http://slow.writerscafe.org/crmcgill The original writings of author Carmen-Rose McGill en-us Copyright 2026 WritersCafe.org 1776024839 WritersCafe.org RSS Generator 15             It was easy enough to find the Jeweler´s,as it had an awning, on which hung the sign, “McGuire’s Jeweler’s” I quicklysmoothed my dress, self-conscious of the dirt and wrinkles in the skirt. After.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/962794/             Spot seemed to be purposefullymaking us miss the curfew, which was fine by me. Missing the curfew with Spotoften meant Carrying the Banner with him on the docks, which were when we hadour more serious talks, and incidentall.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/957367/             Now came the wait. I didn’t knowwhere Mrs. Hawkins was, or if would even be able to properly mug her. And if I wouldbe able to, who said that she would be wearing the necklace? Still, I hung outin an alley by their ho.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/957364/           Once in the alley, I carefully tucked my hair into my cap,rubbing a little dirt onto my face so that I was less recognizable. I meltedinto the crowds, making myself just another person in the sea of peoplehurrying to and fro. To make m.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/956048/             Blink, Race, Mush, Crutch, Spot andI sealed the deal in their card room, which still smelled of smoke andman-sweat. I wasn’t sure that I smelled at all different from that now. Fishand Blink’s crew had gone to r.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/955241/ Spot woke me the next morning by setting a tin cup offragrant coffee on my nightstand, and chucking me on the chin as my eyesfluttered open. It was very early in the morning, much earlier than we normallywoke up, which was about 4 in the morning. I didn’t have to worry about beingi.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/952306/ This story is based on the Chardon, Ohio school shootings. This happening was too close for comfort, as I live only a county away from the small town of Chardon. My prayers go out to the families and the kids that were involved in this senseless tragedy. Three are reported dead, one died early the d.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/952181/             I walked into the Brooklyn LodgingHouse, following my nose to the room where we played cards. It had the samedistinct smell of men sweating and cigar smoke that the Lodging House on DuaneStreet had. I collapsed into a chair.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/951675/             The next day, Spot woke me up waybefore the sun rose, which left me wondering if Spot ever slept. He was alwaysthe first awake, and I’d never seen him be tired, at least in the month inwhich I had been living around h.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/951311/             Spot had a little spring in his stepwhile we walked back to Brooklyn, taking our time. I was not in the mood to putup with Fish’s teasing about Spot and I. He shot me an excited grin as wewalked, “Do ya t’.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/951310/             When we walked into the room where we normally hung out,it was indeed like the Civil War all over again. Blink and another newsie, whoI believed was called Jack were standing up on the crates, yelling. Blink said,“Lis.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/950795/             The next day before work, Fish and the others teased merelentlessly about spending the night by the harbor with Spot. They didn’t daresay anything to Spot about it, because of the terrifying glare of his that hadcome .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/950487/             Once we got to the rich part of town, we stayed in theshadows of the houses, careful to stay away from streetlamps. A pair ofpolicemen were chatting under a streetlight, so Spot threw some pebbles toattract their attention .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/950467/             Spot finished around the time that I did, even though hehad many more papers than me. He wasa very experienced newsie, though, and I was just a beginner, so it wasn’t thatbig a surprise. The sun was just going down, s.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/948783/ Spotmust have gotten in late the last night, because when he knocked on my door towake me, he sounded exhausted. “Don’t take too long. We’se gots ta havebreakfast soon.”Ihurried to take a short bath and to get dressed, taking extra care to tuck myhair firmly.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/948781/ Ten minutes of snippingwith the dull scissors later, my hair was shoulder length. I ran my handthrough the waves, surprised at how light my head felt. As I shook away anyleftover hair, Spot smirked. “Changin ya hair ain’t a disgouise.”I snatched his cap off ofhis he.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/948548/ When I woke, I wasimmediately hit by a splitting headache that left me wishing that I was stillasleep. But once I’m up, I’m up and there was no way around that fact. I satup, finding myself in a bed, wrapped in makeshift blankets. I groaned at theheadache; it felt like a mill.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/948386/ After we closed the bet,Spot had to finish selling his papers, so I left to explore Brooklyn a littlemore. I walked deeper into the neighborhood, trying to find something fun todo. All I could see were taverns and saloons; nothing that I was interested in.Deeper in the city, theword .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/948067/             Iwas finally allowed to eat and to wash the puke off of myself. My dinner wasnothing like the dinner that the Hawkins’ and their guests had eaten. It was asimple bowl of cold oatmeal and a small glass of milk. It was .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/947749/             Inpreparation for Mister Hawkins’ guests, I scrubbed everything in the beautifuldining room until it shined like a new penny. I put the bouquet of lilies,roses, and irises that I had picked in a crystal vase and tied .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/947746/             Afterwe closed the deal with the handshake, Mister Hawkins started to leave, saying,“Mrs. Burbidge will help you settle in and tell you what your duties are. Imust go.”      &nb.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/913734/             Iwaited for a few minutes, then knocked again. I knew that they were home, so Istayed on the porch, knocking every few minutes. Eventually, I could hearsomebody call out, “Hold your horses! I’m coming!” A .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/913733/             Iwoke up to somebody shaking me by the shoulders. I cracked one eye open andgroaned when I saw Kid Blink standing there. “Get up! Ya need to be outta heaby da time everyone else wakes up!”   &.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/910867/             On this floor, was simply a desk where they Newsboys had to sign in and pay for their lodging. The clerk was half asleep and seemed to be almost blind without his spectacles, so while Kid Blink, Skittery, and Stretch blocked his vi.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/884433/             I had no idea what to do in thishuge city. I was pushed by a wave of people walking down the street. There werea few people who looked both rich and important, but many were poor immigrantslike me. Some from the ship were t.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/884431/             On our second week at sea, theothers that were fleeing Ireland and I decided to call our ship The CoffinShip. We were crowded together, with barely a square foot to ourselves. If youmoved, somebody took your spot. The ones,.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/884423/             The potato crops had failed long ago.My little sister and brother had already died from disease, and my parents wereabout to die. They told me to save myself. If I couldn’t live a good life inIreland, Da said that I s.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/884076/ A immigrant girl from Ireland becomes good friends with a rag-tag group of Newsies. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/884073/             AfterI had recognized him, Lorcan laughed, as if amused by my fear. I stood still,trying not to move as he separated me from my father. He circled me, observingmy every movement. I watched as his eyes took in the whip cuts .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856598/             Iwas walking in the caves of the mines, looking. I could hear the sounds of waroutside, but the thing that I had been looking for had come in here. Dleachtwas in my hand, ready to use. I wasn’t going to go on the defe.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856597/             Icould fly much faster than my troops could walk. To them, I must have lookedlike a golden dot of light in the sky, streaking toward Torc Mountain. The windrushed past me, blowing my hair every which way. That reminded me o.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856596/             Aftermy unintended speech, we started what I called Power Training. It was a kind ofquick training, much like a Power Shower. We spent an hour and a half on targetpractice with bows, the same on throwing knives. We spent tw.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856594/             Anotherday, another whipping. That is my life now. They whip us daily, since Aineleft. Just to remind us. They don’t go after her, but instead take out theiranger on us. It’s not too bad though. They still need .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856593/             Bylate morning, I was looking at a war council 20 strong. There were two representativesfor each specie that was willing to help us. Finnvara and a younger leprechaunwere there, representing the small army of 100 young lepr.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856592/             Icried myself to sleep that night. Luke let me cry on his shoulder, getting hisshirt wet and snotty. The last few minutes before I drifted into a fitfulsleep, I just laid my head on a pillow, silent tears streaking down my .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856591/             Igot an idea while watching a human play Tetris. I had been hiding in Luke’shair while he was at school for two days. During that time, I had wracked mybrain for an idea to free my people, and the Unseelie. The boy wh.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856589/             Lukesnorted and started laughing. I looked at him, hurt that he didn’t believe me.He stopped laughing and said “Look, Jackie, I know that something terriblehappened to you, but you can’t expect me to belie.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856588/             Ionly allowed myself to sleep for two hours the night before the plan. I neededto looks as pathetic as possible, just in case it doesn’t work out perfectly. Iwoke up with everything in place. During the night, I had m.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856586/             Thenext week, after another uncomfortable night of sleep, we were roused by Tuathade Danaan soldiers yelling in our ears. They untied our ankles and shoved ustoward a scowling man who served us cold slop. During breakfast, .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856584/ AsI worked in the smelly, humid, yet somehow cold, cave, I looked over at thedark-haired girl. Cathleen. I had stood there, shocked when the burly guard hadwhipped her. She had promptly put a bandage on her ravaged back. She wasUnseelie, but was probably one of the bravest people I had e.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856581/ Ipicked up the sharp, heavy rock that my father had dislodged from the mountainside. After putting it in the already full to bursting basket that I carried onmy back, I stopped to wipe the sweat and dirt mixed with Pixie Dust from myforehead. I sprinkled the mixture onto my bag, making i.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856580/  I sat, in fairy form, on a low branch in theHome Tree. I was attempting to hit a little knothole in the tree across from mewith my bow. I had yet to hit it, and I was getting frustrated. It had been aweek since we had learned that Connor was a changeling. I didn’t let on that I.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856578/             Aftera long last half of school, Angus and I carefully walked away, making sure weweren’t being followed, to the edge of the valley. We looked to make sure thatthere weren’t any tourists, and changed back into f.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856576/             Thenext day or so, I planned with Cathal about how we would get to school. Wewould fly with our human clothes on to the edge of the valley, then turn humanand walk the rest of the way. After school we would come straight to.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856575/             Thenext few weeks were the busiest of my life. When I woke up in the morning,Angus helped me to learn Gaelic for an hour or so. It didn’t take me that longto master basics. Angus told me that fairies can pick up an ac.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856574/             Iate a quick dinner with my parents and the Master Elder who Mother said wasnamed Bairn. I wanted to talk to both of them about their powers, but Bairnseemed to be in a hurry to start looking for my power. I ate quickly and.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856573/             Weboth dropped our weapons off in our rooms. I kept Dleacht with me because afterthe day before, I didn’t want to be caught off guard again. I quickly Frenchbraided my hair and flew with Angus to the Tearoom. He said .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856571/             Iwoke up in my courtesy room. My vision was blurry for a moment. I could feelsomebody pressing something warm to my cut collar bone. Whoever it was thenlifted it off of me and the only thing I saw then was a puffy pink scar.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856565/             OnceI got to my bedroom, I hurried to get ready. I selected a midnight blue gown. Islipped it over my head, then looked at my hair. It was white, but not bluishwhite like an old lady’s. It also didn’t look dyed .. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856564/ Weflew back to shore and kept going past the beach until we got to a forest.Angus landed behind a fern, his head cocked, listening. Apparently he heardsomething, because he flashed me a grin and went off past the fern, with meright behind. Soon enough I could hear it too. It was the soun.. http://slow.writerscafe.org/writing/crmcgill/856563/