The sunlight poured through the dirt-covered window onto ten-year old Grace Powell's face, stirring her from her sleep. Still drowsy she yawned and rolled her over onto her back, rubbing her doe colored eyes. She looked to where her bother should have been sleeping beside her and found his spot empty. "He musta already have left." After having a nightmare the night before she had slipped into his bunk. Her nightmares were becoming steadily worse much to the constant worry of her nineteen- year old brother, Sean.

She and Sean had come to live at the Newsie lodging house after living on their own in the Bronx, Harlem, and Brooklyn. They had become orphans after the death of their abusive mother and had always depended on each other. Sean had always been very protective of his little sister and put his whole life to raising and watching after her. He had done everything from busing tables at restaurants to picking up trash off the streets to selling papers, which is what he was doing at the present time.

Grace, who was also called Little Bit by her brother and others, got up and with sleep still in her eyes she walked into the washroom to get cleaned up. After getting dressed she picked up her marbles and slingshot and headed downstairs and out the door, her orange Tabby cat, Bunker at her heels. Outside she could hear the distinctive cries of the Newsies as they yelled at the mornings headline, or whatever headline they could muster up. Grace walked along the sidewalks humming to herself as she headed towards the park, which was her favorite place to hang out.

"Hey you!" Grace stopped and looked around for the person who had yelled out at her. Andrew Harrison stood on the street corner, a permanent smirk attached to his face. He wasn't much older than Grace but his weight definitely surpassed her own. He had begun picking on Grace soon after she and her brother had moved to Bay Ridge and looked forward to it everyday with great pleasure.

Andrew walked over to where Grace stood and got up into her face. "And just where do ya think you're going, huh?" Grace swallowed back her fear and glared at Andrew. "I'm going to the park, like I do everyday." Andrew cocked an eyebrow at her. "Oh yeah? And just what exactly are you gunna do at the park?" Grace's fists clenched up. "What is it to ya?" Andrew's nostrils flared slightly, looking much like an angry horse. "Why you little…" "Hey get away from that girl!" Andrew looked up, so surprised that he stumbled backwards a bit. A man in a pin stripped, navy blue pressed suit walked towards Andrew and Grace. He got between them and looked at Andrew. "What fun do you get from picking on her huh? Do you think it makes you look tough and strong?" Andrew could do nothing but gawk at the man. He was utterly speechless. The man looked down at Andrew. "That's what I thought, now get out of here before I call the police." Andrew turned and slowly shuffled away looking like a dog with its tail between its legs.

The man turned and kneeled down to look at Grace. "He didn't hurt you did he?" Grace suddenly became shy, as she always did around strangers and nodded slowly. The man still didn't look satisfied but decided not to push the matter. "I'm Mr. Coben and you're Grace Marie Powell, right?" Grace nods again. Mr. Coben stood up. "Good. Grace I need you to follow me somewhere, OK? I won't hurt you. We'll go get something to eat and maybe some candy." Grace's eyes lit up. Candy was her weakness. Mr. Coben extended his hand to her but Grace hesitated for a moment before finally taking it, not knowing what was waiting for her just around the corner.

The sun had already been set for nearly an hour when Sean Powell finally arrived back at the lodging house. He took off his gray cap and tossed it on the couch along with his three unsold papers. With an exhausted sigh he shuffled into the kitchen to fix himself a drink. He grabbed a bottle of gin from the cabinet above the stove and poured some into a glass. He then sat down with his glass and the bottle at the kitchen table.

It seemed a good while before he finally got up again. The lodging house seemed quiet to him. "Grace?" Silence. "Gracie where are you?" Silence. His heartbeat picked up and his senses were suddenly on full alert. He walked out into the lobby, his pace quickening as he walked. "Grace?!" His voice filled with utter panic. The bunkroom. She's probably there. He tried to remain calm but no matter how hard he tried his feet still flew up the steps to the girl's bunkroom. He opened the door and glanced around the empty room. Penny…he thought again. She always likes to watch her paint. He hurried down to the spare room that Penny and her husband Ransom shared. Penny, who was seven and a half months pregnant, looked up from her canvas as the door opened. She blinked at Sean. "Are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost." She put down her brush and walked over to him.

Sean was completely frustrated and rubbed his pounding head. "Have you seen Grace today?" Penny shook her head. "No, the last time I saw her was yesterday. She's gone?" Sean had to sit down. He nearly collapsed onto the bed and rested his elbows on his legs with his hands holding his head. "I don't know, I don't know where she is." Penny walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, trying her best to calm him. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's around here somewhere." Sean shook his head. "No, I've already checked every where. This was my last resort. She's out there somewhere," he said as he pointed out the window to the city cloaked in night. "She's out there and I don't know if she's lost, scared, hungry, cold, hurt…" Tears brimmed his eyes. Penny, now too, was becoming worried. "Check downstairs again, maybe she came back while you were up here." Sean had little hope but held onto what he had. He picked himself up and walked downstairs. She was nowhere in sight.

He walked over to the front door and opened it, nothing greeted him but a gust of cool air. He closed the door and turned to check the kitchen when he suddenly stepped on something. It stared up at him, a crinkled, white envelope with his name handwritten on the front. He bent down and picked it up, examining it more closely. He rushed to the nearest window and looked out but the streets were empty. He turned the envelope over in his hands and opened it up. He glanced around again, as if somewhere were watching him before pulling out the sheet of paper and opening it up. Inside it read:
Dear Sean,
After several weeks without payment I have come to the realization that you haven't the money to pay me back. I'm not worried so much about the money as I am about Grace, because if you can't pay a simple doctor bill, then what kind of conditions is she living in? I held my worry back for so long before guilt got to me. I took my worries and concerns to Child Services, which is where Grace is now. Please Sean believe me that I only did it in Grace's best interests.

Signed,

Doctor David.

Sean just stared blankly at the note. No, he couldn't have read that right. He read it twice, three times, but still the words remained just as they had the first time he had read them. She was gone, taken. Tears slipped down his cheeks. His fists clenched and shook with anger. His fingers closed around the paper, crumbling it in his hand. Anger quickly replaced his shock. He had to get her back…no, he would get her back.

"Grace where are you?" She turned to where her brother's voice came from. "Sean?" "Gracie…?" It came again but this time from behind her. She turned around, the darkness enclosing around her. "Sean?!" Her cries became more frantic. She tried to run to where she had heard his voice, but found her legs to be as heavy as lead. "Gracie…?" he called again, his voice sounding farther away each time. "Sean…" she said with a cry. "Sean…Sean!"

Grace sat bolt up right, trembling with fear. Sweat glistened on her body and her heart pounded in her chest. She glanced around fearfully and found herself to be in a small room that she didn't recognize. The twin bed she was on laid flush against the only window where the morning sunlight poured through. The only other furniture in the room was a small desk and chair against the right wall. Her clothes had been changed and she now wore a long white nightgown. Grace cautiously got up and walked towards the door. She reached up for the knob but jumped back in surprise when the door opened and a young woman walked in carrying a tray of food.

"I see you're finally up," she said with a cheerful smile. She walked over and placed the tray on the bedside table. Grace, who was completely terrified, blinked back tears, which threatened to emerge. "W-where am I?" The young woman's smile never faltered. "You're in St. Joseph's Child Services. I'm Wendi Bloomdale, and you're Grace Marie Powell correct?" Grace merely nodded. "But why am I here? Where's my brother? Where's Bunker?" Wendi looked confused for a moment. "Oh that cat you came in with. Don't worry, he's being taken care of." Two tears slipped down Grace's cheeks. "I wanna go home!"

Wendi knelt down to Grace's height and looked at her. "I know you do sweetie but you can't." Grace swallowed hard. "Why not?" Wendi sighed lightly. "Because you weren't safe there." Grace's eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you mean?" Wendi walked over and began to make her bed. "You weren't being taken well care of there." "Yes, I was! My brother took care of me!" Wendi looked over her shoulder at her. "Yes, but he could have done better." Tears continued to trickle down Grace's cheeks. Wendi finished making the bed and turned around to face Grace. "You'll understand soon enough." With that she turned and walked out.