The Newsies
Chapter 19
Jack looked confused. He gripped his pin on his shirt and shook his head.
"I know the truth..." He said. "My fadda gave it to me before he disappeared." He clutched it tighter. Frank shook his head smiling.
"I know you know that... But do you know who your father was?" He smiled and looked at him questioningly. Jack shook his head. Frank pointed at himself. " You are lookin' at him... Son.." He smiled. "Ever wonder where you got the name Francis? Well.. Me.." He tried to give him a fatherly hug, but was pushed away. Jack shook his head and frowned he looked at him, eye to eye.
"You're NOT my fadda...." He said trying to run back to Skittery. Frank grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.
"Son, its time you stop pretending and dreaming! You need to undastand da trute! Even if it hoits you a bit!" Jack sighed at Frankie's words. He flopped his head down. Huffing loudly, he sighed out the words,
"How'd you get Spot on your side...?" Frankie chuckled and soon was gasping for air after laughing. He held his sides and spoke between chuckles.
"Haha! Son, you think we had to try?" He laughed once more. "No, no, no, no, ya see.... some people aren't who you think they are. Spot has been planning to kill you all this while, as I..." He snarled at Spot's name. "I was planning to get closer to you through Spot. And once I had you in my grip, I'd kill the double-crossing---" Jack stopped him, concerned.
"Hey, woah! Look. I ain't gonna let anodda poisen get hoit! Sure, I don't like Spot, but I know as well as you do dat even someone as cold-hearted and joiky as him can change!" Jack felt much more happy now. I know, you are thinking 'How can someone be happy if they never knew their father and then found him to be a smuggler?!' Well..... It is possible. Jack Kelly found himself. He never knew that he could be good and kind like Davey. He thought for the longest time that the world revolved around him. But now, Jack knew the truth.
"Excuse me? Did you just talk back! Didn't you fadda eva teach---" Frankie stopped.
"He was never there to. And still isn't." Jack replied. Frankie's face scrunched into a horrid shape.
"How many times must I remind you, I am your fadda?" Frankie shot out at him. Jack shook his head smiling.
"Sure... You may be my fadda due to me mudda. But any poisen who abandons a newborn boy and leaves him in a lodging never to return, n-never to be dere when the boy turns 1,2,3 and all the way to 18 years old......Any poisen that cruel is no fadda...." Jack said this time being left alone. He walked away from Frankie and ran to Spot. Frankie's eyes glistened. The words nagged him and touched him. He knew that he was not the one who taught Jack that kind of intelligent speaking. He knew he had never been there to teach him it. All those years, birthdays, Christmases, holidays, snowdays-- Gone. He missed a whole lifetime. And he'd never regain it.....
"Mush and Blink, head down to the police station! Make sure they get all their rangers and officers out here. Boots, Snipeshootah and Les, get Skittery and Race down to the nearest hospital. I'm going to go talk some sense into Spot!." Jack shouted out. All Newsies obeyed as many rushed and dodged bullets. The Smugglers had decided that they would start a gun fight between themselves and a whole bunch of defenseless kids. (Very tough...) Many men had guns ready to shoot and others were chasing others with knives. Jack began to search for Spot. He suddenly saw a figure dash into an alleyway. With curiosity and thoughts that it may have been Spot, Jack rushed in after him. The alleyway was dark and hard to see in. There were barrels and boxes all stacked up. It looked like someone was loading them into a horse-driven carriage before the Smugglers attacked but they never had finished their work.
"Hello..?" Jack called out. Nothing replied. He called once more with again no answer. He repeated this many times before giving up. Turning around, Jack made his way to the third box when suddenly a huge force sent him flying to the ground. Quickly he turned around and saw, none other than Spot Conlon. He was standing over him, knife in hand and devious smile spread across his face.
"Hello.....Jacky-boy..." He said, his smile fading. Spot lunged himself forward towards Jack stabbing him on the arm. Jack screamed in pain. He felt, under the horrid pain of a blade through his arm, an odd feeling.
"Wh-What is happening?" Jack exclaimed, his sight being lost.
"I applied a venomous juice mixed with moon flower onto the tip of the blade! Jabbing it into your arm made it flow in your blood stream." Jerry stood up and backed away, smiling... waiting for the venom to kick in. Jack began to see everything, walls, floors, crawling with strange figures. The walls were dripping thick liquids and the boxes were gushing with black goo. He stood up and staggered back looking up at Jerry. Jerry looked demonic as well. His eyes were flaming red and had purple bags under them. His mouth was long and stretched across his ugly face. Jack began to panic. He immediately asked,
"What was the venomous juice?!" His legs began to shake.
"Prolixtsedesee B nox." Jerry replied, chuckling demonically. Jack tried to scream for help but as soon as he opened his mouth, Jerry's hands were clutched tight around his throat. Jerry began to laugh, maniacally. He lifted his dagger high in the air and stabbed it down. Jack flinched and moved his head, making the blade hit the brick wall behind him. He kicked Jerry off of him and to the ground. Spot landed with a thunk. Grunting and groaning, Jerry tried to sit back up but Jack had already grabbed the dagger and had the blade pointed to Jerry. Spot began to laugh again. He chuckled, snarled and laughed once more.
"Ha! You wouldn't hurt me! You are too frightened!" His voice sounded odd. It sounded like nine different people with nine different tones all speaking at the same time. Jack breathed hard.
"Try me..." He replied. Now, you are probably wondering how Spot saw it. Of course, Spot hadn't been injected with any moon flower juice, so he saw it as everyone else. Lets go to his point of view.
.......Spot jabbed the dagger at Jack's face, but Jack was too quick. He dodged it and kicked Spot on the floor.
"Jack, wait! Let's talk dis trew! Are you not here to kill me? All da odda boys came here to hoit me! I just wanna say, dat I am trew wid da Smugglas! Please, forgive me! I know how to get the venom out if you'd just let me." Spot begged. Jack snatched the dagger from the wall and pointed the tip at Spot. Jack's head twitched a bit and he grew angrier at nothing.
"Please, Jack! Don't hoit me! I wanna talk dis trew! You wouldn't hoit someone whose beggin' ya for dere life, now wouldja?" He pointed out. Jack snarled.
"Try me..." He replied. And snarled once more, bringing the dagger closer to Jerry's neck.
"I know the truth..." He said. "My fadda gave it to me before he disappeared." He clutched it tighter. Frank shook his head smiling.
"I know you know that... But do you know who your father was?" He smiled and looked at him questioningly. Jack shook his head. Frank pointed at himself. " You are lookin' at him... Son.." He smiled. "Ever wonder where you got the name Francis? Well.. Me.." He tried to give him a fatherly hug, but was pushed away. Jack shook his head and frowned he looked at him, eye to eye.
"You're NOT my fadda...." He said trying to run back to Skittery. Frank grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.
"Son, its time you stop pretending and dreaming! You need to undastand da trute! Even if it hoits you a bit!" Jack sighed at Frankie's words. He flopped his head down. Huffing loudly, he sighed out the words,
"How'd you get Spot on your side...?" Frankie chuckled and soon was gasping for air after laughing. He held his sides and spoke between chuckles.
"Haha! Son, you think we had to try?" He laughed once more. "No, no, no, no, ya see.... some people aren't who you think they are. Spot has been planning to kill you all this while, as I..." He snarled at Spot's name. "I was planning to get closer to you through Spot. And once I had you in my grip, I'd kill the double-crossing---" Jack stopped him, concerned.
"Hey, woah! Look. I ain't gonna let anodda poisen get hoit! Sure, I don't like Spot, but I know as well as you do dat even someone as cold-hearted and joiky as him can change!" Jack felt much more happy now. I know, you are thinking 'How can someone be happy if they never knew their father and then found him to be a smuggler?!' Well..... It is possible. Jack Kelly found himself. He never knew that he could be good and kind like Davey. He thought for the longest time that the world revolved around him. But now, Jack knew the truth.
"Excuse me? Did you just talk back! Didn't you fadda eva teach---" Frankie stopped.
"He was never there to. And still isn't." Jack replied. Frankie's face scrunched into a horrid shape.
"How many times must I remind you, I am your fadda?" Frankie shot out at him. Jack shook his head smiling.
"Sure... You may be my fadda due to me mudda. But any poisen who abandons a newborn boy and leaves him in a lodging never to return, n-never to be dere when the boy turns 1,2,3 and all the way to 18 years old......Any poisen that cruel is no fadda...." Jack said this time being left alone. He walked away from Frankie and ran to Spot. Frankie's eyes glistened. The words nagged him and touched him. He knew that he was not the one who taught Jack that kind of intelligent speaking. He knew he had never been there to teach him it. All those years, birthdays, Christmases, holidays, snowdays-- Gone. He missed a whole lifetime. And he'd never regain it.....
"Mush and Blink, head down to the police station! Make sure they get all their rangers and officers out here. Boots, Snipeshootah and Les, get Skittery and Race down to the nearest hospital. I'm going to go talk some sense into Spot!." Jack shouted out. All Newsies obeyed as many rushed and dodged bullets. The Smugglers had decided that they would start a gun fight between themselves and a whole bunch of defenseless kids. (Very tough...) Many men had guns ready to shoot and others were chasing others with knives. Jack began to search for Spot. He suddenly saw a figure dash into an alleyway. With curiosity and thoughts that it may have been Spot, Jack rushed in after him. The alleyway was dark and hard to see in. There were barrels and boxes all stacked up. It looked like someone was loading them into a horse-driven carriage before the Smugglers attacked but they never had finished their work.
"Hello..?" Jack called out. Nothing replied. He called once more with again no answer. He repeated this many times before giving up. Turning around, Jack made his way to the third box when suddenly a huge force sent him flying to the ground. Quickly he turned around and saw, none other than Spot Conlon. He was standing over him, knife in hand and devious smile spread across his face.
"Hello.....Jacky-boy..." He said, his smile fading. Spot lunged himself forward towards Jack stabbing him on the arm. Jack screamed in pain. He felt, under the horrid pain of a blade through his arm, an odd feeling.
"Wh-What is happening?" Jack exclaimed, his sight being lost.
"I applied a venomous juice mixed with moon flower onto the tip of the blade! Jabbing it into your arm made it flow in your blood stream." Jerry stood up and backed away, smiling... waiting for the venom to kick in. Jack began to see everything, walls, floors, crawling with strange figures. The walls were dripping thick liquids and the boxes were gushing with black goo. He stood up and staggered back looking up at Jerry. Jerry looked demonic as well. His eyes were flaming red and had purple bags under them. His mouth was long and stretched across his ugly face. Jack began to panic. He immediately asked,
"What was the venomous juice?!" His legs began to shake.
"Prolixtsedesee B nox." Jerry replied, chuckling demonically. Jack tried to scream for help but as soon as he opened his mouth, Jerry's hands were clutched tight around his throat. Jerry began to laugh, maniacally. He lifted his dagger high in the air and stabbed it down. Jack flinched and moved his head, making the blade hit the brick wall behind him. He kicked Jerry off of him and to the ground. Spot landed with a thunk. Grunting and groaning, Jerry tried to sit back up but Jack had already grabbed the dagger and had the blade pointed to Jerry. Spot began to laugh again. He chuckled, snarled and laughed once more.
"Ha! You wouldn't hurt me! You are too frightened!" His voice sounded odd. It sounded like nine different people with nine different tones all speaking at the same time. Jack breathed hard.
"Try me..." He replied. Now, you are probably wondering how Spot saw it. Of course, Spot hadn't been injected with any moon flower juice, so he saw it as everyone else. Lets go to his point of view.
.......Spot jabbed the dagger at Jack's face, but Jack was too quick. He dodged it and kicked Spot on the floor.
"Jack, wait! Let's talk dis trew! Are you not here to kill me? All da odda boys came here to hoit me! I just wanna say, dat I am trew wid da Smugglas! Please, forgive me! I know how to get the venom out if you'd just let me." Spot begged. Jack snatched the dagger from the wall and pointed the tip at Spot. Jack's head twitched a bit and he grew angrier at nothing.
"Please, Jack! Don't hoit me! I wanna talk dis trew! You wouldn't hoit someone whose beggin' ya for dere life, now wouldja?" He pointed out. Jack snarled.
"Try me..." He replied. And snarled once more, bringing the dagger closer to Jerry's neck.