Timmy

CHAPTER TWO: THE CAST ARRIVES

CHAPTER TWO: THE CAST ARRIVES

         Thunder violently shook the walls of the crawlspace. Timmy woke with a start; bolting upright on his small bed of costumes, drenched with sweat.  The dream was frighteningly vivid. For a moment, he panicked; pushing himself away from the small, closed window. He feared someone was after him.  When he finally realized where he was, he breathed an unsteady sigh of relief; burying his face into his shaking hands.

  Only the dates upon the daily newspaper told the passing of time.  He would rescue one  from the trash everyday, hoping to find some clue as to where his parents were or when they might be coming back for him.  Fortunately, Jeff and Jason had taught him how to read during their many nightly visits. Otherwise, the written word would have been meaningless to him. It only took him a few weeks to learn; Jason had told him he had a photographic memory.  He was not sure what that was but he saw it as both a blessing and a curse.  He could not shake the events that had occurred the night he had last seen his parents. They replayed again and again within his nightmares.  Nor could he shake the echoing screams and gunshots from his mind while he was awake. Only by keeping his mind and body occupied was he able to hold on to his sanity.

  Time passed painfully slow for Timmy, especially when food was scarce.  The vending machines, that were inside the theater, were all broken into and emptied within the first few weeks but they did not keep him full.  Still, they kept him from starving for as long as they lasted.  The orphans would bring him a few morsels of food when they were able to sneak out of the orphanage.  It was enough to survive though he was rarely satisfied and never full.  The winter months were the worst; especially the first year.  Visits from the orphans were far and few in between and the vending machines had long been emptied.  There was a time during that first winter when Timmy had resorted to sneaking into the orphanage for boys, four city blocks away, to steal food from its kitchen and/or rummage through the dumpsters behind area restaurants.

  Then, on that first cold December morning, Jeff and Jason introduced Timmy to a kind young woman named Rita 'Grandma' Pizano. She owned an Italian restaurant and a catering company two blocks from the theater. She lived in a small house behind her business so she was always there.  Grandma Pizano had a soft heart for orphaned children.  Upon meeting Timmy for the first time, Pizano wanted to add him to her family. Only he held on to his promise to his mom and dad to wait for them. Pizano seemed to understand but she told Timmy that a hot meal and a warm bed would always be ready for him.  If it was not for the kindness of the orphans and Grandma Pizano, Timmy knew that his first winter alone would have been his last.

  He had celebrated yet another birthday alone the other day; four in all. He was now nine years old, still waiting, still praying, and still feeling very much alone.  The orphan boys offered some comfort, when they were able to sneak out to visit; he had even visited them on many occasions. These visits made their nights more bearable.  Still, for the most part, he only had the spirits from the many Broadway posters for company.  Even though he seemed to be the only one who could see them, the spirits had become his friends, protectors, his reason to keep going.

  Frustrated, Timmy hugged his knees, curling himself up into a little ball. He closed his teary eyes, slowly rocking himself in an effort to stop shaking.  For a long while, he imagined that he was in his mother's lap on a rocking chair with his father standing behind him. Through the haunting light of the flickering candles, the Broadway posters stood in complete silence around him.  It was not until the next heavy rumble of thunder when Timmy was returned to reality.  Quietly, carefully, he moved to the small window. He unlatched a tiny hook and pushed open a prop door that had covered it.  It was a small but sturdy door that Jeff and Jason had found among the props. They fit it into the window frame, the hinges on the inside. On the outside, it was painted to look like a solid brick wall.  This was a deception on their part to make anyone to happened to pass by believe the window had been sealed off.

  Warily, Timmy peered out into the dimly lit alley below. It was, as he feared empty.  The only life he saw were two or more stray cats, hungrily rummaging through the many trash cans and dumpsters. He shed a tear, remembering having to the same before finding better means of foraging for food.  Sadly, he forced himself to move his eyes away from the alley and focus on the many sights and sounds of New York.  He gazed down the adjoining alley at the distant lights. He listened to the bustling, busy streets of the city; this usually had a calming effect upon him; just not that night.  Through the pouring rain, all of the lights and sounds seemed blurred and meaningless.  The towering buildings that he could see seemed cold and heartless under the relentless downpour.  It was as if he were only looking at a well painted backdrop through a thin curtain.

  A sudden flash of lightning caught Timmy's eye. He looked up over the roofs at the night sky. He liked to think that the endless number of twinkling stars shined upon him like spotlights above the center stage. That night, the stars were all hidden behind the threatening storm clouds.  Then the thunder came.  It was a sharp clap, followed by a deep echo-like rumble.  It had too closely resembled the gunshots from his dream; he could not help jump in fright.  Another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, directly above the dark alley. The thunder that followed was deafening; Timmy feared the crawlspace would crash down on top of him. He felt cold, empty, and sadly alone.

  Scared and discouraged, Timmy turned away from the window. Closing the door and securing the hook, he could no longer bear to look outside. He sat back down onto his bed of costumes and felt the front pocket of his jeans; the small object his mother had given him was still there.  He had looked at it many times but had no clue what it was. Whether or not it had anything to do with them leaving him was a mystery.  He hugged his knees and, again; rocking himself back and forth. He listened to the heavy, steady beat of the pouring rain; the only sound that offered him any comfort. Still, it was enough to drown out the terrified screams or the deafening gunshots relentlessly echoing again, and again within his mind.  His sadness won out and the tears he had been holding back began to stream down his face.

  'Where are you, Mommy?'

....................................

         Inside her hotel bedroom, Angel sat uneasily near the foot of her bed, watching the same threatening storm and jumping at the same deafening claps of thunder.  Only her tortured dreams were overflowing with her parent's constant fights, leading to their heated divorce four years ago.  She could still hear her mother and father cursing at each other. A deafening clap of thunder resembled the sound of her father slamming the front door; the day he left their house for the last time.  Angel rubbed the tears from her eyes, as the sound echoed in her ears before turning her eyes onto the city's skyline.

  "I wish you could see me now, dad."

..............................

  Later that evening, at the stroke of nine, a small number of lights came to life inside the theater; shinning upon the stage.  Moments later, Timmy walked out onto the stage and bowed to the empty seats in the auditorium.  To Timmy, they were filled to capacity with all of the characters of Broadway, who had become his friends during his four years alone.  The wispy figures applauded and Timmy began to rehearse the musical, using the script, choreographer notes, and musical score he had read only hours earlier.  He played the roles of the two youngest characters; one a boy and the other a girl. He saw, or imagined, figures from the posters joining him on the stage, playing the other roles.  Instruments, left inside the orchestra pit, came to life on their own, flooding the auditorium with music and Timmy began his stage performance.  He performed all of the songs of his roles as best as he could, with the ghosts helping, and they all finished with the finale of the musical, Orphans on Broadway.

Well, we finally made it here to Broadway.
We've worked so hard now we're gonna perform our little play.
We got our wish and are waiting for our cue,
On the stage we all know, even impossible dreams can come true.

We perform on the stage floor,
Not for fortune or fame.
We perform on the stage floor,
We need a home; a last name.

We are all orphans on Broadway;
Singing for our parents to be.
We are all orphans on Broadway;
Please find in your heart to adopt an orphan like me.

With every song we hope you will see
A boy or girl who wants to join your family
There are still people out there who care
Watch our play, adopt a child, answer our prayer!

We are all orphans on Broadway
Dancing for our parents to be
We are all orphans on Broadway
Please find it in your heart to adopt an orphan like me

We are all orphans on Broadway
Taking our final bow
We are all orphans on Broadway
Please find it in you heart to adopt a child now!

Orphans on Broadway!

  Upon finishing, the invisible audience rose in a standing ovation. Timmy responded by giving a bow; the wispy characters doing the same.

  *It's very late; you should get back to bed.* The soft feminine voice was firm but kind.

  Timmy yawned; smiling at a transparent young woman in a nun's robes.

  'I will; thank you.'

  *Good night, child.*

  Timmy smiled at her and left the stage.  As he did, the characters faded from sight and the lights turned off, leaving the auditorium dark, empty, and silent.....

         Early the next morning, inside the grand hall, Jeff and Jason met their father, John Stravis.

  'Did you want to see us, dad?' asked Jeff.

  John nodded, trying to hide a smile. 'Yes, I did.' he said. He paused looking at his adopted sons.  'Last year, when my wife and I first saw you two at the orphanage, you were skinny, sickly looking twelve and thirteen year old boys.  Now look at you; two strong, handsome young men.  It's simply amazing what a little hard work and love can do.'

  Jeff and Jason looked down at their feet, blushing slightly and John cleared his throat to regain their attention.  'Anyway, I have a bit of a surprise for you two.'

  He motioned to another hall.  Jeff and Jason turned and let out an excitable gasp as eight young boys marched out into the main hall. They recognized them as their friends from the orphanage.

The boys, hearing them, turned their way with the same look of surprise before they all rushed forward, meeting Jeff and Jason in the middle of the grand hall where they greeted each other talking and laughing excitedly.

  'It's great to see you guys again!' said Jeff.  He turned to his father. 'But... how...?  Who...?'

  John smiled.  'I'm sure you both remember those three crazy production staff managers, Jon, Ron, and Don?'

  Jeff and Jason smiled as they nodded and replied, in unison, 'The Blure Brothers.'

  'Well, weeks before my wife and I set the wheels in motion to adopt the two of you, the Blure Brothers started the paper work to adopt them.  Jon adopted Alex, Race, and Tex.  Ron took in Stan and Leuey. Don adopted Scott, Paul, and Ken.'

  The boys each nodded in turn as John continued.

  'They were officially adopted just as auditions opened for the musical. I figured the least I could do was let them try out. They are all very talented young men; they each easily won a role in this musical.'

  Jeff smiled. 'Who knew you guys could actually sing?'

  The boys laughed and gave a musical warm up to the acapella song, Orphaned into the Petty Crime Blues.

My folks left me on the doorstep! (Na na na na!)

He said welcome to the pack.(Na na na na!)

I told him I did not want to steal! (Na na na na!)

He said it was that or the rack! (Ow! Na na na na!)

I stole a rich man's wallet! (Na na na na!)

He said it was an empty sack. (Na na na na!)

I stole a cop's silver badge! (No way!)

And he wanted me to give it back! Uh- uh!

I didn't ask to be an orphan, (Oooooo!)

and I don't want to spend my life in jail! (No, thank you!)

No one will care if we die!

It won't ever make the news!

We got the.... (Bum! Bum!)

Orphaned into the petty crime blues! (Na na na na!)

  Stravis merely shook his head then turned to Jeff and Jason.

  'I would have told you two earlier, but because we had to legally fight another family to adopt you, neither of you were able to join us on the debut tour.'

  'Thanks, dad.' said Jason, turning back to him. 'This is the best surprise yet.'

  'You're welcome.  Now, if you will excuse me, gentlemen, I must join my wife outside so we can greet the young actresses and their parents, they should all be arriving any moment now.  In the mean time, I will let you boys get reacquainted.'

         With that, he left the grand hall, down a short flight of stairs, and hurried through the lobby.  Upon opening the main doors, John was greeted by a mob of reporters waiting outside of the theater.  Their voices instantly filled the grand hall; shouting questions about the adopted performers and unfinished renovations. Their shouts were instantly silenced when John finally closed the doors behind him.

  'I'm glad I am not out there.' Frowning, Jeff said.  He turned to one of the boys. 'It's great to see that you guys  got adopted, Alex.'

  Alex was tall and well built for being twelve. He smiled, pushing his longish brown hair out of his brown eyes. 'It's great to have a family again.'  His voice dropped to a whisper. 'Is Timmy still here?'

  Jason sighed. 'He's still here; dodging everyone from the welfare workers to the new theater ushers.'

  A short boy, no older than eight, sniffed, rubbing some tears from his brown eyes. "They'll never learn." Managing a tiny grin, he said. "They can't catch Timmy; no one can.' He sniffed. "They just catch us and punish us, and... and...."

  Jeff roughed the boy's longish auburn hair.  "That's all behind us now, tiger." Soothingly, he said. "There is nothing but smooth roads ahead from now on."

  Alex's younger bother, Tex casually leaned against one wall. He was two inches shorter than Alex, not quite as muscular, with short dust blond hair and mist colored blue eyes. 'Timmy is a legend, both here on Broadway and at the old orphanage." With a Southern drawl, he stated. "He's famous; the city has even offered a thousand dollar cash reward to anyone who can safely bring him in.'

  Standing next to Tex, his twin brother, Race, let out a short laugh. 'I say let them try!" With the same southern drawl, he said. "Timmy could use a little fun every now and then.'  He turned to Jason. 'Is he still waiting for his mom and dad to come back?'

  Jason nodded. 'I'm afraid so.  I tried to talk him into joining my family again but he refused.'  He sighed, frustrated. 'He can be so stubborn at times.'

  Ken, a red-haired, freckled-faced, eleven year old boy, carefully looked around the grand hall. 'Speaking of Timmy, I wonder where he could be.  I bet he'd be real surprised to see us again.'

  Paul, dark-haired twelve year old, shook his head. 'Who knows?  You know Timmy, he could be anywhere.  I do know he'll see us long before we see him.'

  Leuey, a short, stocky eleven year old, looked up at the ventilation ducts, running along the high vaulted ceiling of the grand hall. 'He could be watching us right now, through one of those vents up there.'  He smiled, turning back to the group. 'Don't worry, he'll come out when and where we least expect it.'

  Stan, a short ten year old with dust blonde hair, turned to the group, thoughtful. 'I can't help but wonder how he managed to make it on his own all this time.' he said.  'I mean, I'm really glad he has, don't get me wrong.  But he's been living in this theater since he was, what, five years old?'

  'I don't know.' said Alex, thoughtful himself.  'We've all spent time, away from the orphanage, alone on the streets of New York before.  I don't know about the rest of you but I was barely able to make it one day.'

  'But Timmy has found a way to beat the odds again and again.' finished Race.  He shook his head, puzzled. 'What I don't get is why he's so scared of  the police and social workers.  Not all of them are bad, a lot of them really want to help.'

  'He's not afraid of the police.' said Jason. 'He's scared of their gun; just the sight of one freaks him out." he shook his head. "He's not scared of the social workers either; he doesn't want to be hauled off to that cruel orphanage we were in.'

  Alex nodded. 'I remember you telling me something about that.' he said.  'When you and Jeff found him at the theater, four years ago, he had a deep bullet wound in his shoulder.'

  'Who do you suppose shot him?' asked Ken.

  Jason shook his head. 'I don't know, Timmy won't talk about it.  I know he has been having some really intense nightmares lately.'

  'Do you have any idea what they are all about?' asked Paul.

  Jason shrugged.  'Timmy won't talk about those either.' he sighed. 'We've all known him for four years now, but there's still a lot about him we don't know.'

  'Well, at least he has us to turn to if he needs us.' said Paul.  'We've all become like a family.'

  Jeff smiled. 'I remember a certain someone who had a real soft spot for all of us.' he said. 'She was like a mother to us  and I know she still has a soft spot for Timmy.'

  Stan gave a low chuckle. 'Oh, yeah! Who could ever forget about her!?!'

  Alex nodded, dreaming. 'Rita 'Grandma' Pizano.  She's quite a woman. She would always have her cooks make us a big plate of what ever we wanted when we came to visit.  The police and social workers soon learned to find us there but she wouldn't let them take us anywhere until we were done eating.'

  Scott smiled himself. 'I heard she adopted Bobby and Joey around the same time the Blure Brothers took all of us in.'

  'We owe that woman a lot.' agreed Race. 'It was because of her Timmy found the courage to take the evidence of abuse we had pieced together to the police when we couldn't.'

  'It was Timmy's reputation that moved the police to listen to him and look at all of the evidence.' added Leuey. 'Timmy got away from them shortly after; but the police took his accusations seriously and ran a full investigation of the orphanage the very next day.'

  Alex laughed. 'I thought I was going to bust a gut when Mr. Cruel and his men got fired and arrested at the same time!'

  'When it all hit the papers, people from everywhere came to adopt us and several other boys from the orphanage along with a number of girls from the orphanage for girls on the other side of town.' added Stan.  His smile faded. 'But no one could find Timmy.' He shook his head. 'I still don't understand how he had managed to make it on his own for so long, even with us and Grandma Pizano helping him.'

  'It's really not a mystery how Timmy made it on his own.' said Tex. 'He's the most resourceful kid I've ever met.  He's known by a number of shop owners and theater workers in and around the Broadway district, but no one has ever talked about him, not directly.'  He smiled. 'How else do you think his reputation spread so fast?'

  'I can still remember those long and lonely nights when he would perform for us and the other boys under the outside lights on the orphanage grounds.' said Alex. 'He would sing and dance numbers, all from memory, taking three or four roles at a time.  All the while, keeping an eye out for Cruel's security team.'

  'His performances used to drive Mr. Cruel and his men up the wall!' said Paul, laughing. 'There was a time when they were searching the rooms and grounds of the orphanage many times a day, hoping to catch him.  Even then, he found some way to sneak in to visit us, grab a small haul from the kitchen, and sneak out without being seen or caught.'

  'We had all managed to sneak out of the orphanage a number of times to visit Timmy and to hide inside this old theater when it was empty.' said Jason. 'The police and social workers would always find us and eventually catch us but Timmy would make them work for it, every time.'

  Leuey smiled. 'I remember.  Timmy would taunt them into chasing him around the theater, giving us all the time we needed to find another place to hide.'

  'He would lose them in the shadows and send his mad laughter echoing through the vents into every room in the building, leaving them shaken and confused.' added Race. 'Hearing his laugh echoing from every direction would send chills down anyone's spine.'

  'Just try not to let anyone find out that you know him.' said Jason. 'Timmy was always there for us when we needed him and all he ever asked from us was to be kept a secret.  We owe him that.'

  The other boys all gave their word and Jeff nodded in satisfaction. 'It's going to be a lot of fun working with you guys again.' he said. "Jason and I will be moving all of the props and platforms on and off the stage, what parts are you playing?"

         Before any of the boys could answer, they were all startled as the lobby and grand hall were, again, suddenly flooded by the shouts of reporters, standing outside, as the main doors opened.  The boys turned to find a small group of girls hurrying passed the doors, into the lobby, talking and laughing excitedly among themselves.  John Stravis and his wife, a tall and attractive young woman, were leading the way with a number of adults following close behind the girls.  Once the group had made its way inside, one of the many police officers, holding the reporters at bay, closed the door behind them.

  'It looks like the girls have arrived.' said Jason.

................................................

         Upstairs, inside the crawlspace, Timmy awoke to the sounds of several voices echoing through the vents.  He rubbed his eyes, irritated from crying himself to sleep, and looked up to find that it was morning.  A smile touched the corners of his mouth and he quickly pushed himself off of his bed of costumes, hurrying passed the backdrop to a second, heavier backdrop.  This one was completely black, hung up to hide the light of the candles from anyone who happened to come up into the crawlspace.  Timmy paused to carefully push it aside as he passed under it, then made certain it properly fell back into place before hurrying over to the small crawlspace door in the floor.  Quietly pushing a short, folding ladder down with his hands, he crawled down, head first, through the door to check if the way was clear, then continued down into a small, unused storeroom.  There, he closed the ladder door behind him and crawled through a large vent, into the ventilation system where he quickly, quietly, made his way through the narrow metal tunnels.

  It was not the ventilation system alone that allowed Timmy to move about without being seen.  He made use of one of five long unused and forgotten dumb waiter elevators to make his way up and down the twelve floors.  There were also a large number of secret hallways and hidden rooms on each floor, some of which Timmy was just beginning to discover.  Only now, due to the new owners renovating the theater, placing new paneling over the walls, there was only one way to reach the dumb waiters and most of the secret hallways, the air vents.  With the ghosts of Broadway helping him, Timmy was hard to find and impossible to catch; he was the Broadway specter.

  Upon reaching the sixth floor, Timmy continued to quietly hurry through the ventilation shafts, following the people's voices, until he reached the grand hall.  There, through the air duct, Timmy saw Angel in person for the very first time.  She was far prettier than any of the pictures he had seen of her in the city's newspaper and with her short, white dress and brown hair, she looked almost exactly like the young girl, Anna, on his poster.

  As he watched her from his hiding place, a curious feeling came over Timmy.  He was not sure what it was, but he could not help thinking that Angel was, by far, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  The other girls, gathered behind her, were all pretty as well.  Still, to Timmy, none of them compared to Angel.  None, except for the youngest of the girls, whom he guessed would be playing the supporting female role of little Penny.

  She was about his height, maybe a little shorter, with long, flowing auburn hair and a soft, angel like face that seemed to have a glow of its own.  The girl was a true heart breaker.  As Timmy watched her, he noticed that she looked very much like him.  So much so, it seemed, that she could have been his little sister.  For a brief moment, he considered the possibility that she was just that, but he soon shook the idea from his mind.

  'I think I would remember having a sister as pretty as her.'

  Still, Timmy could not help entertain the thought of having a family again and gazed at the two girls with a strange sense of attachment that, somehow, made him feel safe.  He quickly forced himself to turn away, however, reminding himself that he had to try to stay alert, and continued to watch the group from the vent as they gathered inside the grand hall.

  There was no sign of the three 'charm school rejects' among the adults following the group through the lobby, into the grand hall.  Not that he was overly concerned; dodging them was no different to him than dodging the police or the social workers.  However, as his friend, Jason had warned him, they were not going to stop searching for him, even with the entire crew busy with the final preparations for opening night.  Timmy had come to know weather or not someone was looking for him through subtle clues.

  There was one couple within the crowd that caught his eye in particular.  The young woman, neatly dressed in a business style skirt and blouse, had a pen and a thick notebook in hand and what looked like an overly stuffed purse over her shoulder.  The man, also neatly dressed in business style clothing, had a camera around his neck and a large duffel bag over his shoulder.  The two were discretely looking about as they walked as if they were searching for something, or someone, like him.  Everything about them smelled like trouble, he decided it would be better if he avoided them as much as possible.

  Timmy scanned the other side of the hall and smiled upon seeing a number of the boys from the orphanage he had helped and befriended while living inside the theater.

  'They must have finally got adopted.' he giggled. 'They even got parts in the musical.'

  Inside the grand hall, Angel could not help looking everywhere in awe as she followed the group.  The Open Door theater was much larger and far more beautifully decorated than she could have ever imagined.

  'Wow!'

  John's wife smiled. 'Some place, eh, kids? I am the assistant producer, Brandy Stravis and this is one of the oldest theaters on Broadway.  My husband and I purchased this building last year and, after a lot of hard work, it is now close to being restored to it's original splendor.' she paused nodding at the boys. 'The open door theater has been empty for a long while but, with your help, in just a few short days, it will once again come to life with all of you fine actors and actresses performing on the stage.'

  Tex lightly nudged Scott with his elbow. 'Empty.'

  The boys shared a small laugh but they quickly fell silent as the young woman, carrying the notebook, spoke. 'I have heard a number of rumors that this theater has hardly been empty for quite a while before you and your husband purchased it from the city.  Is there any truth in that?'

  Angel, noticing the man and woman for the first time, cringed. 'I- I thought all of the rehearsals were going to be closed to the press.'

  Brandy brushed the woman off with a wave of her hand. 'That's just an old legend.' she said. 'My husband and I have been in practically every part of this old theater and neither of us or our workers ever found any signs of anyone living inside the theater.'

  She paused, holding back a cold shiver.  There were subtle signs of human occupation found in every wing of the theater.  But that did not concern her as she knew that a number of orphans, like Jeff and Jason, were known to occasionally hide inside the old theater when it was closed. However, inside the west wing, which they worked on last, they discovered a large number of disturbing stick figure drawings and other dark scribbles on the lower half of all of the walls in the halls and rooms.  She remembered the strong sense of dread the drawings gave her when she first saw them, vague but dark images, all depicting some form of terrifying event.  It was decided then that they would leave the west wing untouched, closed off, and the news of their discovery quiet until the end of their musical's Broadway debut in fear that it would completely shut down the production.

  'It's better to keep it all under wraps, for now.' she thought. 'For all I know, the orphans who used to hide here drew those pictures.' she bit her lip, holding back another shiver. 'There is no need to start a panic; especially not over some legend of a ghostly child.'

  Inside the ventilation shaft, Timmy, upon seeing Brandy, gave a cold shiver of his own.  He had seen her and a man, he later learned was Brandy's husband, wandering the halls of his theater several times.  They were both barking orders to a large number of men, who were everywhere.  They were fixing the theater, making it look like it did before his mom and dad had left him there alone.  Avoiding all the workers was easy; avoiding Brandy, however, was another matter.  He quickly learned that Brandy had sharp eyes and even sharper ears.  John was just as sharp, only, he was not as quick.  Then, for some strange reason, Brandy and John both ordered all the workers to leave the west wing untouched and closed off.  For Timmy, it was a blessing as could still move around.  Still, it was because of Brandy and John that he was forced to use the ventilation shafts and the secret passages to get around the rest of the theater, at least during the day.  Fortunately, he knew most of them well and Jeff and Jeff and Jason had given their word to keep Timmy's presence inside the theater a secret.

    'I guess there's a bright side to this.' he thought. 'Now I don't have to look for my mom and dad; they can just walk in and find me.'

  Timmy smiled at the thought and tried to imagine what that day would be like but he quickly returned his attention to the activity inside the grand hall as Brandy cleared her throat and turned to Angel.

  'This Sara and Tom Snoope.' said Brandy. 'They are Sue's parents.' she gave Sara a quick glance of warning . 'Which, I might add, is the only reason they were allowed to enter.'

  Sara stepped forward and smiled. 'I own and operate a small magazine, the Broadway Bugle.' she said. 'It covers the going- ons of the theater district.  My husband, Tom, is a professional photographer, he takes care of all of the illustrations.'

  Tom nodded. 'The press has been haunting our daughter as well, being the lead female role understudy.' he said. 'We know exactly how you feel.' he smiled. 'We are only interested in the reopening of this historic theater and the legend it holds.  I assure you, Angel, we will not give you any trouble.'

  Brandy nodded, satisfied that the subject had been dropped for the moment, then turned to her two adopted sons, Jeff and Jason.  'Boys, I'd like you two to meet the young actresses who will be performing on stage.  This is Angel, Chris, Stephanie, Tarra, Rachel, Karen, Lauren, and Sue.'  The girls smiled and waved at Jeff and Jason as Brandy turned to the girls.  'Kids, these are my two, recently adopted sons, Jeff and Jason.  They are the junior stage hand managers.  They are in charge of getting all of the props moved on and off the stage.'

  Brandy turned back to Jeff and Jason. 'Will you two be good lads and go find those three crazy staff managers?  I'm sure they could use a little extra help.  The last time I saw them, they were having trouble finding the tapestry material.  Maybe you two can find it for them.'

  Jason rolled his eyes at his mother's suggestion, he was far more interested in spending time with his friends from the orphanage.  As he gazed upon the ceiling, however, he paused, finding Timmy looking down at him, and the others, from behind one of the many high vents.  The two caught each others eye and Timmy waved, giving him a silly smile.  Jason smiled back, shaking his head, then turned back to his mother. 'Okay, mom, we'll go see if they need a hand.'

  Jeff tuned to the girls.  'Well, it was nice meeting you, girls.  Maybe can talk later on.'

  The two boys then ran off, the girls whispering and giggling among themselves as they watched them quickly vanish down an adjoining hall.

  'What's gotten into you?' asked Jeff, as he and Jason paused inside another hall. 'I thought we were going to talk mom into letting us spend some more time with the guys from the orphanage.'

  Jason smiled. 'Timmy is up and about, I saw him watching us from one of the high vents in the grand hall ceiling.  I'm going to see if I can't catch up to him.'

  'That's fine with me.' replied Jeff. 'Just don't be long, when I find the Blure brothers, they're going to want to know where you are.'

  Back inside the grand hall, Brandy, smiling, turned to the girls. 'They're such good lads, a little rough around the edges, maybe, but their hearts are in the right place.  That was one of the many reasons why my husband and I decided to adopt them.'  She gave the girls a mischievous wink. 'I don't think they have a girl friend, not yet anyway.'

  Again, the girls blushed and began to giggle as Angel turned to her mother, smiling. 'Don't even think about it.'

  'I don't mean to be rude, but we should get on with the rehearsals.' grumbled John, looking at his watch. 'I want all of the performances, especially the first one, to be perfect.'

  Brandy hushed him quiet. 'Stop being an old fuddy-duddy, John." firmly, she said. "The other performers have not arrived yet, so we can give the children a quick tour of the theater before escorting them upstairs to their dressing rooms." she looked at her watch, adding, "The other performers should arrive by the time the children are ready to begin.'

  John nodded reluctantly, knowing well that it was useless to argue with his wife. 'Okay, Okay.' he said. 'You have a point.  Besides, I'm sure our boys would like more time to catch up with their friends.' he paused to look around. 'Where did they run off to?'

  Brandy gave her husband a tolerant smile. 'You're a little late, John.' she said.

  'So am I.' said a voice from another part of the hall.

  Angel looked passed Brandy and a small grin touched the corners of her mouth.

  Inside the ventilation shaft, Timmy was about to quietly move on and make his way back stage to try a few of the snacks Jason had mentioned the night before.  Then, Angel suddenly left the group, with a young woman quickly following her, and he paused to see what was going on.  From behind the air duct, he saw the two quickly cross the grand hall floor to greet a man who was just coming into his view with a large, shaggy dog at his side.  The shaggy dog could only have been brought there to play the role of Rags.  In the musical, Rags was a friendly stray the orphan boys used to steal from people on the streets for the greedy and cruel guardian of the boys' dorm, Mr. Scheme.  The man picked Angel up, over his head, and the two laughed as he spun her around while the boys and girls happily fussed over the shaggy dog.

  Watching Angel, Timmy could not help imagine seeing himself in the grand hall, being spun around by his father as he had done on the center stage the morning before both he and his mother had left him alone in the theater that terrible night so long ago.  Then, his photographic memory once again took him back to that night and he heard his mother and father's voices echoing inside his mind.

  'Mommy and Daddy have to go away for a little while, Timmy.'

  'It won't be long, Timmy.  Just promise me that you will wait for us.'

  Then, he heard his own voice, reminding him of his own tear filled words...

'I promise, mommy.'

  Timmy sniffed, wiping the tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.  He missed his mother and father more than any words could describe.  His photographic memory constantly reminding him of that one night did not help.  He had promised them that he would wait for them but, under the circumstances, it was very difficult for him to remain strong.

  'I can't tell you how much I missed you, Angel!' said the man, finally putting Angel back down. 'Sorry I missed your party last night, I was stuck in a late meeting at work.'

  'That's okay, dad.' replied Angel. 'I really missed you too. But what are you doing here?'

  'Are you kidding!?!  I would not miss your big moment on the Broadway stage for the world!  Besides, I just happen to be the new stage director of this production.'  His smile faded as he turned to Angel's mother.  'Hello, again, Maria.  It's been a long time.'

  For a moment, Maria would not answer, but then, she quietly said, "Yes, it has, Samuel.  How have you been?'

  'I've been good.  I'm still always on the road, running from one production to another, but you know that comes with the job.  How about yourself?'

  'It's not easy holding a job while raising a child, trying to start a career on Broadway.  Still, I would like to think that we are doing well.  I'm only sorry everything had to turn out the way that it did.  Oh, but let's put all of it aside for now, for Angel's sake.'

  There was a long pause before Samuel finally nodded and said, 'For Angel's sake.'

  'I'm sorry, but I must insist that we get on with the tour so we can begin the final rehearsals.' said Stravis.

  Samuel turned to him and nodded. 'Of course, Mr. Stravis. he said. 'We didn't mean to cause you any delay.'

  Inside the ventilation shaft, as Timmy watched the young man and woman talk, he became uninterested, until the two turned in his direction.  In that one, brief moment, when he was able to clearly see their faces, all of time seemed to come to a complete and abrupt stop.  His expression of hopeless boredom instantly turned to that of utter shock.  The man and woman with Angel so closely resembled his mother and father, pictured in his photograph, it was startling.

  Timmy closed his eyes and shook his head, to gather his wits, before looking again, hoping he was not dreaming.  However, to his dismay, he found that the man and woman had turned away from him and were leaving the grand hall with Angel and the rest of the small group following.  The resemblance was so close, Timmy was tempted to rush out into the open and greet them with open arms.

  Then, he felt a small hand grab his ankle and he turned around, startled, to find the ghostly figure of a small girl on her hands and knees inside the metal shaft with him.  She seemed very frightened as she whispered, 'You were sure it was them before and they weren't.'  There were tears in her eyes as she added, 'Please be careful.'  The child then disappeared, leaving Timmy alone in the shaft to rethink his impulsive thought.

  He had allowed his hopes to rise too many times before, only to have them all come crashing down on top of him.  The presence of the two reporters within the group, and the fact and that the three bouncers were still running about somewhere, searching for him, forced Timmy to stay where he was.

  Rushing in was not the answer; yet he had to know for sure if the man and woman was, or was not, truly his parents.  He needed to somehow carefully compare their faces to those of his parents in the photograph he had of them.  The only way he could do that was to find a way to get closer, without being seen.  Timmy paused to think, he heard Brandy say that she was going to show the group the stage.  That would be the best place for him to try, it was open enough for him to get a better look.  Only there were not a lot of places around the stage where he could hide.  It was not going to be easy for him to get close enough without being seen, or worse, caught.  Still, he was determined and he quietly hurried away from the air duct.  Before he got too far, he paused, hearing someone moving through the vents not far behind him.  He looked back, listening for a moment, then smiled before moving on.

  Inside a hallway outside the grand hall, Angel, hearing the sound, curiously looked up and was surprised to see a ventilation shaft, hanging from the ceiling, rattling and shaking with the low, hollow sound seemingly following the shaft down the hall.

  John Stravis, hearing the sound as well, turned to the shaft, suppressing a cold chill of his own.  He too had seen the disturbing drawings in the west wing.  Only he had also heard the haunting laughter of a child echoing through the vents and had, many times, seen a shadow out of the corner of his eye only to find that there was no one there when he turned.  There was definitely a  presence inside the theater.  Specter or not, he and his wife agreed that it would be best to keep it all a secret, at least until the end of their production's Broadway debut.

  Clearing his throat, he turned back to the group. 'As my wife had said earlier, this theater is old.  Everything in here seems to make one type of noise or another, you'll get used to it.'
  Alex and the boys discretely exchanged a knowing smile as the girls and adults nodded in agreement.  Only the boys' smile again faded as Sara stepped forward.

  'There is a strange legend floating around the Broadway district.' said Sara. 'It talks about a young, ghostly child who, I hear has been haunting the dark halls of this theater.  I have heard rumors of people seeing lights and hearing sounds coming from inside, including the sounds of a child's laughter.  I have even heard that a few people had actually seen a shadowy figure gazing out one of the many high windows.'

  'My wife and I have been following this legend for a while now, due to the impact it has had on so many people in New York.' said Tom, stepping in.  'This legendary child has been credited for many, many acts of kindness and courage in and around the Broadway district, including the historic adoption run last year that gave close to a hundred orphan boys and girls a good home.  Only, to this day, no one has ever been able to find him, hence his name, the Broadway specter.  We are hoping to be the first reporters to find him and get his story.'

  John chuckled, shaking his head. 'I'm afraid you're wasting your time.' he said. 'Those stories of a specter living in this theater is pure nonsense.  My two adopted sons, along with a small band of their friends, have been known to hide in this theater and walk the streets of New York from time to time before my wife and I purchased this theater.  Some of their friends were adopted by the production managers and had won roles in this musical.' he motioned to the boys who smiled at her as John turn turned back to Sara. 'Perhaps it was these boys who prompted this legend.'
  Sara's eyebrows rose. 'Really? Do you mind if I ask the boys a few questions?  We are very interested in the legend of the Broadway specter.  As my husband explained, this child played a major role in an investigation that sparked the highest adoption rate in New York's history.'
  Alex and the boys exchanged a worried glance.  Among the girls, Sue cringed, embarrassed by her mother's persistence.  But all of their fears melted slightly as Brandy shook her head.
  'No you may not.' she said, politely. 'They have a lot of work cut out for them before opening night and I do not want them to be distracted by anything, or anyone.'

  Alex breathed a short, inaudible sigh of relief.  'Let's hope that subject doesn't come up again for a while.' he thought.

  Among the girls, Sue breathed a silent sigh of relief of her own as she did her best to hide her embarrassment.  'I hope she doesn't plan to completely embarrass me like this all day.'

  John, becoming impatient, loudly cleared his throat. 'Shall we move on then?'

  The group followed John and Brandy down the hall to begin their tour of the theater.  Angel, however, could not help look back at the ventilation shaft and wonder.