm weather. She had lived off of what she had been able to liberate from different carts; but that was going to change as the carts would disappear of the streets with the coming of winter. Katie tried not to think of that as she finished off the apple.
"Hey you where did youse get that apple?" Katie looked up. Above her stood a boy that looked kind of familiar but she couldn't place him.
"I bought it." Katie was matter of fact in her manner.
The boy looked incredulous, "Where did youse get the money?"
"I earned it." Katie was scared now but was putting on a good face of not being such.
Before the boy could answer though another voice that Katie had learned to fear stopped him, "I have you now Sullivan." A look of panic crossed the eyes of both Katie and the boy. They had the same reaction and took off running. Katie followed the boy not knowing why but figuring he must have known a good place to hide. She was right as she followed him through a doorway. It was a restaurant and the boy seemed to know people here.
"Hey Jack what youse running from?" an Italian boy stood up from around a table.
"Snyder who else, if he comes here Ise not here got it, Race?" the boy, Jack said as he scooted under a their table. Katie stood in the doorway looking for a place to hide.
"Sure but what's with the goil?" a boy with curly hair asked.
"Goil? Mush what goil?" Jack would have said more but Snyder came in then.
Snyder glanced at Katie before snapped his hand down hard on her arm, "Well we've been looking for you for quite a while. This isn't over Sullivan, I will find you." He lead Katie out of the restaurant and into the street.
Jack slowly climbed out from under the table, "What was that about?"
"Don't know Snyder grabbed the goil who followed youse in and then left." Race shrugged as he returned tore into his sandwich.
"Wonder who she was that Snyder would just take her in like that?" Jack asked to no one in particular.
"Who cares, she got youse out of trouble ain't it enough?" Race mumbled around the bite.
"Guess so, youse get me a sandwich?" Jack put the girl from his mind.
"Yep here youse go." Mush passed Jack a half-eaten sandwich.
"Hey where's the rest of it?" Jack was a bit outraged.
Mush shrugged, "Ise hungry and didn't know if youse gonna show up so Ise ate some of it."
"Youse bummer, always thinking with youse stomach." Jack mumbled as he ate what was left of his lunch.
Katie knew that this wasn't good. Snyder led her on the streets, guiding her with a heavy hand on her shoulder towards the end of her freedom, the Refuge. The iron gates opened with a creak and slammed shut with ominous finality. Snyder took her to his office to process her.
"Empty your pockets." Katie didn't have much to empty so the processing went quickly.
"Name?" "Katie Kelly."
"Age?" "13"
"Where are your parents?" "They've been dead for 3 years."
"Any family?" "No they all died too."
"Fine then you will be staying here till the court sentences you." Snyder voice was sickenly pleasant as he took Katie to the girl's side of the Refuge. "You will come when the bells are rung for your meals and when the lights go out you are expected to be in bed asleep." He began to drone on about the rules of the place but Katie tuned him out. She really didn't think she would be here all that long, what did they have on her? "This is where you are going to sleep. Change out of those clothes and into a uniform. Dinner will be in 15 minutes."
Katie heard the door slam shut behind her and she went to the bed that was to be hers. No one looked up from what they were doing as she walked to her new sleeping place. She pushed on the bed and felt the mattress sink towards the ground, the ropes squeaking in protest of the movement. Her only thought was that it was at least warmer than a park bench. She quickly slipped into her dress and followed the other girls leads when the bell rang, lining up and waiting for the female warden, Mrs. Hall come to dismiss them.
The week leading up to Katie's "trial" went by slowly, the girls in the Refuge were all cold to the girl. She wasn't included in the hierarchy, which was fine by Katie who really didn't care what the other girls thought about her. On the day of the trial Katie was provided with a dress and was expected to have brushed her hair, which she did.
"The City of New York vs. Katie Kelly."
"What did this one do?" The judge said as Katie came before him.
"She is an accomplished pickpocket that I am sure I can rehabilitate if I was given the chance." Snyder responded with a false look of concern.
"How long do you think you'll need?" The judge asked.
"I am sure that the city will benefit the most if she is kept until her 21st birthday." Snyder was incredibly considerate in his tone, full of a piety that Katie knew wasn't true.
"Fine I sentence you, Katie Kelly to the rehabilitation at the Refuge until your 21st birthday." The judge slammed his gavel down on the bench and called out, "Next case."
Katie stared from the judge to Snyder in disbelief, 8 years for stealing an apple. Snyder looked down at her with a positively lecherous look in his eye. She was taken back to the Refuge in the black carriage she had come in and sent back to her bunk. Before she could leave though Snyder pulled her to the side, "Your job starts tomorrow at 5 be up and dressed or some one will do it for you."
The next two years passed by with relentless monotony. Katie was assigned to a thread mill and chained to a machine for 12-14 hours a day. The air always was filled with lint and dust that was caused by the machines and the endless winding of thread. Her shoulder length hair was cut close to her head for safety and giving her a more boyish appearance. The winters were freezing cold, her toes and fingers would be numb and many times blue but shoes weren't allowed because of the danger of slipping they posed.
Katie never gained friends even though she listened to the rumor mill and there were some interesting rumors. The first rumor was that the boy she had followed the day she had been caught had also been brought in. Then the day that the governor had visited he had gotten out by ridding out on the underside of the governor's carriage. Most of the girls were caught up in how cute Sullivan, or Cowboy, was and how they wished they could date him. Katie normally turned up her nose at that idea, even though to herself she did agree.
The summer of her second year something big did happen. First there was a rumor that the newsies in Manhattan were striking. Then a new guy was brought in, a gimp and he was assigned to cleaning Snyder's office. One of the girls then brought the news that Cowboy had been caught along with a lot of the other Manhattan newsies, and one from Brooklyn. Some big wig made bail for all the newsies except for Cowboy who was sentenced to the Refuge until he turned 21. This perked Katie's interest, as far as she knew there were very few lifers at the Refuge, maybe she would get to thank Cowboy for getting her put in her.
She never got the chance. Less than a week everything came to a head. The governor came back to the Refuge with papers to free all of the children and arrest Snyder. Suddenly Katie found herself back on the streets. Her only thought was getting lost in the streets before they realized they released kids they shouldn't have. She cut her hair close again, and stole a pair of boy's clothes off of a passing line. Slipping into an alley to change, she soon bundled up her clothes from the refuge and walked out of the alley a new person. Intent on enjoying her new found freedom to its fullest extent.
AN: No you are not imagining it I had 2 updates in less than 4 days. Hope you are enjoying this series, not much more angst left in this story. Just some fun stuff, I hope. I know I went through 2 years really quickly, I am sorry. If you haven't already go read the new chapter in A Shot in the Dark. I updated that one too, I got rid of the note and replaced it with a full-blown chapter. *Grins with pride* Oh and I have some chapters for the story about Kit and the boys written but I want to get more done before I start posting, either that or finish one of the stories I have started. *Sheepish look* well anyway enough of my ramblings. Please Read and Review, I like those. Bye *waves then skips off into the darkness*
The only thing she was able to find was trouble. She had been successful so far in avoiding the bulls but as winter approached she wondered if her luck was going to be running out with the warm weather. She had lived off of what she had been able to liberate from different carts; but that was going to change as the carts would disappear of the streets with the coming of winter. Katie tried not to think of that as she finished off the apple.
"Hey you where did youse get that apple?" Katie looked up. Above her stood a boy that looked kind of familiar but she couldn't place him.
"I bought it." Katie was matter of fact in her manner.
The boy looked incredulous, "Where did youse get the money?"
"I earned it." Katie was scared now but was putting on a good face of not being such.
Before the boy could answer though another voice that Katie had learned to fear stopped him, "I have you now Sullivan." A look of panic crossed the eyes of both Katie and the boy. They had the same reaction and took off running. Katie followed the boy not knowing why but figuring he must have known a good place to hide. She was right as she followed him through a doorway. It was a restaurant and the boy seemed to know people here.
"Hey Jack what youse running from?" an Italian boy stood up from around a table.
"Snyder who else, if he comes here Ise not here got it, Race?" the boy, Jack said as he scooted under a their table. Katie stood in the doorway looking for a place to hide.
"Sure but what's with the goil?" a boy with curly hair asked.
"Goil? Mush what goil?" Jack would have said more but Snyder came in then.
Snyder glanced at Katie before snapped his hand down hard on her arm, "Well we've been looking for you for quite a while. This isn't over Sullivan, I will find you." He lead Katie out of the restaurant and into the street.
Jack slowly climbed out from under the table, "What was that about?"
"Don't know Snyder grabbed the goil who followed youse in and then left." Race shrugged as he returned tore into his sandwich.
"Wonder who she was that Snyder would just take her in like that?" Jack asked to no one in particular.
"Who cares, she got youse out of trouble ain't it enough?" Race mumbled around the bite.
"Guess so, youse get me a sandwich?" Jack put the girl from his mind.
"Yep here youse go." Mush passed Jack a half-eaten sandwich.
"Hey where's the rest of it?" Jack was a bit outraged.
Mush shrugged, "Ise hungry and didn't know if youse gonna show up so Ise ate some of it."
"Youse bummer, always thinking with youse stomach." Jack mumbled as he ate what was left of his lunch.
Katie knew that this wasn't good. Snyder led her on the streets, guiding her with a heavy hand on her shoulder towards the end of her freedom, the Refuge. The iron gates opened with a creak and slammed shut with ominous finality. Snyder took her to his office to process her.
"Empty your pockets." Katie didn't have much to empty so the processing went quickly.
"Name?" "Katie Kelly."
"Age?" "13"
"Where are your parents?" "They've been dead for 3 years."
"Any family?" "No they all died too."
"Fine then you will be staying here till the court sentences you." Snyder voice was sickenly pleasant as he took Katie to the girl's side of the Refuge. "You will come when the bells are rung for your meals and when the lights go out you are expected to be in bed asleep." He began to drone on about the rules of the place but Katie tuned him out. She really didn't think she would be here all that long, what did they have on her? "This is where you are going to sleep. Change out of those clothes and into a uniform. Dinner will be in 15 minutes."
Katie heard the door slam shut behind her and she went to the bed that was to be hers. No one looked up from what they were doing as she walked to her new sleeping place. She pushed on the bed and felt the mattress sink towards the ground, the ropes squeaking in protest of the movement. Her only thought was that it was at least warmer than a park bench. She quickly slipped into her dress and followed the other girls leads when the bell rang, lining up and waiting for the female warden, Mrs. Hall come to dismiss them.
The week leading up to Katie's "trial" went by slowly, the girls in the Refuge were all cold to the girl. She wasn't included in the hierarchy, which was fine by Katie who really didn't care what the other girls thought about her. On the day of the trial Katie was provided with a dress and was expected to have brushed her hair, which she did.
"The City of New York vs. Katie Kelly."
"What did this one do?" The judge said as Katie came before him.
"She is an accomplished pickpocket that I am sure I can rehabilitate if I was given the chance." Snyder responded with a false look of concern.
"How long do you think you'll need?" The judge asked.
"I am sure that the city will benefit the most if she is kept until her 21st birthday." Snyder was incredibly considerate in his tone, full of a piety that Katie knew wasn't true.
"Fine I sentence you, Katie Kelly to the rehabilitation at the Refuge until your 21st birthday." The judge slammed his gavel down on the bench and called out, "Next case."
Katie stared from the judge to Snyder in disbelief, 8 years for stealing an apple. Snyder looked down at her with a positively lecherous look in his eye. She was taken back to the Refuge in the black carriage she had come in and sent back to her bunk. Before she could leave though Snyder pulled her to the side, "Your job starts tomorrow at 5 be up and dressed or some one will do it for you."
The next two years passed by with relentless monotony. Katie was assigned to a thread mill and chained to a machine for 12-14 hours a day. The air always was filled with lint and dust that was caused by the machines and the endless winding of thread. Her shoulder length hair was cut close to her head for safety and giving her a more boyish appearance. The winters were freezing cold, her toes and fingers would be numb and many times blue but shoes weren't allowed because of the danger of slipping they posed.
Katie never gained friends even though she listened to the rumor mill and there were some interesting rumors. The first rumor was that the boy she had followed the day she had been caught had also been brought in. Then the day that the governor had visited he had gotten out by ridding out on the underside of the governor's carriage. Most of the girls were caught up in how cute Sullivan, or Cowboy, was and how they wished they could date him. Katie normally turned up her nose at that idea, even though to herself she did agree.
The summer of her second year something big did happen. First there was a rumor that the newsies in Manhattan were striking. Then a new guy was brought in, a gimp and he was assigned to cleaning Snyder's office. One of the girls then brought the news that Cowboy had been caught along with a lot of the other Manhattan newsies, and one from Brooklyn. Some big wig made bail for all the newsies except for Cowboy who was sentenced to the Refuge until he turned 21. This perked Katie's interest, as far as she knew there were very few lifers at the Refuge, maybe she would get to thank Cowboy for getting her put in her.
She never got the chance. Less than a week everything came to a head. The governor came back to the Refuge with papers to free all of the children and arrest Snyder. Suddenly Katie found herself back on the streets. Her only thought was getting lost in the streets before they realized they released kids they shouldn't have. She cut her hair close again, and stole a pair of boy's clothes off of a passing line. Slipping into an alley to change, she soon bundled up her clothes from the refuge and walked out of the alley a new person. Intent on enjoying her new found freedom to its fullest extent.
AN: No you are not imagining it I had 2 updates in less than 4 days. Hope you are enjoying this series, not much more angst left in this story. Just some fun stuff, I hope. I know I went through 2 years really quickly, I am sorry. If you haven't already go read the new chapter in A Shot in the Dark. I updated that one too, I got rid of the note and replaced it with a full-blown chapter. *Grins with pride* Oh and I have some chapters for the story about Kit and the boys written but I want to get more done before I start posting, either that or finish one of the stories I have started. *Sheepish look* well anyway enough of my ramblings. Please Read and Review, I like those. Bye *waves then skips off into the darkness*