The Story of Cassie Tuck (Newsies/Tuck Everlasting Crossover)

Chapter 3

K so I'm sorry this chapter is so frickin long it just kept coming and I'm really enjoying writing this. It shouldn't have finished where it did in terms of a nice chapter finish but it was already double my other chapters so it exists now.

I FORGOT TO ADD THIS BEFORE IM SO SORRY!!!!
⚠️WARNING⚠️ mentions binding (with bandages) at one point. I've kept it vague for reason that are idk how one would do it and I'd wanna be accurate with something like that and 2: I don't wanna upset people so I didn't wanna do it any longer than like 20 words rather than explain it and flesh it out.
SO SORRY I DIDNT PUT IT UP BEFORE!!!!!!!

Also usual TW: Swearing

Let's go:

I wake up in a small, musty room. Looking around, I can make out a couple people on the same bed as mine. I can hear a chittering sound, and when I look down I see the faint outline of rats on the floor.

Why does my brain have to take me back here? Why not back home, where I was with my brothers and safe?

I carefully pick myself up, gently moving around the others on the bed, and jump down. Although I land on my right foot, I still manage to jar my left leg.

"Hey, Cass, where're you'se goin?" a small voice says.

I roll my eyes and tug on my shoes. "Go back to sleep, Charlie. I'se is jus' goin' for a walk," a child's voice replies.

"Why is you'se goin' for a walk now?" Charlie whines.

"'Cause I'se can't sleep, idiot."

I watch through this child's eyes as the malnourished boy sits up, seen only by the moonlight.

"You'se need this?" he asks, holding out a crutch.

I shake my head. "Nah, I'se'll be fine."

"Come on, Cassie, it belongs to you'se anyways, and we'se share it all the time, too'se!"

The child continues to protest. "C'mon, Crutchie, go back to sleep," the child says again. I smile when I hear the nickname he gave himself.

Crutchie, as he likes to call himself, grumbled, but lies back down to sleep.

I creep out of the room, careful not to step on the creaky floorboards, and move out into the hallway. No, no, nonono please stop I want this to stop! I hate this dream, I hate being stuck in a child's body, I hate being here, I just want it to stop-

"Now, if I can just remember where to go," the child whispers, turning right, only to be faced with a staircase three times her height.

"Maybe I shoulda taken the crutch... well, I can't turn back now!" she says, holding the banister and hopping her way up.

Every jump I take in this child's body jars my leg, but I know I can do nothing to stop it. I have a dream like this every night, often replaying the events of my time in the Refuge with Crutchie.

I know what's going to happen, I know where this is taking me. I know I'm going to go up these stairs, and turn left to walk down another hallway to the end till I get to Mr. Snyders' office, and then I have to overhear thatconversation. I know that I'll wake up crying, shouting, or screaming, and I know that I can't do a damn thing to stop it.

So, I stop trying to take over. I just wait for what I know will happen.

I let myself walk up to that door. I let myself listen to it. I feel the tears start to fall on my face, I feel the scream build in my throat. The scream that's filled with pain and confusion and fear. I wait till it's about to burst.