Chapter 5:

"These are so GOOD!" Ink practically yelled. Who'd have thought that a guy could have that much of a reaction to a doughnut? I mean, his eyes were welling up.

"Yes, good, I get it." He was hanging from my arm hinting that he wanted more. I'd only had enough money for two, one for me, one for him. Now I was completely broke.

We walked away from the doughnut shop with Ink drooling and me wishing I hadn't done that. Not only had I wasted my last two bucks, but I had also given doughnuts to a person from a time when doughnuts didn't exist. Now what?

"Let's go see the statue of liberty?" I put the idea out there. It seemed possibly OK.

"No, I've been there before. How about something more new?" well, if he asked.

"In that case, we could always go cruse the shops, or maybe hit Central Park," that was really what I'd wanted to do from the start. "I might have blown my last few bucks on doughnuts, but window shopping can still be fun."

"OK, I guess we can do that."

We looked at all the fun shops and stores and just walked for about an hour. After that we headed for central park. By the time we got there it was already starting to get dark. There was a bench just inside the entrance, so we decided to just sit there for a bit.

"This looks so nice." Ink was in awe. I didn't get a chance to see the 1900 central park, so I had nothing to compare it to.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" It was nice. I hadn't ever seen anything like it. I'd been to bunches of parks before, but they were always so small or uncared for. This wasn't quite well-manicured, but that gave it this foresty effect.

Some twigs snapped behind us. I reflexively grabbed Ink's hand and made a motion to get up. We took two steps before our attacker(s) said anything.

"Now where do you'se think you're goin', Sweet Cheeks?" Shit, it's the guy from Tibby's. I thought I'd lost him. "Eh! Don't you walk away from me, we's got unfinished business."

"You know this guy?" Ink asked. I'm not sure that he knew that we should be worried.

"Ya, she knows me." That sickening New York accent was bugging me now. Sure all the newsies had it, but this guy abuses it. "We's go way back."

I glanced back just to be positive that he didn't have a gun before we ran. No gun, worse. It wasn't just him, it was him and six of his buddies. I don't think any of them had a gun.

"Run!" I whispered trying to get my point across that it was important. "Now!"

Point taken. We ran towards the exit, only to have a human wall step out in front of us. I ran into him, but Ink caught my fall. We turned and ran in the opposite direction, then realized our mistake. We ran to our right and found more thugs, to our left and only a brief opening in the circle that quickly closed. We were trapped.

"Fifteen against two just isn't fair, guys," I was starting to panic. "How 'bout you give us a chance to run, say, two minutes."

"That would be more fun, yes. But after yesterday's disappearing act you pulled, not so much." I'm not liking this. Think, think, think! Week link! That's it, find the week link and break through. It's our only chance.

I glanced around frantically, sizing them all up. No doubt that we could outrun most of them, but getting out has to come first. I grabbed Ink and rammed the smallest guy. He was just taller than Ink, and went down like a rock. Home Free! Well, sort of. Nothing like the thrill of the chase.

And so we ran. I thought we were good, out of trouble, but I underestimated the ass-pinching thug.

"Bitch, you git back here!" he screamed at the back of our heads. I don't know about Ink, but I could hear him on our heals. We're toast.

He lunged forward and managed to grab the waistband of my pants. In a split second he had my arm behind my back and his knife to my throat. Oh shit, it's over. Any second now he would press the knife into my throat and leave me for dead. There's no telling what he'll do to Ink. There's no telling what he'll do to ME before he kills me.

What if this screws up everything. What if Ink was meant to do something great? This is all my fault.

"How do ya like dis, bitch? How?" great, he's gonna toy with me. "Ya see, nobody says no ta me. Nobody." He started putting pressure on the knife. Slow and painful. "No, I think I'll keep ya alive long enough ta see your little boyfriend git 'is ass kicked!"

Now all the thugs were catching up.

"RUN! Ink, GO." I screamed, half hoping he'd run, half hoping that he'd stay to fight. 'And get himself killed' I had to remind myself.

He stayed. He wouldn't go. No matter how much I yelled at him, he wouldn't run.

My captor's head suddenly sapped forward. He let me go and we both sank to the ground. He was out cold. The thought only occurred to me for a brief second that people don't normally pass out for no good reason. I turned around and realized that I had been crying the whole time.

"Spot?" I asked in disbelief. Other newsboys that I recognized from the lodging house were standing around him. Brooklyn to the rescue again. But they were in normal clothes, normal for 2004.

"Neva feh, Brooklyn's heh," Spot announced triumphantly. That's another Newsie Moment. The thugs were gone.

The scene around me started to flicker between old New York and present day New York. I was really confused.

I put my hands to my neck, and they came back wet.

"This wasn't sp'osed ta happen," my accent was flipping back and forth, too. I passed out, trying to figure out why all the Brooklyn boys were in Now's-Ville and not in Newsie-Ville.

Gee, I wonder if I'm still alive.

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See, told you I have great plans for this story. OK, let's be honest. The Spot-to-the-rescue thing was on a whim, but it fits with my other plans. I didn't get enough reviews from chapter 4 to do shout outs, but thanks anyway marchione, yes, very lucky to live in the time of the doughnuts.

Confused? So am I, but all will work out in the end.