Chapter Two: Step Away
Lying blacked out on the floor, a long-forgotten memory drifted back to Criss-Cross...
It was early spring, 1890, and the younger girl named Katherine Conlon was silently sleeping with Ellie -the woman who was the only family Katherine had, even though they weren't related- in a back alley in Queens. The two had been on the streets for officially a year in April. Together they sold papers and anything else they could on street corners, just trying to make enough money to stay alive. Ellie had been taken ill earlier that morning, and so, for the first time ever, Katherine had sold her papers by herself. At three years old, Katherine was more streetwise than many, though, she still had a lot to learn.
A suddenly loud bang came from the head of the alley, and she woke with a start from her dreamless sleep. Peering through the pitch black of the night, she saw the outlines of three big, burly men. One sniff of the breeze that was blowing off of them immediately told her they were drunk. Shaking Ellie, she whispered fast, "Dere's some goons in de alley. Dey looks drunk."
Ellie sat bolt upright and threw herself in front of Katherine. She knew what time of men these were, and she knew what they would do to Katherine if they found her.
"Katherine, do you membah Sister Evans? Wells, I'm gonna distract da goons, an' I want you ta run ta her place. A'ight? Run, an' don't look back."
Katherine whispered okay, and slunk back against the wall as the goons approached Ellie.
"We heah you gots a kid," the first goon said.
"A lil goil," another added in.
"I gots no such t'ing," Ellie responded.
"She's lyin'," the first, who appeared to be the leader spat out. "Per'aps we should show her some coitesy boys..."
The other two gave a laugh and advanced toward Ellie with clubs in their hands. The first hit knocked Ellie down onto the ground with a sickening thud, and from there on it was just murder.
Katherine watched in horror for her hiding spot in the corner. They were killing her one and only family member. The one person she loved in the world. She watched as one blow hit Ellie's head, and blood began to pour out onto the ground. With her last breathe, Ellie screamed out to Katherine, "Sister Evans, child! Sister Evans!"
"Ellie!" Katherine's cry pierced the night, full of the greatest anguish known to man. Thus far she had remained silent as she'd watched her loved one killed, but she could no longer. Sprinting away from the wall, she ran at the goons who had killed her beloved Ellie, her grandmother, mother, and sister, all in one.
Katherine had never been raised to be violent. Nor had she any former experience fighting, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight. She'd been raised on the street since she was little, and even at three she knew how to fight well. Her first kick landed right where it was meant to, right in the first goon's family jewels. As he howled in pain, she sent her tiny fist right at his nose. Before the two connected, her arm was stopped by one of the other goons, and so was all her chance at fighting. Easily the first man pinned her to the wall and as she flailed and tried to break loose, he began to beat on her.
Fortunately for Katherine, her screams had attracted the attention of a group of 7 kids. They were Queens newsies, and they had all seen the brave three year-old's fight thus far.
"Halt!" rang a female voice from the rooftops. Katherine and the goons all looked up to see a spry girl at the age of 13 aiming a slingshot right at them. Beside her stood three more kids with slingshots, and one with a small torch. Katherine would later learn that the girl's name was Frisk, and that the little boy beside her who carried the torch was her brother, Chris. "Step away from 'er an' we won' fiah. Fail ta comply and we'll bust yer jaws!"
The leader of the goons gave a harsh laugh, which was immediately silenced as a marble flew straight at his face and hit him hard on one of his cheekbones. As blood began to flow down his cheek, he began to growl.
Out of nowhere came the rest of Frisk's group, brandishing clubs and walking sticks. The three other kids on the rooftop opened fire on the goons as Frisk jumped down and began to use her fists in a fight with them. In moments the goons had fled the seen, leaving the beaten, sobbing Katherine there with Frisk.
A/N: I have no idea if y'all will like this or not. But please review!