Hey guys! I just got back from vacation...I miss it:(

But here it is, chapter 17! Thanks for all the reviews, follows, and favorites!

Review and Read On:)

- Emily

She hit the ground with a thud, watching in horror as the flames continued to engulf her house. The little girl could hear the sound of glass shattering, her father screaming, and a baby crying.

"Mamma! Daddy!" She cried, stepping forward to go back inside. However, a hand gripping her arm pulled her back.

"Let me go! My family is in there!" She yelled, turning to hit her restrainer. Her fist was left in mid-air, though, when she realized that the boy gripping her arm was a kid possibly only three years older than her.

"You have to get away from here! You're parents ain't gonna make it, I'm sorry." The boy said. Tears formed in the girls eyes at the news, and she felt all the energy she had leave her as she collapsed into the boys' arms.

"Whoa! Okay, hold on. I got you." The boy reassured, draping her arm over shoulder and walking her away from the flaming building-which was being poorly tamed by the firemen.

The pair made it to an ally and he laid her down gently.

"Are you okay?" He asked, leaning over her. His blue eyes dazzled in the lack of light, but what caught her eye was the shiny tip of something tall sticking out of his back pocket.

The dream faded out and Braid tried desperately to hang on to it. When the burning pain hit her once again, however, she knew she was up for good. thankfully, it didn't seem like the sun had rose yet.

Groaning, Braid sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes, not caring as her make-up smudged all over her hands. The boy in her dream seemed so familiar, so close. Although when Braid tried to recall his face, it was unclear.

Shaking her head, she used the wall to ease herself up to a standing position, using only her left arm. Her right arm was burning with pain and she had a hard time moving it.

It's probably either broken or strained, Braid though, sighing. She would have to suck it up or ice it later.

It took a few minutes to stop the nausea and dizziness, but when it cleared up she opened the door to the theatre and slowly made her way back to the dressing room she had ran out of only a few hours before. She found a bottle of water and used it to splash on her face. Taking the towel from the dresser, she cleared the water away as well as the make-up. Looking in the mirror she realized just how bad she looked.

Braid's right eye was a deep shade of black. Her forehead and cheeks were dotted and overlapped with different colors of bruises, ranging from brown to purple. Looking around Braid found a small container of concealer. Taking off the lid, she got to work. Placing her finger in the container she applied the makeup to her face, making sure it covered the bruises and looked natural. As for her black eye, she applied a natural eye shadow to her eyelids, and then applied the concealer. It took about a half hour, but in the end it looked natural. It wasn't perfect, but the boys wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Next, she took off her shirt to analyze the damage underneath. When she saw her stomach she cringed. Her mid-section was decorated with deep purple and blue bruises ranging in size from a golf ball to a fist. Considering the face that it hurt to breathe, or even to lightly touch her ribs, she concluded that she had managed to crack a rib or two. Braid picked up an old dress she saw rolled up in a ball on the top shelf and ripped it into long shreds. She wrapped the shreds around her ribs until it felt steady and tight. As for the bruises on her chest and sides, her clothes should cover those up.

Other than for the cuts and scratched on her back and arms, that was all the damage seemed to be done. Braid threw on her shirt and slipped the make-up into her pocket. She would need that, no doubt. With a slight limp, and favoring her right arm, she made her way out of the dressing room and out of the theatre.

I hope I can pull this off, Braid thought to herself. As she neared the lodging house, she forced herself to walk normally and let her right arm hang. She crept around to the side and took a deep breath before hoisting herself up onto the latter. Gritting her teeth, she continued to climb. When she was halfway up she paused to take a break. Her ribs felt as if they were going to inflame, her vision swam with black dots, and her arm felt as if it were shattered in twenty different places. Within five minutes later, however, she landed with a thud in the safety of her room. Cautiously standing up, she dug out her spare set of clothes Race had lent her and quickly changed into them. Just in time, because as soon as she finished buttoning up her pants a knock came to the door.

"Um, come in?" She said. The sun was just coming up over the buildings. The door opened with a creak and, to her surprise, Jack stepped in.

"Hey kiddo. Ready to sell?" He asked. Braid smiled.

"Sure, am I with you today?" She asked. Jack rubbed the back of his neck, a habit she seemed to notice he had.

"Not today. Spot called a meeting. I was wondering if you could sell with Crutchie?" He asked.

"Oh, okay! Sure." She said, smiling.

"Thanks. Now come on, we'll be late." Jack said, stepping out.

Braid let out a sigh of relief. Jack didn't suspect anything, and she could sell with someone other than him.

Besides, she had a visit to make to a certain "genius".

I hope that wasn't to bad! I'll be getting more into Braid's dream later on in chapters. Okay?

Thanks guys! Please review:)

~ Emily