Chapter 1

Jake looked up at the three storey apartment building and frowned. He looked at the doors and windows that were falling off. The dirt that layered the outsides and the smell that wafted around the whole building.

Jake had been shocked to find out that Cherish lived in this dangerous part of the city. She hadn't been to the distribution centre for 2 weeks, and Jake was worried. He knew that they were hardly friends, but he thought that she looked like she could use someone to worry about her. So he had elected to become that person.

That was why he was here. He had had to ask almost every newsies in the Manhattan area to find one, Blocks, who knew where she lived. That was early this morning. He had gotten Blocks to write her address on the back of a piece of newspaper, and he had determined he would go check on her after he sold his papes.

Peeking his head in the door he looked for some evidence of life. Not seeing anyone on the first floor, Jake travelled to the second, then looked down at the paper in his hand, and counted down the doors until he arrived at 12b.

Looking at the clean, white washed door and the impressively writing numbers on it, Jake knew in an instant that the person who lived in the apartment was extremely house proud. Breaking out of his thoughtful daze Jake knocked twice.

He heard no reply, but the door did creak open on it's own accord. Frowning Jake called quietly, "Hello... is there anyone there?" No reply came. He knocked once more, just to make sure, and again no reply came.

Sighing Jake turned and went to head down the stairs again when he heard a soft almost inaudible whimper. Turning around again sharply Jake walked up to the door. Slowly he pushed the door open and looked inside. Before he could say a word he was violently ill.

When he had finished being sick Jake kept his eyes averted from the disgusting visage as he called hesitantly, "Cherish...?" Again he heard the whimper and it tore at his nauseated stomach to see her so unusually vulnerable.

"What happened?" Jake asked edging closer towards where Cherish sat. Cherish's cold blue eye's looked up and they were wild with shock. She said slowly, "There is so much blood. It won't go away. I tried to make it go away. Marea..." Cherish sobbed after the name of her sister.

Jake shook his head risking another look in Cherish's direction. She sat with the bloody, gutted body of a young woman on her legs as she convulsively ran a red hand over the dead girls hair, cooing mindlessly. "Cherish..." He said questions in his voice.

"He didn't mean to do this to her. But she shouldn't have done it. Even I know that. He didn't know where I went. I wanted to help her... but I was too scared. Then there was the blood. Everywhere the blood. I'll never get the stains out of the floor." Cherish fretted with vacant eyes.

"Who didn't mean to do it Cherish?" Jake whispered, his voice stuck in his throat as his stomach lurched at the sight once more. "Cold! Very cold! She's so cold! Get her a blanket! Quick! I don't want her to catch a cold." Cherish said suddenly.

Jake shook his head trying to get his mouth to form the words, with difficulty he ground out, "She's doesn't need a blanket. It won't help." He started to shiver convulsively. It was the most horrifying sight he had ever seen, but Cherish just sat there as if it was natural. Jake thought she must be suffering terribly from the impact of her sisters death.

"You're right." Cherish said determinately trying to stand up and hold her sister at the same time, "I'll pour her a hot bath. She's warm up and we'll get her all clean for when Bill comes home." Cherish smiled calmly still struggling to pull the bloody body from the floor.

"She's dead Cherish! She's dead!" Jake couldn't help but shout. She didn't seem to comprehend the situation. Cherish stopped struggling and put the body down gently and nodded slowly, realization hitting her hard, and visibly. "I know." It wasn't even a whisper. She couldn't deny it when it was said out loud instead of just screamed over and over in her head.

"We have to contact the police!" Jake said turning to Cherish and pleading with her for understanding. "Yes... the police... must call them. I'll prepare some tea. I wouldn't want to seem a bad house keeper would I? You go see the Police... I'll make the tea." Cherish nodded numbly, then looked down at her hands.

"The blood... I must wash up. Go now get the police I'll have a cup of tea waiting when you all return." Cherish said blankly heading into the bathroom to wash the blood off her hands, and then she would have to change to get rid of all the blood over her shirt.

Jake frowned and headed down the stairs. He had no intention of leaving her the way she was. Looking out of the front door Jake looked around and saw a small news boy that he knew vaguely. "You boy! Go down to the police station and get them to come here right away! It's an emergency. Tell them to come to room 12b." Jake added as the boy thought a moment before nodding, thinking that he may be able to get the inside scoop on a headline tomorrow, then he dashed off.

Jake hurried back up the stairs and looked around the apartment for Cherish. She was no where to be seen... just the body of the small dead girl. Looking around in panic Jake heard the sounds of taps running in the small bathroom and he walked quickly over there.

Cherish was at the sink scrubbing her hands red raw. "Cherish... what are you doing?" Jake asked trying to maintain a normal appearance. Cherish didn't look up just said in a squeaky voice, "It won't come off. I can't get it off!"

Jake walked close and took both her hand that were furiously scrubbing the other and he looked at the ripped palms where the hard bristled scrubbing brush had torn and then he turned them over to see the equally jagged top side of her hand.

"There's nothing there..." Cherish shot her hands out of his grasp and held them to her tightly, looking at him accusingly, "You can't see! You're blind! The blood is all over me! All over me!" Cherish confirmed with a breaking voice as she burst into tears.

Jake came forward and pulled her into his arms holding her against his chest when she would have pulled away. He ran a hand down her blood stained silver hair and hushed her, soothed her as she cried for the first time in as long as she could remember