Trapped Where There Ain't No Future

16

While we stood in the dim room, eventually moving to sitting on the floor after our legs began to fall asleep, I thought about the differences between the boroughs. First you had Queens; rough, wild. Dangerous and untamed. I had mixed feelings about Queens. It was where I was born and raised, my heritage linked to the ground and buildings here. But it also held the worst of my memories. The night my parents died, Calico, my 'career' all spun into one.

 Then there was Brooklyn. Just as rough and tumble as Queens, and perhaps even more dangerous. But in a different way; a way that seemed, at least among the newsies, more brotherly-- sibling-y?-- than Queens did. More unified, protected. Safer. 

Manhattan was another breed all together. Still dangerous, especially at night, but... softer. The newsies were close-knit, perhaps the most so I'd seen in the boroughs. Brooklyn was sort of, "if they hurt you I'll get them back, but you can fight for yourself." Manhattan seemed to be a little more all-or-nothing, together as one. My brother fit right in. 

As for me... I didn't know where I fit in. With my brother? With Spot? Definitely not with Fox. I knew that for a fact. But where, I didn't know. It seemed everywhere and nowhere was home for me. 

"A penny for yoah thought." Spot spoke softly, his accent breaking the silence between us carefully. 

"You'd need more'n one penny to get all my thoughts out." I replied, a small smile twitching my lips. 

"How much? I am the King o' Brooklyn. I c'n probably afford it." Spot said, smirking slightly. 

"At least a dime." I said thoughtfully. 

"A whole dime? I can eat two days on a dime." Spot muttered, a thread of lightheartedness still in his voice that belied our circumstances. 

"I bet I could do three." I replied, a teasing tone in my voice. 

"We should test it. Later." Spot said softly. 

I nodded slowly. "Yeah."

We lapsed into silence again, the one simple word bringing us immediately back to where we were.  I began to doze, my body registering the chance to rest and reboot, when I heard the voice. 

"So what we'se sayin' is that my sistah's missin'. An' Spot is too, yeah? They ain't the type t' disappear like that. Somethin's goin' on!" 

An vaguely familiar voice now; "Brooklyn's goin' hard lockdown. Ev'ryone in groups, no little'uns left alone. We'se here t' recommend y'all do the same." 

"Pockets." Spot whispered softly. The second in command of the Brooklyn boys and Spot's right hand man. 

My brother spoke again; "An' t' ask if you've heard anythin' from them. We was 'xpectin' to find Calico, but..." 

Fox's smooth voice rolled out then, slightly muffled as the first two had been. They were in the room next to us. "Calico's been outa commission for a while now. I'm in charge while he's... occupied." 

The lying little-- 

"Well, have you seen them?" Blink asked, his words slightly sharper. 

"I'm afraid not." Fox replied, his tone tinged with false regret. 

I had to figure out some way to let Blink know we were here. Some way to tell him, but nothing obvious. They couldn't bust us out now, with only the four of us against the entire place. They would have to come back, stealthy-like. A delayed reaction to Fox's plan... 

And just like that, I had it. Clearing my throat softly, I began to sing. My voice quavered at first, but grew steadily stronger as I sang. I winced slightly as my voice cracked on one of the higher notes, but I kept going. My voice was not perfect by any means, but it wasn't that bad. Hopefully.  But that wasn't what mattered now, as I sang the words that my mother used to sing to us every night before bed. The song I hadn't heard in years, but that spoke of hills and far away trees. Rivers and mountains and valleys; and most importantly, the second verse:

"Carry me away from my troubles / Bring me back to the skies / Don't wait too long to bring me home / But just give me one more night." 

Nothing happened during the song. I had been expecting Stone and Fox to burst in, furious. But nothing happened as I finished singing either, holding my breath in the now deafening silence. Spot shifted slightly beside me. "What..." he breathed out, but I shook my head to quiet him. 

Nothing, still; until Blink spoke again. As I listened carefully I could hear a funny tone to his voice, nearly inaudible. "So I guess we'se'll be goin' then. C'mon Pockets." 

I heard chairs scooting back, footfalls towards the door. I held my breath; would it have gotten through? I wouldn't put it past my brother to burst into the room and grab us before attempting to fight his way out... but that kind of hotheadedness he was so prone to wouldn't work now. I just hoped he had listened to the words of the song. He definitely knew I was here now. 

"Stone'll show you out." Fox said, the meaning of his words clear. They would get no chance to poke around. 

I could practically see the airy shrug my twin gave, as reflected in his voice. "A'right. See ya around." 

"Mm." Fox replied, humming through closed lips. 

Then the sound of a door. Footsteps echoing away, growing softer each time. Our door remained closed, the lamp continuing to flicker. 

"Whatever you was just tryin', I don' think it worked." Spot said quietly after a minute. 

"It did." I said softly, hoping I was right. "It's gonna work out." 

And as I spoke the words, the deadbolt shifted, and a familiar face appeared.