Do you swear you won't forget me? By Crunch
Thank you soo so so so much to you guys who reviewed, I am your devoted fan for LIFE!!!
Here ya go, chapter 3! Kinda short, but hope I don't dissapoint.
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"Race, Kid, come quick! Skitt's been hoit!" The cry from Shakespeare as Kid Blink and I approached the Newsie living quarters, full on hotdogs and beer from Tibby's, sent us tumbling up the creaky wooden staircase to the bunk room. Breathless, we found the boy lying on his bunk as Kloppman examined him by lamplight, clutching at the flannel sheets in obvious pain.
"We found 'im lying in da alley behind da distribution office, me 'n Kloppman." Shakespeare told us.
Skittery sucked in a breath between clenched teeth as Kloppman pressed gently on his bruised ribs. "There, there, son." The old man clucked sympathetically. "Yep. Yep, they're broken alright."
Shakespeare shook her head, sadness brimming in her honey colored eyes. "Suffer the children."
"Who's dat? Shakespeare? Skittery's voice shook weakly.
"Nah. The bible."
"Skitts, what happened?" I placed a hand on his shoulder as the injured boy gasped out the words.
"I was on me route, sellin' not to far from heah. Jus' mindin' me own buisness, ya know? Dere was a man, 'e said 'e was Irish's pop. Wanted.. to know where 'is daughter was. I wouldn't tell 'im, so 'e.ah, easy Kloppman!"
"Irish's dad?" My legs felt weak beneath me and my stomach churned with cold, metallic fear and disbeleif. My own voice sounted distant and lightheaded, even to my ears. "How- how did 'e know she was in Manhatten?"
"Said 'e talked to some boys in Brooklyn. I swear Race, I didn't tell 'im nothing."
"I know, I knows. T'anks, pal." He nodded and closed his eyes as Shakespeare stroked back the brown hair plastered to his sweat- soaked forehead. Thoughts rushed past me at a million miles per hour, sweeping me up into an endless whirlpool of dread. If Irish's father knew she was here, it wouldn't take long for him to find the lodging quarters. I doubted that Irish, let alone my baby, would survive that ordeal. "We, we just gotta be calm. We can't tell Irish-"
"Oh, God." I felt the pit of my stomach drop out from beneath me at that familiar whisper. One by one, we turned to see Irish, clutching the frame of the doorway so hard her knuckles were tinted white. She was so pale, with the freckles smattered across her cheeks standing out from a mile away, and her eyes as large as dinner plates, she looked like she might collapse right there on the hard wood floor.
"Irish-" She covored her mouth in horror, sucking in little breaths like a fish stranded out of water.
"He did this! He knows where I am. He'll come for me, Race!"
"No-" I crossed the room and took her flushed face between my hands. "I told youse I would protect you, didn't I? An' I will, I swear it." I desperately hoped that the waver in my voice wouldn't betray the black doubts creeping into my mind.
"You saw what he did to Skitts! What if 'e hoits you too.."
"He won't. You'll be safe once you move in wid' me, we's all gonna protect youse. Aint that right?"
"Sure we's is." Kid Blink called from Skittery's bedside.
Irish nodded slowly, but didn't raise her eyes to meet mine. Some how I didn't want her too. I was scared of what I'd find in those emerald pools. " Ok, Race. I'll move in wid' you." Releif blossomed inside of me. We really might get out of this ok, Irish and I. "But I gotta say g'bye ta Spot an' da boys foist, 'Dey been like my brothers. So we gotta go ta Brooklyn."
*.*.*
I sat bolt upright in bed, sobbing for breath and wrestling with the tangle of sheets wrapped around my body like a boa constrictor. "Anthony? What's wrong? What happened?" It took me a few panic ridden seconds to realize that it was Doc, not Irish, shaking me from my nightmare. I struggled for composure, listening to the thick, fat raindrops pelting the asylum walls as my labored breaths returned to normal.
"Anthony, calm down. It was just a dream." Doc puffed reflectively on his cigar, his face creased with worry. But it wasn't just a dream.
"I told her not ta go." I cried, desperate to make him understand. Desperate to make myself believe it. " I told her ta stay in Manhatten, Spot would understand. But she said.. she said she had to.." I trailed off, realizing how insane my ramblings must sound to the old man. But the look in those watery gray eyes told me differently. He understood completely.
"Irish."
Leaning back against the cushioned walls, I nodded and sank my head into my hands, but the visions danced infront of my closed eyelids anyways, memories tumbling forward like a snowball rolling down hill, bringing everything in it's path along with it. "I remember dat day, Doc. We was on our way to Brooklyn, jus the two of us. I'd wanted ta bring more newsies wid' us just incase, but she said we'd standout more that way. We walked all night, constantly lookin' over our shouldahs, afraid her fadder might be right behind us in da shadows." I swallowed hard, trying to slow the river of words spilling from my mouth. "But after a while, everyt'ing was quiet, just as it should've been. So we thought we was safe, ya know?. We got to da bridge and. . ."
Suddenly I remembered. EVERYTHING.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dun dun dun!!!!! I know you're all shaking your fists at me, but isn't the wait fun! Stay tuned for the next chapter, where all is FINALLY revealed!
Thank you soo so so so much to you guys who reviewed, I am your devoted fan for LIFE!!!
Here ya go, chapter 3! Kinda short, but hope I don't dissapoint.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Race, Kid, come quick! Skitt's been hoit!" The cry from Shakespeare as Kid Blink and I approached the Newsie living quarters, full on hotdogs and beer from Tibby's, sent us tumbling up the creaky wooden staircase to the bunk room. Breathless, we found the boy lying on his bunk as Kloppman examined him by lamplight, clutching at the flannel sheets in obvious pain.
"We found 'im lying in da alley behind da distribution office, me 'n Kloppman." Shakespeare told us.
Skittery sucked in a breath between clenched teeth as Kloppman pressed gently on his bruised ribs. "There, there, son." The old man clucked sympathetically. "Yep. Yep, they're broken alright."
Shakespeare shook her head, sadness brimming in her honey colored eyes. "Suffer the children."
"Who's dat? Shakespeare? Skittery's voice shook weakly.
"Nah. The bible."
"Skitts, what happened?" I placed a hand on his shoulder as the injured boy gasped out the words.
"I was on me route, sellin' not to far from heah. Jus' mindin' me own buisness, ya know? Dere was a man, 'e said 'e was Irish's pop. Wanted.. to know where 'is daughter was. I wouldn't tell 'im, so 'e.ah, easy Kloppman!"
"Irish's dad?" My legs felt weak beneath me and my stomach churned with cold, metallic fear and disbeleif. My own voice sounted distant and lightheaded, even to my ears. "How- how did 'e know she was in Manhatten?"
"Said 'e talked to some boys in Brooklyn. I swear Race, I didn't tell 'im nothing."
"I know, I knows. T'anks, pal." He nodded and closed his eyes as Shakespeare stroked back the brown hair plastered to his sweat- soaked forehead. Thoughts rushed past me at a million miles per hour, sweeping me up into an endless whirlpool of dread. If Irish's father knew she was here, it wouldn't take long for him to find the lodging quarters. I doubted that Irish, let alone my baby, would survive that ordeal. "We, we just gotta be calm. We can't tell Irish-"
"Oh, God." I felt the pit of my stomach drop out from beneath me at that familiar whisper. One by one, we turned to see Irish, clutching the frame of the doorway so hard her knuckles were tinted white. She was so pale, with the freckles smattered across her cheeks standing out from a mile away, and her eyes as large as dinner plates, she looked like she might collapse right there on the hard wood floor.
"Irish-" She covored her mouth in horror, sucking in little breaths like a fish stranded out of water.
"He did this! He knows where I am. He'll come for me, Race!"
"No-" I crossed the room and took her flushed face between my hands. "I told youse I would protect you, didn't I? An' I will, I swear it." I desperately hoped that the waver in my voice wouldn't betray the black doubts creeping into my mind.
"You saw what he did to Skitts! What if 'e hoits you too.."
"He won't. You'll be safe once you move in wid' me, we's all gonna protect youse. Aint that right?"
"Sure we's is." Kid Blink called from Skittery's bedside.
Irish nodded slowly, but didn't raise her eyes to meet mine. Some how I didn't want her too. I was scared of what I'd find in those emerald pools. " Ok, Race. I'll move in wid' you." Releif blossomed inside of me. We really might get out of this ok, Irish and I. "But I gotta say g'bye ta Spot an' da boys foist, 'Dey been like my brothers. So we gotta go ta Brooklyn."
*.*.*
I sat bolt upright in bed, sobbing for breath and wrestling with the tangle of sheets wrapped around my body like a boa constrictor. "Anthony? What's wrong? What happened?" It took me a few panic ridden seconds to realize that it was Doc, not Irish, shaking me from my nightmare. I struggled for composure, listening to the thick, fat raindrops pelting the asylum walls as my labored breaths returned to normal.
"Anthony, calm down. It was just a dream." Doc puffed reflectively on his cigar, his face creased with worry. But it wasn't just a dream.
"I told her not ta go." I cried, desperate to make him understand. Desperate to make myself believe it. " I told her ta stay in Manhatten, Spot would understand. But she said.. she said she had to.." I trailed off, realizing how insane my ramblings must sound to the old man. But the look in those watery gray eyes told me differently. He understood completely.
"Irish."
Leaning back against the cushioned walls, I nodded and sank my head into my hands, but the visions danced infront of my closed eyelids anyways, memories tumbling forward like a snowball rolling down hill, bringing everything in it's path along with it. "I remember dat day, Doc. We was on our way to Brooklyn, jus the two of us. I'd wanted ta bring more newsies wid' us just incase, but she said we'd standout more that way. We walked all night, constantly lookin' over our shouldahs, afraid her fadder might be right behind us in da shadows." I swallowed hard, trying to slow the river of words spilling from my mouth. "But after a while, everyt'ing was quiet, just as it should've been. So we thought we was safe, ya know?. We got to da bridge and. . ."
Suddenly I remembered. EVERYTHING.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dun dun dun!!!!! I know you're all shaking your fists at me, but isn't the wait fun! Stay tuned for the next chapter, where all is FINALLY revealed!
