Bound To Rain

Let's go on a Walk

It is currently July 18, 1900.

WARNING!!!! - death.

"Bailey, don't make this difficult." A man growled. I kind of recognized it. Peeking out of the door, a saw Jack laying bloody outside Elmer's room. Looking further, there was Crutchie in the same state. I peered over the rickety wooden rail to see the rest of the Newsies dead and bloodied. "Your parents would be ashamed of you!"

My head whipped around to see the same man who murdered my mother and father. He was holding a knife that was dripping in blood.

"Robinson!" I swiveled to the right to see Kailem

"You were arrested!" I shouted, voice trembling in fear.

"Harriet is dead." He hissed at me.

"No she isn't!" I cried in response. Kailem pulled something out of his pocket. I looked at it closely. To my horror, it was Harriet's ring. She had taken it off of my mother's finger before we left our apartment. It was gold with an emerald in the middle. Kailem tossed it up in the air and caught it. Then, he tossed to me. I reached out to catch it, but right before it connected with my hand, it disappeared in red dust. All of a sudden, both Kailem and the man who killed my parents changed at me with knifes. I don't even remember Kailem pulling a knife. I heard both blades pierce flesh, but I didn't feel anything. Instead, the red dust puffed out in all directions, obscuring my vision.

"Claire, our daughter is such a disappointment." I heard my father's voice hiss, hatred burning in his voice.

"Much worse than that." My mother's voice replied, the same anger in her voice.

"Bailey, why did you let him take me?" Harriet's voice echoed around sadly.

"I didn't-" I tried.

"Why?" All three shouted.

I jolted awake, beads of cold sweat sticking to my face.

"Bailey?" I heard Elmer's voice from the bottom bunk. "You okay?"

"Ah, yeah." I responded. "What time is it?"
"2:13." He responded cooly from the bottom bunk, voice still kind of squeaky. Definitely in the morning.
"How is you awake?" I remembered Jack having to carry him into bed.
"That depends on how much you seen." His head popped up the ladder, black hair scruffy.

"Ya fell asleep standing up!" I grinned. "Jack had to carry you up."
"Why don't you'd come down here and I'll explain it ta you?" Elmer offered, dropping his head back down. I climbed down the ladder.
"Sit," he patted an end of his old mattress, while he sat on the other. "So you's seen how easily I can fall asleep?"
"Yeah." I nodded, sitting criss-crossed intently.
"The tired don't last all night. I usually wake up 'round midnight to rebuild it, I guess." He explained. I noticed my teddy bear at the corner.
"Also," he started again. "Where da hell did that bear come from."
"Well, you was snoring, so I turned ya on yer side, but you wouldn't let go of my arm. So I replaced my arm with my teddy bear." I told him.
"Nah, you should've just let me have your arm." Elmer joked, them got serious. "What was you dreamin' about?"
"What?" I forgot that I had a bad dream.
"Your dream?" He pressed, trying to smooth out his hair.
"Oh... Well it's kind of a long story." I rubbed my neck, which my brown hair stuck to.
"I's gonna be awake for awhile." Elmer shrugged.
"Well okay." I smiled. "I's is gonna start at the beginning."
"Where else?" He put the teddy bear in his lap.
"So, when I's was little a man killed my parents and I know what he looks like. And just a year ago my older sista Harriet was taken by a man names Kailem. She's eighteen now, so she could be in a real jail."
Elmer nodded along, picking lint off of the bear.
"But anyway, in the dream, I heard someone say not to make things difficult. I opened the door and Jack was dead outside this door. Near him was Crutchie, who was also dead. Everyone was dead."
"Even me?" He asked.
"I think so." I informed him. "The man who said it appeared on my left, and he was holdin' a knife. He said that my parents would be ashamed of me. Then Snyder was on my right and told me that Harriet was dead. He even had her ring. Then they both tried to stab me, but then all I saw was red."
"Mhm." He motioned for me to continue.
"While everything was red, It's was hearin' my folks sayin' that I's is a disappointment. Then Harriet asked me why I didn't try ta save her."
"No wonder you was talkin'" Elmer commented.
"I's was talkin'?" I felt my face growing red, it's a good thing the rooms dark.
"Yeah, mostly just jibberish." He reassured me.
"Well, now that you's knows about my past, you gotta tell me yours." I told him.
"Okay, well, my last name is Kasprzak." He began. "I's was the youngest of nine siblings, but my entire family died in a fire."

"I's sorry." I looked away.

"It's okay," Elmer smiles. "I's been livin' on the streets till Albert found me."

"That's good, then." I commented.

"Does ya got hobbies?" He asked.

"I-uh- I's like ta read?" I don't really have time for hobbies. Elmer nodded slowly.

"I's ain't read in a really long time." The fifteen year-old muttered to himself.

"Gimme a minute." I held one finger up and climbed back onto the top bunk. Glancing around, I located my old backpack. Swinging it onto my shoulder, I went back down and plopped down in the same spot. Then I took out my worn out copy of Dot and The Kangaroo.

"You's got books?" Elmer gasped.

"Uhuh." I handed him the book. I took it gingerly.

"You's wantin' me ta read it?" The boy asked.

"Give it a go." I encouraged. He opened the book and started reading.

(a/n: I've never read this book, so there is absolutely no description)

Slamming the book, he looked up at me.

"I just remembered how much I hate reading." Elmer grinned. "Let's go on a walk."