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Sara blinked. She saw tunnels of light streaming in trough boards of wood. What da heck . . . she thought to herself. She tried to move her arms and legs, along with the rest of her body. She could. "Michele?" She called out hoarsely, and the events of her last conscious memory came back to her. No answer. Dis ain't good. Gotta get outta here an' find 'er. As Sara tried to get out, more of whatever it was that was on her slid down and caused a little avalanche and noise.
"Hello?" A voice called from the alley.
"Michele? Anybody? Please help me outta 'ere." Sara called out, not knowing what to do.
"Where are ya?" The voice said. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"I dunno, over here."
"Are ya awlright? Can ya move?" The voice inquired, moving closer to where she was, and starting to remove the top layers of rubbish that were on her.
"Uh yeah I'm fine, 'cept a few bruises maybe." Sara said.
"Well, I should have ya outta dere in no time." In the next several minutes, her rescuer had uncovered moist of the rubble, and only had two or three layers to go. "Almost dere. Hang on." And within thirty seconds, her rescuer had broken trough. Sara blinked several times, her eyes still adjusting to the light. She finally saw who helped her. "Hey, for only a few bruises, you
sure gots a lotta dem. I'se Skittery. Looks like you've been through a war. Ya sure you awlright?"
"Yeah, an' thank ya so much. Not many people would do dat dese days. I'se Sara."
"Yeah, aren't you dat girl dat's friends wit Blink?" Skittery said.
"How ya know?"
" 'Cause I'se friends wit 'em."
"Hey Skit! Ya won't find yer breakfast in dere!" Some one called from the alley, which was followed by some snickering.
"Snoddy, shut yer mout' an' go get Jack." Skittery said to the boy whose name was apparently Snoddy, who was still in the alley.
"Why?"
"Just go get 'em!" Snoddy hurried off to go find Jack, who wasn't far, because as soon as Snoddy turned around, he ran straight into Jack.
"I'se sorry, Jack. Skit wants ya." Snoddy said, pointing in the alley. "I think he's found sumptin'." Jack went over to Skittery, suspecting it was something pretty important.
"It's Sara." Skittery said, after Jack came over. It took a while for Jack to recognize Sara. Guess I dat bad. Worse den I thought.
"Sara . . . who did dis? Why-" Jack was confused, and his face showed it.
"Dey were aftah Michele." Sara interrupted. "We'se fought dem off fa a liddle while, but dat only lasted so long. Dey was two guys, dey both kinda looked alike, but I really couldn't tell. It was dark." Sara was trying to remember, but not much was coming back to her.
"If ya saw 'em again, wouldja recognize dem?" Jack asked. He had several good ideas about who they were.
"Prob'ally. I'll do me best." Jack helped her on her feet, and they started walking towards the street.
Jack thought for a moment. "We'll I hate to be da bearer of bad news, but ya work at da clothes fact'ry 'round 'ere, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Sara was biting her lip.
"Well, dere was an accident yestiday, an' da fire got a liddle outta control." Jack paused, waiting for a response.
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, Jack's answer still sinking in.
"Well, it spread through da whole buildin'. It's all gone" Jack replied gently. He had been in similar situations before, and had a feeling that they were going to get a new recruit soon.
"Everythin'?" Sara panicked inside, even though her answer was soft.
"Yeah." Jack paused. "I'm so sorry."
Sara didn't trust her own voice anymore, so she just nodded to showed that she understood. Great! What am I gonna do now? I don't have any money. Dey won't let us go back to da boardin' house? Mrs. Brewster might let us stay, but . . .She tried not to let her inner thoughts show, but apparently they did, because she got a reassuring hug from Jack.
"Don't worry, ya can stay wit us. Kloppman, he's da ownah, won't mind, an' ya can stay in da goil's bunkroom. You'll be da fifth girl so far. But ya don't have ta if ya don't wan' ta." Jack offered. By now, a lot more newsies had gathered to see what Jack was doing.
"Dere are girl newsies too?" Sara asked, a little puzzled.
"Some are, one is a newsie, an' she also works at Tibby's. When she ain't workin', she's sellin' papes wit us. Whatevah ya want. It's up ta you."
"All right, I guess it couldn't hurt to try." Sara said.
"Dis here Skittery, and dis is Snoddy. Dey're da ones who dug ya out, and dey're gonna take ya to da lodgin' house. Emily won't leave for work till eight. She'll help ya get settled, awlright?"
"Dat's fine." Sara said, and she was on her way to the lodging house.
On the way, between the little conversation, Sara got a better look at Snoddy. He had dark brown hair with brown eyes, and looked about sixteen. They get into deep conversation, because the lodging house wasn't more than ten minutes away. When they entered in the lodging house, and old man was in the lobby, just going a bout what looked like some daily chores. Snoddy stayed down and started to explain what happened. Skittery took Sara upstairs, then knocked on a door on the right.
"Da girls room is on da right, da boys is on da left." Skittery explained as he knocked again on the door. Finally a groggy "What?" Came out.
"Hey, open up! We got a new girl in here now, and she's banged up pretty bad." Skittery explained.
"Okay, I'm comin'!" Presently the door opened, and there stood a girl, who had obviously just rolled out of bed, and was trying to take in the whole scene.
"Dis is Emily, and Emmy, dis is Sara. Take care a her, willya, dere ain't gonna be no more papes left. Sara, just stick wit 'er an' well see ya at lunch!" Skittery rushed down the stairs, hoping to get to the Distribution Center in time.
"Boys, how rude. Now what was ya name?" Emily yawned. "I didn't catch it before."
"Sara. I kinda got inta a fight helpin' me friend, Michele. I gotta find 'er. It's kinda a long story."
"Alright, well you go on 'head and use da wash room, I gonna go back ta sleep for a little while, and if you want to you can lock da door. Use da bathtub, an' clean ya cuts. When you done, if I'm not up, can ya wake me up?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Sorry, I'se know dat I'se a liddle grumpy in da mornin'. Definitely not a mornin' person, I'll be bettah when I'se wake up a liddle more." She turned and went back to her bunk. "Oh, an' I almost forgot, put dese on when ya get out." Emily came over and handed her a shirt and skirt along with socks, and everything else. "We can fix up ya clothes latah."
"Tanks." Sara graciously took the clothes that Emily gave her.
"Anytime."
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Sara blinked. She saw tunnels of light streaming in trough boards of wood. What da heck . . . she thought to herself. She tried to move her arms and legs, along with the rest of her body. She could. "Michele?" She called out hoarsely, and the events of her last conscious memory came back to her. No answer. Dis ain't good. Gotta get outta here an' find 'er. As Sara tried to get out, more of whatever it was that was on her slid down and caused a little avalanche and noise.
"Hello?" A voice called from the alley.
"Michele? Anybody? Please help me outta 'ere." Sara called out, not knowing what to do.
"Where are ya?" The voice said. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.
"I dunno, over here."
"Are ya awlright? Can ya move?" The voice inquired, moving closer to where she was, and starting to remove the top layers of rubbish that were on her.
"Uh yeah I'm fine, 'cept a few bruises maybe." Sara said.
"Well, I should have ya outta dere in no time." In the next several minutes, her rescuer had uncovered moist of the rubble, and only had two or three layers to go. "Almost dere. Hang on." And within thirty seconds, her rescuer had broken trough. Sara blinked several times, her eyes still adjusting to the light. She finally saw who helped her. "Hey, for only a few bruises, you
sure gots a lotta dem. I'se Skittery. Looks like you've been through a war. Ya sure you awlright?"
"Yeah, an' thank ya so much. Not many people would do dat dese days. I'se Sara."
"Yeah, aren't you dat girl dat's friends wit Blink?" Skittery said.
"How ya know?"
" 'Cause I'se friends wit 'em."
"Hey Skit! Ya won't find yer breakfast in dere!" Some one called from the alley, which was followed by some snickering.
"Snoddy, shut yer mout' an' go get Jack." Skittery said to the boy whose name was apparently Snoddy, who was still in the alley.
"Why?"
"Just go get 'em!" Snoddy hurried off to go find Jack, who wasn't far, because as soon as Snoddy turned around, he ran straight into Jack.
"I'se sorry, Jack. Skit wants ya." Snoddy said, pointing in the alley. "I think he's found sumptin'." Jack went over to Skittery, suspecting it was something pretty important.
"It's Sara." Skittery said, after Jack came over. It took a while for Jack to recognize Sara. Guess I dat bad. Worse den I thought.
"Sara . . . who did dis? Why-" Jack was confused, and his face showed it.
"Dey were aftah Michele." Sara interrupted. "We'se fought dem off fa a liddle while, but dat only lasted so long. Dey was two guys, dey both kinda looked alike, but I really couldn't tell. It was dark." Sara was trying to remember, but not much was coming back to her.
"If ya saw 'em again, wouldja recognize dem?" Jack asked. He had several good ideas about who they were.
"Prob'ally. I'll do me best." Jack helped her on her feet, and they started walking towards the street.
Jack thought for a moment. "We'll I hate to be da bearer of bad news, but ya work at da clothes fact'ry 'round 'ere, right?"
"Yeah, why?" Sara was biting her lip.
"Well, dere was an accident yestiday, an' da fire got a liddle outta control." Jack paused, waiting for a response.
"What do you mean?" Sara asked, Jack's answer still sinking in.
"Well, it spread through da whole buildin'. It's all gone" Jack replied gently. He had been in similar situations before, and had a feeling that they were going to get a new recruit soon.
"Everythin'?" Sara panicked inside, even though her answer was soft.
"Yeah." Jack paused. "I'm so sorry."
Sara didn't trust her own voice anymore, so she just nodded to showed that she understood. Great! What am I gonna do now? I don't have any money. Dey won't let us go back to da boardin' house? Mrs. Brewster might let us stay, but . . .She tried not to let her inner thoughts show, but apparently they did, because she got a reassuring hug from Jack.
"Don't worry, ya can stay wit us. Kloppman, he's da ownah, won't mind, an' ya can stay in da goil's bunkroom. You'll be da fifth girl so far. But ya don't have ta if ya don't wan' ta." Jack offered. By now, a lot more newsies had gathered to see what Jack was doing.
"Dere are girl newsies too?" Sara asked, a little puzzled.
"Some are, one is a newsie, an' she also works at Tibby's. When she ain't workin', she's sellin' papes wit us. Whatevah ya want. It's up ta you."
"All right, I guess it couldn't hurt to try." Sara said.
"Dis here Skittery, and dis is Snoddy. Dey're da ones who dug ya out, and dey're gonna take ya to da lodgin' house. Emily won't leave for work till eight. She'll help ya get settled, awlright?"
"Dat's fine." Sara said, and she was on her way to the lodging house.
On the way, between the little conversation, Sara got a better look at Snoddy. He had dark brown hair with brown eyes, and looked about sixteen. They get into deep conversation, because the lodging house wasn't more than ten minutes away. When they entered in the lodging house, and old man was in the lobby, just going a bout what looked like some daily chores. Snoddy stayed down and started to explain what happened. Skittery took Sara upstairs, then knocked on a door on the right.
"Da girls room is on da right, da boys is on da left." Skittery explained as he knocked again on the door. Finally a groggy "What?" Came out.
"Hey, open up! We got a new girl in here now, and she's banged up pretty bad." Skittery explained.
"Okay, I'm comin'!" Presently the door opened, and there stood a girl, who had obviously just rolled out of bed, and was trying to take in the whole scene.
"Dis is Emily, and Emmy, dis is Sara. Take care a her, willya, dere ain't gonna be no more papes left. Sara, just stick wit 'er an' well see ya at lunch!" Skittery rushed down the stairs, hoping to get to the Distribution Center in time.
"Boys, how rude. Now what was ya name?" Emily yawned. "I didn't catch it before."
"Sara. I kinda got inta a fight helpin' me friend, Michele. I gotta find 'er. It's kinda a long story."
"Alright, well you go on 'head and use da wash room, I gonna go back ta sleep for a little while, and if you want to you can lock da door. Use da bathtub, an' clean ya cuts. When you done, if I'm not up, can ya wake me up?"
"Sure, no problem."
"Sorry, I'se know dat I'se a liddle grumpy in da mornin'. Definitely not a mornin' person, I'll be bettah when I'se wake up a liddle more." She turned and went back to her bunk. "Oh, an' I almost forgot, put dese on when ya get out." Emily came over and handed her a shirt and skirt along with socks, and everything else. "We can fix up ya clothes latah."
"Tanks." Sara graciously took the clothes that Emily gave her.
"Anytime."
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