AN: Thanks for the reviews from chapter one!! I do appreciate the feedback and knowing if it seems like a worthy idea to build on or not. I won't be able to update this one very often, but I'll try to do regular updates for you guys. Anyway, on with the story...and please take five seconds to review :)
Jack briefly debated going up to see more about this strange man, but he quickly changed his mind. Using his better judgment for once. He just got that feeling that something wasn't "right" about that man, and what sort of question is 'how about a shave' anyways? Jack thought to himself. Instead he played stubborn as well, turning on his heel in the same fashion as the pale man had, and stalked away from the staircase, and entered the pie shop.
Jack looks around the mostly empty pie shop as the door slams behind him, causing the woman behind the counter to jump and look up. She gasped, "A customer!"
Jack remained motionless, cocking his head to one side in puzzlement.
This woman wore tattered clothes and seemed a bit familiar to Jack, but he couldn't place it. She came around the counter singing, "Wait! What's your rush? What's your hurry? You gave me such a fright, I almost thought you were a ghost. All I meant is that I haven't seen a customer for weeks. Did you come in for a pie sir?"
Jack had been backed into sitting at one of the tables. "Uh, actually, I'm more just looking for somewhere to stay for the night," he said as Mrs. Lovett placed a fresh pie in front of him.
Mrs. Lovett stopped her song. "Well, I have a vacancy upstairs if you'd be interested."
"No you don't," Jack said with a drunken hiccup.
"Oh?" Mrs. Lovett questioned.
"Yeah, I saw some guy go up there. He must live there or something."
Mrs. Lovett laughed lightly. "Well they do say the place is haunted, so you must've seen a ghost."
"No! It wasn't a ghost. He was fully alive and everything! He asked me if I wanted a shave."
"Black hair with a white streak? Really pale?"
"Yes! See, even you know him!"
"No, I knew him. But Sweeney Todd is long gone. Been nearly eighteen years. You've simply seen a ghost, or else had too much to drink. Come on, I'll show you upstairs," Mrs. Lovett said, leading Jack Sparrow to the door.
Jack Sparrow followed Mrs. Lovett up the stairs and into the loft above the pie shop. Jack peered cautiously around her into the extremely dusty apartment. It looked as if no one had entered that place for at least twenty years.
"See, completely abandoned, no one lives here," Mrs. Lovett said, waving her hand to encompass the entire room.
Jack stepped from around her, still stepping carefully around the room. "Alright, I suppose I'll just stay."
"Excellent," Mrs. Lovett said, clapping her hands together. "I'll leave you to settle in then, Mr?"
"Sparrow. Captain Jack Sparrow."
"Captain," she said, bidding him good-bye as she exited and headed back downstairs.
Jack moved slowly across the room, examining every inch of it. He came to the little table with a mirror standing behind it. Clearly a makeshift armoire or something, Jack thought. But that's when he noticed what was lying on the table. It was a small, beautifully carved box. Jack picked it up and slowly opened it. Inside, lay four silver razor blades. So a barber used to live here, Jack thought as he examined them.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind Jack, "What do you think you're doing in here?"
Jack spun around to be face to face with the same man from earlier. The man that Mrs. Lovett had referred to as Sweeney Todd. Jack gulped and set the box of razor blades down on the table. "S-Sorry," Jack stuttered.
"OUT! GET OUT!!!" Sweeney thundered. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
Jack's eyes widened in surprise at this man's loud outburst. Jack quickly made his way to the door.
"OUT NOW!" Sweeney shouted, pointing at the door as Jack threw it open.
"I'm going, I'm going!" Jack said as he exited and ran down the stairs so fast that he nearly tripped down them a few times.
Mrs. Lovett appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "What's going on? What's all this shouting and running about?"
Jack paused, "You're wrong! Sweeney Todd does live up there. I saw him. I'm not staying here. I'm gonna find an inn or something."
Mrs. Lovett watched as Jack made his way down the street into the darkness. Then she turned and looked up at the old barbershop in wonder. She knew Sweeney was long gone, so what could that man have possibly seen that had spooked him so bad?
Jack made his way through the streets of London, constantly casting a glance over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't being followed. He nearly crashed into a poor beggar woman who was singing, "Alms! Alms out for a miserable woman!"
She looked down at Jack lying on the ground because he fell while she moved out of the way to avoid being trampled. Jack got up slowly, dusting himself off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold coin. He examined it a moment in the dim light and then placed it quickly into her outstretched hand, pulling his back quickly as if he just touched something that might bite.
She looked up at him with wide eyes, "Thank you, kind sir."
Jack nodded once and turned away from her to begin making his way down another once familiar street. That was until she spoke again, "I saw him too."
Jack spun around and eyed her suspiciously. She could just be talking crazy, Jack thought to himself.
Then she spoke again, "Mr. Todd, that barber. I saw him."
Jack raised his eyebrows, still unsure if he should believe her. He remained silent and just watched her.
She came closer to him, getting as close to his face as she could, though she was only able to reach his chin. "And if I were you I'd stay away from Fleet Street. That Mrs. Lovett is the devil's wife and her pies, don't touch those."
"Why?" Jack asked, backing away from her.
"What she puts in them is human flesh," the beggar woman said. "Beware of keeping her company," she whispered as she moved on down the street, taking up her song once more, "Alms! Alms out for a pitiful woman!"
Jack remained frozen in his place, alone in the dark London streets, watching the woman, wondering if she was crazy or not…
