Kitten had an awful headache! She started to open up her weary eyes even if everything around her was blurry. She heard voiced all around her saying,"Her leg is in pretty bad shape. Then the voices were gone. She was off to sleep dreaming once more.

She was a small child living with her parents like she did when she was but a child.
Her mom was steady kneading dough to bake for dinner. Her mom smiled brightly. She always put on a happy face when her daughter was in the room.
Kitten's mom was not very tall at all. She had semi-long curly blonde hair that she had pinned to the top of her head. She even had hazel eyes that showed her sorrow through her fake smile. They spoke the things she would never let herself admit. Except for the cuts and bruises her mother had from her father's constant beatings, Kitten was a carbon copy of her mother.

Kitten stood near the table watching the door in horror for her dad to walk in. She heard a small rustle at the door and knew her dad was home for the night.
She quickly ran to a crawl space between the wall and the stove. Lucky for her she was small enough to fit in it.
Kitten's dad burst through the front door with a bottle of whiskey in his hands the way he did every night.
Even from where Kitten was hiding she could smell her fathers foul breath mixed with his over powering body odor.
He drunkingly walked over to Kitten's mom. He leaned over her shoulder watching her every move.

"Olivia, where's my dinner?!?", he demanded loudly.
Olivia managed out a small smile to try and hide her fear.
"It is not ready just now.", she said nervously.
He banged his hand down on the counter next to the dough. He banged it so hard he broke the bottle he was holding.
It startled Olivia so much it caused her to jump.
He just laughed manically.
He turned away from from Olivia, Looking around the kitchen he asked,"Where is our little Lizie?"
Olivia's eyes grew big from fright. She was not going to let him hit her daughter again. It was better with him hitting her that way he left Lizie alone.

"Anthony is there something you need me to do?", she asked trying to remain calm.
He turned around to look at his wife. His eyes grew darker then storm clouds. Those same eyes that once shown love for his family now only showed hate.
He grinned evily as he back handed her face.
"Ya need to shut up, woman!"
Olivia stummbled back holding her cheek.
She slowly backed away from him.
It did not stop him from inching closer and closer to her until she had her back against the counter.
Olivia opened her mouth to speak but was not able to say another word.
Anthony wrapped his hands around her small neck. He shook her 3 times holding her up in the air. He was 6'3'', very strong, and very short tempered.

Kitten peeked out from her hiding spot. She watched in shock as her dad tightened his grip on her mother's throat.
Anthony was laughing. As he slowly choked her mother to death he spun he around in mid air as if they were dancing.,"Ha ha ha...Olivia this has been fun but I am afraid the fun stops here."
Olivia frantically clawed at his hands hoping to peal them off of her neck. She was beaten daily but never had this happen!
Anthony stopped laughing. His face became vacant. Olivia's body suddenly went limp. Her head sort of bobbed back and forth between Anthony's big hands. He threw her across the room. Her body hit the floor with a loud thud. Kitten knew her mother was dead. The look of panic to be forever frozen on her once loving face.

Anthony walked around looking for Kitten.
"Lizie, come to daddy."
Kitten did not dare leave from the crawl space until her dad went into another room.
She noticed the door was still open. Her chance to get away from her father before she ended up dead like her mom.
She ran to her mother's body to take the necklace from her around her neck.
She whispered softly,"I love you, mommy." Just as her father came back into the room.
"Hello, Lizie. Daddy has a present for you."
He walked over to her. He snapped the belt he held in his hand. Kitten should have left when she had the chance.
As her father brought the belt down on her she looked up into his insane eyes.
She remember screaming as the belt hit her over and over and over again.

"No...no..No daddy! You're hurting me!", she cried out from her sleep.
Kitten woke up in a cold sweat. She looked around. She was not at home being beaten she was in a room full of newsies. All eyes were on her. What was she supposed to say?
"Ummm...would anyone mind tellin' me where I'se is and what I'm doin' heah?", she asked still looking over all of those around her.
A newsie with a medium build, blonde hair and an eye patch over his eyes spoke to her first.
"You'se at da Newsboys Lodgin' House. Spot brought ya heah cause you fells down outside dis aftanoon."
She heard a voice from behindd Spot ask,"Who is she?"
Spot simply replied,"Just some broad."
Kitten did not know why but she felt insulted.

She sat up and leaned her back against the head board.
"Excuse me whoeva you are but I ain't "some broad" I am Kitten. Who are you?"
Spot took it upon himself to introduce her to everyone,"The boy wid da cowboy hat is Jack Kelly, the one wid da eye patch it Kid Blink, da short italian wid da cigar is Racetrack....."
The list went on and on. Lucky for her, she had a good memory.
Kitten noticed her skirt had been torn and the peice from it was tied around the gap in her leg. She wondered who had done that. She gently swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Kid Blink ran to her side to help her up,"You can lean on me."
Kitten smiled. She had never known such kindess could come from a boy.

A newsie ran into the room. He looked a wreck. He had brown curly hair, he was wearing a blue shirt,a tie along with a brown vest. He was the first clean cut newsie she had seen.
"Did you all hear about Sarah? Some freak beat her so bad she has two black eyes and...and...and..."
He was talking so fast that his words began to come out in a stutter.
He turned around like he did not know if he wanted to stay or go. The newsies mumbled to each other as they watched him.
He looked over at Blink with Kitten. His eyes grew big from anger. Rage was boiling in his veins when he saw her.
"You! You're Kitten!", he shouted pointing at her.
"Yeah. What's it to ya?", she said with a yawn. To her this guy was a complete freak.
"You're the girl who hurt my sister."
"Funny, you don't look like ol' fat cheeks."
"Fat cheeks???", he exclaimed in a much louder voice then before.
"Yeah, Davey. You don't look like fat cheeks.", Jack said butting into the conversation.
David growled as he ran from the room.
They all laughed. "Awww, Dave we was only kiddin'!", someone yelled after him.

"Listen, I betta be goin'", Kitten said tiredly. She needed to get home to get some sleep.
"I'll walk ya home. Don't want you fallin' down again."
Kitten smiled,"Okay."
They walked out of the Lodging House with linked arms.
Spot watched them very closely. She barely even noticed him! This was the first time he had been jealous of someone. He also knew that this would not be the last time he felt jealousy towards Blink. The war for Kitten had just begun.