The Newsies
Chapter 16
Okay, we know what happened to Jack. I will leave you wondering of what direction he will go once he leaves. Now we will go right back to the rest of the boys in the cave. Racetrack was suffering horribly. The pain had grown from horrifying to unbearable. His small body just couldn't take it anymore. The boys were in trouble and began to worry.
"No! NO! This can't happen! He hasta survive dis!" Skittery said. He often spoke fast and paced around the room if he felt distressed. This was one of those times.
"Pipe down!" Racetrack demanded. "Do you want us all to get hurt." Kid Blink had tried to think of a way to help Race, but he just couldn't find anything. He began to pace as well. Soon every boy in the cave started to pace. This made Racetrack nervous and angry. "Hey, fellas! You know you are slowing yourselves down! You gotta help Davey too. Boots, Snipeshootah, Snoddy and Snitch, you stay 'ere wit me! Da rest of youse, go find Davey!" He ordered. The boys nodded and followed Blink, who they believed knew where he was going and what he was doing, and were headed down the cave....
Jack dashed through the dry dusty streets. Ever since he left them in that cave he felt a horrible push on his shoulders. Guilt ran through his body and mocked him as he ran. The hot air filled with specs of dust pelted his face like thousands of tiny sewing needles. The whole time he ran he thought of things he'd apologize for when suddenly he found himself at the mouth of the wide cave. Reaching that dark hole, he realized how horrible his decision was to abandon them. He wished and wished that they wouldn't be too angry with him. He took one step and, noticing his leg was in great pain, winced and tumbled inside the cave. Hitting spiky rocks, getting scratched by tiny blades of grass he tumbled onto the main floor of the bottom of the cave. All eyes turned to the bit of light shining directly on Jack. Jack felt a huge lump grow into his throat. He tried and tried to gulp it down but it just wouldn't budge. Finally after a very long pause, Kid Blink spoke up.
"Uh, what brings you here, Jack?" Kid Blink said, trying to sound tough.
"I came to--" Suddenly, the words he was so familiar with while running were long gone. He couldn't make it come out, no matter how hard he tried.
"Well!?" Race said, surprisingly loud due to his health. Race was obviously the angriest there at Jack. But after looking at Jack, whose head was bowed low, he realized that Jack had that friendly twinkle in his eyes. Relief rushed over Race and, ignoring his condition, Race flew himself towards Jack and hugged him tight. Everyone grew silent and confused.
"Hey, Race!" Jack said laughing a little. He lightly pushed Race away, smiling the sweet smile he had left behind in Manhattan. "Boys!" His strong voice immediately shot out. Every boy now stood tall and, trying to hold back tears, were trying to impress this found personality that Jack had lost. "We gotta find Davey, before the Smugglers find us." He shouted again. Many voices began to agree and once again the boys had spirits raised. Jack turned back to Race and said, addressing it to everyone but still just looking into his coal colored eyes. "Boys, now... Wez gotta hurry! You all go find him, I'll stay and take care of Race." Immediately the answer shot out of Race.
"NO! I can carry on!" Race stood up and leaned against a wall. Slowly, he released the wall and stood. "See?"
After deciding Race was fit for walking, the boys were off. Walking through old webs, crushed up rocks and dead leaves the boys had made there way a little ways in the deep cave. About halfway through it, the boys almost ran into the smugglers. Boots turned the corner in one of the huge openings in the cave. Hearing that there was someone around that corner, Jack grabbed his collar and pulled him back. And just in time too, because the smugglers passed by that wall right after, Davey in hand. The boys followed the smugglers to wherever they were going.
Finally, the smugglers stopped. Everyone stopped and waited. They began to walk again, but on a steep hill. They walked all the way out of the cave and to a stable. The smugglers set up camp there, so the boys did the same. Secretively, they slipped into the back and behind a huge horse. Jack whispered to everyone their sleeping spots. They obeyed and lay down to go to sleep. The boys all drifted into a deep sleep......
"No! NO! This can't happen! He hasta survive dis!" Skittery said. He often spoke fast and paced around the room if he felt distressed. This was one of those times.
"Pipe down!" Racetrack demanded. "Do you want us all to get hurt." Kid Blink had tried to think of a way to help Race, but he just couldn't find anything. He began to pace as well. Soon every boy in the cave started to pace. This made Racetrack nervous and angry. "Hey, fellas! You know you are slowing yourselves down! You gotta help Davey too. Boots, Snipeshootah, Snoddy and Snitch, you stay 'ere wit me! Da rest of youse, go find Davey!" He ordered. The boys nodded and followed Blink, who they believed knew where he was going and what he was doing, and were headed down the cave....
Jack dashed through the dry dusty streets. Ever since he left them in that cave he felt a horrible push on his shoulders. Guilt ran through his body and mocked him as he ran. The hot air filled with specs of dust pelted his face like thousands of tiny sewing needles. The whole time he ran he thought of things he'd apologize for when suddenly he found himself at the mouth of the wide cave. Reaching that dark hole, he realized how horrible his decision was to abandon them. He wished and wished that they wouldn't be too angry with him. He took one step and, noticing his leg was in great pain, winced and tumbled inside the cave. Hitting spiky rocks, getting scratched by tiny blades of grass he tumbled onto the main floor of the bottom of the cave. All eyes turned to the bit of light shining directly on Jack. Jack felt a huge lump grow into his throat. He tried and tried to gulp it down but it just wouldn't budge. Finally after a very long pause, Kid Blink spoke up.
"Uh, what brings you here, Jack?" Kid Blink said, trying to sound tough.
"I came to--" Suddenly, the words he was so familiar with while running were long gone. He couldn't make it come out, no matter how hard he tried.
"Well!?" Race said, surprisingly loud due to his health. Race was obviously the angriest there at Jack. But after looking at Jack, whose head was bowed low, he realized that Jack had that friendly twinkle in his eyes. Relief rushed over Race and, ignoring his condition, Race flew himself towards Jack and hugged him tight. Everyone grew silent and confused.
"Hey, Race!" Jack said laughing a little. He lightly pushed Race away, smiling the sweet smile he had left behind in Manhattan. "Boys!" His strong voice immediately shot out. Every boy now stood tall and, trying to hold back tears, were trying to impress this found personality that Jack had lost. "We gotta find Davey, before the Smugglers find us." He shouted again. Many voices began to agree and once again the boys had spirits raised. Jack turned back to Race and said, addressing it to everyone but still just looking into his coal colored eyes. "Boys, now... Wez gotta hurry! You all go find him, I'll stay and take care of Race." Immediately the answer shot out of Race.
"NO! I can carry on!" Race stood up and leaned against a wall. Slowly, he released the wall and stood. "See?"
After deciding Race was fit for walking, the boys were off. Walking through old webs, crushed up rocks and dead leaves the boys had made there way a little ways in the deep cave. About halfway through it, the boys almost ran into the smugglers. Boots turned the corner in one of the huge openings in the cave. Hearing that there was someone around that corner, Jack grabbed his collar and pulled him back. And just in time too, because the smugglers passed by that wall right after, Davey in hand. The boys followed the smugglers to wherever they were going.
Finally, the smugglers stopped. Everyone stopped and waited. They began to walk again, but on a steep hill. They walked all the way out of the cave and to a stable. The smugglers set up camp there, so the boys did the same. Secretively, they slipped into the back and behind a huge horse. Jack whispered to everyone their sleeping spots. They obeyed and lay down to go to sleep. The boys all drifted into a deep sleep......