Chapter 8: Safe at last
As we walked back across the city, it was quiet; too quiet. We were halfway to midtown when a voice spoke up from the shadows.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Rascal stepped out from the alley. "Get lost on the way to the washroom Hope?"
Skipper stepped between us. "Leave her alone Rascal."
The newsie in question broke out into peals of laughter. "Oh that's rich. You have no place to tell me what to do my man. You gave up that right the second you took her out of Midtown. Come on Shiner's waiting."
When I didn't move, Rascal grabbed my shoulder tightly. The pain that shot from his fingertips gave me no choice but to comply.
"Welcome home Connie," my brother almost sang from his chair in the corner of the lobby. "Rascal tells me that you took a little trip to Manhattan."
"What of it?" I spat back, surprised at my own defiance.
Shiner grabbed me by the hair and yanked me roughly across the room. "I told you not to question me! What do I have to do to prove that to you?"
He released me slightly, giving me the opportunity that I needed. I shoved him with all my strength, sending him fumbling backward into the wall. Shiner lay on the floor for a few moments before regaining his composure and lunging in my direction. Skipper tried to intervene but was held back by Rascal. Somehow my body went numb as Shiner began to pound his fists against my body. A menacing look froze on his features as the beating finally began to take its toll and I slipped into darkness.
"Hope." A voice crept into the echoing of my thoughts. "Can you hear me?"
Slowly I began to register in my mind that the voice belonged to Skittery. I opened my eyes to see him staring down at me worriedly. When he saw that I was awake, Skitts pulled me into a tight hug that sent extreme pain shooting to every nerve in my body. "Ouch!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized profusely, laying me back down onto the bed. After dropping a quick kiss on my forehead, he moved to the door. "Fellas, she's awake!"
Slowly, the battered newsies filed into the bunkroom, taking seats anywhere that they could find them. I tried to sit up but immediately stopped when a crippling pain shot down my body. "What happened?"
A shadow appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame weakly. "You're safe now Hope. That's all that matters."
"Skip?"
As he walked up to the side of the bunk, I took in the bruises that covered his face. Somehow I bet that Rascal looked worse.
"Alright boys, don't suffocate the poor girl," Kloppman called from the door. "Off to bed with you. Gotta carry the banner in the morning."
As we walked back across the city, it was quiet; too quiet. We were halfway to midtown when a voice spoke up from the shadows.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Rascal stepped out from the alley. "Get lost on the way to the washroom Hope?"
Skipper stepped between us. "Leave her alone Rascal."
The newsie in question broke out into peals of laughter. "Oh that's rich. You have no place to tell me what to do my man. You gave up that right the second you took her out of Midtown. Come on Shiner's waiting."
When I didn't move, Rascal grabbed my shoulder tightly. The pain that shot from his fingertips gave me no choice but to comply.
"Welcome home Connie," my brother almost sang from his chair in the corner of the lobby. "Rascal tells me that you took a little trip to Manhattan."
"What of it?" I spat back, surprised at my own defiance.
Shiner grabbed me by the hair and yanked me roughly across the room. "I told you not to question me! What do I have to do to prove that to you?"
He released me slightly, giving me the opportunity that I needed. I shoved him with all my strength, sending him fumbling backward into the wall. Shiner lay on the floor for a few moments before regaining his composure and lunging in my direction. Skipper tried to intervene but was held back by Rascal. Somehow my body went numb as Shiner began to pound his fists against my body. A menacing look froze on his features as the beating finally began to take its toll and I slipped into darkness.
"Hope." A voice crept into the echoing of my thoughts. "Can you hear me?"
Slowly I began to register in my mind that the voice belonged to Skittery. I opened my eyes to see him staring down at me worriedly. When he saw that I was awake, Skitts pulled me into a tight hug that sent extreme pain shooting to every nerve in my body. "Ouch!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," he apologized profusely, laying me back down onto the bed. After dropping a quick kiss on my forehead, he moved to the door. "Fellas, she's awake!"
Slowly, the battered newsies filed into the bunkroom, taking seats anywhere that they could find them. I tried to sit up but immediately stopped when a crippling pain shot down my body. "What happened?"
A shadow appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame weakly. "You're safe now Hope. That's all that matters."
"Skip?"
As he walked up to the side of the bunk, I took in the bruises that covered his face. Somehow I bet that Rascal looked worse.
"Alright boys, don't suffocate the poor girl," Kloppman called from the door. "Off to bed with you. Gotta carry the banner in the morning."