Nate playfully knocked Axel’s wool cap off of his head. “Why bother to sell anymore papers then? Let’s go eat.”
“Now you’re talking!” Axel bent to pick up his cap. As he placed it on his head, he said, “You know, since I turned eleven last week, I think I’ve been hungrier than I was before. Now I know why you’ve been eating like a starved dog these last two months. It’s the age, right, Nate?”
Nate tried again to knock Axel’s cap off his head, but Axel ducked. “Quit thinking so much. Pick up those papers so we can get some of the food you were talking about before we both turn twelve.”
Axel smoothed his cap over his head. He bent to grasp the stack of unsold papers. When he stood up again, he looked straight into the eyes of Johnny Miller.
The nasty fourteen-year-old boy towered over him.
Axel firmed his jaw and slammed Johnny with a deadly stare. “Get off our corner, Miller.”
Johnny, who was two heads taller than Axel, one taller than Nate, lifted a side of his mouth as he shoved long fingers through his tousled, thick waves of brown hair. “I told you before, I want this corner.” He grabbed Axel by the collar, causing him to drop his papers, and dragged him next to the building. “This corner is mine from now on,” he said through gritted teeth.
Nate quickly picked up the papers Axel had dropped and rushed to his partner’s side. “Miller, let go of him.”
Johnny glanced at Nate. He jerked hard on Axel’s collar and lifted him off the ground. He pointed at Axel with his other hand, keeping his eyes on Nate. “This?” he said. “You want me to let go of this?”
Nate dropped the papers he was holding. He stiffened his spine and folded his arms. “I told you to put him down. Axel told you to get off our corner.” He took two steps closer to Miller. “You’d better start doing what you’re told, or you’ll regret it.”
“Why, you little…” Johnny quickly dropped Axel. He pulled back his arm and rammed his fist into Nate’s face.
Axel fell on his backside when Miller released him, crunching his bones. Stunned from his fall, he could only watch as Johnny hit Nate in the eye, then the midsection, and again in the eye.
When he was finally able to move, he attacked Johnny from behind. He planted himself on Miller’s back and tightened his arms around the big boy’s throat.
Johnny yanked Axel’s arms away and threw him to the ground.
Pain crashed through Axel’s body as the bully’s fists pummeled him. The taste of blood mingled with his dazed senses, and Axel struggled to stay alert. He tried to throw his arms against Johnny, who hovered above him, but he couldn’t move.
Johnny’s blurred image sneered down at him. Words echoed through a tunnel. “Now whose corner is it?”
Axel tried again to move, but he couldn’t. He could barely see Johnny, but he knew what the big bully was doing.
Large hands found their way into Axel’s pockets. Johnny quickly removed every coin Axel had.
When he’d robbed Axel, Miller went to Nate’s unmoving body and stole his money too.
The thief stood over his victims and spat on each of them. He jingled the coins in his pockets. “Get off of my corner, boys, and stay off it, or you’ll get more of the same.”
Fire burned inside Axel’s belly. He tried with all of his might to move, but he could do no more than lift his head. He drew in a painful breath and looked at his partner.
Nate’s eye was bleeding badly, and he wasn’t moving at all.
“Nate.” Axel tried to shout, but his word was barely a whisper. Panic set in. He had to move. He had to get to Nate. He closed his eyes and prayed for strength.
He managed to sit up and drag himself to Nate. He rubbed his hand over the boy’s bloody hair. “Nate, wake up.”
He still didn’t move.
Axel looked around. Dozens of people were on the street, but no one stopped to help. He looked at Nate once more.
Why would anyone help? Axel thought scornfully. He and Nate were just a couple of homeless kids. The city was full of them, and no one cared about them.
It didn’t matter. He didn’t need anyone. He and Nate had been on their own for years. He’d always taken care of his partner, and Nate took care of him.
“Nate! Nate, wake up!”
The boy remained motionless.
A tear rose in Axel’s eye. Feeling ashamed of his show of weakness, he quickly wiped the offending tear away. “Nate, you nasty old bum, you wake up right now!”
“Young man!”
Axel looked up and saw a regal-looking older woman dressed in satin finery. Her hand was over her heart. “Just what is this world coming to?” she asked, shaking her head. “Mind your tongue, child. We’ll have no nasty language on the streets of New York!” She shook her head again and stalked away.
Axel looked from the woman to his bleeding, beaten brother. He whispered a response to the uncaring woman’s comment. “I guess New York doesn’t need any good Samaritans either.” It must have been the thought of losing his friend, his only remaining family, that brought his mother’s Bible teachings to his mind, but he didn’t have time to think about that now. He had to get help for Nate.
Bolting to his feet, Axel tottered a moment before he fell back to the ground. Everything went black, then light. “Help,” he said weakly, and blackness surrounded him once again.
Some time later, Axel gazed up through a haze of dizziness. A police officer stood over him, nudging him with his foot. “I said wake up, boy.”
He opened his eyes in time to see a wagon taking Nate away.
“You’d better go home, boy, if you have one. You can’t lay about anywhere you please. Not in my city. Not in New York. No, sir!”
Axel sat up and looked at the tall police officer above him. “Where are they taking my friend?”
“The boy in the ambulance?”
“Yes.”
“They’re hauling him away. I told you, you can’t lay about anywhere you please in New York.” The dark-haired, pink-skinned officer who spoke with a German accent reached for Axel’s hand and helped him stand up. “You all right, boy? Want to tell me what happened?”
“We had a fight,” Axel said, trying to right his messed-up clothes.
The policeman pointed a thumb over his shoulder toward the wagon taking Nate away. “You and him? Looks like you both got in some powerful licks.”
“Us two and another boy,” Axel said, nodding. “Nate’s my friend. It was a much bigger boy who attacked us.”
The officer looked Axel over carefully. He gave his head a slight shake. “Humph, so someone else started the fight, huh?” He gave him a familiar disbelieving look. “Red hair, fair skin, blue eyes and freckles. You’re Irish, ain’t you, boy?”
Axel nodded.
“I figured as much. You Irish are always causing trouble, and you street Irish are the worst.”
Axel opened his mouth to say something vicious in reply to the officer’s nasty remarks, but he didn’t have time to make matters worse. He needed to get to Nate.
The constable took another look at him. “You’re pretty bruised up, but you’ll be all right if you get home and take care of yourself.” He glanced over his shoulder, then back at Axel. “I’m not so sure about the dark-skinned kid. The doctors’ll have to figure that one out.”
“Where will they take Nate?”
“He’ll go to the hospital over that way,” the officer said, pointing, “the one a couple of blocks from here.
“Thanks.” Axel started to walk in the direction the policeman had indicated.
The officer grabbed his shoulder. “If you’re thinking of following your friend to the hospital, forget it. Hospitals don’t let kids in unless they’re patients, and they don’t take patients who can’t pay unless they’re as bad off as your friend is. You’d better take care of yourself so you can help your friend when the hospital lets him out.”
Every inch of Axel’s body ached. What the officer said made sense
. If he wanted to help Nate, he’d have to heal a little himself. Nate would be taken care of in the hospital. He looked up at the policeman. “Thanks, you’re right. I’ll go home.”
“See that you do,” the officer said as Axel walked away.
As he walked along the street, pain surged through his body. He could feel his eye swelling shut. He’d have a big enough job now taking care of himself. It was good Nate had nurses and doctors to help him. And he’d have food to eat in the hospital too.
The image of Nate’s beaten body formed in Axel’s mind, and a tear slid down his cheek. “God,” he whispered, “You’ve just got to take care of Nate for me.” He drew in a strengthening breath. “Please, God. Nate’s all I have.”
~ * ~
THE TRADING GAME
Available in e-book and paperback
1898 New York and Wisconsin. Meet Lacey and Salina, young lady look-alikes, one orphaned and homeless, one wealthy and bored, who switch identities and have amazing adventures. Deception, street fights, bank robbers, stowaways…these little ladies aren’t afraid of anything.
More information at: https://sites.google.com/site/franshaffsyabooks/
Lacey’s Despair Excerpt
Setup: Lacey and Gina are in the alley in New York which they call home.
Gina’s forehead was hot. Her cheeks were fire red. Each breath she took sounded like it was being dragged over rocks.
Lacey held her sister closely and prayed she’d be well again very soon.
A rat nibbled at the garbage sitting near her, and Lacey envied the rodent the food he enjoyed. Hunger tore at her insides. The last time she and Gina had eaten was when they’d visited Salina two days ago. Gina came down with the fever the following night as they’d hovered together in their alley during a rainstorm.
Since then, Lacey could not leave her little sister to earn their daily food. If she did, who would keep the rats away? Who would protect Gina from the bad men who smelled of whiskey? Who would dry her sister’s tears?
Lacey began to cry. Gina needed to eat. She’d never get well if she didn’t eat.
She wiped her cheeks. She couldn’t cry. She had to be strong. Gina needed her. She depended on her.
Gina cried out. Her arms flailed around.
Lacey knew she was having another bad dream. Fevers often brought about bad dreams.
She settled Gina back to a quiet sleep.
She leaned her head against the building supporting her back and closed her eyes. She needed to sleep. Exhaustion consumed her. She promised herself she’d close her eyes for only a few minutes.
As she rested, she held Gina close. Slumber quickly overtook her and held her in its grip until she felt something walking on her leg.
Lacey’s eyes popped open. Two rats were crawling through Gina’s hair and one was nestling inside the skirt on Lacey’s leg.
Lacey sat up and pulled the rats from Gina’s hair. She threw them against the wall of the building on the other side of the alley. She kicked at the rat on her leg, and it scurried away.
She stood, holding Gina tightly.
This misery had to stop! Failure bore down on her. She was not taking care of Gina properly. Neither was she caring for herself properly.
She had to do something, and she had to do it now.
Lacey carried Gina, holding her tightly against her chest as she began to walk down the alley. She had no idea where she was going; she only knew she had to get out of the alley they’d called home for the last month. She had to get away from all the alleys which had been their homes for the last two years since their parents had died.
One foot followed the other, down city streets, through alleys, up and down stairs. Lacey walked for blocks and blocks, thinking and praying, holding Gina, wondering how she could make their life better, how she could get Gina the help she needed.
Just when she thought she could not take one more step, Lacey looked up and saw the answer--
~ * ~
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fran Shaff is the author of contemporary and historical sweet romance, young peoples’ novels and short stories. Her books are available in hardcover, paperback and electronic formats. Her short stories have appeared in such places as Woman’s World magazine and the Amazon Shorts program.
Fran Shaff’s romances are Classic Love Stories written for adults, suitable for teens too. Her books are found in libraries and bookstores throughout the USA. They are available on the Internet all over the world.
AWARDS and HONORS
Fran Shaff has won the following awards and honors: Write Touch Readers’ Award, More than Magic Award, Herbert W. Blakely Award, Golden Rose Award, EPPIE nomination for children’s literature, two Recommended Read Awards from Fallen Angel Reviews, Top Pick Award from Romance Reader at Heart, E-book of the Month Award from MyShelf.com, and two CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Awards, one nomination.
Books by Fran Shaff which are currently available or coming soon in hardcover, paperback and electronic formats include: THE TRADING GAME, CHANGE OF HEART, MONTANA MATCH, THE LOVE TRAP, EVER SO HUMBLE, A PARTNER’S PROMISE, LITTLE GREEK GODS, The Heart Junction Series consisting of LAURA’S LOST LOVE, STEPHANIE’S SURPRISE and MARI’S MIRACLE, MONTANA MAGIC, STOLEN SON, LOST HEARTS, KELLY AND THE CANDIDATE, FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE, MALE FRAUD and more. Short stories available on the Internet include “Crossed Wires” and “Married While Intoxicated.”
Visit Fran Shaff’s website at: https://sites.google.com/site/fshaff for more information on her currently-available books and short stories.
MySpace page: www.myspace.com/franshaff
Twitter: www.twitter.com/franshaff
Also find Ms. Shaff at Facebook, Jacket Flap, Good Reads, Filedby, Wattpad
E-mail:
[email protected] * * *
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