The Todd Prince
A Sweeney Todd Tale
By Stuart Ryo
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Chapter One: The Hunt is Afoot
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Various shouts came from the pie shop down the way. This was nothing special; it had been happening for weeks and the passers-by took no notice.
Suddenly, a random psychopath crossed the road at the wrong time and was flattened by a carriage. It looked like his ideas would have to wait for a safer century.
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"I bet you couldn't get a girl even if you paid her!"
"We'll see about that!"
The door slammed. Mrs. Lovett turned to find her assistant Toby standing at the foot of the stairs.
"Go back to bed, Toby."
"Wat was Mr. Todd shouting about?" The boy's eyes were wide and staring.
"I SAID GO TO BED!" shouted Mrs. Lovett, grabbing a dishcloth and forcing Toby back up the stairs. She then let out a great sigh and collapsed on the nearest chair.
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Mr. Todd was, at that point, clutching a scarf around his neck and muttering to himself as he trudged through the snow.
"Stupid woman...can't find a...I'll show her..."
He narrowly missed a snowball, and then caught sight of himself in a shop window. He ran over to get a closer view. It wasn't pretty. His teeth were stained, his skin pale and his hair looked like it had randomly exploded in all directions. He shivered. If he was to prove Mrs. Lovett wrong, he needed to change his image - and fast.
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Saturday
Day the First
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Mrs. Lovett was just serving the first customer of the day when she caught a glimpse of her moody neighbour stalking up the stairs to his shop. Muttering instructions to Toby, she followed Mr. Todd to find herself locked out of the barber shop. He had nailed various boards over the windows, and a suprisingly elegant sign was hanging fromk the doorknob. It read: 'SEVERE MAKEOVER IN PROGRESS, DO NOT ENTER.' Shaking with rage, she stormed her way back downstairs, forced all of the customers (and Toby) out and shut up shop. There wasn't much point to a meat pie shop if there wasn't any meat.
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Toby had just sat down at a table in the pub when three gentlemen in bowler hats sat down opposite. He looked up. One, obviously the leader (fatter and taller than the rest) grinned to show a mouthful of rotten teeth. Toby winced. If that was what happened to bad people, then he'd rather take prison.
The fat man placed a wad of notes on the table. "Listen, Ragg, I knows you works for that Miss Lovett up the way." Toby nodded, too shocked to speak. The stranger grin broadened. "Let me get you a drink, Toby. The name's Albert. I have a...professional interest in Lovett's fine establishment."
Toby grinned. Anyone who could afford to buy him drinks was a friend in his book. Trust me, he can drink a lot.
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It took until nine o'clock for Todd to emerge from his parlour. Mrs. Lovett attempted to accost him before he left, but unfortunately tripped over her dress and only caught a glimpse of him as he left.
"Oh god," she moaned, sinking into a chair. She vaguely remembered her argument with Todd; he had completely ignored her birthday, one thing led to another, she told him he couldn't get a girl even if he tried, and he had stormed off. She had told Toby the next morning...
Speaking of which, she spotted her assistant wandering up the high street, clutching an empty bottle and singing raucously. She frowned. Why couldn't anything be simple for a change?
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Sunday
Day The Second
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The sun dragged itself across the sky, illuminating the grimy streets of London town. It looked to be another gloomy day in the capital.
Meanwhile, Sweeney Todd surveyed himself in the mirror and smiled. He was quite prepared to show off his new look to the town, and to his neighbours downstairs.
He grabbed his coat, swung it over his shoulder and swaggered off.
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Mrs. Lovett chanced a look upwards to find a stranger in her shop. She went back to cleaning. Then she turned backup again and her mouth fell open.
Toby noticed Mrs. Lovett's pause, and he saw the completely reformed character standing in the doorway. He too gaped.
Composing herself, Lovett prepared to speak, but fortunately Mr. Todd saved her any bother.
"Well, Mrs. Lovett," he began, then going off on a rant simultaneously stating that he would knock the ladies of London dead and also scolding Mrs. Lovett for losing faith in him. Suffice to say her attention wandered and she found herself curiously examining the details of his new appearance.
"And so, I bid you goodbye til Friday," he finished, "and I hope to prove you wrong, my dear Mrs. Lovett." He left.
Mrs. Lovett swallowed, thought carefully and turned to face Toby.
"Toby," she stated, "Mr. Todd may be ginger now, but I think now is the time to explain to me exactly what you bet last night.
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A thunderous clattering came from the pie shop down the way, and various shouts of pain.
Nothing special, but still very annoying if it causes you to collapse onto a fruit stall while looking backwards.
Unfortunately Mr. Sweeney Todd was just the type of man to fall victim to this sort of luck.
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End of Chapter One
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