Author's Note: I am tickled pink at the reviews I have – 98 so far! Woo Hoo!! I *hope* that I hit 100 with this next chapter!! And I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! *Hugs the story* I just love this story so much, it's my little baby!
Shout Outs:
Aki ~ I don't remember either *grins* But I'm glad you enjoyed your cameo!
Sami ~ Thank you! It's so weird for me to take "freaky" as a compliment, but I do!! Cause this story is made to be freaky, mwahahaha!!
Derby ~ Me loves you!! You left me 3 reviews, wahoo!! And I'm really happy that you're enjoying it!
Taylor ~ Hmmm… What to do with Jack… what to do with Jack… *rubs hands together* Poor Jack has been the intended victim once before and he's alive. I wonder who's next…
Rae ~ You're going crazy? Oh no, just don't pull a Kisses on us or anything!
Dizzy ~ Don't worry, it's not just you. This story confuses the heck out of me too! And muchas gracias for your 2 reviews, *mwah*
Holiday ~ Can I hide with you, too? Oh, wait, I was already a victim, LOL! Take care, my pretties!!
Iris ~ *lifts her feet up* Great job, Iris. You sent the burnt toast after me… *grr* They bite to hard, LOL!
Act ~ *blushes* Thanks! That was such a nice compliment!
Raider ~ From what I've read, people with multiple personality disorder usually are unaware of their other "selves." That's why Secrets really has no idea that they are one.
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August 29, 1899
Dear Journal,
Well, today was so much fun. Because of the new rule that Cowboy was making us follow, I got to sleep later than I have since I ran away from the Orphanage, again. I'm so tired of being cooped up in the lodging house -- it's only been three days and I'm going mad. Today I kept busy by watching Rae, Gip, Dragonfly and Hades play countless hands of poker, waiting for their guys to walk over. But they never did. It seems, even though there hasn't been any murders other than the murders of Stress and Morris, that almighty Cowboy has decided that it wasn't safe for any of us to wander out alone. Therefore, it's been three days since I've seen my Dave. Heck, it's been three days since I've seen anything other than the inside of this dratted lodging house.
Secrets re-read her passage and looked around at the crowded bunkroom, full of girls gossiping and whispering wistfully about their boyfriends on the other side of town. With a set smirk on her face, Secrets added one more line to her entry before shoving the journal into a faded, leather pouch that was shoved under her bunk.
That's it. I don't care what anyone says -- David, Jack, Mrs. Cook, the other girls. I'm going out to get some fresh air tonight and that's that.
Secrets got up and feigned a yawn.
Iris looked up from where she was discussing her affection for Spot Conlon with her friend, Dice. "Where are ya goin', Secrets?"
Good question, Secrets pondered, her thoughts spinning with all sorts of reasonable lies. "I'se jist goin' downstairs ta tawk ta Mrs. Cook. Ya know, t'ank her for lettin' us awl stay heah fer free while we'se waitin' fer da bulls ta catch dat moiderah."
Iris nodded, her glasses slipping down her nose. "Dat's a good idea, Secrets. Tell her dat I said t'anks, too."
"Yeah me too," added Dice.
Secrets waved in acknowledgement of Dice and Iris' words as she turned and left the bunkroom, clamoring down the stairs.
"Where's the fire, dear child?" asked Mrs. Cook as she sat at her mahogany desk, organizing the logbook from the past few weeks.
Secrets slowed her pace as she shuffled over to the desk. "I jist got a li'l tired o' sittin' in da bunkroom so I t'ought I'd visit y-- Oopsie," she cried as she accidentally knocked over the stack of papers that Mrs. Cook was rifling through. "Lemme get dat."
"Don't worry yourself, Secrets, dear. I'll get it," Mrs. Cook chuckled as she ducked underneath her desk to recover the strewn papers.
"O.K., then. I'll see ya latah," Secrets rushed the words out as she slipped out of the lodging house door. Once she was outside, she patted herself on the back for a job well done; Mrs. Cook was known for her eagle eyes and Secrets was able to just get past her in order to escape. "Good job, Layna," she whispered as she looked at the sun setting before her. It was getting late so she didn't have much time to take a stroll. She thought for a moment about just returning to the lodging house and forgetting about getting any fresh air, but dismissed that at once. "I jist need some time ta meself."
And time she had. Secrets strolled around downtown Manhattan for almost an hour when she found herself a few blocks back from where she had started from. "Well, I guess dat since I'se so close ta da lodgin' house, I bettah jist go back," she murmured to herself as she began to head in that direction. "I jist hope dat Mrs. Cook doesn't get too pissed for me skippin' out like dat." Secrets shrugged. It was worth it, anyways.
"Secrets? Is that you?"
Secrets stopped mid-step, her shoulders slumped. David.
"Secrets? What are you doing outside so late?" David asked as he broke into a jog and arrived at her side.
Secrets flipped her hair over her shoulder and pursed her lips. "Hiya, Dave. Long time, no see, hun."
"Secrets. I thought that you understood that we don't want any of you girls walking around by yourselves. What if you got hurt? I can't believe how foolish you've been! What if that murderer had gotten you? I've seen how Jack has been this past week without Stress. What would I do if the same thing happened to you? Don't you have any sense, Secrets?"
Secrets got a little but angry. What about him?, her inner voice began to ask. "What 'bout you'se? Ain't you'se supposed ta be safe at yer home?"
"I don't know why I need to tell you my business, but I was on my way home from talking to Jack—"
"Jack, Jack, Jack!! What are you'se two, a couple or sumting? Awl us goils are sittin' ovah at Bottle Alley waitin' fer you'se guys ta come by -- but ya nevah do. Gawd, Dave. Ya make me feel so loved by venturin' out ta see Cowboy but ignorin' me totally!" Secrets was aware of the tone of her voice, but she didn't care. It was as if something inside of her was being awoken. Something eager to break free and show everyone how serious was. She was tired of being pushed around.
"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way, Secrets. I'm sorry that I've upset you, but… I can't believe I just said that to you. It's just that it's been so hectic and we've already lost two of our friends. I don't know what I would do if I lost you, too. I've just been so busy helping Jack try to figure a way to protect us all. He thinks that this way Stress is forgiving him from heaven, you know. Secrets? Are you listening to me?" David stopped in the middle of his apology, rubbing his forehead with his hand, trying to fight back the migraine that was beginning to grow. It hadn't been the first time since he had began spending all of his time with Jack, that he had lost his temper. And, like before, he regretted it immediately. "Secrets?"
But Secrets didn't even bother to listen to any of David's apology. Instead, her blue eyes glazing over as if she didn't even recognize the young man standing in front of her, Secrets spat out, "I've had enough o' yer lip, boy. I'se goin' home."
As she pushed past him, David reached out and grabbed her thin wrist. "Secrets, wait--"
"Leggo--" she hissed as she jerked her hand from his reach and broke into a run.
David, startled by her harsh reaction, let go at once and watched her flee. "But, Secrets, you're going the wrong way..." he called after her vanishing person, moments after she had run away, as he sat down and tried to fight back his headache.
And he was right. Instead of running towards the Bottle Alley Lodging House, she was running straight towards the Manhattan Newsboys' Lodging House over on Duane Street.
David shook his head. "Should I go after her?" he murmured to himself before setting off to the apartment building that he shared with his family. "Naw..." he sighed, before pushing the thoughts of his girlfriend out of his mind. If he didn't care for her so, he doubted he would ever be able to take her mood swings.
***
"Wheah da heck am I?" whispered Secrets to herself as she slowly awoke. As she opened her eyes, she jumped to realize that she had fallen asleep outdoors, leaning up against the good, old Horace Greeley statue inside Newsies Square. She leapt to her feet, groping around, using the moonlight to find her belongings, and began to head back to the Bottle Alley Lodging House. "What was I t'inkin'? Fallin' asleep outside when I know dat deah is some sort o' moiderah on da loose. Jeez..."
She continued to berate herself all the way to the lodging house. Once she arrived at the door, she paused briefly, hoping that Mrs. Cook had gone to bed and no one would be up to ask her where she had been for the past few hours. Because, like a few nights before, she had no clue to where she had been.
Luckily for Secrets, the lights were all extinguished when she opened the door. "Ya t'ink dat wit' a moiderah out deah, Mrs. Cook would at least lock da door," she giggled to herself as she crept up the stairs and slithered into the bunkroom.
"Secrets, is dat you'se?" came the groggy voice of Iris, from the bunk next to Secrets.
Shoot, she swore inwardly before turning the covers down on her bunk. "Yeah, Iris. It's me?"
"Wheah have ya been?"
"I was jist usin' da washroom. I'se good, go ta sleep. K?"
"Night, Secrets," Iris yawned before turning onto her other side and falling back asleep.
"Phew," Secrets stripped from her newsies clothes and shoved them into the bag she kept under her bed. As she tip-toed over to the dresser where some of her companions kept spare clothes, Secrets borrowed a blue shirt and a pair of black pants to wear the next day and slid into bed, wearing nothing but her undergarments; It was strange. For some reason, of which Secrets could not understand since she found no wound on her person, Secrets had awoken covered in blood. "Lemme see if I wrote down anyt'ing 'bout tanight."
Secrets lifted the faded leather pouch and dumped it over, revealing a journal covered in spatters of blood. Ignoring the blood stains, though extremely curious as to their origin, Secrets rifled through the journal. Of course, like before, the last line she had remembered writing was the last line she had, in fact, wrote.
But that doesn't mean that there wasn't something from Kisses.
Layna,
I'm sorry, so sorry. I blundered once more. It's just that I was so anxious after seeing David treat you -- us -- that way, that I took my anger out on the wrong one. Damn, all I wanted to do was dispose of the one that turns your Dave against you, and I messed up again. I'm sorry, but, after all, it was his fault. If only he had let me get to Cowboy, I wouldn't have had to take his life. Oh well, what's one less? That just makes it all the more easier to me to get to my target. Next time. Next time...
Kisses
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Author's End Note: So, anyone want to take a guess at what happened? *grins* I hope to update soon so not to drive you guys crazy – trust me, you're never going to expect this one! Mwahahaha!!