Come Sail Away * Spot Conlon Love Story *

Chapter 25: The Scream

PRESENT:
8:20 p.m.

Kat's POV:
    The moment I started to come to, I knew I wasn't in my bed. Sure, the bunks in the lodging house aren't the most comfortable, but I'm on something much harder. I began to roll over, but I was engulfed in pain. My whole body was on fire. My head began to pound. I slowly reached up to feel my head, only to realize there was a sticky substance on my forehead.
    My eyes blinked open to stare at my fingers which had just touched my head. I knew right away when I saw it, that it was blood. I panicked. My eyes began to move around frantically, trying to figure out where I am. But I can't tell.
     As I attempt to move, my hand reaches up and smacks onto something hard. A sound echoes as I hit it. Intrigued, I did it again. It was metal. Hollow... a dumpster. I'm behind a dumpster.
     I put my hands out in front of me, and pulled. I screamed as my whole body was engulfed in shooting pains. I fell back onto my chest, heaving.

I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it.

12 hours and 33 minutes ago...

Jack's POV:

   "Jacky, come on boy, get up! SELL DA PAPERS!" I groaned as I rolled over in my bunk and covered my head with a pillow. Kloppman is going to be the death of me today, I swear.

   "Aye, come on. Get up, Jacky." I groaned again and turned away from Race who was now staring at me.

   "Nah, you'se all just go on without me..." I heard him move away and I sighed in relief. I just want one day off, just one! Is that too much to ask for? It's the same routine every day. I like being a newsie, and I realized months ago after the strike ended that this is where I belong. But I'm getting older. And I can't be a newsie for the rest of my life. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I know that my time being a newsie is going to be over soon.
     I just don't know how to tell the boys. How to tell my sister. They've been my family since I was a boy. They've always been by my side supporting me. Even when I wasn't there to support them. And when I almost left for Sante Fe, they all still supported me.

     "Aye, Jacky?"

     "Ugh, what's a guy gotta do ta get away from you people?"

     "Listen, we a...we'se got a bit of a problem..." That woke me up. I sat up fast and turned to see Crutchie.

      "What do you'se mean, a problem?" It was at that time that I noticed everyone wandering around frantically, as if they were looking for someone. Some boys just stared at me.

      "Well you see a...we a-"

      "Crutchie, spit it out!"

      "Kat's missing!"

Race's POV

      Silence. Everyone stopped moving. I stood alone near my bunk as people started to gather around Jack, waiting to hear his reaction.
      I was the first person to realize Kat was missing because we always try to prank each other every morning. I figured she was with Spot, so I didn't say anything. But then, Boots noticed. When Boots noticed, he started asking people where she was. That's when people started to get worried. And now, Jack knows. And I just know that in a few seconds he'll be looking to me for answers. And for the first time, I don't have any. I haven't seen Kat and she didn't tell me anything.
       She's a tough girl. All the newsies in New York know that. Well, some don't know she's a girl, but thats beside the point. If anything happened, she'd be able to handle it. And I bet she just went to Brooklyn to see Spot. That's the most logical explanation.
       I think I'm the only one that currently thinks that though. Because before I knew it, Jack's gaze turned to me and he was stalking up to me in less than a second.
     
      "Where's me sista, Race?" he demanded. He came right up in face, so close that his nose was almost touching mine. I stammered and stepped back, only to find my back pressed against the bunks.