Crack the whip|| Newsies

Chapter 3

Jack was laying there on the ground.

BAM! The first one hit his back between the shoulders.

CRACK! The second time the belt hit his back it was on his spine, a little under his ribs.

"You are an useless rat!" another hit. This was not the belt, but the back of a hand in his face.

"No wonder your parents left you!" Spiders voice rang through his head.

He was falling...

Blackness consumed everything...

Thoughts smashed him in the face.

'WORTHLESS'

'BURDEN'

'IDIOT'

There was nothing but blackness and his own mind.

He crashed on a cold stone ground.

He was in a room without any windows.

Voices rung in his head.

He wanted to scream.

Scream boy, scream or you're screwed.

{...}

That night was one of the few nights that Jack had slept alone in his Penthouse. He had told Crutchie to sleep with the other boys. When he had tried to argue Jack had just send one of his famous glares and Crutchie went without any further ado.

Crutchie lay now in his bunk, but he couldn't sleep. Jack wasn't acting like himself and he wasn't alright. There were bruises all over his body and he was even unconscious when they had found him. What if it was Snyder that was after him. He could have been dead.

He tried closing his eyes, but then he saw the picture of Jack laying on the ground. He didn't want that. Jack couldn't die. It's Jack.

A scream interrupted his thoughts. He looked around, but saw that everyone was sleeping peacefully. This could only mean one thing.
"Jack."

He climbed up the stairs. He knew Jack didn't want him to do that without him being there to catch him, but he had to get to him somehow and he most definitely wasn't waking one of the boys. When he finally made it up he saw something he'd never seen before and never wanted to see. Jack was laying in his bed twisting, screaming and moving aggressively. Tears slipped down his face. Crutchie moved slowly towards Jack and sat beside him.
"Jack, you needs to wake up." But Jack didn't react so he began to shake him. "Jack, please. It's a dream you need to w..." a hand hit his cheek and he fell backward. In that moment Crutchie knew he couldn't wake him up alone.
"RACE!" He shouted. He heard a groan from downstairs and a minute later Race's head popped up.
"Thought you was sleepin' with us tonight." Race said grumpy. He hadn't seen Jack yet, but when he saw Crutchie's red cheek, he was fully awake and aware.
"What happened?" He asked as he sat down on the other side of Jack.
"I don't know, but I heard 'im screamin' and when I got here, I found 'im like this. I can't wake him."
"You hold 'is arms down and I'll try to wake 'im up." Crutchie did as Race said and sat on top of Jack to hold him still. Race put one of his hands on Jack's sternum and the other in Jack's neck. With his knuckles he massaged the sternum while whispering some reassuring words.
"C'mon Jackie, ya need to wake up. It's just a bad dream. You are save." After a while Jack stopped stirring and slowly woke up.

{...}

He was alone.

No one was coming for him.

He'd betrayed them. Why would they?

BAM! Pain jolted through his whole body.

Snyder's laugh filled his head.

Insults thrown his way.

"Crawl back to that Santa Fe of yours."

"You're stupid to think anyone wants you."

"You will never seize another day."

"Jackie, ya need to wake up."

Wait that voice didn't belong here.

He couldn't breath.

"It's just a bad dream."

He felt something warm in the back of his neck and began to relax.

Why is he relaxing?

"You are save."

Light took over the darkness.

He blinked.

{...}

Jack jolted awake. He sat up panting. Race's hand was still in his neck. It was comforting in a weird way. He wanted to relax, but also knew he couldn't. Relaxing meant being out of control. If he did that he would most definitely break and he couldn't afford that. Not now. Not with the two boys here.
"Jack relax. It was just a bad dream. " Crutchie whispered. Jack shook his head.
"Yes, ya do need to relax." Race agreed. His hand slid to Jack's back and he began rubbing in circles, but Jack got up quickly and pushed himself out of their grip. He was still shaking his head, but it wasn't to answer them. He needed to get rid of the past. He couldn't let it cloud his vision of his present.
"Jack, talk to us." Crutchie said while standing up,
"We wanna help ya, but we can't if ya don't tell what's wrong." Race added.
"You need to leave." Jack said. He wanted to sound stern, but his voice cracked.
"We ain't leavin' till ya explain to us what this was all 'bout." Race crossed his arms and stood with a stubborn look in his eyes. Jack knew he couldn't lie to them anymore. Besides... They were his best friends. His closest brothers. They were the only ones who knew his whole history.
"Snyder send the Delancey after me. He probably paid them for it." Jack said. He didn't look at his brothers. If he did they would see the pain in his eyes. But before he could do anything a hand turned him around so he had to face them.
"Why didn't ya just says so?" Crutchie asked.
"The boys look up to me. If I show..." He trailed off.
"If ya shows that you just human than they won't look up to ya less." Race said while laying his hand on Jack's shoulder. "We all looks up to ya. Not just because you is the famous JACK KELLY, but also because you are our leader, our friend, our brother."
"Really?"
"Really."
"We should go to sleep again." Crutchie said with a yawn.
"No. I ain't goin' back there." Jack said stubbornly.
"Race why don't ya head to bed? I'll sleep here." Race nodded and headed back down the stairs.
"What were ya dreamin' 'bout?" Crutchie asked once Race had left.
"The Refuge." Jack didn't need to say more, because his face showed all his previous emotions: sadness, fair and anger.
"Jack, I'll sleep here. Nothin' is gonna happen." Jack nodded and laid back down. Crutchie grabbed the blanket that Jack had thrown away during his nightmare and put it over him again.
"Thanks Crutch. Night." Jack whispered and was fast asleep again. Crutchie sat there for a minute to make sure Jack wasn't having another nightmare.
"Goodnight, Jack."