Author note: Thanks for the reviews everyone. I enjoy reading them.
I felt sick to my stomach. I instantly ran into the washroom and fixed that problem. Everything that I had eaten instantly came out of my mouth. I guess watching somebody being killed did this to you…especially when you watched them be raped.
For some reason I felt like this was my fault. I could've saved her! But what if I didn't have enough strength to beat him? I once again felt my food climbing up my throat.
I felt like I was going to die. I pushed myself to my feet and heard the bedroom door open.
"Sage?" I heard Spot's voice. Didn't I lock that door? I ran over and locked the washroom door, hoping that he'd think I was washing up and leave.
"C'mon, Sage. I know youse is in here," he said, knocking on the washroom door. I leaned against the door and slid down.
"Sage, what did Skip do ta youse?" What? He thinks Skip did something to me? Oh no! What if he hurt him? I got to my feet and opened the door.
"What did you do to Skip?" I asked. Spot seemed surprised.
"What did Skip do to you?"
"Skip didn't do anything to me!" I screamed. "He was trying to help me, okay?" I instantly ran for the door but Spot caught my arm.
"Den why are youse so upset?" I looked down at my arm, and then back up at him. I instantly jerked by arm from his grasp.
"Don't ever touch me; don't you ever touch me!" I shouted, stepping back. Spot wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion.
"Sage, what happened to youse?" he reached his hand out, but I pulled back. I knew Spot wouldn't do anything to me, but I was scared. It was horrible to watch a man take advantage of an innocent girl.
"That doesn't concern you," I said. I looked over at the door, and then back at him. Spot got the message, but he didn't move.
"Youse either tell me what happened or I won't leave." I felt anger rise in me. Why did men think they could do stuff like this to women? I felt myself becoming sick again and instantly ran into the washroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. I ran into one of the stalls and threw up. I just couldn't get that image out of my head. Damn it! Damn it all to hell!
I stayed in the washroom until I heard Spot sigh and then leave. I walked out and laid on my bed, listening to the bickering newsies next door to me. I wanted to leave, but I didn't want somebody to see me. I rose from my bed, and walked slowly over to the window. I tried my best to open it, but it felt like it was jammed. So I used all of my weight and pushed hard. Still nothing.
I then got mad and kicked it until I was sure it wasn't jammed. It easily rose and I popped my head out. How in the living hell was I going to get down there? I heard something scratching at my door and then remembered Chance. I quickly opened it and let him in. He looked up at me as if to ask where I was going.
"I'm leaving," I told him. "Just for a few hours." I sat on the windowsill and let my legs hang off the side, and began to climb down by some vines that grew on the wall.
My foot slipped, and I felt myself slipping. I then heard my bedroom door open, and quickly let myself fall the rest of the way. It wasn't much of a fall, but it hurt my feet.
"Sage?" I heard Art's voice. I turned around and sprinted away, not looking back.
Audience P.O.V
Art stared at the opened window. Did she run away? Chance ran up to him and gave a soft bark.
"Spot?" Art called, turning around and running down the steps. Spot looked up from his cards.
"What?" he asked, laying one down and adding a few chips to the pile of money.
"It's Sage," I breathed. Spot instantly stopped the poker game and waited for me to continue.
"She…ran away," I said. Spot rose from his chair and ran upstairs to Sage's room, and sure enough she was gone, the window opened.
"Shit," Spot muttered. He then ran back downstairs.
"Listen, boys," Spot started. "Sage ran away-"
"Yeah, we learned dat much," Spark said from the corner. Spot glared at him and continued.
"We's hafta find 'er. She might get hoit." All of the boys nodded and rose from their chairs and ran over to the door. Spot sighed and followed him, worry spreading through him.
Normal P.O.V
I ran as fast as I could. Art probably told everyone by now, so why was I running? Didn't I want to stay with the boys? I was only going for a walk, but the other half of me feared living with a bunch of boys.
Maybe I should go over to Manhattan for awhile until I'm ready to come back to Brooklyn. But what would that do to Spot? I came to a stop once Spot's image came into mind.
"Damn it!" I cursed. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I began to walk and felt a bit lonely.
"You're so sweet," I saw a woman saying to a man as he gave her a gift. The man blushed and quickly pecked her lips. I looked away and kept on walking. Where I was going, I do not know.
I could feel somebody staring at me. I glanced around nervously, and fastened my pace. I could hear footsteps behind, so I looked over my shoulder, and saw that nobody was intentionally following me. I still felt a bit uneasy and kept my fast pace.
I came to a sudden stop. Just a few feet ahead a man dressed in nothing but black leaned against the wall, a smirk on his face. He wasn't the man from yesterday, but I wasn't about to walk by him. I turned around swiftly and ran into another man.
"Excuse me," he said. I stepped back slightly and ran from him. Everywhere I turned there were men, looking at me either oddly, or seductively. I ran at a fast speed, pushing by people. I heard footsteps behind me, trying to keep up. I wasn't about to stop for anyone, so I just ran faster.
Whoever it was behind me caught up and pushed me into an alleyway.
"Stop!" I screamed. I looked up and saw two murderous brown eyes, hidden beneath bushy eyebrows. He pulled me around the corner, and pushed me forcefully against the wall.
"No," I said. I then noticed that this was the murderer, the one who killed that woman. I tried to push him away, but he only laughed and held on tightly to my arms. He pulled out a knife, probably the same one he used to kill the woman.
"You put yourself in a lot of danger, little girl," he said.
"Leave me alone!" I shouted bravely. The man laughed slightly and put the blade to my neck. Maybe I should knee him. No, he'll cut me. I bit my tongue to keep from screaming. Damn it why did I leave?
"The names Jackson," the man said. "I guess I can tell ya since your gonna die anyway." I felt tears coursing down my eyes. Why didn't Spot teach me how to fight in a situation like this? I guess he tried to with that man on the street that one day.
I could feel him pull the blade away from my neck, and he put it in his jacket.
"I guess you don't have to die so early," he said. I then brought my knee up and kneed him. He didn't fall to the ground, but his face was full of pain.
"Wench!" he said, taking his hand and forcefully slapping me across the face. The ring on his finger cut into my skin. I felt drops of blood run down my cheek. My heart pounded against my chest as the man threw his hat to the ground and pulled out his chain.
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! I coward against the wall and felt myself slip down it. Jackson rose the chain in the air, and I crawled out of the way as he brought it down. I felt his arm turn me over to my back, and push me to the ground.
"You're fast," he said, sitting on me, "but you ain't fast enough." He wrapped the chain around my neck, and he pulled on it slightly. I gagged and pulled at the chain. It was bad enough he was sitting on me, and even worse that he was choking me with a chain. I tried to rise up from the ground, but he only pulled harder.
Oh no, now he's going to…I didn't even want to think about it. I kicked my legs, and brought one up to kick him in the back of the head. It didn't work. I was struggling under his body weight, pulling at the chain. I then let go of the chain, regaining my senses, and brought my fist to his jaw. He instantly let go of the chain, and I coughed for air.
I pushed him to get off me, but he was heavy. So I punched him again and he fell off. I was a bit dizzy, and ready to collapse. I sat on my knees, my hands on the ground, coughing wildly. I brought one of my hands to my neck and felt the imprints of the chain.
Jackson growled and rose to his feet, walking over to me. I looked behind me, and immediately pushed myself to my feet. I moved my feet to run, but only got so far. Jack jumped at me, and the two of us went rolling in the dirt.
"No!" I screamed, as he tried to…do something very bad. He probably wasn't used to his prisoners putting up a fight, but I wasn't like all of his other prisoners. I punched at him furiously, and rolled out from under him. I pushed myself to my feet and ran. I ran back out into the streets of Brooklyn, my clothes full of dirt, blood running down my cheek, and my voice creaky from the chain.
I didn't look back as I ran in the direction of the Lodging House. People stared at me oddly as they watched me sprint by them. I saw a couple of newsies talking, and immediately stopped. If they saw me like this, then they'll tell Spot and he'd want to know what happened. He was a guy, he wouldn't understand. I slipped into an alley and waited for them to pass by until I took off running again.
I came upon the Lodging House and instantly ran in, trying my best to control my crying. I ran up the stairs and into my room, locking the door. I backed up and stared at the door, until I backed up into something. Or maybe it was someone. I turned around and looked up at Skip.
"Sage," he said. I bit my lip and tried to smile, but I couldn't. I wiped the tears from my eyes and felt the stinging pain in my cheek.
"What happened?" he asked, trying to wipe the tear away that slid down my face. I turned my head away. I couldn't help it, I had to tell someone, so I began to tell Skip the whole story with me witnessing the murder, and just now running into him. Skip seemed to look surprised through the whole thing, but unlike Scout, he didn't say a word.
After I had finished, Skip pulled me into a small, friendly hug and told me that everything would be alright.
"Spot's gonna be furious," Skip said.
"What? No, we can't tell Spot. I can't put all of that on him. He just can't know!" Skip thought this over, and then nodded.
"Alright, we's won't tell Spot. Go get washed up an' I'll go find da other's an' tell 'em yer safe. Dey thought youse ran away." I nodded and walked into the washroom, and leaned against the door. The minute I heard my bedroom door shut, I began to shake from fear, and sobbed uncontrollably.
Next Chapter: It's the middle of December, and Christmas is only a few weeks away. What do these newsies do to celebrate holidays?
Sage gets a visit from Jack and Scout, and why is Skip warning Spot to lay off Sage?
Author note: I would've posted this earlier, but I had to go out to town to get a new watch, yay! So, here is this on! LONG LIVE SPOT!