Sure enough, I was right about the storm and soon it started to rain. I held on to Dora's hand as we ran through the streets of Manhattan. I glanced around for a place to stay, but the rain made it difficult to see. We rounded the corner into a particularly dark alley.
"Hold on to my skirt." I told Dora. I could feel her tiny hands pulling slightly on my skirt.
Poppy jumped ahead of us, yelping in to the driving rain.
"Poppy! Come back here you stupid mutt!" I yelled.
I muttered to myself as my cousin continued to call for her dog. We stumbled along in the dark, searching for the dog and shelter from the rain. Dora's hand slipped from my skirt and she ran ahead to find Poppy.
"Dora! Dora come back here. Dora!" I groaned and pushed off the wall, jogging further down the alley.
"Chloe I'm over here! Chloe! Poppy found something! Come here!" I struggled in the dark, following my cousin's voice. Dora grabbed my hand and led me towards Poppy's discovery.
"What is it, Chloe?"
I kneeled down next to the dog, patting the dogs small head. He was pawing at a piece of wood that was propped against the alley wall. Grunting, I pulled the wood away from the wall, and muffled a scream at what lay beneath it. A child, who couldn't be much more than 4, was huddled against the wall, a thin line of blood making a path from his nose to the ground. A cut ran down the left side of his face, streaking blood across his soft features. I glanced at Dora.
"Go over there, and wait for me. Stay facing the other way, okay?"
She did so, nodding obediently, and I turned back to the young boy. Not knowing how badly he was injured and completely lacking medical knowledge, I poked his shoulder. He moaned and jerked a little at my touch. I sighed in relief, and turned him onto his back.
"Hello. I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm going to try and help you. My name is Chloe. Don't be afraid, I want to help."
The little boy opened his eyes slightly, moaning again with the effort. A flash of lightning illuminated the scene, and I noticed his right eye had a nasty shiner. His little hand found mine, and he squeezed.
He whispered, "I wanna go home."
"Where's home? Tell me where you live." I asked.
He took in a raspy breath, and lifted his arm, pointing back down the alley.
"Alright. You show me." I took off my blue over shirt and wrapped his tiny body in it. Lifting him into my arms, I found Dora and Poppy and together we trekked back through the alley.
"Racetrack! Come here!" Kloppman yelled.
A boy with dark hair, and a friendly smirk, made his way to the desk. "Yeah, Kloppy?"
"This here's Freddie. Show him where he can sleep, alright?"
"Shoa thing Klopp. Dis way Freddie."
The boys turned to leave, and Kloppman reached out, grabbing Freddie's sleeve. The boy turned and Kloppman whispered, "This'll stay between you and me.", pointing to the ledger. Freddie smiled, and followed Racetrack up the stairs.
The next hour was an exhausting one. The boy led me through the streets of Manhattan, growing weaker with every step. Thankfully the rain had let up a little, and it was easier to see where I was going. Dora clung to my skirt, and said nothing. The silence was an unusual thing for her, and I wondered what she was thinking. Glancing down at her, she met me eyes and I smiled reassuringly. She smiled back half-heartedly and the boy raised his arm once more.
"Heah." he whispered, almost too soft to hear.
I looked up at the building before us, and readjusted my arms beneath the boy. The sign that hung from it read 'Newsboys Lodging House'. So, the child was a newsie. A tiny whimper reminded me of the task at hand, and I reached out the knock on the door.
The newsies looked up as three knocks were heard from the door.
"Wondah who dat could be." A boy with curly black hair said, momentarily glancing up from his card game.
"Why don't ya go find out Mush?" Another boy, who sported sandy blonde hair and a cowboy hat said somewhat sarcastically.
"Shoa thing Jack." Said the first boy, setting down his cards. He glanced around the table and narrowed his eyes. "Nah." He said, slipping the cards in his pocket.
He walked to the door, and turned the handle. On the other side stood a girl, who was dripping wet and carrying a small boy. A smaller version of the girl poked her head out from behind her skirt. Suddenly, a puppy ran past them, and through Mush's legs into the lodging house. Mush glanced behind him, grinning slightly as his fellow newsies chased the soaked mutt around the room. A cough turned his attention back to the girl, and he asked, "Can I help ya?"
The girl shifted her weight, "Yes. I found this boy in the alley, and he led me here. He says this is where he lives, do you know him?"
Mush's eyes grew wide and he gestured behind him. "Guys! Guys it's Joey!"
He took the boy from Chloe's arms, and ran inside, kicking the door shut behind him. Still outside, Chloe was qutie taken aback and took a step backwards.
"Well, your welcome.."she muttered, as the door opened again. She turned to find Mush standing there, a sheepish grin on his face.
"Sorry lady. I wasn't thinkin'…with Joey an' all."
Chloe grinned wearily and shuffled her feet. "That's quite alright."
Mush grinned, "Come on in."
He moved aside and ushered her into the lodging house. She could see the boy, who she now knew was named Joey, laid out upon a table, his shirt removed, revealing more bruises and cuts.
"What happened to him?" Chloe asked, pointing to Joey.
"Prolly some hot heads from Queens got to 'im. Manhattan ain't on real good terms wit 'em right now. Hey thanks fer bringin' him in. He's just a liddle guy. He wasn't s'posed to be out on his own, a few guys went lookin' for 'im already."
Chloe shook her head and winced, "It was just lucky that my dog found him."
"No kiddin," Mush sighed, rubbing a hand through his curly hair. After a delayed moment, he turned to Chloe. "What were you two doin' out in dis weathah anyway?"
"We don't have anywhere else to go," Chloe replied, dropping her head.
Mush pursed his lips in thought, gazing with concern, "It ain't safe on da streets right now. For anybody, but 'specially liddle goils, so maybe you two should just stay heah fer a while."
The girl raised her dark eyebrows, thinking of her options. Deciding this was by far the best one presented, she gave a quick nod of approval. "Alright."