Disclaimer: Characters, settings, and even situations aren't mine.
…I never had dreams. Only nightmares…"
Johanna wandered around the strange room aimlessly.
Did she love Antony? No, she supposed not. He was a kind boy, eager to please her, to rescue her from this world they were in. He was her ticket to freedom. He would take her far, far away from this place. He was a sailor. Perhaps her disguise would buy her way onto a ship with him and they would work to pay for their passage to a new land…
Perhaps she didn't love Antony, but she would much prefer him to the judge.
Judge Turpin had made advances that bordered inappropriate. Who knew how much further he would take his desperate attempts to have her? No, she was certainly not sad about leaving him or this horrible place. But she would not let herself be glad. Not until they were far away would she even begin to feel glad…
Her wandering had brought her to a small picture frame. As she gazed into the faces of the three figures – a man, a woman, and an infant – she began to think they looked familiar –
Suddenly, she heard loud steps and singing coming from outside.
As she looked around, panicked, for some place to hide, Antony's words echoed in her mind. "You're safe now."
"I am safe no where, Antony," she scolded him mentally as she quickly climbed into a trunk. No sooner had she shut the lid, she heard the door open and the singing grew louder.
She heard more footsteps and an angry male voice. Suddenly, the singing stopped and was replaced by the sound of gears turning. More footsteps were heard and another male voice as well. She heard her name mentioned and the second voice grew louder.
Her heart began to pound; it was the judge.
The exchanged words she couldn't hear for a while, the suddenly, the first man's voice shouted, "Benjamin Barker!" She heard sounds she couldn't identify, then the creaking of gears again.
It was quiet for a time. Then she heard whispering.
She guessed the men were turned away from her, so she decided to risk a peek.
What she hadn't counted on were the hinges of the old trunk squeaking. She caught a glimpse of a man kneeling before the chair she had seen earlier, just before ducking back inside the trunk. Not two seconds later, the top was lifted again.
"Come for a shave, have you lad?"
The man reached into the trunk and pulled her out by the collar. She shook her head quickly as she took in his appearance. His face and shirt were bloodstained, his skin extremely pale, and his eyes bloodshot and murderous. He held her in one hand and a razor in the other. She watched in horror as a drop of blood fell from the drenched blade.
He tossed her in the chair as he spoke words that might have seemed innocent if not spoken through clenched teeth – or if there were a single hair on her chin.
As she trembled in the chair and the frightening face – and blade – came closer, a scream shattered the night. He looked away shortly, then held the crimson and silver blade in front of her as he looked her in the eye.
"Forget my face," he told her.
There was nothing more Johanna wanted at that moment, but she didn't know if she ever could. After the slightest of pauses, he was gone.
She sat there shaking until Antony came for her. When he appeared at the open doorway, she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, though it was improper. He was her safe haven, he was taking her away from all of this. Maybe she had to love him. Maybe she wouldn't be able to help it.
She could see worry in his eyes as he led her down the staircase by her hand.
She was surprised, however, by the image that kept showing itself in her mind; the portrait of the man, woman, and child. It was as clear as if she were holding it in her hand. There was something familiar about the image, though she couldn't put her finger on it. She had a feeling that the image would be no easier to forget than the bloodstained razor or the gaunt face with the haunted eyes…
A/N: I've always wanted to play with Johanna's feelings for Antony. I mean, who said she had to love him? We know he loves her, he's made that clear. But how does she really feel for him?