Here's the next one. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, I'm thinking about making a sequel, so if you want one, review ok. Enjoy!
(Chap 6: First Murder)
"Why does the Beadle not come?" Sweeney said, not really to Keena and Jenny, but they where the only ones there. The three of them where sharpening his razors. " 'Before the week is out', that's what he said."
"Erm… but, Mr. Todd, it's only Tuesday. You've got a good few days left. You can't be in too much of a rush." Sweeney glared at Keena and threw everything but his razor to the floor.
"Don't think I can't hear what your sayin from behind the door." Mrs. Lovett said as she came in.
Sweeney sat, twirling his straight razor when they heard the 'thump, thump, thump' of someone running up the stairs. Sweeney got up and hid behind the door when Antony burst into the room, but only saw the girls and Mrs. Lovett.
"Oh! Beg your pardon Mrs…?"
"Mrs. Lovett, sir." she mumbled.
"A pleasure ma'am." He turned to see Sweeney. "Mr. Todd. There's a girl who needs my help. Such a sad girl, and lonely but beautiful too-" Instead of how it was spoken in the movie, Antony spoke so fast they could hardly understand a word of his muttering.
"Slowdown son." Sweeney said, leading Antony to sit on the chair.
"Yes, sorry sir. This girl had a guardian who keeps her locked away, but then this morning she dropped this." he took out an old, black key. "Surely a sign that Joanna wants me to help her… that's her name. Joanna."
Jenny nudged Keena. This was a chance to change things. "Um, wasn't your daughter called Joanna, Mr. Todd?" Keena asked.
"Yes. She was." Sweeney nodded. "Who did you say her guardian was?"
"Judge Turpin."
"My daughter… I must get her back." Sweeney said, finally coming out of his comatose state.
"Oh… I was going to ask her to come away with me." Antony admitted. "That's why I came to see you. I was going to ask if she could stay here for an hour or two before a coach arrives so we can leave." Antony looked heartbroken. He didn't want to betray Sweeney, but he loved Joanna so much.
"I have an idea." Keena spoke up. Everyone's eyes where on her. She never felt comfortable in these situations. Normally she would be unable to speak, but she swallowed and continued. "If you bring her hear later, make sure someone sees you taking her. They'll work out where you've gone and it will lure Turpin here. When he gets here, well, Sweeney can get his revenge. Then we can work out what to do about you two love birds and Mr. Todd."
Everyone nodded in agreement. With that, Antony ran off.
"What do you suggest we do about this?" Sweeney turned to the teenaged girl.
"What do you mean?" Keena raised her eyebrow.
"He wants to take my daughter from me." Sweeney was getting angry, and she knew it.
"But she doesn't know you. I had an idea that she could stay here for a few months, get to know you. Once that time is over she can decide if or not she wishes to stay. Let her make the decision. God knows she needs it after being slave to someone like Turpin." She said.
"But she will go with Antony." he almost yelled. "I'll never see her again."
"Not exactly. I will suggest that if she goes with him she at lest visits and stays for a month, and holidays and stuff. You'll at lest be able to see your daughter now and then. Every one leaves home sometime or another, and most never visit there parents again. If you want to prove yourself as a good father you have to let her make a decision alone." Keena sighed to signal that she was finished with her speech.
Sweeney stood, thinking about what she had just said. She made sense. He nodded his head when Mrs. Lovett spoke up.
"Hello. What's he doin' here?" They all gathered round the window to see Pirelli and Toby making there way down the dirty, cobblestone street.
"Keep the boy down stairs." Sweeney mumbled to Mrs. Lovett. "Jenny, downstairs, Keena I want you to stay here with me."
"Why?" Jenny asked.
"Because it might look a bit suspicious of both of us are down there, leaving Mr. T all alone up here to do the work." Keena guessed. Jenny nodded and went down stairs.
When the door was knocked Keena opened the door.
"Ah, Mr. Todd." Pirelli said, smirking.
"Senior Pirelli." Sweeney nodded to the Italian.
"Call me Davy. Davy Collins' the name when it's not professional." Pirelli's voice changed to the accent of a Londoner. Of coarse he wasn't actually Italian at all. "And I'll have my £5 back if you don't mind, and your daughter, whish, of course she isn't, is she?" he turned to Todd, who looked weary of the man.
"How do you know. And why?"
"Because, you entered our little wager under false pretences, my friend. So that you might remember to be a bit more forthright in the future, I'll be taking half your profits from herewith. Share and share alike. Mr. Benjamin Barker." Sweeney glared at Pirelli.
"Whether she's my daughter or not, your not taking Keena or anything from me." Sweeney almost growled, but Pirelli pulled Keena towards him and pun his arm around her waste. Keena wanted to scream, but that would only bring Toby up too early.
"I don't think you have much or a say in that. Yes, this'll do nicely…" He walked up to Sweeney as he had turned to face the window. "You don't remember me do you? Why should you? I was just a little nip you hired for a week sweeping up hair. But I remember these." He said, picking up a razor. "How could I ever forget you Mr. Barker. I used to sit right here."
He sat on a stool by the window, forcing Keena to sit on his lap, opening the razor and holding it to her throat so she wouldn't escape. "I'd dream of the day I could be a proper barber myself. You might say you was… inspiration to me." They watched Sweeney move away. "So, is we got ourselves a deal? Or should I run to me old pal, Beadle Bamford. What do you say to that, Mr. Sweeney Todd." Pirelli laughed, still keeping Keena tightly in his arms, blade to her neck.
Sweeney growled and hit Pirelli with the hot kettle from the stove. The fall caused Pirelli to make a deep cut down one side of Keena's face. She watched in fear as Sweeney kept hitting Pirelli with the pot. Keena kicked the razor from Pirelli's hand and opened a chest. They shoved the body in and quickly tried to clear away the blood, but more kept getting on the floor from the deep cut on Keena's head.
"You have an appointment-" Toby came in and saw the blood and the razor and then noticed the hand in the trunk. "You… you killed him." He looked at Keena. "And her. Come with me." Toby grabbed hold of Keena. " He won't get away with trying to kill you. The Beadle is just around the corner, lets go." He tried to pull the girl away, but became confused when she pulled him back into the shop.
"Shhhh. It's ok. Mr. Todd is my dad, he was only protecting me. Pirelli did this to me. He threatened to kill me if my dad didn't let him take me… and I thought you wouldn't have minded, after how he treated you…." She explained.
"Oh… he did say he wasn't going to take no for a answer, but I didn't think he would do something this bad… I'm sorry sir." He said to Sweeney. "I won't tell, I promise… but where will I go? I'm not going back to the work house." Toby said, shrinking at the thought.
"Well, maybe you should go see Mrs. Lovett. I'm sure she'd enjoy having a boy like you helping round the shop." Keena suggested. The boy nodded before running down the stairs. Just as Toby left, Pirelli burst out of the trunk.
Keena looked as Sweeney cut his throat. Blood spurted in all directions and he shook as he died. She looked in horror at the state. Pirelli had almost came to doing that to her. That could be her blood on the floor now if it hadn't been for Sweeney. That could be her body shaking with agony. It could be her eyes from which the light was leaving. It could be her who was dead on the bloodstained floor.
She backed up until she was up against a wall and slid down to the floor, unable to believe how close she was to death. She was brought out of her daze when a warm hand touched her face near the gash, causing it to sear in pain. Keena looked at Sweeney. He looked at the cut and sighed.
"Lets get you downstairs." He said, as usual, rarely, almost never, looking her in the eyes. The only person he ever seemed to look in the eyes was Mrs. Lovett.
"Ok. And thank you. You saved my life. That could have been me in that trunk. He was so close to slitting my throat…" she trailed off at the mere thought of it. She didn't care for her life, but if she had died then Jenny would never get home. The reason for her life was her friends. They where finally happy, and Jenny would never be happy until she was back with her new family and older brother… never.
"It's what I needed to do. I can't be discovered and I can't let you disappear. People would get suspicious." He said, half dragging her down to the pie shop. "… But I will not lie to you, I was worried. You and Jenny have become, like Antony, somewhat friends. Or the closest I have had since the day I was imprisoned." Keena smiled at him. "Just, don't tell Jenny. After spending over a week with her on the ship, I can tell I'll never hear the end of it." Me muttered.
"I promise." She said. "Cross my heart and hope to shave." she whispered the last bit, but Sweeney didn't notice.
Sorry if this one's a bit boring, but I didn't know how to make the story any better than in the movie, so this is my (failed) attempt of improvising. Plus something went rong when I uploaded this so I had to cut out Mrs. Lovett's song. Anyway, hope you (somewhat) enjoyed it and keep looking for the next part.