Title - It's A Fine Life
Chapter Title - Lyra's Story.
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Crime/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own Oliver Twist or Oliver! in anyway, shape or form. I entirely own the plot for this fic and my original characters.
A/n - Please leave a review if you read, I'd greatly appreciate it. x
Warning - Violence. (Child abuse.)
C.6
The next day Fagin partnered Lyra up with Eddie to go out for the day. Eddie was nice and joyful but Lyra couldn't help but wish she was with Dodger or Charley. They knew the most about her so far and she found them hilarious. Not to mention Dodger's cheeky charm.
Unfortunately for Lyra, she and Eddie were in a completely different area to her two new friends. Lyra didn't like this area but she knew if she said anything, she'd have to tell everyone everything. Just two streets away from where she now stood was little Oliver's house along with that of her parents.
Pushing the thoughts from her mind she walked towards Eddie who, coming in the opposite direction, passed her the cane he'd just taken from an old man. Lyra approached the confused looking gentleman and tapped his shoulder.
"Excuse me sir, I believe this is yours."
"Oh thank you my dear." As the man spoke Lyra discretely slipped her hand into his coat and produced a golden pocket watch. She slipped it up her sleeve before wondering away and transferring it to her coat pocket.
"You! Wait!" Lyra gulped, thinking the man had noticed his missing trinket, and risked a glance over her shoulder. Only, what she saw made her stop in her tracks and an old woman bump into her. There, amidst the crowd in a pristine white suit, was Lyra's father. He stared at her for a moment, confirming in his head that he had indeed seen his daughter. When he stepped forwards, Lyra stepped back. Her heart pounding loudly in her ears, she looked around for Eddie. As soon as she spotted him she sped off, dodging in between fruit and vegetable carts to avoid her father.
"Eddie, c'mon." She panted, grabbing his elbow and pulling him along. Luckily he took the hint and mirrored her pace.
They ran and ran without looking back until they couldn't run anymore and collapsed onto the floor a short way from the stairs that led to the hideout.
"Who...caught you?" Gasped Eddie.
"Some...old bloke...I got his...watch." Lyra lied instinctively. "I...think we...lost 'im.
"What 'appened? You ran straight past us."
Eddie and Lyra snapped their heads around to see Dodger and Charley staring down at them. Eddie held up a hand, telling them to wait whilst they caught their breath. Dodger and Charley helped the pair to their feet.
"Lyra got caught with some blokes watch." Eddie chuckled a little. "It 'appens to the best of us Ly', don't look so worried," He walked off up the stairs, leaving the other three pickpockets below. Charley, who had been told everything about Lyra by Dodger, watched the girl curiously.
"Y'alright? You've gone all pale." He asked.
Lyra shook her head, gulping back the increasing flow of saliva in her mouth. "I think I'm gonna throw up." She mumbled before slapping a hand over her mouth and running off behind a wall. The thought of her father seeing her and knowing she was alive was enough to make her empty the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
Eventually, she made her way back to where Dodger and Charley were waiting anxiously for her.
"You didn't actually get caught did you?" Dodger asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"No. It was me dad."
Dodger and Charley exchanged worried looks. "He don't know where you are, does 'e?"
"No. 'E would've stopped ages before 'ere. 'E don't like bein' near out sort." Lyra moved to sit on the steps between the two boys.
"Ly', why does-"
"Alright Dodge? Charley? 'Ere, who's this?"
The trio on the steps looked up into the curious face of Nancy. She was wearing her usual red dress and black shawl with her red hair tied back and basket hooked on the crook of her arm. She had a faint pink scar on her chin and a slightly darker one on her right cheek.
"Nancy this is Lyra Blackwell. Ly', this is Nancy." Introduced Charley. Lyra gave a weak smile.
"What's 'appened dear, you look terrible?"
"Don't suppose you could get us some gin, Nance? The proper stuff, not watered down. And a quiet table where we can 'ave a chat." Asked Dodger.
Nancy looked between the three teens before nodding. "C'mon, I want to know everythin'."
Charley walked beside Nancy whilst Dodger stayed with Lyra. "Don't worry, y'can trust Nancy. She 'elped Oliver after all." Lyra nodded silently.
No one spoke again until they were sat around a table in a less crowded corner of the pub with a bottle of gin between them. Lyra gulped down her drink, the burning sensation in her throat easing some of the pain in her mind.
"Now then, what's 'appened?" Asked Nancy. She, Dodger and Charley turned their heads to look at Lyra. "Take your time dear, start at the beginning." Taking a deep breath, Lyra reluctantly delved into the memories she'd locked away to tell of how she came to be where she was today.
~
Lyra Blackwell stared glumly out of the carriage window at the new house. Just like the last one it was large, white and boasted of wealth. Everything that Lyra hated. Her father passed the window, a stern expression on his face.
"Out. Now." Came her mothers voice from the carriage door. Not wanting to give them any excuse to punish her, not that they'd needed one before, Lyra climbed out of the carriage and followed her mother into the house. Lyra went straight upstairs to find a room, wondering when the abuse would start again. She wasn't sure what was worse: being hit or waiting for it to happen.
Sure enough, an hour later the door to her new room burst open to reveal her furious looking parents.
"Where are they?" Demanded her father.
"What?" Lyra instinctively backed up against the wall.
"Your mothers pearls. Where are they?"
"Wh- I didn't take 'em!"
"Don't lie to me!"
"I'm not I swear, I didn't-"
"Right, if you won't admit it now, I'm sure you soon will." taking wide strides her father soon closed the distance between them. One of his large hands gripped the top of Lyra's arm and dragged her out of the room and downstairs. Her mother followed, grinning maliciously. Once in the kitchen, her father lit a candle and grabbed Lyra's left arm. "Where. Are. The. Pearls?"
"I d-don't know!" Tears streamed down Lyra's face.
"Fine." Her father forced her hand into the flame of the candle, holding it in place.
"NO! PLEASE! I swear I didn't take 'em!" The pain seared through Lyra's hand until eventually she couldn't feel a thing. The smell of her own burnt flesh wafted through the kitchen as her parents locked her in, demanding she cleaned both herself and the table, where the bloodied candle sat, up.
~
"Blimey." Whispered Charley.
Dodger's clenched fists rested on the table either side of his untouched gin. "I'll bloody kill 'em, I swear t'god."
"That makes you no better than 'em." Murmured Nancy, unable to look away from Lyra.
Lyra's face was set into an expressionless mask but silent tears made tracks down her cheeks. Slowly, she rested her hand on Dodger's arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. A wordless thank you.
"Carry on, love." Said Nancy in her motherly tones. Once again Lyra took a deep breath.
~
Lyra stayed curled up on the floor, cradling her marred hand until night fell. The pain throbbing her whole arm, she sat up and used her good hand and teeth to tear a strip of fabric from the skirt of her royal blue dress. Biting her lip to numb the pain, she tied the fabric around her hand and stood up. She stared out through the window, contemplating her life and what she would become if she stayed with her parents. A murderer no doubt. So, on that thought, she crept quietly through the house until she located a piece of paper and a pen.
'Gone to jump in the river. Goodbye. Lyra.'
She left the note by the candle in the kitchen and left through the back door. She walked quickly and quietly through the moonlit streets, not bothering to look back. She spent the night, curled up in a shop doorway until she awoke with the morning sun. She avoided the crowds and stuck to the dark alleys even though she knew her parents wouldn't be caught dead in this part of London.
It wasn't until mid-afternoon when her stomach rumbled that she realized what she'd have to do to survive. She stole an apple and a roll of bread that day and two peaches the next. She stuck mainly to taking food until she found a no good old man who promised money for stolen treasures a month later. She knew he wasn't giving her nearly as much as the things she stole were worth but it was enough for something to eat everyday.
Their arrangement lasted a month and a half until he stopped showing up to meet her. Lyra soon found out he'd been killed over the matter of a handkerchief and half a crown. Lyra took back to stealing food, only taking trinkets and handkerchiefs out of habit.
Half a month later, Lyra stole her outfit from Doolittle's and met a Dawkins. Her first glimpse of hope since she ran away 3 months previous.
~
"So, why'd you turn me down if I was your first sight of hope in three months?"
"Can you blame 'er Dodger? 'Ow's she 'sposed to know who to trust?" Said Nancy sympathetically.
"She's right. I was gonna follow you an' see if you was lyin' but then y'stole me wallet." Lyra smiled a little and wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.
"And you say 'e saw you today, your dad?" Asked Nancy taking a sip of gin. Lyra nodded. "But 'e ain't likely to come to this neck o'the woods?"
"No, he wouldn't dare."
"Right. Well don't you worry none. I'll talk to Fagin, make sure you ain't never near the toffs again. An' make sure you don't go out alone. Just in case, alright?"
"Course. Thanks Nancy." Lyra smiled again. Nancy had been a better mother to her in the past hour than her real one had been for 16 years.
"I always wondered why you 'ad that round your 'and." Commented Charley, indicating the blue fabric on Lyra's left hand. "Does it still 'urt?"
"No. I can't feel anythin' on it."
Charley's mouth fell open. "No way."
"Honestly." Lyra moved over to Charley and knelt down, pressing her hand flat on the floor. "Stand on it."
"What?"
"Trust me." Cautiously, Charley stood and placed a foot on Lyra's hand. "Put your weight on it then." Charley did as he was told but Lyra didn't bat an eyelid. "See, no feelin' left in it."
"So what's the bandage for then?" Frowned Dodger when the pair sat back down.
Lyra untied the blue fabric and held up her hand. The pale skin looked as though it had melted on her palm and was blackened in places. "Ain't too pretty is it?" She grimaced, retying the fabric.
"Show's your strength though." Nancy smiled a little. "As do mine. We've been 'urt but we're strong enough to carry on."
Lyra smiled. "You're still beautiful Nancy." The older woman beamed and leant over to envelope her in a warm hug.
"Thanks love."