Chapter 1: Sealed Fate
Anthony and Johanna burst through the dark wooden door, leading a small squad of the officers of the guard. They froze in their tracks. No one dared move.
The air was thick and smelled of smoke and death. Amidst bloody, twisted corpses stood a small boy holding a bloody razor. Wide-eyed, he turned to face them. His hair was completely white and standing on-end, and he was dressed all in red.
"Pardon me, gentlemen, but you may not enter here." His gaze was unfixed, and he spoke slowly. "My mistress wouldn't allow it. You see, there's work to be done…so much work…to be done…" He was not angry or aggressive. He was merely a child; a shy, sad, lonely child. A pitiful creature, led astray by the world.
He limped over to a rusty, wicked-looking grinder. "Three times," he said. "That's the secret. Three times for them to be juicy and tender." He looked up at Johanna with hollow eyes. "Three times through the grinder."
Johanna gave a soft cry as he began violently turning the crank. The grinder creaked and scratched as he chanted "Smoothly…smoothly…"
In panic, the officers backed out through the door and locked it. Inside Mrs. Lovett's parlor, they turned to the young sailor and his pretty lass.
"You said that the killer was a man, around forty years old, with pale skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. Is that child supposed to be this barber, this Sweeney Todd?"
"N-no sir," said Anthony, holding Johanna closer to him. "Mr. Todd was dead…dead on the floor…t-that child is…why, he must be young Tobias…"
Tobias Ragg was a simple lad. "Simple as a baby lamb," Mrs. Lovett used to say. Toby grew up on the streets. He never knew what the words "family" or "home" really meant, but he always seemed a happy boy. After all, he'd never known any better. He never wanted anything, he never had a selfish thought. He seemed to have an aura of innocence and hope about him.
A man named Signor Pirelli found him one day and took him in. Well, put him to work, really. Toby became his assistant. It was his job to sing and advertise for Signor Pirelli's Miracle Elixir. After all, Toby was young and cute, plus he had a slight limp and pathetic air about him. It was good for business.
Signor Pirelli was cruel to Toby, but it was better than being on the street. Well, that's what the Signor told him. Toby believed him.
A curious man, Mr. Todd, challenged Pirelli one day. They had a shaving contest; it was all very exciting for young Toby. When Pirelli lost, he was furious. After a sound beating, he dragged Toby down to Fleet Street to discuss some business with Mr. Todd. There, a kind lady named Mrs. Lovett gave Toby some food, and even some gin! Toby had never had gin before, and dozed off fairly quickly. He awoke to find Pirelli gone, but Mrs. Lovett willing to take him in not as a slave, but a son.
Really, he was more of a pet than anything else, but he loved Mrs. Lovett dearly, and loved helping her serve the delicious meat pies she made. Toby was happier than ever, and was allowed to eat all the pies he wanted. When Mrs. Lovett ruffled his fluffy red hair or sang him tunes on her fancy new organ, he would think to himself "How lucky I am. The good Lord sent me a mum and a home…"
Then, there was Mr. Todd…
Tobias set down the razor and looked at his hands. Bloodstains smeared his now pale palms. He looked over at the body of Mr. Todd. Slowly, he walked over and sank to his knees next to the corpse. Hot tears burned his cheeks.
"I'm sorry mum," he said brokenly. "I'm sorry, sorry, sorry…" He took Mr. Todd's hand. It was pale and stained with blood, just like his own. "Look now, look at my hand…look at me, mum, look!" He threw down Mr. Todd's dead, cold arm. "I'm him! I'm Mr. Todd!" tears streamed down his face as he yelled at the sky.
Toby never hated anything. He didn't hate his would-be parents for abandoning him, he didn't hate Pirelli for beating him…
But Mr. Todd was the exception.
Furiously, Toby grabbed the bloody collar of Mr. Todd's shirt and dragged him across the yard to the bake oven. "You think I don't know what you did," he said in a shaking voice to the lifeless form of Sweeney Todd. "But I do, I heard it all, I saw it, I saw you!"
His anger suddenly drained from him as he turned to the big rusty doors of the bake oven. He put his hands on the door and leaned his head against it. "You killed her…" He cried and slid down to the ground, leaving twin trails of blood from his hands on the metal door. Nuzzling his head on the icy iron door, he softly cooed to it. "Nothin's gonna harm you…not while I'm around…"
With a crooked smile, he slowly turned to the corpse beside him. "Well Mr. Todd, you first then. There's work to be done, so much work to be done…" He stood and limped over to the razor. His eyes widened and his smile grew when he held it.
"…Hello friend!"