AN: This story is freaking some people out, isn't it? Don't worry; I will take care of the guys. I didn't put angst as a genre, and there's a reason for that. Just suspense, people. Relax and let the author do her work.
Anyway, things are gonna get even worse in this chapter, but we'll also get some clues as to what the big picture is. So pay attention to the little things…
"Blink! Anybody! Come in here!"
Snitch! What was going on now? Mush and I took one look at each other before heading for the stairs at top speed, knocking over the chairs we'd been sitting on in the process. We entered the bunkroom, where Snitch was leaning over Skittery's bunk, his eyes filled with concern.
"Come on, man. Hang on. Blink's here." He was saying, noticing our entrance. My heart leaped into my throat as I noticed that Skittery's eyes were open, and he seemed to be aware; it didn't look like he could keep it up for long, though.
Mush and I rushed to his bedside, and I grabbed his hand. "Skittery, talk ta me. Are you okay?"
He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He seemed to be fighting pretty hard to stay with us.
"Just keep fightin', Skitts. We're right heah." I whispered, and he nodded, gripping my hand so hard that I thought he'd break it.
Quite suddenly, his entire body went limp again, just as it had when the 'sickness' first came upon him. I was about to get up and walk away, but then…his eyes slowly fluttered open, and I could see he wasn't fighting for it at all.
"Skittery? Are you…"
With a yelp, he pulled me down into a hug, a smile of absolute glee on his face. I was stunned for a moment, but then returned the hug.
"I did it! The bastard thought he had me, but I got out!" he said, throwing back the covers and literally jumping out of bed. Snitch was standing to one side, open mouthed and having no cue as to what was going on.
"Are you okay?" Mush asked, still skeptical.
"As good as I's gonna get, after all dat shit!" Skitts insisted, and then his eyes fell on Racetrack. "Oh, God…not Race too…"
At the same instant, Mush and Snitch both dropped like they'd been hit over the head. I raced to Mush's side to check on him, and then I moved on to Snitch.
"You said you'd only take Mush…" I muttered as Skittery helped me lift Snitch up onto a bunk. As we were putting Mush down onto the next bunk over, the man walked in, now once again dressed in a suit and bow tie. He made a beeline for Skittery, and I was about to intervene but Skitts sent me a look that told me not to do anything.
"You are strong. Maybe too strong. I didn't expect to have you fighting your way out of this." He said, grabbing Skittery by the chin and forcing him to look him in the eye.
"What are ya gonna do? Take me back? Kill me?"
"No. You fought your way out fairly. I'll allow you to live. The punishment will go to the others."
"Ovah my dead body."
"Do you want me to take that literally, boy? Because I will."
"Go ahead. I dare ya."
He released Skittery with a scowl and headed for me, this time waiting for me to speak.
"You said you'd only take Mush."
"I lied. No different from what you do every day. And any moment now, Jack should be walking through the door with Dutchy."
"You took him too?!"
"'Took' is not the correct word. I merely borrowed them." He turned back to Skittery, looking very smug now. "And you…well, I can't have you telling them how to save the others, can I?"
He suddenly reached out and grabbed Skittery by the throat, and I grabbed the nearest thing I could find- a piece of wood from a broken bunk- and slammed him over the back of the head with it. The shriek that followed was inhuman, and he dropped Skittery and was out the door as fast as possible.
"Skitts? You okay?" I asked, him, helping him up off the ground. He opened his mouth to speak…and nothing came out. His expression became one of panic as he put a hand to his throat, and the realization hit me.
"You can't talk…can you?"
He shook his head, swallowing hard.
"Can you write?"
Once again he shook his head, looking quite ashamed.
"Don't worry. It isn't your fault. We'll find a way around this, okay?"
He nodded, just as Jack walked in the door, Dutchy limp in his arms. And the first thing he noticed was that Snitch was in Skittery's place, and Skittery was standing up and seemed to be fine.
"Skittery! You're…well…better!"
Skittery nodded, but no smile crossed his face. Jack laid Dutchy down, catching sight of Mush and Racetrack. "Not them too…" he said quietly, then he looked back up at Skittery. "You sure you're alright?"
Skittery looked at me helplessly, and Jack knew something was wrong. "Whatsa mattah wit him, Blink?"
"He can't talk."
"He can't talk?"
Jack walked up to Skittery, looking very much at a loss. A newsboy could peddle papers without a leg, or without an arm (or in my case, without an eye), hell, even a blind newsboy could peddle if he really put in some effort. But a newsboy with no voice…that was bound to fail.
"It's probably just temporary, Skitts. It's a…a…side effect. Yeah."
I sighed, feeling the guilt weighing down on me once again. "Jack, it's about time you heard the whole story. Before this happens to you, too."
I told him the whole story, as I had done with Mush, with Skittery only able to nod to confirm what I said. Jack seemed a bit less open minded than Mush, but I had to convince him- I couldn't fight this alone.
We were interrupted at the end of the story by Specs, who rushed in holding an envelope.
"Blink! There you are!" he said, and then his mouth dropped open as he saw the four newsies unconscious on the bunks. "Are they all…"
"Yeah. They are."
He made his way over to us, shocked to see Skittery sitting with us as if nothing were wrong. Then he handed me the envelope, saying, "A guy stopped me on the street and said to give this to ya. Real strange guy."
I ripped it open as quickly as my shaking hands would allow, pulling out a small sheet of paper. On it was written in fancy script:
1462 17th street. Come if you wish to save your friends. Bring Skittery, Mush, and Jack. No one else.
I swallowed hard, looking up from the paper and handing it to Jack. This was the final straw for him, and he looked up at me wide-eyed.
"You wasn't lyin'…dis is all real…"
AN: Okay people. You've read it, now review it! Suggestions are welcome!
