Somewhere // Spot Conlon

Chapter 5.

"Oh, Sarah. He took me all around the borough. Then, he walked me home, and the entire time he had his arm over my shoulders," I tell Sarah, sighing at the end.

Sarah takes down the clothes as I mend them.

"What's Prince Charming's name?" She laughs.

"Spot Conlon."

"You must be ecstatic that we're going to Brooklyn again today," she smiles.

"Why would I be ecstatic about walking?"

"You'll get to see him. 'Oh, Spot! How I've missed you!'."

I've spent almost every waking moment thinking about him.

We both laugh joyously.

"So, Sarah, anyone catching your eye?" I ask with a smirk.

She shakes her head," No."

We quickly finish the work and start to Brooklyn. As soon as we set foot on the bridge, I look for him. We walk past the Circulation center, no sign of him. We start towards the rich end of the borough.

"Al! Wait up!"

A smile appears on my face as he takes my basket out of my hands.

"Spot that's Sarah, and Sarah this is Spot."

For weeks this was our pattern, Sarah and I'd walk across the bridge and Spot would wait there for us. He'd take my basket and walk us there. Then, every night he'd come to my window, we'd walk around Brooklyn. One time, he even took me to the docks and showed me the best view of the river, according to him. Sometimes, we'd sit on my bed and talk.

Then, he started sending me letters everyday. A little boy no older than five or six called Fetch would deliver them and I'd send one back with him. His would be full of how after spending all day walking and in the hot sun, he'd look forward to seeing me every night. Mine was full of how I looked forward to him and his letters, and how he brightened my world after being inside all day.

But he stopped, no letters this week or last, no visits, and he wasn't there when I delivered laundry either time. He disappeared out of thin air.

What he someone hurt him or killed him? Had he died from Pneumonia that he'd caught one night he walked home in the rain or Tuberculosis? What if he just got bored of me and found another girl?

He's taking up every waking moment I have. Just wondering, is he okay. People get killed all the time.

"Mademoiselle Allyson, are you listening to me?" Madame Fabron snaps at me.

"Yes, Madame Fabron," I sigh.

She lectures me on my posture, straighten your back, pull your feet underneath your skirt, don't lean your head on your hand and most of all, no smiling for long periods of time. It's not hard when Madame's around.

"Allyson!" Mother yells from downstairs in the shop.

I drag myself down the stairs. This week, I've been despondent and lost hope that he's going to contact me.

"Yes, Mother?" I ask with sadness.

"Heah Miss Couture," my head snaps up and I smile when Fetch is standing there with a note.

He hands it to me. I quickly unfold it and start to read it.

My Dearest, Princess Allyson,

I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you for the past two weeks. I've not been purposely doing this, but there is a situation, right now which has forced me to do this.

You're too important of a person for me to lose because I've realized over the weeks, I care about you. And it tortures me to see if I've made you upset. Hopefully, you can find it in your heart to forgive me for ignoring you.

Please visit me as soon as can at the Brooklyn Newsboy lodge.

With Love,
Sean Conlon

He signed his real name, something's wrong. I tell Fetch to wait for me before I run upstairs. I open my desk drawer and get one of Spot's previous letters.

The handwriting is completely different, and the spelling too. Spot's is bigger and untidy with a lot of spelling errors. The other letter's writing was small and neat with hardly any errors. I throw his old letter back in the drawer and grab the new set of clothes I've made for him. I run back to Fetch with the new letter and clothes.

My stomach starts to turn," Who gave you this?"

"Well, Spot did. Why do you'se have clothes, Miss Couture?"

"Just take me to the Newsboy lodge."

I start to walk out the door with him.

"Wait, I'll go with you, Al," Charles says putting a hand on my shoulder," I've heard you and Spot in your room and read the letters."

Charles leads me and Fetch to the bridge.

"You know where the Lodging house is?"

I shake my head and Fetch walks a couple steps ahead of us," Dis way."

"Ya know Al, what I hearing ain't been good. People's be sayin' he died," Charles explains.

"Do you think that's why the handwriting's different?"

He shrugs as Fetch leads us deeper in the borough.

Please be alright, Spot, please.