Charlotte walked back to the tenement after selling all of her papers. Every day she lived in Brooklyn without Spot was harder than the last, especially with the weather turning colder. There was no one to help her out if she didn't make enough to feed herself. It had come down to either feeding herself or buying a new coat. She ended up convincing Blade to give her his old coat after he'd bought a new one. She grimaced when she remembered what she had to do to convince him to give her his old coat. It was only a slight ding to her virtue, but it was enough to make her feel disgusted with herself.

But tonight, all of that would disappear once again. Once Blade lit that pipe and the sweet air of opium filled her lungs, her problems would be long forgotten. When Charlotte thought straight, it made her uncomfortable that Blade was so reluctant to hand over his coat, but so willingly let her get high every night. What did she unknowingly let him do to her to let that happen?

The sun began to dip behind the skyline and Charlotte looked up. The sky was a canvas of color. She smiled, remembering that Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben always enjoyed watching the sunset. The disgusting pollution of the city made the sky beautiful for a few short minutes every evening.

Aunt Mae and Uncle Ben.

The grin she'd felt on her face faded as they flashed through her mind. What would they say if they knew what she'd gotten herself into? How far she'd fallen? They'd weep. They'd be disappointed. They'd be scared. Sharps pangs of regret ached in her stomach when she remembered how she'd acted that night in the apartment.

But what was she supposed to do? She had no money and no family, and her boyfriend was in jail. The only thing left for her to do was wait for Spot to get out of jail and get her away from this mess. It had crossed her mind to leave Brooklyn and go back to Manhattan, but that would mean giving up being able to forget her problems every night. And that kept her in Brooklyn.

Before she realized it, she was back at the tenement. She pulled the door open and descended into the basement.

"Welcome home," Blade grinned from one of the tables, fiddling with some of the pipes.

"Hi," said Charlotte, passing him by and going into her corner.

"Ready for some more forgetting?" he asked, measuring out the drug.

"Got anything for forgetting permanently?" she asked.

Blade smirked. "Don't worry, doll. You'll be high as a smoke stack pretty soon."

Blade picked up the pipe and walked over to Charlotte's bed where she was sitting. He could see the light sheen of sweat on her brow and she was shaking slightly - whether from the cold or withdrawal, he didn't know, nor did he care.

He sat down with her and offered her the pipe.

He grinned when he saw her expression relax as she inhaled.


"I still think this is a bad idea," said Skittery as he and Adelaide walked through the streets of Brooklyn.

"It is," said Adelaide. "But what else can we do? With Spot in jail, I can't just leave Charlotte here at the mercy of Fire and Blade."

They walked quickly through the streets, the sun having already set.

"Skitts?"

"Yeah?"

Adelaide glanced up at him. "Thank you." Skittery squeezed her hand. "No matter what's going on, you're always there by my side. Without a thought."

"Trust me, plenty of thought goes into it." Adelaide glanced up at him, a small smile on her face. "I lost you once, and I ain't chancing losing you again." Adelaide squeezed his hand. "Are we gonna see Spot first?"

Adelaide shook her head. "I was never without Spot in Brooklyn, and look all that happened to me. Charlotte doesn't even have Spot with her."

They finally made it to the tenement. Adelaide opened the door and walked down to the basement.

Just as she got to the basement, she saw Blade lift Charlotte's skirt up and climb on top of her.

"Hey!" Adelaide yelled, causing Blade to snap his head in their direction.

Skittery made a beeline for Blade and grabbed him, throwing him aside.

"What the fuck?" Blade yelled.

Skittery covered Charlotte back up from where Blade unbuttoned her blouse. She was out. He wrapped her in the sheet she was lying on.

"You stay away from her," said Adelaide.

Blade wavered on his feet, still affected by the drug.

"I know you murdered Ralphie," said Blade. "I spread the word, and the boys'll kill you in your sleep."

"Ralphie committed suicide," said Adelaide. "Stop spouting nonsense."

"Let's go," said Skittery.

"You're a dead woman!" Blade yelled.

Adelaide and Skittery walked out of the tenement and onto the street.

"Is she okay?" asked Adelaide.

"I don't know," said Skittery. "She's out like a light."

Adelaide sighed. "Let's get her to the Jacobs'. They'll know what to do."