PROLOGUE
The sun rose slowly, almost hesitantly, over the cluster of streets and buildings of New York City, waking the small minority of birds who had taken it upon themselves to reside there. Cold, grey dawn presided over liquid-dark night, bathing everything in pale, frigid light. It was breezy- cool, though that wouldn't last long as the day dragged on. The dog days of summer had at long last set in, and were already fading fast.
For the occupants of a modest lodging house in Lower Manhattan, those days couldn't pass quickly enough. Already, they were reluctant to fall out of bed at the persistence of the old man who looked after them, and each one had a long day of work to look forward to yet.
Halfway across town, a teenaged girl sighed as she relinquished the comforts of sleep, but only with great effort. She, too, had a long, tiring day ahead of her, and in a world lacking efficient methods of climate control, a day in an upper floor of a shirtwaist factory didn't seem all too appealing. Careful not to disturb her family, she flitted about the small tenement, getting ready for work. It was a day like any other, and would continue to be a day like any other...
... Until the two worlds collided.
The sun rose slowly, almost hesitantly, over the cluster of streets and buildings of New York City, waking the small minority of birds who had taken it upon themselves to reside there. Cold, grey dawn presided over liquid-dark night, bathing everything in pale, frigid light. It was breezy- cool, though that wouldn't last long as the day dragged on. The dog days of summer had at long last set in, and were already fading fast.
For the occupants of a modest lodging house in Lower Manhattan, those days couldn't pass quickly enough. Already, they were reluctant to fall out of bed at the persistence of the old man who looked after them, and each one had a long day of work to look forward to yet.
Halfway across town, a teenaged girl sighed as she relinquished the comforts of sleep, but only with great effort. She, too, had a long, tiring day ahead of her, and in a world lacking efficient methods of climate control, a day in an upper floor of a shirtwaist factory didn't seem all too appealing. Careful not to disturb her family, she flitted about the small tenement, getting ready for work. It was a day like any other, and would continue to be a day like any other...
... Until the two worlds collided.
