8 Days, 8 Letters; Spot Conlon

From King to Prisoner

Song: Train wreck by James Arthur

Flashback: March 1895

Ace's POV

It had been two weeks since I was taken from my newsies and Mac. I was sitting in the carriage with a few of my newsies on the way to our doom. I had been sentenced to three years in the Refuge. A few of them got 6 months to a year, but the rest got the same sentence I did since we were older. As long as we stay out of trouble, we could be out earlier, but that's wishful thinking. Snyder will find a way to keep us there for numbers, so he gets more money.

I saw the giant building that made up the Refuge. Suddenly the doors slammed open and I was thrown out of the carriage. They dragged me up to my feet. I didn't fight them as much as I wanted to. I'll be safer if I do what they want.

"Let's go," the guards said as they dragged me into the building.

The pulled me up the stairs before throwing me into the bunk room. I clattered to the ground along with some of my newsies, making the boys look over from their bunks.

"Lights out," they said. "All of you."

The boys looked away as the guards closed the door and locked it.

I slowly got up from the ground and leaned against the wall. A boy who looked to be around my age approached me.

"Let me guess, you's were in the fight between Brooklyn and Queens," he said.

"How'd you know," I replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I overheard Snyder talking about it with some of his minions."

"So are you a newsie?" I asked.

"Nah," he answered. "Been on the run, practically surviving on begging and pickpocketing. Although I don't keep all of my goods."

"What do you mean by all that?"

"I give some of my results to kids that need it as much as I do."

"Sort of like Robin Hood?"

"Yeah. My sister loved that book. Although she loves all books really."

"I'm assuming your sister was a reader."

"I don't think that's a strong enough word, but yes, I suppose."

"I get it. I knew a girl who always had her nose in a book. That's how she got her name and everything, Books."

"Maybe her and my sister should meet. I'm sure they'd become the best of friends."

"What was your sister's name?"

"Jaime."

"Wait Jaime. As in Jaime Kelly?"

"Yes. You know her?"

"Yeah. She was the girl I was telling you about. I'm guessing that makes you Jack?"

"That's me," he laughed. "I've been wondering what happened to her. How is she?"

"She's doing great. She's a real natural at selling. She's such a happy and intelligent person. She misses you like crazy though."

"That sounds like her," he smiled.

"So how'd you end up here?"

"I was stealing food to try and survive. To help us survive. I'd been on the run for a couple years until Snyder caught me. Just got sentenced to another 6 months for attempted escape."

I couldn't believe that the brother Books had spoken of was here at the Refuge. I wish I could tell her. I know it wouldn't be joyful news, but maybe it'd give her some peace knowing where he's been and why he never came to get her.

"I just got sentenced to two years for aggravated assault."

"Look at us, a couple of rebels."

I laughed. He was exactly had Jaime had described him: confident, charming, sensitive.

"Well we should turn the lights or before we get in trouble," I said.

"You can sleep in this bunk with me," he said, tapping the lower bunk next to us. "They'll give you some clothes in the morning."

I climbed into the bunk, but I couldn't fall asleep. I mean half of the kids who come in don't make it out here alive. Whats going to happen to me, to all of us in here?

Laying in the silence
Waiting for the sirens
Signs, any signs I'm alive still
I don't wanna lose it
But I'm not getting through this
Hey, should I pray? Should I pray? Yeah
To myself? To a God?
To a savior who can

Unbreak the broken
Unsay these spoken words
Find hope in the hopeless
Pull me out of the train wreck
Unburn the ashes
Unchain the reactions now, not ready to die, not yet
Pull me out of the train wreck
Pull me out, pull me out, pull me out, ah
Pull me out, pull me out

Underneath our bad blood
We've still got a sanctum, home
Still a home, still a home here
It's not to late to build it back
Cause a one-in-a-million chance
Is still a chance, still a chance
And I will take those odds

Unbreak the broken
Unsay these spoken words
Find hope in the hopeless
Pull me out of the train wreck
Unburn the ashes
Unchain the reactions now, not ready to die, not yet
Pull me out of the train wreck
Pull me out, pull me out, pull me out, ah
Pull me out, pull me out

You can say what you like, don't say I wouldn't die for you
I, I'm down on my knees and I need to to be my God
Be my help, be a savior who can

Unbreak the broken
Unsay these reckless words (find hope in the hopeless)
Pull me out of the train wreck
Unburn the ashes
Unchain the reactions now, not ready to die, not yet
Pull me out of the train wreck
Pull me out, pull me out, pull me out, ah
Pull me out, pull me out

I wonder how my newsies are doing? Are Spot and Books holding up? Is Mac okay? I wish I could hold him and tell him it's gonna be okay; but truth is I don't even know if it is. But I'm sure Books knows, she always knows.

Flashback November 1895

Teddy Roosevelt had come to the Refuge during his campaign to show he cares about poor orphans or something. Jack had made many attempted escapes, a couple I joined him on. They were clever but we got caught, however this time, I think he's just plain crazy.

Jack climbed out the window and slid down the fireplace as he had done so many times before while Roosevelt and Snyder were talking about his campaign. It was funny how Snyder sucked up to him despite him bad-mouthing him a fee hours before his arrival.

Jack had made it down and snuck into the back of Roosevelt's carriage. His first stop was to Brooklyn to reunite with Books. He had asked me to join, but I knew the boys would be punished severely if we had both left. Not that we still wouldn't be punished for letting Jack leave. Besides I've already gotten another six months added to my sentence for covering for the younger boys and at the rate I'm going at I may be here until I'm 30.

After about 30 minutes, Roosevelt returned to his carriage and left. Jack sneakily waved to us from the back. I hope he makes it to Books.

Present Day: July 1899

Today's the day I'm finally allowed to leave. Well not technically because Snyder added more sentences to keep me here the closer this day got. Technically I'm to be here for another year, but I'm leaving tonight and I'm taking some of the other boys in the same situation with me.

I couldn't take watching another hundred boys die in here from disease, starvation, or Snyder's harsh punishments. I had seen many come and go both dead and alive, but even the alive ones looked as though the life had been sucked out of them. I guess it really is true, once you end up in here, you're never the same.

We waited for Snyder to fall asleep before sneaking down the fire escape. We had slipped a few times because of how slippery it was. Once the last one had made it down, we escaped in the night hoping to make it home.