Note: This story will make very little sense to a lot of people. This was written during and is now being worked on after I was in a local production of the musical Oliver!. I'm writing it specifically for a group of people I know, but I figured I would put it up here so I could have a copy of it online for safety reasons. So, if anyone does enjoy the characters from Oliver Twist, I hope you enjoy this. Note, this will involve a very naughty Mrs. Bedwin, quite a bit of dying, a scythe, knives and probably lots of blood. It's not called Twisted for nothing! For confusion purposes, Lucy is what I named my chorus character from the musical.
Oliver Twisted
By, Lady Grizabella
With Some Help From My Distinguished Local Cast of Oliver!
Part One
~*****~
The man groaned and painfully flipped himself over onto his stomach. He was lying in a pool of his own blood, left for dead by everyone he ever trusted. No one. The man trusted no one except for his faithful dog, Bullseye. Even his dog had deserted him. Left him in favor of a steak and a warm bed, no doubt.
The man moved his hand to his chest and felt warmth flooding over his skin. He was able to stick his fingers into the open wound in his chest and he cried out in horror and revulsion. He knew he was done-for. He had a new emotion – anger. He screwed up his face in a terrible scowl and muttered a name. "Fagin!"
As the anger possessed him, his strength came creeping back. The pain in his chest was drowned out by the pounding of rage in his head. Fagin had gotten away and left him to bleed to death on the hard pavement. He then realized he had one hand in the river. He winced as he noted he must have fallen off the bridge. He felt around with his dripping hand for the boy. Damn, the boy had lived. He was another factor in the inevitable demise of the great Bill Sikes. But like the mighty phoenix he would rise from the ashes to kill again. Fagin, and the boy, would die. But he would need help. Someone who would understand him. Not like that good'un Nancy. The betrayer. Someone who he could sympathize with…
~~~~~
Lucy leaned against the counter in the Three Cripples Pub. She sighed and blew a strand of red-blond hair out of her eyes. She looked at the bar tender. He, however, was looking at her pale cleavage.
Lucy was oblivious. Her cheeks were stained with tears and her heart felt as if it had nearly been broken in half. She half-heartedly slapped her hand down on the bar. "Get me a Gin, will you, Love?"
The man raised an eyebrow, but poured the drink. "You've 'ad eight, Lucy."
The girl heaved a heavy sigh and shrugged. "Put it on my tab." She grinned painfully at him and ran her tongue over her teeth suggestively. The gesture was effective, but tears were hidden behind her tough façade. The woman she idolized had been brutally murdered by her other obsession, the handsome but harsh Bill Sikes. She couldn't understand how it had happened. Bill was a very violent man, but he would never really hurt Nancy badly. Everyone was slapped around and they never died. It had practically happened right before her eyes while she was out slumming by the river with her friend Katie. Nancy was found dead and then her mysterious Bill was shot and killed. Her best friend Bet who adored Nancy had fallen over her body and practically lost her mind. Bet's boyfriend had helped her off somewhere, and Lucy didn't know where she was. "I 'ope she's alright. Oh, Nancy! And Bet…poor sweet Bet!" In her mind she added, "Oh…Bill!"
Lucy slummed around at the bar for a little while before she felt like she was going to pass out. She had consumed two bottles of Gin and her sadness had been numbed for the moment. She stumbled out of the door, almost knocking into the doorframe as she went. She righted herself and headed out into the night, pulling her shawl around her shoulders more firmly.
She padded through the back alleys of London, just trying to get home. "Bet 'ad better be there," she thought to herself. "It's too late to be runnin' 'round. It must be three or four o'clock. She can't stay away forever." She thought of her bed and how she didn't want to do anything but curl up under her covers. Of course, throwing up seemed good too at the moment. She weaved a bit and fell onto the ground, too tipsy to continue.
~~~~~
Lucy stirred again when she heard a clock chime five times. She opened her eyes a slit and looked up. She was covered by someone standing over her, nothing but a dark shape silhouetted against the street lamps. She opened her mouth to scream, but a hand covered her mouth. A hand covered in something damp and dark. She tasted blood. A shriek rose in her throat but no sound could penetrate the heavy hand held over her lips. "Don't scream." A harsh voice hissed through the darkness.
Lucy gasped. She grasped the hand with both of her own and she tore it away from her mouth. "Bill?" The word rang through the darkness.
"Quiet!" he muttered and pulled her up to her feet with one strong arm.
"You're alive'!" she exclaimed. "But you're bleedin'!"
He clutched his chest. "Don' fuss over me," he growled. "It's just a scratch."
Lucy rolled her eyes. "You're practically dyin'." She shook her head to clear it and balled her fists. "Serves you right, too, for what you did to Nancy, you brute!" She raised her fist and popped him in the shoulder. Bill stumbled and grunted, but didn't retaliate. He had done enough damage for one night. Lucy turned her back and wiped her eyes to clear them of the tears of agony that had been creeping in all night. "I'm glad you're alive," she said softly. "You've gotta get some 'elp." She moved to him and slid under his arm.
He shot her a look, but accepted when she tugged his arm over her shoulder to support him. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you 'ome. 'Opefully Bet won't come in and see you. She's 'ad enough of you."
He shrugged, but mentally shuddered to think of Bet. He had killed Nancy with no thought at all, but now he was considering the consequences. Not that he was worried about how Bet felt about it. He was more worried about his own skin. And Bet would talk, he was sure of it. She would tell someone he was still alive. Then he might have to kill her and the other girl too. "No, don't take me to your flat. Somewhere else."
She helped him along. "Your flat?"
"NO!"
"Alright, alright!" She looked at him. "You ain't gonna kill me too, are you?" Bill sucked in his breath quickly. "I don' know." He looked at the ground and then darted his eyes around. "Jus' get me inside!"
Lucy resisted the urge to give him another punch. "You're so creepy. Bloody 'ell!" She pulled him along through the night.
*~~~~~*
Disclaimer: All characters except for Lucy were invented by Charles Dickens, not me. Any situation or phrasing similar to any other written work is completely coincidental and was completely unintentional.