Hey!

Itey chapter…know SOME of you have been waiting for this…

Dream: aww!! Thanks!

Gretch: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU READ THEM ALL AT ONCE!! You usually never have time to do anything of the sort! THANKS FOR REVIEWING, buuuuuuddy. OH! AND GIVE ME BACK THOSE ENDINGS!

Thumbsucker Snitch: I RESPECT YOU!! You insane Snitch freak…hehehe.

Spatz: Clever? Me?? Aww!!!!!

DemonBlood: Hmm…who's telling the story??? :::rubs hands together in menacing way:::

Klover: And, indeed, you are a damn good reviewer! You are doing wonderfully, Grasshopper.

Tree: Mummy proud? YAY!!!

Sureshot Higgins: GET OUT OF THE CLOSET WITH SPECS??? NEVAH!!!!…fine… but just for a little while.

Chipper: MAGICAL NUMBER 100!!! WOO HOO!!!

Jo: :::blushes at all the compliments::: YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO DARN SPECIAL!!! :::passes out and begins to foam at the mouth:::

BlackFire: It's alright, I don't get upset if you don't review every chapter. I know people have other things to do! Denton and Davey in the closet??? :::bad mental images::: Here is Skittery for you, and there is a free closet just over there. HAVE FUN!

Celtic Lass: YAY!! I DID A GOOD JOB!! :::collapses from relief:::

Unnamed: The suspense is killing you? MWAHAHAHA!!!
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I had never seen so much pain and loss in the eyes of a child. I had
known may of these boys for years and had heard about their pasts,
and more often than not they contained some form of abuse. It was
common, particularly in the lives of working class children. There
was something different about him. His history was more cruel and
relentless, and his eyes were dull as if weary from witnessing far
too much anguish.

They never called him by anything, simply "it". "Tell it to do the
damn woik," was often heard, though in standard tones, they sounded
like screams of hatred to the young boy. He wasn't ignored, though
often wished he were, as they were constantly eying him, waiting for
his next "mistake" so they could relieve all their frustration onto
the terrified child. Whether it be physically or mentally, they
destroyed him. At every chance they would rip away his very dignity
and rub his nerves raw. Some parents can be cruel.

Oddly enough, he never ran. I believe that when someone's self-
esteem is so low, he can't imagine being accepted by anyone and
feels lucky to have somebody near him, no matter how appallingly
they treat him. He was left, though. In an alley near the lodging
house to be specific. His eyes were swollen shut and his face was so
covered in blood we couldn't tell what he looked like when we first
set eyes on him. Upon asking what scab had the nerve to pound him so
badly, he lifted his head, said, "My father," and collapsed.

He told us his story once his wounds were healed, for the most part
anyway, and he could actually function normally. "It" was all he
ever knew of his name, so the boys began to call him Itey. There
were no more harsh words directed towards him and he was no longer
beaten beyond recognition. There was family for him here, whether it
be blood related or not. For once, he was happy. His dull eyes began
to show a sign of life as he smiled for the first times he probably
ever had in his life.

The streets of New York began to feel less and less like home to
him, with people growing more violent towards others, greed
consuming the lot of them. He began to see people like his parents
everywhere, malicious and heartless with no reason to be. He needed
to get away from the dark world that surrounded him and find peace
elsewhere. I wished him luck as he waved good-bye, smiling like he
had learned to do after years of depression.

Itey settled in rural Pennsylvania, taking care of children who had
runaway from the same problems he had encountered himself as a
child. The government paid for their care, yet Itey never pocketed a
dime, using all of it and some of his own to help raised his new
family. He was only a short train ride away, and would bring the
children to see the city on holidays. Itey would talk to me quietly,
eyes bright with happiness , smiling as he told me of his thoughts
of starting an official family of his own. Sure, he had demons to
face, but so did the rest of the world.
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You all know where I am off to next! :::sneaks into closet, closes door behind her:::

Stretch