I had to get rid of this. Turning the knob, I prayed no one would wake up. I navigated the dance hall through the dark. One hand held the bird, the other touched the walls. It took me some time but I was finally outside.

The alley was thankfully empty. Crossing it, I looked around for a trash can, when I found one, I stuffed the box deep inside. With a sigh of relief, I turned and began to go back but I didn't get far.

Something crashed against my side, it sent me straight to the grimy floor with a humph.

It was heavy and grumbling.

"Watch where you're going "The voice said, detangling their limbs away from me.

"I was watching where I was going. Maybe you should watch where you're going" I retorted, lifting myself from the ground. Brushing dirt off my dress.

"Do I know you?" The stranger asked.

Squinting my eyes I realized I had seen him before.

"You're that guy I bumped into!" I said, pointing.

Before He could answer, I heard whistles and barking.

"We have to go!" He said before taking off.

What? I looked in the direction he had come to see a line of dogs closely followed by what appeared to be cops.

I had two choices go inside and risk being followed inside by the cops or take off after the stranger.

The decision was obvious.

I sped through the alleyways. I didn't go down the same way he did. We were better off separated. It would be easier to lose the cops that way.

I didn't know Manhattan very well. I just hoped I didn't come to a dead end. The sound of the dogs seemed to get closer.

My lungs started to protest after five minutes of straight running. I wasn't used to this much running and the adrenaline was going to run out any moment now. I had to lose them.

The ground was slippery with grime. Trash littered most of it.

I took as many turns as I could find and kept twisting through. They were going to be looking at alleys I had to get to a main street and just go from there.

My head snapped widely from right to left as I run it was difficult but soon I found an entrance, I sped towards it. Just as I was about to leave the intricate Manhattan alley's. A figure jumped in front of me.

It wasn't the newsie.

"Where you going doll?" He stepped closer.

Panic set in.

"Just taking a stroll" I answered, backing up as he continued to come closer.

"Why don't we take a stroll together" He said, reaching for me. I took off again before he touched me.

I was stopped for the second time that night.

Four boys stood blocking the way I had come.

The boy that had crashed into me was being held by two of the goons, he struggled against them.

"Who's this Spot?" They asked him, making a circle around us.

"I don't know her. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time"
I had been doing that a lot lately.

The leader, or who appeared to be the leader. Took a step forward his thumbs in his suspenders.

Tilting his head to the side, he frowned.

"You know? I don't believe you. Not any street tramp would wait in the wee hours of the night just to get a good lay"

Excuse me?

"You'd be surprised" The newsie or Spot answered "the bulls are just around the corner you know"

"I wouldn't worry about them" the leader turned towards me.

"You in with them?" Spot asked.

The leader ignored him and kept coming closer to me. I backed up until the boy who had initially stopped me pushed me forward.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" He asked.

"That's none of your business" I answered, glaring.

The guy smiled at me, he began to turn around but quickly came back around and swung his arm at my cheek.

I was to slow to block it. The force of the back of his hand sent me to the floor

I held my burning cheek, he kneeled down next to me.

"I'm not going to ask again"

"And I'm not going to tell you my name"

It looked like he was going to hit me again but instead he touched my collarbone.

"What happened here?" He asked, I glanced down at his finger. My chest was bleeding, it must have opened when Spot crashed into me.

I shrugged. His finger was making me uncomfortable.

"Spot you have to start taking care of your lady right" He said standing.

"She's not my lady!" Spot trashed around.

The leader held out a hand to me. I didn't take it and stood on my own wobbly feet.

"I'm done playing games. Where is it Spot?" The leader said, leaving me alone.

"I don't have it. I never did"

The leader sighed and put his hands on his hips "I really didn't want it to come to this"

He turned and faced the guy behind me "Checker, Why don't we motivate our friend here" he gestured toward Spot "Oh but don't hurt her too much" He said winking at me.

"You got it boss"

I blinked in confusion.

The riffraff behind me wrapped his hands around my waist and lifted me off the ground.

I screamed and thrashed in his arms.

"Shut up and make this easier for me and I'll make it easier for you"

Ignoring his words, I elbowed his ribs.

It didn't have any effect on him.

"All right if that's what you want. Hey, Striker give me a hand"

Another boy came over.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked.

"Just hold her while I have some fun"

As soon as those words let his mouth, I began to struggle more, this was not going to happen again.

When he let me go to pass me to the other idiot. I swung my fist at the one in front of me. I raced off while they got over the shock.

I didn't get very far that time either. He caught up, and dragged me back. He threw me to the ground.

He straddled me while the other buffoon held my arms back.

"You're going to regret that" He said, unbuckling his belt.

It felt just like the first time. As if needle's where lodged all over my body.

He grabbed the sides of my dress and lifted it from underneath me. The cold air hit my clammy legs.

I spit on his face. He backhanded me. Just before he pulled down my knickers. Spot spoke up.

"Stop! Leave her alone I'll tell you where it is!"

I sigh of relief escaped my lips.

"I'm glad to see you've come to your senses" The leader said and then added "How much does she mean to you?"

"I told you! I don't know her" He said.

"Hmm…See Spot if you would have said she was a street tramp I would have let her go. But since it looks like you don't want anyone to know about her it makes us think that she's just that much more valuable"

"She's nothing to me!" Spot protested "Does it look like she hangs around people like us?"

"She's got a hickey" The guy on top of me said.

"No respectable girl would let herself get a Hickey and everyone knows that newsies mark their girls with hickeys to keep them away from other street rats."

"I'm not his girlfriend" I said, my voice was quiet and hoarse. Dry like sandpaper from the previous terror.

"You even got her in on it too!" The leader threw his hands up in the air exasperated.

"Doesn't it hurt you when he denies your relationship?" The leader asked.

"It can't hurt her if it's not real" Spot said.

"Whatever you say. Now where's my money?"

"It's right here" Spot said reaching in his pocket. He took out a wad of cash.

"Wonderful!" He took the money from Spot. The leader began walking away down the street. "Finish up the job boys"

Terror filled me as the boy on top of me began to grope my chest. I screamed at him and spit but it only got me a slap.

The two boys left behind turned on Spot and began to beat him.

"Ah-ah-ah I want you to look at me Doll" The boy on top of me, grabbed my chin. He crashed his nasty mouth onto mine. I tried to move my head away but it was held steadily by him.

I bit his lip. He growled in pain and backed away.

He slapped me again. I spit at him earning another slap. I was not going to go down without a fight.

"I'm done playing. Hold her real tight Striker."

He unzipped his pants.

"You had it coming"

Before he could do anything else. A plank of wood hit him upside the head.

He crumpled beside me.

The boy holding my arms let me go and stood ready to fight but he was also taken out by the plank of wood.

I held my self-up on my elbows and stared at my unlikely savior.

"Come on, sugar, we got to get out of here" It was the prostitute, Calico.

She held her hand towards me. I took it and stood, I buttoned the buttons on the front of my dress.

I glanced at Spot as he punched the last standing boy taking him out.

"They won't stay down for long" Spot said. Wiping the blood of his lips.

"Then let's go" Calico said.