CHAPTER THREE
Now she heard voices cutting through the peaceful dark and quiet. Shouted phrases, conversations, half-serious fights. even a snatch of an Irish-sounding tune. And there was the sound of what had to be a thousand feet passing by. Annalise opened her eyes and looked toward the entrance to the alleyway. The racket was coming from a group of shabbily dressed boys, and her first instinct was to shrink back into the shadows. Strangers in New York, she had found in the short bit of time she had spent there, weren't all that eager to meet you or even to be nice to you at all. Especially the boys. Yes, it was better to stay here where she was safe until they were gone.
Green eyes gaze hesitantly at the flock of young men making their way through the dirt streets, waiting for them to pass before she came out. Towards the back of the line, however, she noticed something familiar about one of the boys' face. Staying quiet and crawling forward a bit, she got a better look and found that he was, indeed, one of the guys with Black-Cane Boy from yesterday. The end of the group passes her, then the stragglers, and Annalise stands, leaning out of her shelter to get a better look. Studying the group more intently, she found at the front of the group a blonde-haired boy of small stature. She could only see his back, but the gold tip of a cane sticking out from the crook of his arm made her sure it was the same boy. Black-Cane Boy. (Though she silently thought this wasn't a very good name, as he didn't actually use the cane. it seemed to be more of a show of stature. But she didn't know enough about him to think up a better title.) Annalise, still watching as the group rounded a corner and disappeared behind a building, wondered where they could be going; what they might be doing.
What if they're a gang? some part of her mind whispered, and she shuddered. After what had happened her first night here, she was terrified this might be true. After all, they had been very tough and strong looking, with rough accents and loud voices, just like the group of men who had mugged her. And so, while she was curious about their activities, she chose to once again head off in the other direction.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! ~!~!
The second day was no better than the first. Though she headed down different streets, there were still no jobs to be found for a girl her age with no factory experience. They didn't want to take the time to train her, some said. Others looked like they just didn't have the money to spend on another set of wages. Frustrated with it all and maddeningly hungry, she flops down on the curb under a threatening sky, eyeing the passerby with something close to a glare in her agitation. She couldn't see how anyone made a living in this cold, cruel place, didn't know where to turn for -
And then there it was. Lying on the ground some five feet in front of her. A whole dollar bill. Surprised, Annalise stared at it in wonder. If she had that dollar. she could buy herself some food. Hell, she could buy food for a week. Her stomach growled its agreement and her fingers itched, longing to reach out and take it. But even as she shifted around restlessly, her green eyes moved to the others on the street. Any one of them could have dropped it. What if it belonged to them?
Oh well! A voice in the back of her head whispered. You need it more than they do. and anyways, they weren't nice to you, so why are you acting like Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes towards them?! With a sudden passion bordering on frenzy, Annalise leapt up, her now filthy blonde hair flying behind her as she sprung forward and snatched the dollar out of the dust.
A sudden clap of thunder from the darkened sky made her cry out in alarm, and in a sudden panic about what she had done, she turned tail and ran. She sprinted all the way back to what she was starting to call 'her' alley as fast as her legs and dress would allow in the pouring rain. As she darted around the corner she saw a blur that was a group of boys running the other way, towards the docks. Someone (it sounded like Black-Cane boy, but she couldn't be sure) was yelling at them to 'get their asses back here' because 'youse still goit woik t'do!'
Finally sheltered by the roof overhanging the dark alleyway, Annalise stared at her treasure, the crumpled dollar clutched in her fist. A certain rush filled her mind, knowing she had stolen it, but it was mixed with horror at the wrongness of her actions, fear she would somehow be caught.
At least she'd get to eat.
Now she heard voices cutting through the peaceful dark and quiet. Shouted phrases, conversations, half-serious fights. even a snatch of an Irish-sounding tune. And there was the sound of what had to be a thousand feet passing by. Annalise opened her eyes and looked toward the entrance to the alleyway. The racket was coming from a group of shabbily dressed boys, and her first instinct was to shrink back into the shadows. Strangers in New York, she had found in the short bit of time she had spent there, weren't all that eager to meet you or even to be nice to you at all. Especially the boys. Yes, it was better to stay here where she was safe until they were gone.
Green eyes gaze hesitantly at the flock of young men making their way through the dirt streets, waiting for them to pass before she came out. Towards the back of the line, however, she noticed something familiar about one of the boys' face. Staying quiet and crawling forward a bit, she got a better look and found that he was, indeed, one of the guys with Black-Cane Boy from yesterday. The end of the group passes her, then the stragglers, and Annalise stands, leaning out of her shelter to get a better look. Studying the group more intently, she found at the front of the group a blonde-haired boy of small stature. She could only see his back, but the gold tip of a cane sticking out from the crook of his arm made her sure it was the same boy. Black-Cane Boy. (Though she silently thought this wasn't a very good name, as he didn't actually use the cane. it seemed to be more of a show of stature. But she didn't know enough about him to think up a better title.) Annalise, still watching as the group rounded a corner and disappeared behind a building, wondered where they could be going; what they might be doing.
What if they're a gang? some part of her mind whispered, and she shuddered. After what had happened her first night here, she was terrified this might be true. After all, they had been very tough and strong looking, with rough accents and loud voices, just like the group of men who had mugged her. And so, while she was curious about their activities, she chose to once again head off in the other direction.
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~! ~!~!
The second day was no better than the first. Though she headed down different streets, there were still no jobs to be found for a girl her age with no factory experience. They didn't want to take the time to train her, some said. Others looked like they just didn't have the money to spend on another set of wages. Frustrated with it all and maddeningly hungry, she flops down on the curb under a threatening sky, eyeing the passerby with something close to a glare in her agitation. She couldn't see how anyone made a living in this cold, cruel place, didn't know where to turn for -
And then there it was. Lying on the ground some five feet in front of her. A whole dollar bill. Surprised, Annalise stared at it in wonder. If she had that dollar. she could buy herself some food. Hell, she could buy food for a week. Her stomach growled its agreement and her fingers itched, longing to reach out and take it. But even as she shifted around restlessly, her green eyes moved to the others on the street. Any one of them could have dropped it. What if it belonged to them?
Oh well! A voice in the back of her head whispered. You need it more than they do. and anyways, they weren't nice to you, so why are you acting like Miss Goodie-Two-Shoes towards them?! With a sudden passion bordering on frenzy, Annalise leapt up, her now filthy blonde hair flying behind her as she sprung forward and snatched the dollar out of the dust.
A sudden clap of thunder from the darkened sky made her cry out in alarm, and in a sudden panic about what she had done, she turned tail and ran. She sprinted all the way back to what she was starting to call 'her' alley as fast as her legs and dress would allow in the pouring rain. As she darted around the corner she saw a blur that was a group of boys running the other way, towards the docks. Someone (it sounded like Black-Cane boy, but she couldn't be sure) was yelling at them to 'get their asses back here' because 'youse still goit woik t'do!'
Finally sheltered by the roof overhanging the dark alleyway, Annalise stared at her treasure, the crumpled dollar clutched in her fist. A certain rush filled her mind, knowing she had stolen it, but it was mixed with horror at the wrongness of her actions, fear she would somehow be caught.
At least she'd get to eat.