Jacquelyn sat on her windowsill looking outside from her Brooklyn apartment
to the one across the street, which seemed almost close enough to touch.
Inside the house was a scene that resembled what occurred in her apartment
almost nightly. Their father came home drunk and took it out on everything
in his path. This night it just happened to be the boy who lived there
that seemed to be about her age. As the boy was hit to the ground and
kicked repeatedly, Jacquelyn felt all of his pain. She relived what had
happened to her the night before when her father had come home from losing
all of his money in a poker game. He didn't like the way Jacquelyn was
standing, so he decided to beat her until she couldn't stand, and then left
her there.
All of Jacquelyn's anger erupted and she screamed "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The man across the street looked through the window and saw the 8 year old girl looking back with a fierce determination in her green eyes. Scared that she was going to call the bulls, the man turned to the boy, gave him one last kick and left saying "You're one lucky kid.". The young boy picked himself up, wincing and pain, and made it to the window, where the young redhead still sat.
"Thanks, I um...thanks."
"Yup."
There was a silence between the two, neither knowing what to say. The boy looked at the girl and saw that she had bruises on her face and arms, and figured everywhere else too.
"I'm sorry that you have to get hurt. Is it your father too?" the boy asked, breaking the silence.
"Yea. It's not your fault though, you shouldn't be sorry."
"Let's get out of here. Neither of us are happy; we're getting the crap beat out of us and yet we still stay here. Let's leave this place.
"I don't even know you, and now you're asking me to run away with you?
"Riain Conlon. There, now ya know me. I'm leavin, feel free to come with me. If you're coming, I would get your stuff, I'll meet to outside in five minutes, but don't expect me to wait any longer."
And with that he was gone.
Jackie decided that she couldn't live with her father any longer, and started to pack her things. As she was packing, her father came home, drunk once again.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?!"
"I'm leaving." Jackie said in a flat tone, with no emotion, something she had mastered over the years.
And with only a punch to the cheek, Jackie ran out of the house with her belongings that she had managed to pack. Outside she saw Riain leaning against the building. Wiping off the blood on her cheek from her father, she grabbed Riain and started to run, knowing her father wasn't far behind.
"Hey, glad you decided to join me, but where are we going?"
"Away from here. My father didn't really like the idea of me leaving, and I'm pretty sure if he isn't to drunk then he'll be coming after us," Jackie managed while running.
The new pair ran together in silence for a good 15 minutes until they just couldn't run any longer. Riain new that Jackie couldn't run anymore, and pulled her into a deserted ally.
"I think that we should rest here. I'm almost positive that your father won't come after us, and even if he did I dunno how he would find us. So you know who I am.kinda.but who are you?
"Jacquelyn Moynihan, but you can call me Jackie. Jacquelyn was something that only my father would call me. But I really don't feel like talking about him right now. Riain, it's Irish right? Doesn't it mean something like ruler?"
"Close, King actually. That's amazing, how did you know that?"
"Well my mother was Irish, and she started to teach me a few things. She used to call my brother little riain, her little king."
"Why doesn't you mother or brother help ya and keep you Pop from hurtin ya?"
"They both died when I was younger, when I lived in da Bronx. There was a fire. My father got out, leaving all of us still inside, but I managed to get out the window."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yea, well like I said, it's not your fault, you shouldn't be sorry. So what about you? What's your family like?"
"It's just me and my pop too. My mother never really liked me; always telling me that I was an accident, and she only wanted my sister. She got ticked at me dad, and took my sister and left. Dunno where they went, and haven't heard from them since."
Jackie saw the pain flash through his eyes, obviously still upset at his mother. At one time she had shown her emotions in her eyes, but over the years she mastered not showing any pain. It was a weakness.
"Hey Jack, It's gettin late, I'm tired. Ya wanna go to sleep. I know that it's cold, and we really don't got a bed, but it's better than being at home right?
"Too true. And I know I don't really know ya, but thanks. For everything. You really saved me back there. I promise I'll make it up to ya."
"Don't worry about it. How bout tomorrow we get to know each other better."
"Sounds good. Good night."
And at that; they both awkwardly curled up with their new friend, and slept in that ally.
All of Jacquelyn's anger erupted and she screamed "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The man across the street looked through the window and saw the 8 year old girl looking back with a fierce determination in her green eyes. Scared that she was going to call the bulls, the man turned to the boy, gave him one last kick and left saying "You're one lucky kid.". The young boy picked himself up, wincing and pain, and made it to the window, where the young redhead still sat.
"Thanks, I um...thanks."
"Yup."
There was a silence between the two, neither knowing what to say. The boy looked at the girl and saw that she had bruises on her face and arms, and figured everywhere else too.
"I'm sorry that you have to get hurt. Is it your father too?" the boy asked, breaking the silence.
"Yea. It's not your fault though, you shouldn't be sorry."
"Let's get out of here. Neither of us are happy; we're getting the crap beat out of us and yet we still stay here. Let's leave this place.
"I don't even know you, and now you're asking me to run away with you?
"Riain Conlon. There, now ya know me. I'm leavin, feel free to come with me. If you're coming, I would get your stuff, I'll meet to outside in five minutes, but don't expect me to wait any longer."
And with that he was gone.
Jackie decided that she couldn't live with her father any longer, and started to pack her things. As she was packing, her father came home, drunk once again.
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?!"
"I'm leaving." Jackie said in a flat tone, with no emotion, something she had mastered over the years.
And with only a punch to the cheek, Jackie ran out of the house with her belongings that she had managed to pack. Outside she saw Riain leaning against the building. Wiping off the blood on her cheek from her father, she grabbed Riain and started to run, knowing her father wasn't far behind.
"Hey, glad you decided to join me, but where are we going?"
"Away from here. My father didn't really like the idea of me leaving, and I'm pretty sure if he isn't to drunk then he'll be coming after us," Jackie managed while running.
The new pair ran together in silence for a good 15 minutes until they just couldn't run any longer. Riain new that Jackie couldn't run anymore, and pulled her into a deserted ally.
"I think that we should rest here. I'm almost positive that your father won't come after us, and even if he did I dunno how he would find us. So you know who I am.kinda.but who are you?
"Jacquelyn Moynihan, but you can call me Jackie. Jacquelyn was something that only my father would call me. But I really don't feel like talking about him right now. Riain, it's Irish right? Doesn't it mean something like ruler?"
"Close, King actually. That's amazing, how did you know that?"
"Well my mother was Irish, and she started to teach me a few things. She used to call my brother little riain, her little king."
"Why doesn't you mother or brother help ya and keep you Pop from hurtin ya?"
"They both died when I was younger, when I lived in da Bronx. There was a fire. My father got out, leaving all of us still inside, but I managed to get out the window."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Yea, well like I said, it's not your fault, you shouldn't be sorry. So what about you? What's your family like?"
"It's just me and my pop too. My mother never really liked me; always telling me that I was an accident, and she only wanted my sister. She got ticked at me dad, and took my sister and left. Dunno where they went, and haven't heard from them since."
Jackie saw the pain flash through his eyes, obviously still upset at his mother. At one time she had shown her emotions in her eyes, but over the years she mastered not showing any pain. It was a weakness.
"Hey Jack, It's gettin late, I'm tired. Ya wanna go to sleep. I know that it's cold, and we really don't got a bed, but it's better than being at home right?
"Too true. And I know I don't really know ya, but thanks. For everything. You really saved me back there. I promise I'll make it up to ya."
"Don't worry about it. How bout tomorrow we get to know each other better."
"Sounds good. Good night."
And at that; they both awkwardly curled up with their new friend, and slept in that ally.
