In the Darkness
*~*A little Latvian child looked up at his father, brown eyes wide. The belt came whistling down on his back, and he winced. "NO!"*~*
"NO!" Mush shouted, lurching up in his bed, the top bunk between Snitch and Bumlets. Sighing in relief-thank god it was only a dream-he sank back down under his thin, tattered blanket. He said a few words in Latvian for good luck and good dreams, and fell into another fitful dream of his godforsaken family.
***The Jacobs Residence***
"I told you, you brat, you're to go-back-to-school!" Mr. Jacobs yelled, whipping David unmercifully with a belt. "If I get one more call-just ONE MORE-saying you've skipped class, you'll wish you'd never been BORN!"
Dave shuddered, struggling to rise on limp knees. His father left him there with a disgusted noise. The newsboy crawled to bed, trying not to let the stiff, scratchy cotton blankets irritate his wounds.
***The Lodging House***
Jack couldn't sleep. Of course, if you had just found out that your father wasn't your father, it would probably keep you up late, too.
Blink, two bunk beds over, was experiencing some insomnia as well, though not for the same reason. He hadn't been able to sleep comfortably since his sister was murdered the year before, with him watching the whole time- bound and gagged, helpless to stop the killing.
And Mush, another two beds from Blink, had just woken up the third time from the nightmare of his father beating the crap out of him. This time he couldn't keep his yelp confined to a muffled whimper in his pillow. This time he screamed out loud.
The only newsies awake, Blink and Jack, landed on the floor with a shocked thud. They hurried to their panicked friend.
"Mush, calm down, it's jist a dream."
"No it ain't. It's a mem'ry."
"Mush, jist don't t'ink about 'im anymawh."
"He's my FADDAH, Jack, I can't jus' ignawh 'is existence," Mush scowled. Blink clambered up on top of Mush's bed, hugging his knees like a small child. "Tell us 'gain 'bout yer fam'ly, Jack."
Jack sighed. Then he forced a smile, and told the same old story-even though it was no longer true.
"My muddah, Maria, she was da mos' beautiful goil in da woild. An' me faddah was a great man. An honest, hahd-woikin' citizen a' New Yoik City, an' dat's no improvement a' da truth. Dey was poifect fah each uddah. An' den when I came along, dey was da bes' parents ya coulda ast fawh." He looked at the two best friends, the girl-chasing duo. Blink and Mush. One was never without the other for long.
They were fast asleep, side by side. Both wore tranquil smiles that told Jack they were dreaming of girls, girls, and more girls. Then Mush's broad grin rippled, and Blink's ruined eye twitched. Like twin brothers, they whined in unison as though they were puppies. Jack's heart cried out for him to do something, but his brain said there was nothing more to do.
***
A/N: short, and incredibly depressing. I know, I know, I'm TRYING to get it happy again, but ya gotta get woise 'fore ya c'n improve! Life without strife is like Egg Nog without Nutmeg!
Oh, and if I have 3 asterisks (***) and then a place (Tibby's) and then 3 more asterisks, (***) I'm switching the narration to another location. You've probly figured that out, but just in case.
--Chronicles
*~*A little Latvian child looked up at his father, brown eyes wide. The belt came whistling down on his back, and he winced. "NO!"*~*
"NO!" Mush shouted, lurching up in his bed, the top bunk between Snitch and Bumlets. Sighing in relief-thank god it was only a dream-he sank back down under his thin, tattered blanket. He said a few words in Latvian for good luck and good dreams, and fell into another fitful dream of his godforsaken family.
***The Jacobs Residence***
"I told you, you brat, you're to go-back-to-school!" Mr. Jacobs yelled, whipping David unmercifully with a belt. "If I get one more call-just ONE MORE-saying you've skipped class, you'll wish you'd never been BORN!"
Dave shuddered, struggling to rise on limp knees. His father left him there with a disgusted noise. The newsboy crawled to bed, trying not to let the stiff, scratchy cotton blankets irritate his wounds.
***The Lodging House***
Jack couldn't sleep. Of course, if you had just found out that your father wasn't your father, it would probably keep you up late, too.
Blink, two bunk beds over, was experiencing some insomnia as well, though not for the same reason. He hadn't been able to sleep comfortably since his sister was murdered the year before, with him watching the whole time- bound and gagged, helpless to stop the killing.
And Mush, another two beds from Blink, had just woken up the third time from the nightmare of his father beating the crap out of him. This time he couldn't keep his yelp confined to a muffled whimper in his pillow. This time he screamed out loud.
The only newsies awake, Blink and Jack, landed on the floor with a shocked thud. They hurried to their panicked friend.
"Mush, calm down, it's jist a dream."
"No it ain't. It's a mem'ry."
"Mush, jist don't t'ink about 'im anymawh."
"He's my FADDAH, Jack, I can't jus' ignawh 'is existence," Mush scowled. Blink clambered up on top of Mush's bed, hugging his knees like a small child. "Tell us 'gain 'bout yer fam'ly, Jack."
Jack sighed. Then he forced a smile, and told the same old story-even though it was no longer true.
"My muddah, Maria, she was da mos' beautiful goil in da woild. An' me faddah was a great man. An honest, hahd-woikin' citizen a' New Yoik City, an' dat's no improvement a' da truth. Dey was poifect fah each uddah. An' den when I came along, dey was da bes' parents ya coulda ast fawh." He looked at the two best friends, the girl-chasing duo. Blink and Mush. One was never without the other for long.
They were fast asleep, side by side. Both wore tranquil smiles that told Jack they were dreaming of girls, girls, and more girls. Then Mush's broad grin rippled, and Blink's ruined eye twitched. Like twin brothers, they whined in unison as though they were puppies. Jack's heart cried out for him to do something, but his brain said there was nothing more to do.
***
A/N: short, and incredibly depressing. I know, I know, I'm TRYING to get it happy again, but ya gotta get woise 'fore ya c'n improve! Life without strife is like Egg Nog without Nutmeg!
Oh, and if I have 3 asterisks (***) and then a place (Tibby's) and then 3 more asterisks, (***) I'm switching the narration to another location. You've probly figured that out, but just in case.
--Chronicles