Promise of the Rose
SweeneyToddGirl
(Chapter 1 : The Lonely Princess)
Disclaimer : I do not own Sweeney Todd nor do I own Rule of Rose.
She ran.
She could hear them coming after her. Hear their despicable footsteps stomping upon the grimy streets of the foul city. All around her, millions of tiny droplets plummeted from the dark sky; making it hard for her to recognize her surroundings. But thankfully, the tears of the heavens washed away the blood that was seeping from the soles of her pale, bare feet.
"I order you to halt," she heard one of the wretched bastards yell. She had the urge to holler back something awful naughty; something her mommy would surely disapprove of.
A tight knot formed in her throat.
Mommy.
She balled her fists as she felt a drop of water cascade down her cheek. Unlike the rest, this one held warmth.
The footsteps, at last, seemed to be distant now. Whether they were stopping for a good measure or for a mere break, she did not know. Therefore, she continued to run. She simply had to get away from them. Though she was not entirely sure of what they would do to her if they caught her, she already had an idea of where they would take her. The Warehouse
She felt her body tremble, but not of the cold.
A child's voice echoed in her head.
"They come at night, Nellie. They come at night to play with you. They come at night to take care of you. They come at night to punish you. They come at night to kill you..."
She shook her head furiously. No. They would not come for her. She'd rather be cast away to Devil's Island then go there. If she was sent there, she knew those things would come for her. The things that came for naughty, little children to punish them. The things that lurked in the Warehouse. The wretched imps.
Unfortunately, the moment arrived where her tiny, little heart could no longer take the forced acceleration, and so she made her way into an alleyway and collapsed upon the soaked, muddy ground. Her chest heaved violently, and yet she managed to regain her breath in little gasps. Once she recovered, she sat up and placed her head on her bloody knees (the result of occasionally tripping).
It was then where she allowed herself to cry.
Cry for the only person that she had left in the world and that she loved so much. She will never forget the moment in which the life was drained completely out of that person's eyes. Her mommy's eyes.
Utter silence. Stool dropped. A body dangling in the air. The necklace of punishment around pallid throat. She was gone...
Rivers of tears continued to slide down her hallow cheeks. "It's all my fault," she sobbed.
The smell of blood greeted her as she sniffled.
Stupid. Stupid. STUPID!
If it wasn't for that stupid question, mommy would have still been alive. As if mockingly, her stomach growled.
She punched the gut once as punishment, and recoiled at the harsh impact. Yes, it deserved it. Why did it always have to make that wretched sound? Why could it not just be quiet for one bloody day? Always wanting , wanting, wanting! It if was not for this useless thing, she would have never asked mommy that dumb question!
Hand in hand, Mother and child walk. Walk in silence. Walk in happy silence. A mean, nasty growl breaks the happy silence. "May we eat today?" child asks. Mother looks sad. "Per'aps tomorrow, love" Happy silence, is happy no more...
Her tears mingled with the crimson oasis that seeped out of her flesh. Thunder and a sob simultaneously escaped.
She stuck her head out of her lap and whispered, "You told me never to steal, mommy." Hypocrite.
Child sleeps. Mother leaves. Child wakes up. Bread lays on small table. Mmmm. Yummy bread! Child goes outside to play. Oh what a dark day!
Another growl plus another violent act against the growl.
She heard it then. The footsteps again. She had to keep running!
With a great amount of pain and self-loathing weighing down upon her , she lifted herself off the muddy ground. She peeked out the alley to see what direction they were in, and sure enough there they were. The two men in blue uniform. To her, they resembled the old, dusty Nutcrackers that her mommy used to place upon the counter-top during the holiday season. Their only decoration during the holidays.
She always hated those things.
Stealthily, she silently jogged the opposite direction and once they were a great distance behind her, she ran with all her might. The rain seemed to thicken, then. Rain drops falling with much more force. Wind, as well, blew harsher.
Yet she continued to run.
Child sees a crowd. Curiosity leads the child within the sea of people. Yay! Child small enough to reach the front! Child looks up. Mommy is flying!
A while later, the running began to take its toll upon her. She was beginning to become very tired. Her feet stung and the wind howled in her ear.
"You must stop," it told her. "You need rest."
Though her legs throbbed from exhaustion, her heart pumped with determination.
Unfortunately, a piece of charcoal was left on the ground and in a second she tumbled down once more; her knee wounds re-opening. Up once more, she kept going. Wind gushed once more into her ear, saying "You are tired, child. Stop."
Her tear ducts overflowed. Oh how she wanted to stop. She wanted to just stop and just go home. Go home with mommy. Her legs trembled violently. Not enough strength to keep going. Yet she she simply had to get away. She had to!
But alas the inevitable moment arrived. The exhaustion was to much for her small heart and she collapsed. She laid there. Numb. Not feeling the million little stings of the rain. "Sleep, child." Wind whispered. "Sleep and go to your mother, child."
For once, she obeyed. She closed her eyes, yet she continued to weep. What a dark day indeed.
Footsteps returned. However, smaller this time.
She drifted into unconsciousness then. Not feeling the small, little tongue that licked away the rain and tears upon her face. And also, not feeling the arms that picked up her broken body ( that resembled a worn-out rag doll) and carried her away.
Thunder roared and the wind continued to whisper. Harsher this time, yet still a mere whisper...
Hope you like it! RR! :) The fate of another chapter depends on it!