"Race! What are you doing?" Race
was running at the looming figure who had grabbed Lorraine from the
shadows. She couldn't see the guy, but
she had to assume he was huge, based on the sheer force of his grasp on her
arm. The shadowy figure let go of her
in order to strike Race with the back of his hand. Race went flying backwards to the ground.
"Leave us
alone you jerk!" Lorraine screamed at
the dark figure as it ascended toward Race, who was still on the ground,
holding his forehead, which now had a small river of blood running down the
center. The figure reached into his
coat and pulled something out. Lorraine
couldn't see what it was, but she knew it couldn't be good. One huge, muscular arm shot out and grabbed
Race by the collar, pulling him into the shadows. Race grunted in pain and then melted to the ground. "No! Race!" She screamed and ran to
him. Lorraine knelt beside him. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him
into her lap and held him close. She
pushed her hand against the knife wound in his stomach, trying to stop, or at
least slow, the blood from flowing out of him.
Lorraine
couldn't speak. She rocked gently back
and forth, pressing Race's now lifeless body against her. Tears streamed down her face, dropping into
his black hair. He was gone.
"Bam! Get out of bed!" Lorraine shot upright, hitting her head on the bunk above
her.
"What? What's going on?" She had no idea was happening. She looked around the room and recognized the familiar sights and sounds
of the bunkroom, early in the morning. Lorraine sighed when she remembered that she was to join the mass of
girls fighting for a sink in the washroom so that she would look somewhat
presentable to sell papes to the rich folk who would cross her path throughout
that day.
"Mornin'
Bammie, Are you alright? You look like ya just saw a ghost!"
Lorraine's bunkmate, Fleet, asked as she wandered into the washroom.
"Hey Fleet,
I'm foine. I had a bad dream, is
all," she faded off, not wanting her to
ask to tell her about the dream about Race's death. Lorraine wanted to push it out of her mind and remembered that
she had planned on visiting Manhattan today. Maybe seeing Jack would help.