A lone newsie

Who is she?

November 14th, 1900

---

Crutchie's mind wandered as he laid in bed that morning. It wandered from subjects concerning the way he sold papers, to what he would eat the next morning, to the other newsboys.

Eventually, his mind skedaddled over to (Y/N). He wondered why it did this. He tried to shake it from his mind, but he was curious about her past.. He didn't know much about her, now that he thought about it.

He once again tried to expel her from his mind, but she kept popping in there. Her face would be there, looking at him with an angry snarl.

He was too tired for this.

He tried to fall back asleep. He had a few hours before selling after all. He had time for a nap, right?

But, before he knew it, Jack was yelling around for the newsies to get up.
And so, the day started.

______

(Y/N) rubbed her forehead. Her head was aching and she was tired as Lilac, who was just about to collapse. It had been a long day of selling, and she was fed up with dealing with the day.

Once at the lodging house, she trudged up the stairs. She was only about half way before she stopped.

She didn't know quite why, but she felt like someone was looking at her. Then, she felt it. She felt the stare of two eyes burning into her back.

She shrugged it off as simple paranoia and kept going up. Upon reaching her bed, she flopped down and passed out, snoring in a matter of minutes.

On the bottom floor of the lodging center, Crutchie was sitting with Jack, and Davey, talking about various subjects such as the news, money issues, and what an, ahem, JERK, Pulitzer was. Les was there too, but he was mostly silent, sitting next to his brother and listening in.

At one point, he heard footstep on the creaky stairs to the upstairs. Turning his head to them, he looked over to see none other then (Y/N), the girl who had been in his mind more then often lately. He looked at her back, hoping she'd turn around.

She kept going up, much to Crutchie's disapointment.

"Ay, Crutchie, whatcha lookin' at there?" Jack said, nudging his arm with his elbow.

Crutchie snapped out of his staring.

"Huh? Oh, nothin'" He replied, turning his face away from the stairs.

"Bull-crap, yous was lookin' at somethin!" Jack retorted, a sly grin growing on his face. He must have been catching on.

Cripes, he was a bad liar.

"Doesn't that goil sleep up there?" Davey added, an eyebrow raising with genuine questioning.

"Yeah!" Les suddenly piped in, perking up. "Her name in (Y/N)! She gives me pennies to leave her alone!"

"Then its settled, Crutchie was staring at (Y/N)!" Jack said, quite loud, causing newsboys around them to laugh and join the conversation.

Crutchie sighed, exasperated. This was bound to be a rough conversation.

"Look, I can tell ya' I wasn't lookin at her with any bad intentions. I jus' wanna know more about her' s'all." Crutchie finished, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, like what she looks like under her clothes!" Race yelled from the back, causing a communal laugh between the newsboys while Crutchie just rolled his eyes.

"No, in fact. All I wants to know is about her past. Like, why the hell a goil would be sellin with us!" Crutchie exclaimed, causing a few laughs.

"Well, don' ask us. She doesn't talk to any of us!" Said a newsie from the back, who's voice sounded like none other then Spec's.

Crutchie sighed once again.

Perhaps learning about (Y/N) would be harder then he initially thought.

______

(Y/N) slept in her bed, snoring away. To a watcher, she was just sleeping, when she was in fact dreaming.

That is, if you could call them that. Her dreams were more of played back memories that distorted themselves, less of new experiences.

In her dream, she saw the night sky, shimmering above her. She could see all the lovely constellations she loved so dearly.

Suddenly, a voice appeared behind her.

(Y/N).. It lulled. She recognized that voice..

It was her mother.

Yes, mother? (Y/N) replied to the voice, which had now manifested a shape that could only be described as the mother (Y/N) loved so dearly. She took a step to her mother.

You left us, (Y/N).. Her mother said, a stern look on her face, her tone turning bitter.

N-no, mother, I didn't mean to! (Y/N) pleaded.

Lies! You are full of lies! Nothing but lies! Her mother suddenly lashed out, manifesting into something purely terrifying.

Her lovely forehead now sprouted horns made of flames, spikes growing on her body everywhere else, except for her eyes, which were now pure, boiling hot, rage.

YOU LEFT US!

(Y/N) jolted awake in a cold sweat, her heart pounding. She whipped her head around and was reassured when she realized it was only a dream. A very, very, bad dream.

She laid back down and closed her eyes, but couldn't get herself to sleep. Instead, she laid there, staring at the ceiling.

I left them..

(Y/N) turned over and sighed. She knew it couldn't have been her fault, she was only seven when it happened!

She closed her eyes as hot salty tears poured out, filling her with regret.

A/N

Sorry this is a super short and shitty chapter. Mental health has been a fucking mess lately and I'm losing motivation to do anything.