1 Chapter 3: Can't Get Home
Random quickly washed up and headed out the door with plans to sell her usual fifty papers a day. At the distribution office, Blade had asked if she wanted a selling partner for the day. She reluctantly declined, explaining to Blade that she could take care of herself no matter what. Random wasn't sure if Blade had asked because Spot had told him to, or because he really wanted to hang out with her for the day. She really would have appreciated the company, especially today.
Random went out into the streets with a positive attitude, selling as best she could. She would have preferred just to sit and relax, but she needed the money. She had enough money hidden under her bunk to keep her living at the LH for the next night without selling a single paper, but she realized that food was also a primary necessity which cost money and she wasn't about to ask anyone to borrow.
Now she sat alone on her favorite corner of Brooklyn trying to survive a beautiful spring day as best she could. Random didn't feel like herself in the least. She was constantly coughing and it hurt for her to swallow. She knew the fever had remained and Random was running out of options on how to rid herself of it. She mentally refused to let herself go the doctor again and she wouldn't dare tell Spot that she was too sick to sell. All he was looking for was one good reason to kick her out of the lodging house. Random figured the only thing keeping her from being thrown out was Blade. He stood up for her on every occasion possible and since Blade was Spot's most trusted Brooklyn newsie, Spot wasn't about to go against him unless he had a decent enough reason.
The wind started to pick up as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. People were starting to head back to their warm homes with their families. A few small children with their parents passed by, stopping for a moment to look at Random sitting on the corner. A few of the bolder ones would come over and ask if she were homeless. Random would smile in amuzement and shake her head as the little ones were pulled away harshly by their mothers and fathers. As the wind continued to build speed, the temperature slowly dropped like the sun.
"Bettah start back for the LH," She coughed lightly and blinked a few times, "Maybe I'll git some sleep tonight."
On her way back to the LH, she passed a few empty alleys and some old buildings. She looked around wishing Blade were there with her. The golden sky turned a pale purple as she walked down the almost empty streets of Brooklyn. Kicking up some dust with her feet, Random walked arms crossed, listening to the sounds of her city. Her calm face quickly faded as she heard footsteps following hers.
"Hey Random. Long time no see huh?" A very weak voice spoke up from behind Random.
She turned around abruptly to see Chad and Dirk, two of Kaden's front men.
"Well if it ain't Chad and Dirt," She smirked.
"Dirk," the greasy blonde haired, green eyes boy whispered, "Name's Dirk."
Random rolled her eyes and continued walking back to the LH, "So you boys are back in Brooklyn huh? Tryin' ta convince Conlon to let yous sell heyah?"
"Somethin' like that." Chad added, his hazel eyes shimmering as he walked directly on Random's right.
Dirk walked closely on Random's other side, as the two attempted to box her in. Random looked at the two and frowned, feeling a bit awkward. She couldn't stand these two, especially since they had left her a year ago to just die in the alleyway. She remembered them well, unfortunately, and wasn't sure why she was being so civil to them in the first place. She wanted to punch both of them out at the same time, but felt too weak and tired to do such a thing.
"Somethin' like that?" she smirked, "So where's Kaden?"
"He's busy sweetheart. But he'd like ta have a little chat wid yous," Chad smiled, putting her arm around Random's shoulders.
"Git off me pig," she ducked under his arm and turned the other way, walking faster.
The two boys quickly changed pace and caught up with Random as she walked, eventually boxing her in again. Both standing taller then her, Random knew she needed a quick exit from this. She felt a shudder of fear run up her, as she thought about where this might lead.
"Wait up there Random darlin'," Dirk smiled, "Wes jus' wanna have a little tawk wid yous. Come back to the Bronx wid us. Then as soon as Kaden is done wid yous, we'll bring ya right back heyah."
Before Random could answer in a crude fashion, a hand was over her mouth, and her hands were being held behind her back. She panicked and kicked out with her legs, making contact with someone's flesh. Dirk cried out in pain, and her arms were set free, but a new restraint was around her waist.
She flailed out with her arms, smacking a few pieces of warmth, inspiring yells that were uttered from the mouths she hit. Random tried moving her legs, but was running in air, while her feet reached for but didn't hit traction. She saw an alleyway nearing her viewpoint and tried to scream now that the hand had been removed, but her throat pinched off her words. Struggling as best she could, her feet finally hit the ground and she pushed off, running on the dirty alley floor.
"Git back heyah Random!" the voices crept closer.
Everything was a blur of red brick walls from the buildings as she ran down the alley. The footsteps and heated breathing coming from the two Bronx boys echoed in her ears. She felt hands on her back, grabbing her shirt, pulling her back while she ran, feeling her chest heave with pain. She struggled and the hands let go surprisingly. She stumbled, trying to catch herself back on balance after the unexpected removal of the grip. Another hand quickly pushed her foreward, sending her face first into the dirt.
"Hit'er…or we'll nevah git'er back to the Bronx."
Dirk roughly picked her up by the shoulders. As Random sent a kick straight to his groin, her shoulders were slammed into the side of the brick building behind her. Her head followed suit, hitting the wall with a deafening thud. She only saw the pain on Dirk's face for a moment until blackness slipped over her eyelids and she fell back to the ground unconscious.
Random quickly washed up and headed out the door with plans to sell her usual fifty papers a day. At the distribution office, Blade had asked if she wanted a selling partner for the day. She reluctantly declined, explaining to Blade that she could take care of herself no matter what. Random wasn't sure if Blade had asked because Spot had told him to, or because he really wanted to hang out with her for the day. She really would have appreciated the company, especially today.
Random went out into the streets with a positive attitude, selling as best she could. She would have preferred just to sit and relax, but she needed the money. She had enough money hidden under her bunk to keep her living at the LH for the next night without selling a single paper, but she realized that food was also a primary necessity which cost money and she wasn't about to ask anyone to borrow.
Now she sat alone on her favorite corner of Brooklyn trying to survive a beautiful spring day as best she could. Random didn't feel like herself in the least. She was constantly coughing and it hurt for her to swallow. She knew the fever had remained and Random was running out of options on how to rid herself of it. She mentally refused to let herself go the doctor again and she wouldn't dare tell Spot that she was too sick to sell. All he was looking for was one good reason to kick her out of the lodging house. Random figured the only thing keeping her from being thrown out was Blade. He stood up for her on every occasion possible and since Blade was Spot's most trusted Brooklyn newsie, Spot wasn't about to go against him unless he had a decent enough reason.
The wind started to pick up as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. People were starting to head back to their warm homes with their families. A few small children with their parents passed by, stopping for a moment to look at Random sitting on the corner. A few of the bolder ones would come over and ask if she were homeless. Random would smile in amuzement and shake her head as the little ones were pulled away harshly by their mothers and fathers. As the wind continued to build speed, the temperature slowly dropped like the sun.
"Bettah start back for the LH," She coughed lightly and blinked a few times, "Maybe I'll git some sleep tonight."
On her way back to the LH, she passed a few empty alleys and some old buildings. She looked around wishing Blade were there with her. The golden sky turned a pale purple as she walked down the almost empty streets of Brooklyn. Kicking up some dust with her feet, Random walked arms crossed, listening to the sounds of her city. Her calm face quickly faded as she heard footsteps following hers.
"Hey Random. Long time no see huh?" A very weak voice spoke up from behind Random.
She turned around abruptly to see Chad and Dirk, two of Kaden's front men.
"Well if it ain't Chad and Dirt," She smirked.
"Dirk," the greasy blonde haired, green eyes boy whispered, "Name's Dirk."
Random rolled her eyes and continued walking back to the LH, "So you boys are back in Brooklyn huh? Tryin' ta convince Conlon to let yous sell heyah?"
"Somethin' like that." Chad added, his hazel eyes shimmering as he walked directly on Random's right.
Dirk walked closely on Random's other side, as the two attempted to box her in. Random looked at the two and frowned, feeling a bit awkward. She couldn't stand these two, especially since they had left her a year ago to just die in the alleyway. She remembered them well, unfortunately, and wasn't sure why she was being so civil to them in the first place. She wanted to punch both of them out at the same time, but felt too weak and tired to do such a thing.
"Somethin' like that?" she smirked, "So where's Kaden?"
"He's busy sweetheart. But he'd like ta have a little chat wid yous," Chad smiled, putting her arm around Random's shoulders.
"Git off me pig," she ducked under his arm and turned the other way, walking faster.
The two boys quickly changed pace and caught up with Random as she walked, eventually boxing her in again. Both standing taller then her, Random knew she needed a quick exit from this. She felt a shudder of fear run up her, as she thought about where this might lead.
"Wait up there Random darlin'," Dirk smiled, "Wes jus' wanna have a little tawk wid yous. Come back to the Bronx wid us. Then as soon as Kaden is done wid yous, we'll bring ya right back heyah."
Before Random could answer in a crude fashion, a hand was over her mouth, and her hands were being held behind her back. She panicked and kicked out with her legs, making contact with someone's flesh. Dirk cried out in pain, and her arms were set free, but a new restraint was around her waist.
She flailed out with her arms, smacking a few pieces of warmth, inspiring yells that were uttered from the mouths she hit. Random tried moving her legs, but was running in air, while her feet reached for but didn't hit traction. She saw an alleyway nearing her viewpoint and tried to scream now that the hand had been removed, but her throat pinched off her words. Struggling as best she could, her feet finally hit the ground and she pushed off, running on the dirty alley floor.
"Git back heyah Random!" the voices crept closer.
Everything was a blur of red brick walls from the buildings as she ran down the alley. The footsteps and heated breathing coming from the two Bronx boys echoed in her ears. She felt hands on her back, grabbing her shirt, pulling her back while she ran, feeling her chest heave with pain. She struggled and the hands let go surprisingly. She stumbled, trying to catch herself back on balance after the unexpected removal of the grip. Another hand quickly pushed her foreward, sending her face first into the dirt.
"Hit'er…or we'll nevah git'er back to the Bronx."
Dirk roughly picked her up by the shoulders. As Random sent a kick straight to his groin, her shoulders were slammed into the side of the brick building behind her. Her head followed suit, hitting the wall with a deafening thud. She only saw the pain on Dirk's face for a moment until blackness slipped over her eyelids and she fell back to the ground unconscious.