Post by Snicker on Feb 11, 2010 19:45:38 GMT -5
Chapter 1.
I stared at the old brick building that lie ahead. NEWSBOYS LODGING HOUSE, the sign read in big yellow letters. I was hesitant to enter.
“If you go in there,” I thought, “you’ll never go back.” I began to regret leaving home that night. I took at step backwards. Back home. “You promised that girl.” I thought back to the deal I’d made to a silly little orphan girl I’d met in the park. We had talked for a long time and she told me about her plan. She had this brilliant plan of leaving her orphanage and running away to some lodging house where she and I and some other girl would sell newspapers together away from our boring lives.
“Don’t you want something more?” I swallowed hard. My conscience was persuading me to go in. A hard wind blew back on my neck pushing me towards the entrance. “Guess that’s a yes. Thank you, Mother Nature.”
I took a few steps forward as I reached the big wooden door. It towered above me looking sinister. A threat. I twisted the cold metal knob and entered into the house. The interior was more welcoming than I had expected. It looked much like the lobby of an apartment complex; with a counter and everything. I jumped at the sound of rustling papers from under the counter as a tired old man rose from behind them.
“Oh-oh my! Why, hello!” He greeted me with a smile and held out a shaking hand. I took a step forward and shook it. “What a nice grip. What’s the name?” The man asked leaning on the desk with a pen in his hand.
“Angela.” I said timidly.
“No nickname!?” The man exclaimed in shock.
“Should I have one?!” I questioned as I felt my face turn red in embarrassment.
“Why, yes. I suppose so… Most everyone has one here.”
I thought for a moment. No one ever called me by anything except Angela. I could feel his eyes burning holes in the top of my head.
THINK!
“Call er giggles.” An oddly familiar voice chimed from somewhere behind me. “She’s got a noivis lil’ laugh.” I wisped around to see that orphan girl with the same long braids flowing down her back as she had the first time I saw her.
“I most certainly do not!” I protested sourly.
“Or maybe Prissy or Late.” The girl walked down the rest of the stairs and leaned against the counter next to me. “Curly?” She suggested cocking her head. She wore a sly smirk and her head reached my shoulder, though her face indicated she was around my age. Her dark brown eyes glared deep into mine and they held an evil gleam.
“Make it Snicker.” I told the old man. He nodded and scribbled the name onto a sheet of paper he slid in a drawer on the other side of the counter.
“Good, good. Echo,” he commanded as the girl looked away from me, “show the lady to her room.”
Echo I took one last look at that man as 'Echo' lead me up those creaky wooden steps and saw him simply shake his head. Kloppy?
"The luxurious newsboy bunkroom!" Echo exclaimed, arms spread, as she led me into a messy bunk filled room. With my first step into the filthy room, I was overwhelmed by the powerful stench of dirty laundry and smoke. The floors creaked as my weight shifted from one wooden board to another while Echo lead me into a circle of gambling young men. “Boys,” She said proudly, “meet da new goil.” Echo introduced me with a grin and sank back into the forming crowd.
“Whaddaya heah?” A tall boy with a cowboy hat and light brown hair greeted me with a friendly punch on the arm.
“Excuse me?” I snorted rubbing my newly bruised arm.
“He said hello.” An older girl with long blonde hair said sweetly as she pulled me from the crowd. She offered a hand to shake and I accepted it. “Elizab-irdy. Birdy.” She stuttered. “It’s Birdy. And you?”
“Snicker.”
The blonde girl smiled. “That’s a nice nickname.” I returned the warm smile but all comfortable feelings of civilization quickly left as I was pulled back into the mob of yapping teenage boys. Hands grabbed at me from all sides as they all tried to greet me at once.
“Boys!” I said, an attempt at calming them down. Nothing doing. “ Guys!” I said a bit louder, but it was ineffective. “STOOOOOOP!” I screamed causing the entire cluster to jump. “Form a line!” A commanded as the boys quietly lined up in front of me. Leading my line was a tall blonde boy with reader’s glasses sitting on the edge of his nose. He stuck his arm awkwardly in front of himself and glued a goofy smile to his face.
“Dutchy!” He chirped as he shook my wrist; then immediately left the line.
The rest of the boys followed. Names like “Pie Eater” and “Mush” were what the boys had labeled themselves with. They all sounded immature and names like “Kid Blink” and “Specs” just seemed very un-creative based on their own outward appearances. I wasn’t exactly sure I’d make very good friends with some of them, or any of them all for that matter. I was only sure of one thing at that moment; my life was never going to be the same.
I stared at the old brick building that lie ahead. NEWSBOYS LODGING HOUSE, the sign read in big yellow letters. I was hesitant to enter.
“If you go in there,” I thought, “you’ll never go back.” I began to regret leaving home that night. I took at step backwards. Back home. “You promised that girl.” I thought back to the deal I’d made to a silly little orphan girl I’d met in the park. We had talked for a long time and she told me about her plan. She had this brilliant plan of leaving her orphanage and running away to some lodging house where she and I and some other girl would sell newspapers together away from our boring lives.
“Don’t you want something more?” I swallowed hard. My conscience was persuading me to go in. A hard wind blew back on my neck pushing me towards the entrance. “Guess that’s a yes. Thank you, Mother Nature.”
I took a few steps forward as I reached the big wooden door. It towered above me looking sinister. A threat. I twisted the cold metal knob and entered into the house. The interior was more welcoming than I had expected. It looked much like the lobby of an apartment complex; with a counter and everything. I jumped at the sound of rustling papers from under the counter as a tired old man rose from behind them.
“Oh-oh my! Why, hello!” He greeted me with a smile and held out a shaking hand. I took a step forward and shook it. “What a nice grip. What’s the name?” The man asked leaning on the desk with a pen in his hand.
“Angela.” I said timidly.
“No nickname!?” The man exclaimed in shock.
“Should I have one?!” I questioned as I felt my face turn red in embarrassment.
“Why, yes. I suppose so… Most everyone has one here.”
I thought for a moment. No one ever called me by anything except Angela. I could feel his eyes burning holes in the top of my head.
THINK!
“Call er giggles.” An oddly familiar voice chimed from somewhere behind me. “She’s got a noivis lil’ laugh.” I wisped around to see that orphan girl with the same long braids flowing down her back as she had the first time I saw her.
“I most certainly do not!” I protested sourly.
“Or maybe Prissy or Late.” The girl walked down the rest of the stairs and leaned against the counter next to me. “Curly?” She suggested cocking her head. She wore a sly smirk and her head reached my shoulder, though her face indicated she was around my age. Her dark brown eyes glared deep into mine and they held an evil gleam.
“Make it Snicker.” I told the old man. He nodded and scribbled the name onto a sheet of paper he slid in a drawer on the other side of the counter.
“Good, good. Echo,” he commanded as the girl looked away from me, “show the lady to her room.”
Echo I took one last look at that man as 'Echo' lead me up those creaky wooden steps and saw him simply shake his head. Kloppy?
"The luxurious newsboy bunkroom!" Echo exclaimed, arms spread, as she led me into a messy bunk filled room. With my first step into the filthy room, I was overwhelmed by the powerful stench of dirty laundry and smoke. The floors creaked as my weight shifted from one wooden board to another while Echo lead me into a circle of gambling young men. “Boys,” She said proudly, “meet da new goil.” Echo introduced me with a grin and sank back into the forming crowd.
“Whaddaya heah?” A tall boy with a cowboy hat and light brown hair greeted me with a friendly punch on the arm.
“Excuse me?” I snorted rubbing my newly bruised arm.
“He said hello.” An older girl with long blonde hair said sweetly as she pulled me from the crowd. She offered a hand to shake and I accepted it. “Elizab-irdy. Birdy.” She stuttered. “It’s Birdy. And you?”
“Snicker.”
The blonde girl smiled. “That’s a nice nickname.” I returned the warm smile but all comfortable feelings of civilization quickly left as I was pulled back into the mob of yapping teenage boys. Hands grabbed at me from all sides as they all tried to greet me at once.
“Boys!” I said, an attempt at calming them down. Nothing doing. “ Guys!” I said a bit louder, but it was ineffective. “STOOOOOOP!” I screamed causing the entire cluster to jump. “Form a line!” A commanded as the boys quietly lined up in front of me. Leading my line was a tall blonde boy with reader’s glasses sitting on the edge of his nose. He stuck his arm awkwardly in front of himself and glued a goofy smile to his face.
“Dutchy!” He chirped as he shook my wrist; then immediately left the line.
The rest of the boys followed. Names like “Pie Eater” and “Mush” were what the boys had labeled themselves with. They all sounded immature and names like “Kid Blink” and “Specs” just seemed very un-creative based on their own outward appearances. I wasn’t exactly sure I’d make very good friends with some of them, or any of them all for that matter. I was only sure of one thing at that moment; my life was never going to be the same.
