Chapter 10
Spot's POV
She remembers. She's starting to remember. Maybe what I'm doing is right. She may think I let Aura go but she doesn't know that she is Aura. That she is the missing queen. It was so nice to see her in that dress again. To see her in that exact same hairstyle she had on when she went to the rally. To see her in that locket. To just kiss her and touch her again. It won't be long until she's back in my arms.
"Spot the dress is finished." Sarah accompanied by Jack and David brought the dress in my room and it was one of the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. Sarah knew how much she loved lace and gold trimmings so she put both in. "It's beautiful Sarah she would loved it if she was here with me all better." I said. I heard my voice starting to crack and I tried to keep it in but some tears started to fall on my face.
"Soon Spot. Soon. She's starting to regain her memories back but she told me they're blurry still and very vague. She might've already told you that last night. But I just want to let you know she's also trying hard to remember too. Not only does she want to go back to you but she also wants to find out about her family. She's trying the hardest she can." said Sarah.
Rosie soon burst in my room all in a rush. "Spot we got some bad news." I suddenly grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her. I just hope it wasn't about Aura or Oscar finding out about us last night because he's got eyes all around Manhattan. "Spill it Rosie."
"Aura soaked Morris. She tried to save Les. And after that it was all a blur. Well Morris didn't get to me. It just happened so fast. I bet he's gonna tell Oscar about this and Oscar's going to give Aura a worse soaking than what Morris had. She took Les and ran off. They're both in the church. I told them to hide in there until I got help."
This is bad. This is bad. But good at the same time too because I can see she got some her fighting spirit and courage in her. I'm glad that didn't go away. But the bad thing is when she goes back home Oscar's gonna soak her and I can't let him lay one finger on her. She's already expressed to me how she's starting to feel uncomfortable around him. And I have a feeling she's gonna be trapped in an abusive relationship with Oscar. I'se got to save her.
Lydia's POV:
It was just a normal day. It was after my rounds of singing on stage and I was starting to get back home until I saw Morris bullying a small newsie. I wanted to help but I'm not sure what Oscar would think if I did but when I looked at the small newsie's face more closely I realized that it was the boy in my flashback last night. The boy named Les. That was the one part in my flashback that wasn't blurry.
I rush over to Les and pick him up and stand in front of him trying to act tough. "Now I won't bear to see you or any of your goons beat up anymore of these newsies so you better come up with a damn good apology or else." I shouldn't have said or else. You see I haven't gotten along with Morris one bit. He always does things to make me mad. And he treats me like shit around the house. So you can say there's one good brother and one bad brother. Morris started to push me around demanding what I would do. I fell on the edge of the brick road still with Les in hand. "Or else what? C'mon say it you little slut." That was when I exploded.
I clenched my fist tightly and punched him in the face knocking him down. "That's for calling me a slut." I kicked him hard in the ribs. "That's for treating me like shit around the house." I grabbed Les and started running. I didn't know where I would run to for a hiding spot. Definitely not home or the theater those are the two places Oscar and Morris would find me. "Hey lady we can hide in there I know he won't catch us in here." I looked behind me and saw a nearby church and Morris with anger fuming out of him. "Let's go." I ran in the church and with one final bang of the door I knew we were safe. "Lydia wait till I tell Oscar and believe me he'll give you one helluva soaking!"
"Thanks for saving me miss. I thought I wouldn't live." I started giggling and put my hand on his cheek. "No problem." I peeked through the door debating whether if I should go home or not and besides Grey needs me. (I finally found a name for my little pigeon. I just thought it would be the perfect name for him since he is grey). "You want to come home with me miss. You can spend the night at our house and my mom's a great cook." said Les. "Thank you for the offer Les but I have my own home." I said still unsure of whether to go out or not.
"You caused a lot of trouble between Morris and I bet he's gonna tell Oscar and I don't want you to get hurt. And why did you do that? Why did you save me?" he asked. "Well someone's got to. I mean how can people be bystanders and just let someone beat a little boy. I mean it's not fair how people treat you guys. People treat newsies and other child workers like they're nobodies even with the strike settled it just disgusts me to see some people practice their old ways of treating these workers."
"Well since we're in a church I guess you can make one final prayer before you go back." I went toward the painting of Jesus and started saying my prayers. Prayers for the children and prayers for what's gonna happen back home. But I looked up and started thinking. I should be praying more for than myself and for the child workers. I should also be praying for the people who do feel like nobodies like. Who feel like an outcast to society.
"I don't know if you can hear me
Or if you're even there
I don't know if you would listen to a humble prayer
They tell me I'm just an outcast
I shouldn't speak to you
Still I see your face and wonder
Were you once an outcast too
God help the outcasts hungry from birth
Show them the mercy they don't find on earth
The lost and forgotten
They look to you still
God help the outcasts or nobody will"
I started walking more into the church walking across the aisles seeing the people pray. I bet they're praying to god to be rich or to be beautiful or maybe even to find love. I'm like the only person in here praying for some real change to happen.
"I ask for nothing
I can get by
But I know so many less lucky than I
God help the outcasts
The poor and down trod
I thought we all were the children of god
I don't know if there's a reason why some are blessed some not
Why the few who seem to favor
They fear us, flee us, try not to see us"
I started walking across an aisle of candles to reach an altar and above it was jesus in stained glass form looking down on me. I bent down and this was where I gave all myself in.
"God help the outcasts
The tattered, the torn
Seeking an answer to why they were born
Wind of misfortune have blown them about
You made the outcasts, don't cast the out
The poor, the unlucky
The weak and the odd
I thought we all were the children of god"
"Thank you for saving Les." I jumped a little to the person behind me and I started running. He just kept calling for me trying to get me to stop I didn't want him to think I got Les in this mess. When I reached the door someone from behind shut it. "Just wait I just want to talk."
"Make it quick." I said. "I just wanted to thank you for saving Les. My brother." His brother. His brother… I feel like I know this boy also from my past. "What's your name?" I asked. "David. I'm les's older brother. You know my sister Sarah." It clicked. This is the brother that Oscar and Morris attacked during the strike days. I remember one part of my past is clearing up. I knew Sarah, Les, and David way before. They were a part of my past. And so was Oscar and Morris but from seeing that in my flashback I'm guessing that Oscar and Morris were a bad part in my past.
"David. I know you. I remember you from my past. I tried to help you when Oscar and Morris attacked you. It's coming to be clear now but that still doesn't clear up the rest of my memories. I don't know if the story that Oscar told me was true. And I don't know if I belong with Spot or not. And I still don't have any clue who my family is."
"What did Oscar tell you?" he asked. "He told me that he saved me from a drunk man and that he's loved me ever since he laid eyes on me. But from the flashback that I got when you got attacked Oscar tried attacking me when I tried to help. This doesn't make any sense. Is it just me imagining things? Or was it really him? Everything's so confusing. Like ever since I started getting some of my memories back, life just got more harder and more confusing. I don't even know who I am anymore?"
"I understand. It's hard when you wake up in the middle of a strange place with your past wiped out. But I know you have a fighting spirit. I know in you your memories are there. They just haven't awakened yet. I know you would never let go."
He's right even if I tried I would never let go of my memories. They're still in there somewhere. Maybe that's the reason I'm starting to get them back. But in about two more weeks i'm marrying Oscar. Two weeks may seem like a lot of time but with the pace of my memories coming back and how blurry they still are I may not have time to regain my past in time for the wedding. And again still questioning my relationship with Oscar. But what I won't question is the fact that Oscar will kill me after he hears what I did to Morris and how I stood up for a newsie.
Song used in Chapter 9: Go the Distance by Michael Bolton
Song used in this chapter: God Help the Outcasts by Bette Midler