Heya. I'm on a writing spree! Yay!
We continued the strike half heartedly, with Spot taking over as the leader. We protested outside the circulation center, but our hearts were broken. The newsies were a beat lot. Especially with Jack in the refuge. Some of the boys had gone to rescue him, but came back, saying that they couldn't. It wasn't the truth, but we still accepted it. The final straw came when we were gathered outside of the circulation center.
The scabs came out with their papers, just like before, but nowadays, they were accompanied by bulls to protect them. We jeered and booed, but we didn't try to soak them. Until another scab came out. This scab was familiar.
"Race, tell me I'se seein' dings. Jist tell me I'se seein' dings." Spot said, pulling Racetrack up beside him.
"No, dat's Jack. What's he doin'?" Race asked.
It was indeed Jack. He refused to look at us. We all pressed up against the line of bulls, begging Jack to look at us, to tell us that it was okay. That he wasn't going to change. The bulls beat us back. Then, one by one, they let us through to him. I walked over to him.
"Jack?" I asked in a small voice. He wouldn't look at me. "Jack, why?"
He didn't answer. "Look at me!" I demanded. He did. I could see it in his eyes. He had been broken. There was no fire there anymore. I didn't know this Jack. I stumbled away from him. Mush caught me, wrapping me in his arms and holding me tightly to his chest. I cried.
Tension had grown between the boroughs. They blamed Jack and Spot for their arrested newsies, since they had planned the rally. Fights broke out. Spot was the only standing leader left of the strike. The newsies were no longer united. We just all shared the same enemy. With the fights breaking out, it wasn't uncommon to have to scour alleys looking for our missing friends. More often than not, we found them unconscious, but unharmed. There were times though, when we would have to pray over a fallen friend.
I fought a lot. I begin to pick fights, something I'd never done. fighting was something to take my mind off of the hopelessness I felt. Even if Jack wasn't there to pull me off. I was always bruised and bloody. The boys begged me to stay in the lodging house, not to go out, but I ignored them. Spot and Dove were fighting. The tension was too much for them. I didn't care any longer if they worked things out. I was losing hope in ever going home again.
I was sitting on the docks, humming to myself when someone sat with a heavy thump next to me.
"What are you'se hummin'?" Spot asked gruffly.
"Lullaby."
"Will you'se sing it?" He asked, more gently. I started to sing.
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
Hush, now, don't you cry
Ah,
Toora, loora, loora
Toora, loora, li
Toora, loora, loora
It`s an Irish lullaby
Over in Killarney, many years ago
My mother sang this song to me in tones so sweet and low
Just a simple little ditty in her good old Irish way
And I'd give the world if she could sing that song to me
this day…
When I had finished the song, Spot spoke up,
"Dat was beautiful. You'se has a nice voice. Wheah'd you'se leahn dat?"
"Me muddah sang dat for me when I'se was li'l, aftah me faddah left."
I limped home from Brooklyn. I had gotten into another small spat after I had left Spot on the docks. Mush looked worried as I limped in the door.
"You'se was out really late. You'se okay?" He asked, slipping an arm around me to help me up the stairs.
"Yeah. Nuddah fight." Mush led me over to Jack's bunk. My bunk, now.
"Mush?" I asked quietly, "C'n I'se stay wid you'se tahnight? I'se don' wanna be alone."
"Shoah." He boosted me into his bunk and let me curl into a ball against his chest. I planted a quick kiss on his cheek. I was lulled to sleep by the soft sounds of the boys sleeping.
I decided to go back to Brooklyn the next morning. I was only a block away from the lodging house when I heard a scuffle in an alley, followed by a cry of pain. I stopped, weighing the wisdom of getting involved in another fight, when I was in the shape that I was in. I decided to be stupid, and damn the consequences. I dashed into the alley.
A group of boys were gathered in the alley around a fight. I tried unsuccessfully to work my way through the throng to see what was happening. I heard more cries of pain. Whoever it was, they were losing. The fight would be over soon, unless someone interfered. I managed to get through the crowd enough to see some Harlem newsies pounding a smaller body. I recognized the red suspenders that the figure wore. It was Spot. He must have been coming over here to see us, and they jumped him. One of the Harlem's pulled a knife and went for Spot. I didn't hesitate.
I broke through the crowd, aiming for Spot. A familiar voice screamed for me to stop. I flung myself in between Spot and the knife.
I saw the knife come down. I watched it enter my chest. I watched the blood well out of the wound and flow down my shirt. My ears were ringing. The Harlem boy's face filled my vision. He was the one from the jail. Hands caught me, lowering me gently to the cobbles of the alley. The crowd let another figure through. My vision was blurring. I realized it was from tears. the figure scooped me up, carrying me away from the fight. They stopped in the lodging house, laying me on a bunk.
Faces gathered around me. Mush was crying. Racetrack's mouth opened and closed like a fish. I fought to focus on the figure of my rescuer. A scrap of red. Brown eyes. Sandy hair falling across his face.
"Why are you'se so stupid?" Jack sobbed. I reached up to touch his face, but I just couldn't lift my hand. He looked to the knife, and gently wrapped his fingers around it, sliding it out of my chest and dropping it to the floor. I gasped and choked. The blood around the wound bubbled.
There was a glow behind the boys. I struggled to turn my head to see it. A little girl stood there in a white dress. She was bare foot. Golden ringlets tumbled around her head. She glowed from the inside.
"It's time to go." She said, in her little girl voice.
"No." I argued. The boys tried to shush me, telling me to save my strength. Couldn't they see her? Couldn't they hear her?
"Yes. Charley, you need to let go."
"No. I'se can'. I'se can' go!" Tears rolled down my face. She gave me a small smile.
"I'll wait. Say goodbye, and then I have to take you with me."
I turned my head back to the boys. All of them were crying freely. I tried reaching out to Jack again. He caught my hand and held it to his cheek.
"Finish what you'se stahted. For me." I murmured. "I love you. All of you'se."
I choked. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth. I had so much more to say to them. I wanted to tell them not to miss me. I wanted to tell Racetrack to quit gambling. To tell Spot to take care of Dove. To tell them to make sure to eat enough and stay warm this winter. To tell Blink not to be so hot headed, Skittery to cheer up, Mush that he was a good friend. To tell Jack that I loved him. That. I had to say that.
"Jack…" I gasped. He leaned closer. "I love you."
"I'se know." He said. I smiled and relaxed. He knew. "I'se loves you'se, too." He whispered, but I was already gone.
Don't hurt me. Please.