Dutchy and Skittery spent most of the night discussing the situation at hand. They decided to go to Jack in the morning. They didn't know what else to do about it, but they knew something had to be done if this continued. Even if they had to leave.
The bright rays of the sun peeked through a small crack in the curtains. Dutchy rubbed his eyes, waking. He sat up recalling the events of last night. He groaned, knowing they had to face it today. Dutchy grabbed his glasses then looked over to see Skittery sound asleep in the other bed.
Dutchy threw his legs to the floor, and staggered to the hallway - still in his long-john pants. He hesitantly stepped up to Specs' door, placing his hand on the knob. He was worried about his friend. The angered look in Specs' eyes was frightening even as a memory.
Dutchy shook his head, and pushed the door open slightly. He glanced inside to see Specs lying on his back, sprawled out over the large bed. The puffy red covers were pulled up to his stomach; his skin bland and colorless. Dutchy tiptoed to the bedside. He reached out, touching Specs' shoulder, and shaking him gently.
Specs mumbled incoherently then squinted to see who was next to him. "Dutch?" he said, recognizing the bleach blonde mop. He placed his glasses on his nose to wipe out the blurring. "What are you doing heah?"
"I came to check on you. After last night, I got scared for you" Dutchy replied, in honesty.
Specs blinked in surprise, sitting up…but noticed the uncomfortable feeling on his body. "What are you talkin'…?" He stopped short of the question as he peered under the covers to find he was wearing absolutely nothing. His face turned red in embarrassment and confusion. "Why am I not wearing any clothes?"
"That's what I was wondering last night." Dutchy spotted the full body white long-johns hanging on a chair by the wall, and snatched them for his friend. "Put these on."
Meanwhile, in the next room, Skittery lay on his back in a peaceful sleep. A cold presence floated over him. Skittery fidgeted as the coldness straddled him, icy fingers slithering around his neck ever-so-smoothly. With a thrust of strength, the fingers pressed down at Skittery's windpipe. Skittery suddenly woke, eyes flying wide open. He felt the hardness of something wrapped around his neck, but nothing was there.
Panicking, he started to struggle with the invisible presence. Skittery felt the fingers loosening for a second - just enough time to let him scream out. The fingers, though, tightened when he did. He choked raggedly, feeling faint with every moment that went by.
***
"What were you wondering, Dutch?" Specs' eyes flashed with a mixture of puzzlement and alarm as he tugged on the top of his long-johns. "What's going on?"
Dutchy scrunched his nose. "You don't remember what happen last night?"
Specs was about to answer when they heard the scream ring through the wall. Dutchy's mouth fell open, recognizing who it was. "Skittery!" He ran out the room like lightening. Specs was right behind him, forgetting about buttoning his underclothes.
Skittery was on the verge of losing consciousness when an image of a woman smirking wickedly down at him surfaced into his view to disappear again in the twinkling of light. The door swung open in a swift motion. The coldness wiped away instantly from Skittery's body, leaving him to gasp for air in straggling breathes.
Without delay, Dutchy was at his friend's side. "Skittery, are you okay???" he asked, frantically.
Skittery rolled to his side, rubbing his tender neck. "It was her" he choked out.
Dutchy raised a hand to his glasses to push them back on the bridge of his nose. "Helena? She was here?" Specs tensed up at the mention of Helena. A prickling feeling ran across his back, making him shudder in an odd delight.
"Yeah, it was her. I'll never forget that face." Skittery was about to stand when Dutchy stopped him, pushing his friend lightly back on the bed.
"Hold on, just stay there and recover." Skittery was about to protest when he made eye contact with Specs. Several seconds went by before Specs tore his eyes away.
By now, the attention of the other newsies in the mansion were caught. The ones upstairs raced to the room to see what was going on. "What's happening in heah?" Jack demanded, looking rather baffled. Racetrack, Jake, and Itey were behind him with the same expression. No one noticed Specs slip nonchalantly out the room.
"Can we talk in private?" Dutchy asked, nodding towards the three newsies.
They took the hint. "C'mon guys" Race started. "Let's go downstairs to see what kinda food is in the cupboard." Itey closed the door on the way out.
"Now, what's going on?" Jack asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Dutchy was about to explain when he seen Specs was missing. "Where's Specs?"
"I bet he went to meet his harlot" Skittery grunted bitterly, with a bite in his tone.
Jack cocked his head. "What?"
Dutchy headed out to the hallway again. "Come with me."
Skittery sat on the bed for a minute looking around with much terror then hurried to check up with them. "Hey, wait for me!"
The bright rays of the sun peeked through a small crack in the curtains. Dutchy rubbed his eyes, waking. He sat up recalling the events of last night. He groaned, knowing they had to face it today. Dutchy grabbed his glasses then looked over to see Skittery sound asleep in the other bed.
Dutchy threw his legs to the floor, and staggered to the hallway - still in his long-john pants. He hesitantly stepped up to Specs' door, placing his hand on the knob. He was worried about his friend. The angered look in Specs' eyes was frightening even as a memory.
Dutchy shook his head, and pushed the door open slightly. He glanced inside to see Specs lying on his back, sprawled out over the large bed. The puffy red covers were pulled up to his stomach; his skin bland and colorless. Dutchy tiptoed to the bedside. He reached out, touching Specs' shoulder, and shaking him gently.
Specs mumbled incoherently then squinted to see who was next to him. "Dutch?" he said, recognizing the bleach blonde mop. He placed his glasses on his nose to wipe out the blurring. "What are you doing heah?"
"I came to check on you. After last night, I got scared for you" Dutchy replied, in honesty.
Specs blinked in surprise, sitting up…but noticed the uncomfortable feeling on his body. "What are you talkin'…?" He stopped short of the question as he peered under the covers to find he was wearing absolutely nothing. His face turned red in embarrassment and confusion. "Why am I not wearing any clothes?"
"That's what I was wondering last night." Dutchy spotted the full body white long-johns hanging on a chair by the wall, and snatched them for his friend. "Put these on."
Meanwhile, in the next room, Skittery lay on his back in a peaceful sleep. A cold presence floated over him. Skittery fidgeted as the coldness straddled him, icy fingers slithering around his neck ever-so-smoothly. With a thrust of strength, the fingers pressed down at Skittery's windpipe. Skittery suddenly woke, eyes flying wide open. He felt the hardness of something wrapped around his neck, but nothing was there.
Panicking, he started to struggle with the invisible presence. Skittery felt the fingers loosening for a second - just enough time to let him scream out. The fingers, though, tightened when he did. He choked raggedly, feeling faint with every moment that went by.
***
"What were you wondering, Dutch?" Specs' eyes flashed with a mixture of puzzlement and alarm as he tugged on the top of his long-johns. "What's going on?"
Dutchy scrunched his nose. "You don't remember what happen last night?"
Specs was about to answer when they heard the scream ring through the wall. Dutchy's mouth fell open, recognizing who it was. "Skittery!" He ran out the room like lightening. Specs was right behind him, forgetting about buttoning his underclothes.
Skittery was on the verge of losing consciousness when an image of a woman smirking wickedly down at him surfaced into his view to disappear again in the twinkling of light. The door swung open in a swift motion. The coldness wiped away instantly from Skittery's body, leaving him to gasp for air in straggling breathes.
Without delay, Dutchy was at his friend's side. "Skittery, are you okay???" he asked, frantically.
Skittery rolled to his side, rubbing his tender neck. "It was her" he choked out.
Dutchy raised a hand to his glasses to push them back on the bridge of his nose. "Helena? She was here?" Specs tensed up at the mention of Helena. A prickling feeling ran across his back, making him shudder in an odd delight.
"Yeah, it was her. I'll never forget that face." Skittery was about to stand when Dutchy stopped him, pushing his friend lightly back on the bed.
"Hold on, just stay there and recover." Skittery was about to protest when he made eye contact with Specs. Several seconds went by before Specs tore his eyes away.
By now, the attention of the other newsies in the mansion were caught. The ones upstairs raced to the room to see what was going on. "What's happening in heah?" Jack demanded, looking rather baffled. Racetrack, Jake, and Itey were behind him with the same expression. No one noticed Specs slip nonchalantly out the room.
"Can we talk in private?" Dutchy asked, nodding towards the three newsies.
They took the hint. "C'mon guys" Race started. "Let's go downstairs to see what kinda food is in the cupboard." Itey closed the door on the way out.
"Now, what's going on?" Jack asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Dutchy was about to explain when he seen Specs was missing. "Where's Specs?"
"I bet he went to meet his harlot" Skittery grunted bitterly, with a bite in his tone.
Jack cocked his head. "What?"
Dutchy headed out to the hallway again. "Come with me."
Skittery sat on the bed for a minute looking around with much terror then hurried to check up with them. "Hey, wait for me!"