Disclaimer: Let's just say that I don't really own anything in this fic,
save the fact that I wrote it. The plot is based on Bronte's Jane Eyre,
the characters are either from the Disney-owned "Newsies" or on loan from
some very wonderful girls from the Newsies Mailing List. That is all.
Chapter 3
Without Mr. Davies, Jane stood alone in the corridor of the school. Her wide eyes tried to soak in every detail, clutching her bag so firmly that her knuckled turned white. The hall was dimly lit and smelled of must. The yellowing wallpaper was plain and starting to peel in many areas. Nothing adorned the walls, save a large wooden crucifix that hung above the doorway. Jane began to think that she had been deceived, and was not at a school at all. She thought it might be an asylum for the insane, or maybe a convent. She was undecided as to which would be the worse fate.
"Miss Beck?"
It was a soft voice, but it startled Jane nonetheless, and she released the grasp on her bag. An unpleasant thud made the stranger gasp quickly.
"Oh! I am very sorry, Ma'am!" Jane cried, and bet down to gather her scattered things.
"There's no need to be calling me 'Ma'am' now. I am still a student!" A gentle laugh followed the declaration and Jane looked up to study the person it belonged to.
She was pretty, Jane thought, though she could hardly be considered an expert at deciding such things. She had wavy raven hair that, Jane noted only fell to her shoulders, rather than a more conventional length. She was quite petite, really, and Jane wondered if she were to sneeze whether or not the force might blow her away.
"My name is Kaya Williams. I've been told to help a Miss Jane Beck get settled in. Am I correct in assuming that you are she?" Kaya asked, her almond eyes smiling.
"You are. I am Jane Beck. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Williams."
"Likewise. Please call me Kaya. Follow me." She said cheerily.
Jane did as she was told, and secretly rejoiced at her good fortune. Everybody she had met from the School for the Children of God had been quite pleasant, and she wondered why she hadn't pummeled Oscar Delancey sooner. She followed Kaya down a long hall, and then up two flights of stairs. Their final destination was little more than an attic with twenty small cots. The wooden planks of the floor had large spaces between them, so that Jane feared she might go crashing through. The beds were made meticulously, and though the room was dark and damp, she could see no visible signs of cobwebs or mildew. The cot farthest from the stairway was, as Jane discovered, to be her sleeping space.
"You are lucky to have the cot at the end, Jane." Kaya revealed.
"Why is that?" Jane asked.
"You shall find out soon enough." She responded cryptically.
Jane did not probe further. "Is this a good place, Kaya?"
Kaya Williams' eyes darted to the floor as she offered the answer as best as she could. "They feed us here. We do not have to sleep on the streets. We are the children of God, Jane, and of nobody else. We are blessed to be here."
The distant sound of a bell ringing didn't allow Jane to ask any more questions.
"It is time for the midday meal, Jane. We must hurry, else Master Snyder will not be pleased." Kaya announced.
A new group of butterflies began to dance in Jane's stomach. Mr. Davies had said that Master Snyder would be introducing her to the students at the midday meal, and she so desperately wanted to make a good impression. She followed Kaya as she darted down the two flights of stairs and into the dining room. About twenty girls of assorted ages stood behind chairs that were neatly arranged around a large table. On the other side of the room, the same amount of boys surrounded a similar table. Master Snyder in all of his glory and pomp, stood at the front of the room behind a simple lectern fronted by a small cross and holding a thick Bible.
Kaya led Jane to Master Snyder, and curtseyed as she retreated to her assigned place at the dining table. Master Snyder beat his large cane on the hard floor with two resounding thumps, and every pair of eyes turned toward the pair. Any small bits of color in Jane's face abruptly fled, and her knees began to quake as she looked out at the sea of expressionless faces.
"I have a word to address to the students." Snyder announced, though his position in the front of the room seemed to have already established that. "This girl here is new to our fine school. Her name is Jane Beck, and her magnificent benefactress, Mrs. Delancey, has brought her to us in the hopes that she would be reminded of her immortal soul. Jane, here is prone to deceit, and we must all help her to learn the dangers of wicked tongue."
The words sliding out of Snyder's often-used mouth enraged and humiliated Jane, and she found herself studying her shoes in great detail, her face burning.
"Now, children, where do wicked children go when they die?" Snyder asked.
"Wicked children go to Hell." The children responded in unison.
"So then, Miss Beck, where do deceitful children go when they die?"
"They go to Hell, sir." She mumbled, slowly bringing her face up so that her own dark eyes met with the icy blue of Snyder's.
"So then, Miss Beck, what must you do to avoid such a fate?" He asked, his tone so much like her own Aunt Constance that Jane nearly stomped on his highly-polished boots with fury.
Instead, she kept her gaze on his cold face and said deliberately, "I must stay in very good health, sir, and never die."
Some astonished gasps sounded from the children, and a few snickers escaped before Snyder turned his angry face on them and they instantly became stone-faced.
"Miss Beck, you should not take your immortal soul so lightly. You shall have this time to contemplate your sins. You will have no lunch. You are going to stand with your face against this wall for the entirety of the period. If you are caught moving, or so much as breathing, you will do the same for supper. Do you understand me?" His nostrils were flaring, and Jane found herself deeply regretting her insolence, though she did not reveal it in her expression.
"Yes, sir." She responded quietly.
"Now, children, let us say grace..."
His blessing concluded, Master Snyder left the room, his robes flying behind him.
Jane's stomach growled mercilessly as she stood facing the wall, listening to the clinks of many spoons hitting many dishes. The desire to sneeze suddenly came to her, and though she fought it with all of her might, her resistance was futile. A noisy sneeze rocketed out of her, and caused one of the supervisors to announce.
"You will do the same at supper, Jane Beck. I'd advise you not to make another sound, else you'll be shown the strap."
The remainder of the midday meal concluded, and Jane was finally freed from her awkward position for a half hour of leisure time.
As the bell rang and the children dispersed, two girls approached Jane's defeated figure. One was a tall, dark-complexioned girl with glasses, the other was short and stout, with haunting pale eyes.
"That's what you get for sassing Master Snyder!" The shorter one snickered.
"Ssh!" The other silenced her friend. "If you're going to survive here, you're going to have to learn how to be quiet around people like him. I'm Lavender." She offered her hand, but Jane turned away.
"I hope that everything will work out for you, Jane." She finished.
"I don't. Imagine, the nerve!" The other one cried. "Plain little thing don't know what she's gotten herself into."
"I'm sorry." Lavender said in a small voice, and then motioned for her friend to follow as she left the room.
Tears began to form in Jane's eyes as she sank against the wall, burying her face in her knees. She stayed in that position until the bell rang and she was told to get on to class.
She survived the rest of the day with no more incident, although by the time supper came and went, she became convinced her stomach, having no other nourishment, had turned to eating itself. When evening rolled around, and it was time for the children to head to their respective cots, Jane fell down in exhaustion. Her swirling thoughts and rumbling stomach, however, would not allow her eyes to stay shut. After prayers had been said (led by the same woman who had assigned Jane to the wall at supper), and the lights turned off, Jane felt a tap on her shoulder.
"I saved this for you." A hushed voice said.
Jane rolled over and could barely make out Kaya's outline in the dark. Kaya placed a roll into Jane's hand and placed her own over it.
"I'm sorry for what you had to go through, Jane. It will get better." She whispered.
"I don't suppose I shall ever be able to forgive Master Snyder, and I shall certainly never like him. And the students have been so cruel-all save you, of course-" She sniffled.
"Oh, Jane, you must learn to forgive. For when you hold back your tongue against those who lie, and learn to love those you hate, they cannot harm you. And then, when you leave this world, you will receive your reward in full. You will be free at last, Jane Beck." Kaya's steady voice and gentle strokes did comfort Jane, even if she found her words difficult to digest.
"Thank you, Kaya." Jane offered.
"May God bless you, Jane. Goodnight." She placed a sisterly kiss on Jane's forehead, and disappeared into the darkness of the room.
Until next time....please review!
SOs:
Sapphy: Adele's your second favorite? Really? I could never stand her. I felt bad for her, but she drove me insane. Possibly because I can't speak French, but whatever. Heh. Thanks for keeping up and reviewing and things!
Ershey: Yup, Mr. Davies is Crutchy. Heh. He's sorta the replacement for Miss Temple from the novel, although his role (and gender) is decidedly different. Heh. Call it artistic license. See, this chapter was longer! And the next one *whispers* will be even longer! Thanks for reviewing! LYL!
Morning Dew: I'm glad I could be of...um...inspiration? Heh heh. A P&P crossover would be a great idea, too! Maybe once I'm finished with this one....maybe. And don't worry, we won't see Mrs. Delancey for a very loooong time. Thanks for reading and reviewing and the such-like!
Blaze: Thanks! Wait, I haven't reviewed your story yet! *gasps, and scampers off the review* And yes, you do need to update both. Don't make me pull out my Update Whip...heh heh.
Puck: Thanks for reviewing again! Woohoo! It makes me very happy. Yayee!
Chapter 3
Without Mr. Davies, Jane stood alone in the corridor of the school. Her wide eyes tried to soak in every detail, clutching her bag so firmly that her knuckled turned white. The hall was dimly lit and smelled of must. The yellowing wallpaper was plain and starting to peel in many areas. Nothing adorned the walls, save a large wooden crucifix that hung above the doorway. Jane began to think that she had been deceived, and was not at a school at all. She thought it might be an asylum for the insane, or maybe a convent. She was undecided as to which would be the worse fate.
"Miss Beck?"
It was a soft voice, but it startled Jane nonetheless, and she released the grasp on her bag. An unpleasant thud made the stranger gasp quickly.
"Oh! I am very sorry, Ma'am!" Jane cried, and bet down to gather her scattered things.
"There's no need to be calling me 'Ma'am' now. I am still a student!" A gentle laugh followed the declaration and Jane looked up to study the person it belonged to.
She was pretty, Jane thought, though she could hardly be considered an expert at deciding such things. She had wavy raven hair that, Jane noted only fell to her shoulders, rather than a more conventional length. She was quite petite, really, and Jane wondered if she were to sneeze whether or not the force might blow her away.
"My name is Kaya Williams. I've been told to help a Miss Jane Beck get settled in. Am I correct in assuming that you are she?" Kaya asked, her almond eyes smiling.
"You are. I am Jane Beck. It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Williams."
"Likewise. Please call me Kaya. Follow me." She said cheerily.
Jane did as she was told, and secretly rejoiced at her good fortune. Everybody she had met from the School for the Children of God had been quite pleasant, and she wondered why she hadn't pummeled Oscar Delancey sooner. She followed Kaya down a long hall, and then up two flights of stairs. Their final destination was little more than an attic with twenty small cots. The wooden planks of the floor had large spaces between them, so that Jane feared she might go crashing through. The beds were made meticulously, and though the room was dark and damp, she could see no visible signs of cobwebs or mildew. The cot farthest from the stairway was, as Jane discovered, to be her sleeping space.
"You are lucky to have the cot at the end, Jane." Kaya revealed.
"Why is that?" Jane asked.
"You shall find out soon enough." She responded cryptically.
Jane did not probe further. "Is this a good place, Kaya?"
Kaya Williams' eyes darted to the floor as she offered the answer as best as she could. "They feed us here. We do not have to sleep on the streets. We are the children of God, Jane, and of nobody else. We are blessed to be here."
The distant sound of a bell ringing didn't allow Jane to ask any more questions.
"It is time for the midday meal, Jane. We must hurry, else Master Snyder will not be pleased." Kaya announced.
A new group of butterflies began to dance in Jane's stomach. Mr. Davies had said that Master Snyder would be introducing her to the students at the midday meal, and she so desperately wanted to make a good impression. She followed Kaya as she darted down the two flights of stairs and into the dining room. About twenty girls of assorted ages stood behind chairs that were neatly arranged around a large table. On the other side of the room, the same amount of boys surrounded a similar table. Master Snyder in all of his glory and pomp, stood at the front of the room behind a simple lectern fronted by a small cross and holding a thick Bible.
Kaya led Jane to Master Snyder, and curtseyed as she retreated to her assigned place at the dining table. Master Snyder beat his large cane on the hard floor with two resounding thumps, and every pair of eyes turned toward the pair. Any small bits of color in Jane's face abruptly fled, and her knees began to quake as she looked out at the sea of expressionless faces.
"I have a word to address to the students." Snyder announced, though his position in the front of the room seemed to have already established that. "This girl here is new to our fine school. Her name is Jane Beck, and her magnificent benefactress, Mrs. Delancey, has brought her to us in the hopes that she would be reminded of her immortal soul. Jane, here is prone to deceit, and we must all help her to learn the dangers of wicked tongue."
The words sliding out of Snyder's often-used mouth enraged and humiliated Jane, and she found herself studying her shoes in great detail, her face burning.
"Now, children, where do wicked children go when they die?" Snyder asked.
"Wicked children go to Hell." The children responded in unison.
"So then, Miss Beck, where do deceitful children go when they die?"
"They go to Hell, sir." She mumbled, slowly bringing her face up so that her own dark eyes met with the icy blue of Snyder's.
"So then, Miss Beck, what must you do to avoid such a fate?" He asked, his tone so much like her own Aunt Constance that Jane nearly stomped on his highly-polished boots with fury.
Instead, she kept her gaze on his cold face and said deliberately, "I must stay in very good health, sir, and never die."
Some astonished gasps sounded from the children, and a few snickers escaped before Snyder turned his angry face on them and they instantly became stone-faced.
"Miss Beck, you should not take your immortal soul so lightly. You shall have this time to contemplate your sins. You will have no lunch. You are going to stand with your face against this wall for the entirety of the period. If you are caught moving, or so much as breathing, you will do the same for supper. Do you understand me?" His nostrils were flaring, and Jane found herself deeply regretting her insolence, though she did not reveal it in her expression.
"Yes, sir." She responded quietly.
"Now, children, let us say grace..."
His blessing concluded, Master Snyder left the room, his robes flying behind him.
Jane's stomach growled mercilessly as she stood facing the wall, listening to the clinks of many spoons hitting many dishes. The desire to sneeze suddenly came to her, and though she fought it with all of her might, her resistance was futile. A noisy sneeze rocketed out of her, and caused one of the supervisors to announce.
"You will do the same at supper, Jane Beck. I'd advise you not to make another sound, else you'll be shown the strap."
The remainder of the midday meal concluded, and Jane was finally freed from her awkward position for a half hour of leisure time.
As the bell rang and the children dispersed, two girls approached Jane's defeated figure. One was a tall, dark-complexioned girl with glasses, the other was short and stout, with haunting pale eyes.
"That's what you get for sassing Master Snyder!" The shorter one snickered.
"Ssh!" The other silenced her friend. "If you're going to survive here, you're going to have to learn how to be quiet around people like him. I'm Lavender." She offered her hand, but Jane turned away.
"I hope that everything will work out for you, Jane." She finished.
"I don't. Imagine, the nerve!" The other one cried. "Plain little thing don't know what she's gotten herself into."
"I'm sorry." Lavender said in a small voice, and then motioned for her friend to follow as she left the room.
Tears began to form in Jane's eyes as she sank against the wall, burying her face in her knees. She stayed in that position until the bell rang and she was told to get on to class.
She survived the rest of the day with no more incident, although by the time supper came and went, she became convinced her stomach, having no other nourishment, had turned to eating itself. When evening rolled around, and it was time for the children to head to their respective cots, Jane fell down in exhaustion. Her swirling thoughts and rumbling stomach, however, would not allow her eyes to stay shut. After prayers had been said (led by the same woman who had assigned Jane to the wall at supper), and the lights turned off, Jane felt a tap on her shoulder.
"I saved this for you." A hushed voice said.
Jane rolled over and could barely make out Kaya's outline in the dark. Kaya placed a roll into Jane's hand and placed her own over it.
"I'm sorry for what you had to go through, Jane. It will get better." She whispered.
"I don't suppose I shall ever be able to forgive Master Snyder, and I shall certainly never like him. And the students have been so cruel-all save you, of course-" She sniffled.
"Oh, Jane, you must learn to forgive. For when you hold back your tongue against those who lie, and learn to love those you hate, they cannot harm you. And then, when you leave this world, you will receive your reward in full. You will be free at last, Jane Beck." Kaya's steady voice and gentle strokes did comfort Jane, even if she found her words difficult to digest.
"Thank you, Kaya." Jane offered.
"May God bless you, Jane. Goodnight." She placed a sisterly kiss on Jane's forehead, and disappeared into the darkness of the room.
Until next time....please review!
SOs:
Sapphy: Adele's your second favorite? Really? I could never stand her. I felt bad for her, but she drove me insane. Possibly because I can't speak French, but whatever. Heh. Thanks for keeping up and reviewing and things!
Ershey: Yup, Mr. Davies is Crutchy. Heh. He's sorta the replacement for Miss Temple from the novel, although his role (and gender) is decidedly different. Heh. Call it artistic license. See, this chapter was longer! And the next one *whispers* will be even longer! Thanks for reviewing! LYL!
Morning Dew: I'm glad I could be of...um...inspiration? Heh heh. A P&P crossover would be a great idea, too! Maybe once I'm finished with this one....maybe. And don't worry, we won't see Mrs. Delancey for a very loooong time. Thanks for reading and reviewing and the such-like!
Blaze: Thanks! Wait, I haven't reviewed your story yet! *gasps, and scampers off the review* And yes, you do need to update both. Don't make me pull out my Update Whip...heh heh.
Puck: Thanks for reviewing again! Woohoo! It makes me very happy. Yayee!