TW: Abuse/torture (I'll put *** before and after this part so you know when to skip)
1 June 1898
Y/N's POV
I'd been here for a little over a month. Every day it got worse and worse but every day brought me closer to the Delanceys. I also formed a bit of a bond with Matt and the guys.
My arm got progressively worse and worse and I was harbouring a growing collection of many injuries. The spider also came up with some additional charges to keep me locked up for an extra eight months.
Today, Snyder was extra agitated for some reason. He didn't even wait to find a reason to punish me, he just started the day by barging into my room, punching me in the face and calling me a "Stupid, worthless girl."
Little did I know that would be the least of what I faced today.
After Snyder left, Morris walked in my room. "Hey N/N, how you holdin' up, I heard the spider yell at you."
"Yeah just another day at the refuge."
"You don't deserve this, N/N."
"Neither do you, Mo but here we both are," I replied dejectedly.
He gave me a hug, "I gotta go but based on Snyder's mood, work will probably keep me here overnight. I'll probably see you later."
"Bye Morris."
Now I was alone again. Solitude was bittersweet because on the one hand, being alone meant that I wasn't with the spider getting beat up but on the other hand, it meant that I was left to my own thoughts.
Guess I didn't have to worry about loneliness much longer because in came the spider with the same frown he always wore.
"People are getting on my nerves today, DaSilva, and you're gonna help me get rid of that anger."
He then dragged me by the wrist off to the all too familiar room. (I mentally dubbed it the torture chamber)
***
The second we stepped foot inside he started relentlessly hitting me with a baseball bat.
He then pulled out a different bat but this one had spikes on it. Every time he hit me with it, the pain got worse and worse.
My bones seemed to all be breaking and I felt new cuts and bruises all over my body. I was bleeding so much. One particular blow to the stomach caused me to start coughing blood.
"Why are you doing this?" I meekly asked through coughs.
"Because you kids," he picked me up, "are nuisances!" He threw me into the wall full force.
"All you are to me is just another way to make money," he kicked my stomach three times then picked me up by my shirt.
"Worthless," he punched me in the face, "useless," another punch, "good for nothing," a final punch and then threw me onto the floor.
I saw him walk towards a box and wondered what he was getting. He came back with a knife in his hand. Well there's something new.
My eyes must've shown my terror because he smirked and darkly chuckled.
He then proceeded to go crazy with that knife and every cut he left hurt more than the last as the knife was seemingly cutting deeper into my skin each time.
After he was satisfied he started throwing glass bottles at me leaving some of the shards in my skin.
He then picked the knife back up and left a deep cut along the side of my face.
Just when I thought the worst had passed, he stabbed me in the side. Like literally stabbed me. I've never screamed more in my life. That pain was unbearable.
After he pulled the knife out I realised that it wasn't that deep of a wound. Didn't change the fact that it hurt like crazy.
***
He then dragged me back to my room, threw me onto the bed, left and locked the door.
Immediately after he left, in came Morris and Oscar.
"Oh my gosh Y/N are you okay?!"
"This is the worst it's ever been Oscar, it hurts so bad." I started sobbing.
They tried to comfort me and tend to my injuries but ultimately it didn't do much.
"You can't be here N/N."
"What do you mean, Mo?"
"I've never seen him this mad before but knowing him it'll get worse. I'm scared he might kill you someday. We need to get you out of here to get away from him and get you some medical attention."
"Morris is right, Y/N, it's really not safe for you here."
"What's the use, Snyder said it himself, my room is so secure that there's no way I can get myself out of here."
"He said you can't get yourself out of here, he never said anything about us getting you out of here."
"Morris, we can't risk it. I don't want you guys to get in trouble."
"N/N, we need to get you out. I've got a bit of a plan. If we leave with you from our room no one will pay us any attention because it's just us and we're always coming in and out. All we need to do is wait for the spider to fall asleep."
"You think that could actually work?"
"It better. Morris and I care too much about you to let you stay here any longer. So...you in?"
"I guess I am," I said with my first genuine smile in a long time.
The second Oscar saw Snyder asleep our plan began. It was actually quite a simple plan but the hardest part was making sure I blended in with them.
Morris gave me his hat and coat so that if we ran into anyone, I didn't look like a refuge escapee.
We left through the door that the Delanceys frequently came in and out of so us leaving wouldn't draw any unwanted attention.
There was a guard near where we were so I hid my face. I felt myself tense as his gaze lingered on the three of us. The longer he looked at us the more I thought we were about to get caught but when we walked past him he just greeted us so I guess I blended in well enough with them.
The first step into fresh air made tears roll down my cheeks. Freedom at last.
We walked somewhere for a bit before I realised that I had no clue where we were going. "Where exactly are we going?" I asked.
"Katie's place," they simultaneously responded.
Upon the realisation that I would probably not be able to walk the rest of the way, Morris carried me in his arms.
At some point of the walk I fell asleep. Guess a stab wound will do that to ya.
When I woke up I was somewhere unfamiliar. I realised that I was in a bed but I didn't recognise the room.
One thing I knew was that this definitely wasn't the refuge. Too comfortable for that. I noticed that my arm was properly wrapped up and in a sling and my multiple other injuries were also properly bandaged up.
I saw a girl with long brown hair enter the room.
"Ah, you're awake. After you fell asleep Morris and Oscar brought you here but had to leave so that Snyder wouldn't be suspicious. I called my one friend because he's a doctor so he came to patch you up a bit. Your wound in the side wasn't deep enough to need surgery just stitches. He said your injuries were bad but not serious enough to need a stay at the hospital just enough rest and you should be sort of on your feet again. He also said to call again in eight weeks to get the cast removed. Oh yeah, I'm Katie Delancey!"
That was a lot to take in and she spoke very fast with a lot of excitement but eventually I processed it.
"Hey Katie, I'm Y/N DaSilva."
"Yeah, my brothers spoke a lot about you especially Morris," she said the last part teasingly.
"Not you too! You know Oscar was also trying to get Morris and I together?"
"Well from the way he spoke about you, I think he likes you. The real question is if you like him back." She didn't stop smiling once.
"Um no, we're just friends and none of us see each other like that," I said you know like a liar. I definitely had a huge crush on him but no one needed to know that.
"Whatever you say Y/N."
"How often do your brothers come here?"
"Like every day. I always look forward to seeing them."
"Yeah I miss my brother, Albert. I don't even know where he is right now. We were separated around the time I got taken to the refuge."
"Wait, does he have ginger hair?"
"Yeah, how'd you know that?"
"I think I know where your brother is. The timeline matches up. My brothers told me about a new newsie named Albert with ginger hair who joined probably around the same time you came to the refuge. Apparently he like never smiled or something. With the context of what you've been through it makes sense."
"That actually does make sense. We were looking for work, guess he found a job. Wow, I might see my brother again."
It felt unreal that I might actually be reunited with him.
"If it is him, he'd be staying at the Newsboys lodging house, I'll take you there tomorrow."
"Thank you so much," I hugged her with my good arm.
"Of course! Now rest up, you need it." With that, she left me to get some sleep.
I had a hard time actually falling asleep due to my racing thoughts but eventually my tiredness overtook my overactive mind.