Alice the Newsie

(6) World on Fire

Everyone in the class stands still for a second, not sure where to go or what to do. Mrs. Morris walks over to a doorway, she opens the door and yells. "STUDENTS GET OUTSIDE NOW." I watch everyone start to walk fast or run into the hallway. I could see smoke slowly starting to pour into the halls. I stand still, fear keeping me in my desk, someone grabs my hand and pulls me into the hallway.

We speed walk down the hallway. I could see smoke everywhere, my eyes start to sting as we walk in a big cloud of smoke. I put my head down while walking. I could hear yelling, crying, and coughing everywhere around me in the hallway. I try my best to not inhale any smoke. I cover my mouth with my free hand while the person still leads me like a sheep. The person mumbles, "Almost there Alice." With all the noise I couldn't make out if the person sounded like anyone I knew. I look up a little bit to see if I can see what the person looked like. But smoke hurts my eyes and I keep my head low again.

After what feels like hours walking in the smoke, we make it out of the building. I fall to my knees and take lots of long deep breathes. The clean air is so, so, so, nice. I can't believe that I made it out alive! I slowly stand up, looking around. I saw little girls holding to teachers crying, older girls were comforting the younger ones, or hugging their friends. Teachers were checking if they had all of there students, or looking at the school burning. I look around to see if I can find Willie or Rose anywhere. But all I see are just people covered in ash. I start to worry that something happened to my dear friends. 

"STUDENTS, PLEASE COME OVER BY ME." Mrs. Pearl yelled, it sounded like she was losing her voice. Everyone slowly walked toward her, she started to talk with a raspy voice. "I know that nobody would ever think something like this would happen." People nod or mumble something. "This is not how I thought the first-" we start to hear the siren of a fire engine. Mrs. Pearl walks past everyone and goes to one of the firefighters. Everyone either talks or watches the school burn. I could see a crowd of people starting to form. Reporters were coming to take pictures or ask people about the fire. I look at my uniform and saw ash all over the what was a white dress. My mind starts to fill up with thoughts.

Where could Willie and Rose be? I'm sure that they got out of the fire. They both seem smart enough to not do something stupid, maybe Willie was the person helping me out of the fire.

 Another thought then hits me, what am I going to do now that the school is gone?  I look at the sight around me again. I really need to go somewhere else to think. 

                                                 A couple hours later.                                                              

I have been walking around in a circle in Central Park for hours, the sun shining brightly and slowly burning me. My mind was full of thoughts. I have lost everything I have brought to Manhattan thanks to that fire, and the only place I was going to stay in is gone. Tears start to form in my eyes, I wipe them away. Crying was not going to help me at all. Father said only babies and little children cry. I keep walking in my endless circle. Maybe I could buy paper and a pencil, and tell father and mother what was going on, and get back to Ohio! But I didn't have any money to buy even bread. Plus, If I did have the money I would use it to buy food and water. Maybe I could get some kind of job. But who would hire a fourteen year old girl who looked like she has been rolling in dirt? I realize how tired my body is. I see a nice big oak tree, and almost fall down getting there. I sit down under the tree. What kind of job could I work? Was there any job that would hire a dirty child like me. I sigh, holding my knees against my chest. 

"HEY IKE COME ON! Jack is gonna be mad if we's late coming bac'k." I heard a thick New York accent. I get up on my knees and peak behind the tree. I saw a newsboy, his arms crossed and looking at someone. He has dark brown hair under his cap, his face was tan from mostly working outside, it was also dirty with some mud, and his eyes the same color as his hair. "don ya worry Mike, I's was just about ta sell me last pape. If you'se didn't screamed at me." Another newsie came into view, he looked exactly the same as the another newsie. They must be twins. It was weird, I never really thought twins were real. Having two people lookalike was almost alien like. One twin playfully punches the other twin's arm. I watch them as they chatted and walked out of Central Park.

I sit back under the tree. A thought starts to form in my mind, it's the perfect choice. I could blend right in with them, I don't think it matters to them if I look like trash. Even though I don't want to or ever become one of them, what other choice do I have?

I was going to have to become a newsboy.