Reaching For You - BBC Dodger

All Saints

Dragging Charly and Jack down every back ally and narrow road, the two policemen were still hot on our trail.
"Oi! Come back here!" Blathers shouted as I stumbled onto the pavement, Jack stabling me before I face-planted.

"Hey, come back here!"
"Right! Come here."

The slight wind stung my nose as we raced against it; mine and Jack's breaking shoes slapped against the breaking cobble as we dodged Londoners.

Taking a sharp left towards some small, steep stairs is when I realised that Charly had gone down them, not passing them - she was heading for a dead end!

The policemen thundered closer and were just a reach away before I followed after her, shouting her name.

"They're coming! Come on." I heard her say to Jack as she continued to lead us down the wrong way, our visions slowly getting narrower as we descended the winding staircase to the train station.

Just in the nick of time, I darted behind the wall and crouched down, trying to slow down my breathing.

"Where did they go? Come back here, you rat!" Blathers raged just on the other side of the crumbling brick wall. I closed my eyes and tried to control my breathing, but I couldn't.

My world spun and my breathing staggered.

It felt as if the world came crashing in.

Through my blurry vision, I watched Charly and Jack jumped across the tracks and up the other flight of stairs.

Feeling a sense of relief, I started to calm down - however, it still took some time.

I started to think about what Fagin would say if he ever found out about this. 'What would you do that for? Sitting there crying. Wipe your face and get out of here.'

I must have sat there for hours, watching as people walked by and as trains came and went. I held my cap in my hat and let my curls stick up freely.

It was so quiet. . . so quiet I slowly closed my eyes and I-

"Bullseye! Down here."

Widening my eyes, I recognised that voice. That gravely, graining voice: Bill.

'Oh no. Oh god dammit! He's gonna kill me!'

I stood up quickly, too quickly. He grabbed my shoulder painfully and started dragging me in front of him.

"Keep moving! Come on. Move! Fagin wants ya. Walk!"

I mustn't have realised how dark it had gotten as I stumbled over my feet, nearly dropping my flat cap. I felt weak. I probably looked weak as well. How did everything crumble so quickly?

"Up here. Get off! Get off! Move; keep going." Bill growled into my ear as he kicked off the praying hands of an old woman begging on the corner. Anxiety rippled down my back as we grow closer to the staircase.

"Stop."

That command startled me before I froze, glancing down at my shoes and fidgeting with my rope belt slowly soothing my nerves. "Come in, come in" came his crumble as he yanked onto my arm, harshly dragging me left suddenly.

"Up those stairs. Now"
"But Bill, I-"
"UP!"
The sudden violent demeanour caused me to flinch and wrinkle my nose in fear (and because his breath smelt baaad).

Trudging up the stairs, I took deep breaths before facing Fagin. I didn't want to disappoint him, you see, he's helped so much these past few months that I owed it to him to be the best! If you ask Polly or Tom, they'd say that they'd have him as son as he wasn't useful or sell him out for a bit of mould bread - but they don't mean it, not a word. And Tang, well Tang probably would before trying to steal him back.