A Walk Through Shadow
By: Aelia O'Hession
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Newsies. If I did, then well, what I would do with them I will leave up to your wonderful imaginations. Hope you like!
Chapter 1: Arrival
The cold bit deeply, leaving everything it touched numb. A hunched figure was walking, more like stumbling, along a snow covered street. Despite the thread-bare, tattered dress that hung by the figure's knees and its bloody feet, she walked resolutely like one knowing that they were leaving something painful behind for good. This lone figure slumped against a tree and wondered where the rest of the family had gotten to; the winds had scattered them. Who knew that life was going to be like this? It wasn't like life had been a bed of roses, but at least this poor figure had a home and a family that had cared for her, yeah right.
Alyssa Cambell, treasured little sister of Trey, Gabe, and Dom Cambell, was this wretched, lone figure. They were the only family that she had left. Well, if she could call them a family. So many things had caused her to leave her home in Boston; her brothers being one of them. The other, more obvious, cause was the fact that, she had simply tried to get a new dress. However, she had no money, so stealing was the only option. She had known that her brothers had stolen all the time and had never gotten caught, so she decided to try it. Well, her little assumption had been wrong; her bothers had been caught, they just never told her about it.
Now, halfway to New York, Alyssa was trying to remember how things had been before everything went wrong. At age 16, she barely remembered her own mother and her father had run off when she was little. Her brothers had raised her as best as a bunch of young boys could. Dom, only a year older, had been her constant companion. Trey, the oldest, was the one who always tried to make sure that the Cambells had a place to sleep and something to eat. Gabe, the middle brother, was the accomplished thief in the family. He was always telling jokes and showing off what he most recently stolen. They were by no means the perfect brothers; they had so many problems that Alyssa practically had to live with their neighbors, a kind Italian family consisting of seven children. While Alyssa tried to think of happy things, she only had harsh, painful memories of her life.
In Hartford, Alyssa managed to sneak aboard a train heading for New York. Her tired body welcomed the warmth. She searched the luggage, but it was all frilly lacey things that she hated. So, unsuccessful in her search, Alyssa curled up in a corner and slept the rest of the way.
Sometime later, the train had arrived in New York City, Manhattan Train Yards. A groggy Alyssa awoke to a shrill whistle and the conductor calling out the stop. She thought it unusual that the train did not stop at Grand Central Station, but was too tired to care. The sound of pounding boots coming down to the luggage car told her that she had to make a quick escape. A nearby window provided such an escape route.
Alyssa wandered the deserted New York streets. The harsh cold kept most people tucked away in their homes with their families. Her long waist length brown hair swirled around her, providing a bit of warmth. Here and there a brave Newsie would stand, trying to sell a paper or two. It was late, and Alyssa wondered why some Newsies were still selling. The clatter of hoof beats sounded distantly in her ears. Turning, she saw a mounted police officer bearing down hard on her. She was too weak and tied to run or fight, so she just stood there.
The officer stopped and dismounted and then roughly seized Alyssa by the tattered collar of her dress. He bound her hands with a length to cord and draped them over a nearby fence. Then he forced her on to her knees. With a laugh of mirth, he drew a length of heavy chain with barbs on it. Knowing what was coming, Alyssa shifted her head so that her hair fell in front of her over her shoulders. This officer, most likely drunk from the smell of him, let fly with the first lash. Alyssa gave only a small whimper and then was silent. Constantly, for what seemed like a life time, Alyssa felt the barbed chain bite into her back. She felt the blood pour down her back. But not once did she cry out or try and stop him.
Across the street, the Manhattan Newsies watched this horrifying scene. The clatter of hoof beats had brought them all to the windows of the Lodging House.
"Do yous tink dat we's should help 'er?" Crutchy inquired. He leaned heavily on his crutch; the winter chill doing a number on his bad leg. "Jack?"
Jack Kelly, leader of the Manhattan Newsies, was thinking. Everyone looked at him expectantly, hoping he would have a vague idea of what to do. "Mush, yous gotta make some type a distraction or somethin'. Get 'im away from her." Jack then turned to Racetrack who was puffing nervously on a cigar. "Race, pull on yer pants an' come wid me. Crutchy, make sure nobody does anythin' stupid."
Jack hurried down the stairs with a very nervous Racetrack following behind. He didn't want to be doing this, but Jack was the leader and he, as Jack's best friend, would follow him through Hell and back. The pair waited in the shadows until Mush's distraction lured the officer away. Coast clear, they ran over to Alyssa's limp form.
"Race," Jack began. "Get 'er inside an' warm. I's gonna go get Davey. He'll have an idea a what ta do." With that, Jack helped Race pull Alyssa over his shoulders. Mush came running back, panting.
"I. gottem. good" breathed Mush.
"Good, now yous gotta help Race wid dis goil. Take over fer Crutchy. It's only a bit 'afore dey mutiny." Clearing that up, Jack Kelley ran off toward where the Jacobs family lived. Dave'll have a idea; he always does. That was all Jack thought as he ran like hell.
Back at the Lodging House that the Newsies called home, Racetrack was setting a limp and unconscious Alyssa on his bunk. All around, everyone clamored to get a look.
"Jeesh," muttered Specs. He stared, awed at how much Alyssa had endured. Everyone else kept their comments quiet because Specs had simply summed up what everyone wanted to say.
Race was trying to make her as comfortable as he could. For as many girls that he had, Race still felt something stir within him. He hated seeing her lying like this; it nearly broke his heart. He shook his head and shoved that feeling back from whence it came. It was a feeling he hadn't thought about in a long time and he was not going to start thinking about it now.
A half hour later, a tired looking David Jacobs walked in behind Jack who was followed by an even more tired looking Sarah. In her arms she carried a basket filled with what looked like clothes, bandages and jars of something.
After a yawn David said, "I brought Sarah because, well, it's a girl we're talking about."
A few snickers followed, but they were only half hearted.
"Where is she?" Sarah's saintly nature quickly overcame her tiredness.
"In me bed," Racetrack said between nervous puffs on his cigar.
The happy little group was led by Racetrack who felt it was his duty to bring them to his bunk. "Well, dere she is. Don' look like she's gonna."
Any further comment Race could have made was drowned out by Sarah's very loud shriek, followed by, "Dear God! What happened to her? Jack?"
Jack explained while trying to stop his girlfriend from going into hysterics. One look at Alyssa told Sarah that breaking down was not going to help at all. Setting down the basked, she sat by Alyssa. "Everybody OUT! Jack, David, be ready to come in when I call for you." With that done, she got to work. When she heard the door close, she began to pull of what remained of Alyssa's dress.
"Bossy little ting, ain't she," muttered Bumlets to Skittery who nodded his agreement.
Sarah hummed to herself as she dressed Alyssa in a clean shift that actually covered her. Opening the back of the shift, Sarah was reminded of why she was here.
"Jack, David. You can come in now." The two sedately walked in, unsure of why they were there.
"Someone has to hold her legs while the other holds her shoulders and arms." She showed them a jar. "This stuff is going to sting her when it touches the wounds. Even if the person is unconscious, they'll still feel it."
When Sarah administered the first bit, Alyssa gave a violent convulsion that almost sent David and Jack flying. As Sarah applied more, Alyssa stayed still. After about ten minutes, Sarah sent the two boys away so she could finish up. Pulling the top of the shift down, she gently wrapped a bandage around Alyssa's back. As she was setting the basket next to the window, Alyssa reached out and grabbed Sarah's elbow.
"Thanks," she breathed. "Tell all dem too."
"Who are you?"
"Alyssa Cambell." As she said this, she fell back asleep. Another spasm of pain swept across her.
Sarah left and walked to where she knew the Newsies would be. As she walked the down the stairs to the second floor, she had to hold on to the banister that was there. She was quite shaken up about what she had just seen. She, Sarah Jacobs, had just seen cruelty at its worst. When she appeared in the doorway of the second floor sitting room, she saw the very anxious Newsies joined by Mr. Kloppman. The cigar Racetrack had been smoking was down to almost nothing. All around her, cigarettes were in to mouths of almost every Newsie.
Kloppman looked up. "Is she going to be alright?" A murmur of agreement rose from everyone.
"She should be." Sarah's voice sounded more confident than she felt. "I've applied some rather strong salve on to her wounds. Just make sure that she doesn't run a fever and keep her warm." She glanced around. "Now, here's the hard part. She's going to be asleep or a couple of days."
"What's so hard 'bout dat?" Racetrack wondered. He got a couple of snickers for the comment.
"For her to get better sooner, you all have to stay quiet so she can sleep."
"Miss Jacobs," Kloppman cut in. "Askin' these boys to stay quiet, is like - forgive me Race, - is like askin' Race to stop gambling. It just can't be done."
"If I thought she could she moved to a quieter place, I would. But, she's in no condition to go anywhere. You have to stay quiet or you will most certainly have a dead girl lying in Racetrack's bed."
Sarah waited so these words could sink in. After a few moments, a murmur ran through them and they agreed to try and stay quiet. David muttered something about it being late and having to get home. As Sarah and David bundled up for the walk home, Race piped up.
"Hey Sarah. Did yous get 'er name?" Everyone turned to listen.
"She's Alyssa Cambell. She also told me to say thanks to all of you." Without another word, Sarah and David left with Jack. Just for safety's sake.
By: Aelia O'Hession
Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Newsies. If I did, then well, what I would do with them I will leave up to your wonderful imaginations. Hope you like!
Chapter 1: Arrival
The cold bit deeply, leaving everything it touched numb. A hunched figure was walking, more like stumbling, along a snow covered street. Despite the thread-bare, tattered dress that hung by the figure's knees and its bloody feet, she walked resolutely like one knowing that they were leaving something painful behind for good. This lone figure slumped against a tree and wondered where the rest of the family had gotten to; the winds had scattered them. Who knew that life was going to be like this? It wasn't like life had been a bed of roses, but at least this poor figure had a home and a family that had cared for her, yeah right.
Alyssa Cambell, treasured little sister of Trey, Gabe, and Dom Cambell, was this wretched, lone figure. They were the only family that she had left. Well, if she could call them a family. So many things had caused her to leave her home in Boston; her brothers being one of them. The other, more obvious, cause was the fact that, she had simply tried to get a new dress. However, she had no money, so stealing was the only option. She had known that her brothers had stolen all the time and had never gotten caught, so she decided to try it. Well, her little assumption had been wrong; her bothers had been caught, they just never told her about it.
Now, halfway to New York, Alyssa was trying to remember how things had been before everything went wrong. At age 16, she barely remembered her own mother and her father had run off when she was little. Her brothers had raised her as best as a bunch of young boys could. Dom, only a year older, had been her constant companion. Trey, the oldest, was the one who always tried to make sure that the Cambells had a place to sleep and something to eat. Gabe, the middle brother, was the accomplished thief in the family. He was always telling jokes and showing off what he most recently stolen. They were by no means the perfect brothers; they had so many problems that Alyssa practically had to live with their neighbors, a kind Italian family consisting of seven children. While Alyssa tried to think of happy things, she only had harsh, painful memories of her life.
In Hartford, Alyssa managed to sneak aboard a train heading for New York. Her tired body welcomed the warmth. She searched the luggage, but it was all frilly lacey things that she hated. So, unsuccessful in her search, Alyssa curled up in a corner and slept the rest of the way.
Sometime later, the train had arrived in New York City, Manhattan Train Yards. A groggy Alyssa awoke to a shrill whistle and the conductor calling out the stop. She thought it unusual that the train did not stop at Grand Central Station, but was too tired to care. The sound of pounding boots coming down to the luggage car told her that she had to make a quick escape. A nearby window provided such an escape route.
Alyssa wandered the deserted New York streets. The harsh cold kept most people tucked away in their homes with their families. Her long waist length brown hair swirled around her, providing a bit of warmth. Here and there a brave Newsie would stand, trying to sell a paper or two. It was late, and Alyssa wondered why some Newsies were still selling. The clatter of hoof beats sounded distantly in her ears. Turning, she saw a mounted police officer bearing down hard on her. She was too weak and tied to run or fight, so she just stood there.
The officer stopped and dismounted and then roughly seized Alyssa by the tattered collar of her dress. He bound her hands with a length to cord and draped them over a nearby fence. Then he forced her on to her knees. With a laugh of mirth, he drew a length of heavy chain with barbs on it. Knowing what was coming, Alyssa shifted her head so that her hair fell in front of her over her shoulders. This officer, most likely drunk from the smell of him, let fly with the first lash. Alyssa gave only a small whimper and then was silent. Constantly, for what seemed like a life time, Alyssa felt the barbed chain bite into her back. She felt the blood pour down her back. But not once did she cry out or try and stop him.
Across the street, the Manhattan Newsies watched this horrifying scene. The clatter of hoof beats had brought them all to the windows of the Lodging House.
"Do yous tink dat we's should help 'er?" Crutchy inquired. He leaned heavily on his crutch; the winter chill doing a number on his bad leg. "Jack?"
Jack Kelly, leader of the Manhattan Newsies, was thinking. Everyone looked at him expectantly, hoping he would have a vague idea of what to do. "Mush, yous gotta make some type a distraction or somethin'. Get 'im away from her." Jack then turned to Racetrack who was puffing nervously on a cigar. "Race, pull on yer pants an' come wid me. Crutchy, make sure nobody does anythin' stupid."
Jack hurried down the stairs with a very nervous Racetrack following behind. He didn't want to be doing this, but Jack was the leader and he, as Jack's best friend, would follow him through Hell and back. The pair waited in the shadows until Mush's distraction lured the officer away. Coast clear, they ran over to Alyssa's limp form.
"Race," Jack began. "Get 'er inside an' warm. I's gonna go get Davey. He'll have an idea a what ta do." With that, Jack helped Race pull Alyssa over his shoulders. Mush came running back, panting.
"I. gottem. good" breathed Mush.
"Good, now yous gotta help Race wid dis goil. Take over fer Crutchy. It's only a bit 'afore dey mutiny." Clearing that up, Jack Kelley ran off toward where the Jacobs family lived. Dave'll have a idea; he always does. That was all Jack thought as he ran like hell.
Back at the Lodging House that the Newsies called home, Racetrack was setting a limp and unconscious Alyssa on his bunk. All around, everyone clamored to get a look.
"Jeesh," muttered Specs. He stared, awed at how much Alyssa had endured. Everyone else kept their comments quiet because Specs had simply summed up what everyone wanted to say.
Race was trying to make her as comfortable as he could. For as many girls that he had, Race still felt something stir within him. He hated seeing her lying like this; it nearly broke his heart. He shook his head and shoved that feeling back from whence it came. It was a feeling he hadn't thought about in a long time and he was not going to start thinking about it now.
A half hour later, a tired looking David Jacobs walked in behind Jack who was followed by an even more tired looking Sarah. In her arms she carried a basket filled with what looked like clothes, bandages and jars of something.
After a yawn David said, "I brought Sarah because, well, it's a girl we're talking about."
A few snickers followed, but they were only half hearted.
"Where is she?" Sarah's saintly nature quickly overcame her tiredness.
"In me bed," Racetrack said between nervous puffs on his cigar.
The happy little group was led by Racetrack who felt it was his duty to bring them to his bunk. "Well, dere she is. Don' look like she's gonna."
Any further comment Race could have made was drowned out by Sarah's very loud shriek, followed by, "Dear God! What happened to her? Jack?"
Jack explained while trying to stop his girlfriend from going into hysterics. One look at Alyssa told Sarah that breaking down was not going to help at all. Setting down the basked, she sat by Alyssa. "Everybody OUT! Jack, David, be ready to come in when I call for you." With that done, she got to work. When she heard the door close, she began to pull of what remained of Alyssa's dress.
"Bossy little ting, ain't she," muttered Bumlets to Skittery who nodded his agreement.
Sarah hummed to herself as she dressed Alyssa in a clean shift that actually covered her. Opening the back of the shift, Sarah was reminded of why she was here.
"Jack, David. You can come in now." The two sedately walked in, unsure of why they were there.
"Someone has to hold her legs while the other holds her shoulders and arms." She showed them a jar. "This stuff is going to sting her when it touches the wounds. Even if the person is unconscious, they'll still feel it."
When Sarah administered the first bit, Alyssa gave a violent convulsion that almost sent David and Jack flying. As Sarah applied more, Alyssa stayed still. After about ten minutes, Sarah sent the two boys away so she could finish up. Pulling the top of the shift down, she gently wrapped a bandage around Alyssa's back. As she was setting the basket next to the window, Alyssa reached out and grabbed Sarah's elbow.
"Thanks," she breathed. "Tell all dem too."
"Who are you?"
"Alyssa Cambell." As she said this, she fell back asleep. Another spasm of pain swept across her.
Sarah left and walked to where she knew the Newsies would be. As she walked the down the stairs to the second floor, she had to hold on to the banister that was there. She was quite shaken up about what she had just seen. She, Sarah Jacobs, had just seen cruelty at its worst. When she appeared in the doorway of the second floor sitting room, she saw the very anxious Newsies joined by Mr. Kloppman. The cigar Racetrack had been smoking was down to almost nothing. All around her, cigarettes were in to mouths of almost every Newsie.
Kloppman looked up. "Is she going to be alright?" A murmur of agreement rose from everyone.
"She should be." Sarah's voice sounded more confident than she felt. "I've applied some rather strong salve on to her wounds. Just make sure that she doesn't run a fever and keep her warm." She glanced around. "Now, here's the hard part. She's going to be asleep or a couple of days."
"What's so hard 'bout dat?" Racetrack wondered. He got a couple of snickers for the comment.
"For her to get better sooner, you all have to stay quiet so she can sleep."
"Miss Jacobs," Kloppman cut in. "Askin' these boys to stay quiet, is like - forgive me Race, - is like askin' Race to stop gambling. It just can't be done."
"If I thought she could she moved to a quieter place, I would. But, she's in no condition to go anywhere. You have to stay quiet or you will most certainly have a dead girl lying in Racetrack's bed."
Sarah waited so these words could sink in. After a few moments, a murmur ran through them and they agreed to try and stay quiet. David muttered something about it being late and having to get home. As Sarah and David bundled up for the walk home, Race piped up.
"Hey Sarah. Did yous get 'er name?" Everyone turned to listen.
"She's Alyssa Cambell. She also told me to say thanks to all of you." Without another word, Sarah and David left with Jack. Just for safety's sake.