Newsies' Little Sister

Chapter 1 - The Day It All Started

 BEFORE YOU READ - TRIGGER WARNING - ABUSE

Emmeline's POV

Quiet. That was all I could hear, until...Thud. I winced and turned my head away from the source of the noise. Thud. There it was again. Thud, thud. Then twice more. After that, the most horrible sound that I have ever heard.

The cry that was ripped from my brother's throat was heart - wrenching to say the least. Very soon after came the sound of the front door opening, something heavy being tossed out into the street, and subsequently closed again.

'Oh no. It's my turn now!' I thought quickly as the door at the top of the stairs, leading down to the basement where I was sitting, was flung violently open; and the silhouette of my terrifying father was like a black stain on a white sheet as he stood framed in the doorway. I looked down as I heard his heavy boots pounded the cold stone steps. I felt an icy hand on my shoulder, as it dragged me sharply upwards towards the floor above.

Once we were both up there, I was thrown against a wall. Well, I say thrown, I was more pushed by the sheer force of the punch that was landed on my stomach. I couldn't tell who punched me, either my mother or my father. And quite frankly, I don't care who punched me, all I care about is that it hurt. But boy was I in for more...

The next blow that landed was on my face. I cried out in pain as I felt something crack.

"Well, that's one day gone." I heard a female voice say.

Nick's POV

"Ouch!" I said as my limp, bruised body hit the sidewalk. I'm surprised at the sound of my own voice as I was just soaked pretty bad not 30 seconds ago.

"Oh no. It's her turn now!" I thought quickly as I heard the door to the basement stairs open and my father's heavy boots pound down the steps. I can only imagine what is going through my poor Em's head at the moment. I am so scared for her, because if they soak her like they did me...Well, let's just say, she won't be trying to escape ever again.

I hear the horrible sound of the first punch being thrown and part of me wants to burst back into the hellhole, that is otherwise known as my house; but the other part of me, the more sensible part of me right now, is saying 'No! Don't go back there It will only make things worse you both of you.' And to be honest I was in too much pain to get up.

Then came the scream.

Emmeline's POV

The feeling of cold steel tearing apart your skin is the most painful thing I could ever imagine. Although, both luckily and unluckily, I passed out from the pain. She only cut one line, but it felt like she was drawing a full-blown masterpiece.

Nick's POV

After about 5 minutes of listening to the dogs barking in the distance and the last of the Newsies hawking out their papers, I decided that I can't go in and help Em, but I must find a way to survive on my own. That was when Albert found me.

"Hey! Are you OK?" He said as he approached me.

Albert's POV

I saw a person sitting on the sidewalk. They looked a bit lost, if you ask me.

"Hey! Are you OK?" I called out to them. They turned their head towards me and I thought,' wow. They look roughed up! I should probably go and help them' As I got closer, I saw that it was Nick.

"Oh my god! Nick, what happened?" Everyone knows Nick Meyers. He's the one with the crazy parents. And, no, not crazy in a good way. Rumor has it that he has a younger sister that no one else knows about. Apart from him and his parents. It was just when I got closer that he said the one thing that I never thought would come out of his mouth.

Nick's POV

"I need a place to stay. Can I join the Newsies?"