Prologue

Prologue

She was totally shocked. Her heart beat in her stomach and she had the terrible feeling she had to throw up. She feared every second she was here, but still she was unable to move. Johanna just sat there. Brutally she was placed on the bloody barber chair. Her eyes were large and she just stared. 'Barker.' She mumbled: 'Benjamin Barker…'

'Johanna!' It was Anthony. Loudly he entered the room, unable to hide his excitement: 'We're free!' From outside Johanna could hear the horses stamp, but she just couldn't care. She wanted to die, to forget what she saw. To forget everything she had been through. She almost believed man were evil; Turpin, Barker. No, not Anthony: he couldn't be evil. He just couldn't. She loved him. He was her Hope: Anthony Hope.

'Johanna!' Anthony's face was suddenly filled with concern. 'What happened?' He kneeled in front of her and placed his hands on her knees. 'You can tell me.' He said: 'You can tell me everything.'

Johanna felt like she woke up from a deep sleep. 'Anthony, we have to go!' Her eyes moved full of fear, observing the entire room. She started to cry. 'Please Anthony! Please! I don't want to be in this room anymore! Ever!' Her heart missed beats when she thought about Sweeney Todd and she feared the fact that he could return.

She stood up and grabbed Anthony's sleeve. 'We have to go Anthony.' She pulled to make sure he understood she really meant it. 'But what happened, my dear Johanna?' He asked when he followed the yellow-haired angel.

'Nothing Anthony.' She said. 'Nothing.' Anthony saw how something changed in her eyes and realised those where the last words he would ever hear about what happened that day.

'It's my fault.' He mumbled, but Johanna couldn't hear it. He was more talking to himself, trying to convince his heart to never leave her alone, again.