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The next day, Angel hesitated outside the Distribution Office. The little run in with the boys in the diner hadn't dampened her spirits and she wasn't about to give up on the note she had found just because of them. She decided that the only way she was going to get anymore clues was if she went back to the building. Angel managed to creep past the office, into Brooklyn, and to the building successfully, but when she arrived on the scene, she stopped in her tracks. There was a group of construction workers finishing the work of demolishing the building. Angel watched the debris fall in stunned silence before she walked up to one of the men. "Hey! Whatcha doin' dat fer?" She asked hesitantly. The man turned to her, a tired look on his face before turning back. "Gotta. Da city says it ain't no use jest hangin' around waitin' fer kids like you ta come 'round an' get hoit. So it comes down. Now scram!" He said.
Angel frowned and walked a few feet away from the workers, watching as the building began to fall to the blackened earth. This was a new change in plans. She had hoped to pick around in the refuse and see if she could find any more evidence, but now it looked like that would be useless. She sighed and turned around, her head snapping to attention as a few familiar voices called to her. As Picks and Pockets walked up to her, she groaned and stuffed the note in her pocket. "Heya guys! Whatcha doin' here?" Angel asked in an unconcerned tone. "Sketch invited us ta go slingshottin' wit' him an' his boys, so we decided ta accept his invitation. Whaddya doin' out here?" Picks asked. Angel shrugged and stuck her hands further in her pocket. "Nothin'. Jest hangin' out. Kin I go wit' ya's?" She asked hopefully. Picks' forehead furrowed but Pockets grinned and put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Sure sis! C'mon! It'll be fun! We ain't done sometin' tegedda like dis in a long time!" With that the three siblings walked off to Sketch's hideout.
Angel was relieved that the twins had allowed her to go. She wanted to get the whole note thing off her mind. She was glad she did go. She, her brothers, and the boys of Brooklyn had a great time, not only slingshotting, but playing other games as well. A game called "Spill" was a popular choice among them. Sketch claimed to have made it up, but his sister claimed that it had been around before they were born so he couldn't claim ownership, but Sketch merely shrugged. The only way to describe "Spill" is to say that it was an old rendition of the modern game, "Truth or Dare", a great way to figure out what was wrong with your sibling or friend, or to find out if your best buddy is a fink. On this particular game, "Spill" seemed to be in Angel's best interest, but when Picks started eyeing her at his turn, she began to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. "I pick, Angel." Angel groaned and looked at Picks. "Okay, does ya hide snacks unda you'se an' Sunny's bed? SPILL!!" Angel silently breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe a few." There were a few collective groans around the alley and Angel grinned.
The game went on for a long time and finally, Pockets was chosen to be the last picker. He eyed the people in the alley and his gaze rested on Angel. Angel stared right back, confident that he wouldn't ask her anything secret. No one had so far. "Angel, why have ya been comin' ta Brooklyn ta see dat boined down house so often?" Angel's breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn't breath. Then she finally cleared her throat. "It's jest interestin' is all." She muttered. "Na-uh Angel. You knows da rules. It's gotta be a specific answa to da question." Sketch put in. Angel gulped and looked at her brother, who was staring at her intently. "Look, it ain't nothin'. It's jest, I wanna find out who done it! Dats all!" She burst out. The group looked at her curiously. "Okay! Well I guess we're done den. Who wants ta go wit' me an' git some grub 'fore da aftanoon edition?" Sketch asked, jumping up and taking the attention off of Angel.
Fortunately for Angel, her brothers forgot all about the incident the minute food was mentioned. They asked her if she wanted to go and Angel shook her head. She walked back slowly to Manhattan, sold her papes and went home. All during dinner, she was quiet among all the hubub that her brothers and sisters made. After dinner she walked up to her mother. "Mama, I'm gonna go out fer a bit. I won't stay out long. I jest wanna get some time alone." Bright Eyes nodded knowingly. "Sure, dats fine. It's ceitanly hard ta get any time alone 'round here ain't it?" She asked Angel, her eyes twinkling. Angel laughed and walked out the door into the cool summer night air.
Angel walked and walked and walked, not caring where she went, just letting her legs go where they wished. Eventually she found herself down at the end of Manhattan, staring at the many old and abandoned buildings. There were a few sweat-shops and even a Newsie boarding house that had been boarded up long ago. Suddenly, she raised her head erect as a smell wafted around her. She knew what it was. She began to run in the direction that the wind blew the smell towards her, her heart pounding in her chest. Angel ran around an alleyway corner and halted in her tracks.
She took a step backward and put her hand up to her mouth. There a few feet away from her, was a fiery inferno. The waves of heat pounded against Angel, making her take a few more steps backwards. The flames were consuming the whole building, once a sweat-shop from the looks of it. Angel stared at it in stunned silence, watching the wooden beams collapse from the weight of the fire. Angel groped in the darkness for the alley wall, but realized that she had strayed away from the alley. Even though the street was filled with light from the blaze, the smoke was immense, clouding every doorway and passage. A sudden gust of wind blew smoke into her face and she began to cough frantically. Her hand groped for the wall and finally touched something solid. She moved her body closer, but stopped as the solid thing moved. It suddenly moved out of her way, making her lose her grasp. Angel coughed frantically as she fell to the ground, putting out her hand to catch herself. She fell into the dirty street, twisted around so that her face was right-side up.
When Angel squinted through the smoke, she saw a dirty frightened face. She could tell that he was as frightened as she, his black hair blending into the smoke and contrasting with the pure white stars in the sky. She couldn't tell the color of his eyes, but he looked so dark, so foreboding, even though he was afraid. Suddenly a wave of pain shook Angel's lungs as she coughed again. He took a step away from her and she thrust out her arm desperately towards him from her place on the ground. He hesitated as Angel's hand reached for him. Angel tried with all her strength to stay awake, but the smoke had begun to overpower her senses and had clouded her eyesight so that with each passing moment, the boy's figure was slowly becoming invisible with the rest of the world.
Finally Angel's eyes closed and her hand dropped to the ground. The boy took another step backward, his frightened brown eyes fixed on her still figure. He looked at the blaze that threatened to overpower him if he didn't leave right at that moment, then looked back at the girl's figure. If he left her, she would be destroyed. He rallied up his strength and scooped the thin girl from the ground, her head resting against his chest. He squinted against the smoke and felt along the walls until he found an opening to the alleyway. He ran through, coughing and choking as he carried Angel out.
He finally reached a spot where the smoke didn't follow him. He laid her down and patted her gently a few times on the face till he saw that her eyelids flutter. Then he leapt to his feet and ran off into the darkness to join his comrades who watched him with frightened eyes, all save one, who watched Angel sit up slowly, the emotion in his eyes unreadable. He stayed there until he was sure she could make it on her own, then turned to the boy. "I'm sorry. I woulda come out soona. But da smoke was jest comin' an' comin' an' I couldn't figure out where ta go. It was a miracle I even got out wit' her." The boy said. The leader looked at him sharply and put his arm on his shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it Raven. You did da right ting. We was jest worried. Don't be so careless next time dough. Don't worry 'bout it." He murmured as he watched Angel get to her feet clumsily and begin to run through the streets. He knew where she would go. She would go to get help, then his work would be observed once more. He only hoped that she wouldn't get so close to them next time.
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The next day, Angel hesitated outside the Distribution Office. The little run in with the boys in the diner hadn't dampened her spirits and she wasn't about to give up on the note she had found just because of them. She decided that the only way she was going to get anymore clues was if she went back to the building. Angel managed to creep past the office, into Brooklyn, and to the building successfully, but when she arrived on the scene, she stopped in her tracks. There was a group of construction workers finishing the work of demolishing the building. Angel watched the debris fall in stunned silence before she walked up to one of the men. "Hey! Whatcha doin' dat fer?" She asked hesitantly. The man turned to her, a tired look on his face before turning back. "Gotta. Da city says it ain't no use jest hangin' around waitin' fer kids like you ta come 'round an' get hoit. So it comes down. Now scram!" He said.
Angel frowned and walked a few feet away from the workers, watching as the building began to fall to the blackened earth. This was a new change in plans. She had hoped to pick around in the refuse and see if she could find any more evidence, but now it looked like that would be useless. She sighed and turned around, her head snapping to attention as a few familiar voices called to her. As Picks and Pockets walked up to her, she groaned and stuffed the note in her pocket. "Heya guys! Whatcha doin' here?" Angel asked in an unconcerned tone. "Sketch invited us ta go slingshottin' wit' him an' his boys, so we decided ta accept his invitation. Whaddya doin' out here?" Picks asked. Angel shrugged and stuck her hands further in her pocket. "Nothin'. Jest hangin' out. Kin I go wit' ya's?" She asked hopefully. Picks' forehead furrowed but Pockets grinned and put his arm around his sister's shoulders. "Sure sis! C'mon! It'll be fun! We ain't done sometin' tegedda like dis in a long time!" With that the three siblings walked off to Sketch's hideout.
Angel was relieved that the twins had allowed her to go. She wanted to get the whole note thing off her mind. She was glad she did go. She, her brothers, and the boys of Brooklyn had a great time, not only slingshotting, but playing other games as well. A game called "Spill" was a popular choice among them. Sketch claimed to have made it up, but his sister claimed that it had been around before they were born so he couldn't claim ownership, but Sketch merely shrugged. The only way to describe "Spill" is to say that it was an old rendition of the modern game, "Truth or Dare", a great way to figure out what was wrong with your sibling or friend, or to find out if your best buddy is a fink. On this particular game, "Spill" seemed to be in Angel's best interest, but when Picks started eyeing her at his turn, she began to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. "I pick, Angel." Angel groaned and looked at Picks. "Okay, does ya hide snacks unda you'se an' Sunny's bed? SPILL!!" Angel silently breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe a few." There were a few collective groans around the alley and Angel grinned.
The game went on for a long time and finally, Pockets was chosen to be the last picker. He eyed the people in the alley and his gaze rested on Angel. Angel stared right back, confident that he wouldn't ask her anything secret. No one had so far. "Angel, why have ya been comin' ta Brooklyn ta see dat boined down house so often?" Angel's breath caught in her throat and for a moment she couldn't breath. Then she finally cleared her throat. "It's jest interestin' is all." She muttered. "Na-uh Angel. You knows da rules. It's gotta be a specific answa to da question." Sketch put in. Angel gulped and looked at her brother, who was staring at her intently. "Look, it ain't nothin'. It's jest, I wanna find out who done it! Dats all!" She burst out. The group looked at her curiously. "Okay! Well I guess we're done den. Who wants ta go wit' me an' git some grub 'fore da aftanoon edition?" Sketch asked, jumping up and taking the attention off of Angel.
Fortunately for Angel, her brothers forgot all about the incident the minute food was mentioned. They asked her if she wanted to go and Angel shook her head. She walked back slowly to Manhattan, sold her papes and went home. All during dinner, she was quiet among all the hubub that her brothers and sisters made. After dinner she walked up to her mother. "Mama, I'm gonna go out fer a bit. I won't stay out long. I jest wanna get some time alone." Bright Eyes nodded knowingly. "Sure, dats fine. It's ceitanly hard ta get any time alone 'round here ain't it?" She asked Angel, her eyes twinkling. Angel laughed and walked out the door into the cool summer night air.
Angel walked and walked and walked, not caring where she went, just letting her legs go where they wished. Eventually she found herself down at the end of Manhattan, staring at the many old and abandoned buildings. There were a few sweat-shops and even a Newsie boarding house that had been boarded up long ago. Suddenly, she raised her head erect as a smell wafted around her. She knew what it was. She began to run in the direction that the wind blew the smell towards her, her heart pounding in her chest. Angel ran around an alleyway corner and halted in her tracks.
She took a step backward and put her hand up to her mouth. There a few feet away from her, was a fiery inferno. The waves of heat pounded against Angel, making her take a few more steps backwards. The flames were consuming the whole building, once a sweat-shop from the looks of it. Angel stared at it in stunned silence, watching the wooden beams collapse from the weight of the fire. Angel groped in the darkness for the alley wall, but realized that she had strayed away from the alley. Even though the street was filled with light from the blaze, the smoke was immense, clouding every doorway and passage. A sudden gust of wind blew smoke into her face and she began to cough frantically. Her hand groped for the wall and finally touched something solid. She moved her body closer, but stopped as the solid thing moved. It suddenly moved out of her way, making her lose her grasp. Angel coughed frantically as she fell to the ground, putting out her hand to catch herself. She fell into the dirty street, twisted around so that her face was right-side up.
When Angel squinted through the smoke, she saw a dirty frightened face. She could tell that he was as frightened as she, his black hair blending into the smoke and contrasting with the pure white stars in the sky. She couldn't tell the color of his eyes, but he looked so dark, so foreboding, even though he was afraid. Suddenly a wave of pain shook Angel's lungs as she coughed again. He took a step away from her and she thrust out her arm desperately towards him from her place on the ground. He hesitated as Angel's hand reached for him. Angel tried with all her strength to stay awake, but the smoke had begun to overpower her senses and had clouded her eyesight so that with each passing moment, the boy's figure was slowly becoming invisible with the rest of the world.
Finally Angel's eyes closed and her hand dropped to the ground. The boy took another step backward, his frightened brown eyes fixed on her still figure. He looked at the blaze that threatened to overpower him if he didn't leave right at that moment, then looked back at the girl's figure. If he left her, she would be destroyed. He rallied up his strength and scooped the thin girl from the ground, her head resting against his chest. He squinted against the smoke and felt along the walls until he found an opening to the alleyway. He ran through, coughing and choking as he carried Angel out.
He finally reached a spot where the smoke didn't follow him. He laid her down and patted her gently a few times on the face till he saw that her eyelids flutter. Then he leapt to his feet and ran off into the darkness to join his comrades who watched him with frightened eyes, all save one, who watched Angel sit up slowly, the emotion in his eyes unreadable. He stayed there until he was sure she could make it on her own, then turned to the boy. "I'm sorry. I woulda come out soona. But da smoke was jest comin' an' comin' an' I couldn't figure out where ta go. It was a miracle I even got out wit' her." The boy said. The leader looked at him sharply and put his arm on his shoulder. "Don't worry 'bout it Raven. You did da right ting. We was jest worried. Don't be so careless next time dough. Don't worry 'bout it." He murmured as he watched Angel get to her feet clumsily and begin to run through the streets. He knew where she would go. She would go to get help, then his work would be observed once more. He only hoped that she wouldn't get so close to them next time.
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