Strike

Once and For All

Feisty

I don't have a lotta time to write cause Bill and Darcy are almost done printing the rest of the papes. I promise you I'll explain everything when we see each other again. Or you could just read the back of the paper. Right now just know that there's change coming once and for all. I promise you that all this will be over very soon. I love you Feisty, just hold on a little longer.

Mush

With every word that was read Feister smiled a little more, if this says everything will be over soon, then it has to be true. She remembered seeing the paper folded in between the window bars with her name on it. When she first opened it she didn't know what to expect. But now she knew it.

Her smile grew once she realized that this would be over soon. It was only a matter of time before she would leave this place for good. For the rest of that morning, Feister read, and re-read the letter over and over again. It was her one piece of hope of getting out soon. The more she read it the more she smiled, and the more she smiled the more hope came. There were a few times where at the end of reading the letter, Feister mindlessly traced her finger over his name with a small smile.

Just then the door to the bunk room opened. Looks like she was finally going to get some breakfast. It had been almost a week since she ate something. "Alright ya punks," a guard snapped. "All of ya are free to go." no one made a move. This had to be a joke. Right. It just had to be. Either that or it was a trick. "Didn't you hear me? Yer all free to go."

"Whaddya tawkin' bout?" Feister asked.

"Some newsies were striking against Pulitzer or somethin' an' apparently they won and this place is shutting down," the guard replied sharply. Feister broke out into a big smile. They won. A bunch of street kids who didn't have a nickel to their name won! They beat the kings of New York. So, without another word being said Feister and the other Refuge kids made their way out of that place for good.

The sun was shining brightly and there wasn't a cloud in the sky when Feister stepped outside for the first time. She smelled the fresh New York city air and felt the warmth of the sun for the first time. It was good to be outside again. Heck, it could be snowing in the middle of Summer and she'd still be happy.

"So, where are you heading Feister?" Joker asked.

"Home," she replied with the biggest smile she could do. She said her goodbyes and thanked the boys for helping her survive in the Refuge. And with that being said Feister walked the streets of Lower Manhattan for the first time again.

It didn't seem like a very long time when Feister walked onto Duane Street, and the next thing she knew she was standing in front of the Lodge. Taking a deep breath she walked up the steps and opened the door. As soon as she stepped in Feister felt at ease, she was back at the one place she could safely call home.

A smile spread across her face as soon as she saw Kloppman walk out of his office. The old man's eyes widened when he saw the girl he considered a daughter. "Feister, it's good to see you out of that place," he said happily.

"Hey Klopp," Feister replied with a wide smile. "It's good ta be outta that place." she looked around the foyer to see that nothing changed. "So, where the boys?" she asked excitedly.

"At The Square," Kloppman replied. "They left early-" before he could finish Feister was already halfway out the door. Not caring that her body was sore, Feister ran as fast as she could. Before long she was just down the street when she was just a few blocks away from The Square she saw none other than Snyder the Spider, looking very angry. Even though the Refuge closed she was still scared of that man. So she slowly backed away only to bump into someone.

Assuming it was one of Snyder's goons Feister quickly turned around and was about to punch him. But to her surprise, it wasn't a goon. It was an elderly man who had a mustache and glasses. He was in a brown suit and had a walking stick. His smile was a warm and friendly one and his eyes were soft and caring. "Don't worry about," he reassured her. "He won't be bothering anyone for a long time."

"Yer Teddy Roosevelt!" she exclaimed without giving it very much thought.

"That I am," he said with a smile. "And who might you be?"

"Feister. I's one of the newsies who works at The Woild," she replied.

"You wouldn't happen to be the one who got taken to the Refuge would you?" he asked. When Feister nodded he said, "Well, how would you like to pull a little surprise on them?"

"Whaddya have in mind?"