The sunlight filtered down through the leaves, and played softly on the
grass. The park was so serene and calm, compared to the busy chaos of
inner city life.
Martie looked at Ben. He looked the same, yes, but also older. He looked
strong and very mature; the boyish good looks of years past had sharpened,
and now his face was an adult's. She didn't stop to think that he might be
thinking the same thing about her.
"So," Martie sat on the grass next to Ben. "Where have you been these last
2 years?"
"Around. But, for the last couple of months, I've been in the Battery. Anyway,
one day, this guy comes running into the lodging house, and he tells us his
story.
"He had been in Manhattan, and was talking to this British girl,
Anita. She was telling him about how she sold papes with her new
friends. She mentioned you... Anyways, he leaves, but later he sees this
group of guys and girls beat her unconscious, and they take her away. He
followed them all the way to the Battery, but he wasn't looking where he
was going and ran into a barrel laying on the ground. So he got up and saw
our lodging house and came in. I know there aren't many details, but he
didn't give us too many."
Martie asked, "Where is he now? Still up in the Battery?"
Ben nodded. "Man, I really missed you, Martie. I don't know when, but
eventually I'll tell you what happened 2 years ago... But not now. I still
can't get over you. You look so... grown up."
"Yeah," Martie didn't know how to take that comment, so she just
continued,"Uh... could we go soon? I got a bad feelin' about Anita, an' I
wanna find her as soon as we can." Martie stood up and brushed the grass
off of her clothes.
Ben joined her. "Yeah, let's go back, get T, and start checking around the
city."
"'T'?"
"That's the guy who saw Anita."
"Oh. Let's go over to Brooklyn first. Spot'll be glad to help."
Ben pulled Martie's cap down over her eyes. "Alrighty then, let's go!"
}}i{{
"Aaargh!!!!" Oscar attacked his makeshift punching bag. He punched and
jabbed until the poor fur-stuffed sack hurtled to the ground. Oscar gave it
one final kick, then sat beside it. Sweat dripped from his neck and
glistened on his stomach. It was hot as an angry bull in the city, and his
fits of rage didn't cool him off at all. His face was red, and he was out
of breath, but not out of anger. He couldn't figure it out. Why would
Martie ditch him like this? The last 7 months had been like a
dream. Martie really did bring out the best in him. She had taught him
how to trust, and told him that he could believe in them, and then... The
perfect dream was turning into a nightmare.
}}i{{
Somewhere in upstate New York, 2 girls stood silently. They glared at a
third girl who sat tied to an old chair. She was unconscious.
The first girl asked, "Why can't we just kill her now? Don't make no
sense to wait."
The second girl smacked the first in the back of the head. "I know you
ain't questionin' Avi! He the smartest person this side of Harvard
College! He'll be back in a few days..."
"Then we can kill her?"
"Yes. Then we can kill her..."
grass. The park was so serene and calm, compared to the busy chaos of
inner city life.
Martie looked at Ben. He looked the same, yes, but also older. He looked
strong and very mature; the boyish good looks of years past had sharpened,
and now his face was an adult's. She didn't stop to think that he might be
thinking the same thing about her.
"So," Martie sat on the grass next to Ben. "Where have you been these last
2 years?"
"Around. But, for the last couple of months, I've been in the Battery. Anyway,
one day, this guy comes running into the lodging house, and he tells us his
story.
"He had been in Manhattan, and was talking to this British girl,
Anita. She was telling him about how she sold papes with her new
friends. She mentioned you... Anyways, he leaves, but later he sees this
group of guys and girls beat her unconscious, and they take her away. He
followed them all the way to the Battery, but he wasn't looking where he
was going and ran into a barrel laying on the ground. So he got up and saw
our lodging house and came in. I know there aren't many details, but he
didn't give us too many."
Martie asked, "Where is he now? Still up in the Battery?"
Ben nodded. "Man, I really missed you, Martie. I don't know when, but
eventually I'll tell you what happened 2 years ago... But not now. I still
can't get over you. You look so... grown up."
"Yeah," Martie didn't know how to take that comment, so she just
continued,"Uh... could we go soon? I got a bad feelin' about Anita, an' I
wanna find her as soon as we can." Martie stood up and brushed the grass
off of her clothes.
Ben joined her. "Yeah, let's go back, get T, and start checking around the
city."
"'T'?"
"That's the guy who saw Anita."
"Oh. Let's go over to Brooklyn first. Spot'll be glad to help."
Ben pulled Martie's cap down over her eyes. "Alrighty then, let's go!"
}}i{{
"Aaargh!!!!" Oscar attacked his makeshift punching bag. He punched and
jabbed until the poor fur-stuffed sack hurtled to the ground. Oscar gave it
one final kick, then sat beside it. Sweat dripped from his neck and
glistened on his stomach. It was hot as an angry bull in the city, and his
fits of rage didn't cool him off at all. His face was red, and he was out
of breath, but not out of anger. He couldn't figure it out. Why would
Martie ditch him like this? The last 7 months had been like a
dream. Martie really did bring out the best in him. She had taught him
how to trust, and told him that he could believe in them, and then... The
perfect dream was turning into a nightmare.
}}i{{
Somewhere in upstate New York, 2 girls stood silently. They glared at a
third girl who sat tied to an old chair. She was unconscious.
The first girl asked, "Why can't we just kill her now? Don't make no
sense to wait."
The second girl smacked the first in the back of the head. "I know you
ain't questionin' Avi! He the smartest person this side of Harvard
College! He'll be back in a few days..."
"Then we can kill her?"
"Yes. Then we can kill her..."
