Chapter 7- Never though I'd live to see the day
With resolve, Sweeney pushed the door to the Bake house open. He was not greeted by anything, or anyone. Everything was set up just as he remembered it before he had met his end. Except there were no bodies. And there was nobody alive either.
Sweeney reached out and fingered the meat grinder. In a morbid moment, Benjamin wondered whether the general public, had they a chance, would have liked the taste of Sweeney Todd. Sweeney laughed out loud at that thought.
This is of course set what the Beadle had referred to as, "it" in motion.
The loud whistle that was heard at work's end every night from the nearest factory shrilled. Instantly, the room was filled with bodies. And above each body, there seemed to float an ethereal ghost-like person to match. Sweeney watched in amazement. They all seemed to face the doors of the lit oven. A few of them noticed Sweeney, and whispers between them began. But mostly they ignored him and faced the oven.
Sweeney wondered what they could possibly be waiting for.
Suddenly the doors of the oven burst open.
The flames that had surrounded Sweeney earlier, gave off no heat. But these seemed to sear the hair right off your head from a good 5-6 feet away.
Sweeney looked through the cracks of his fingers. There stood an eerily quiet, soot covered figure, which unmistakably belonged to Mrs. Lovett.
All at once the ghost-like people began to talk. There were so many it was hard to keep track of what they were all saying. Sweeney caught words like, 'get', 'deserves', and 'pays.'
All at once they began to move forward as though they were an army crossing the battle line. They rushed Mrs. Lovett and she began to scream. It was the same sound Sweeney had heard from the parlor earlier. They pushed her back until she was in the oven again and they collectively closed the door. Instantly they disappeared, leaving the bake house exactly as Sweeney had seen it when he entered.
Weird.
This thought was collective.
Did you recognize most of those people? Were they really all ones we had killed?
Yes.
Sweeney took note that Benjamin had said we.
So what now?
Stop it of course. We can't leave her to replay that over and over again.
Although she might enjoy it more then seeing us.
Benjamin took note that Sweeney said us.
I doubt that. Though it will be a close call.
They laughed. One in good humor, one sorrowfully.
Seriously though, if we are ever to get out of here, we have to do something.
I know. Maybe if I…
No.
Benjamin sighed. He didn't figure he would just be handed the reins. Not now, maybe not ever.
Fine, I would like to see you do something. Better then I could. You don't even like her.
There was silence inside Sweeney's head now as well as outside.
I was not the one to throw her in.
There was discomforting silence now.
It was you Benjamin Barker that thought that she was annoying. Not I. You were the one who blamed her for all of these people's deaths. For her cunning plan that enabled me to take more leisure, and her to raise herself out of poverty. Seriously I think it was a good plan.
But…people were eating other…people.
And this was a problem for whom?
It's disgusting.
As I recall they tasted pretty good actually.
Benjamin sighed. That itself was more disgusting then the idea.
So you blamed HER for the things that I started, and then you couldn't control. You blamed her for poisoning the public. Personally I think those people ate better and felt fuller then in a long time. They were actually being fed.
I was ready to FORGIVE her, even for lying about your wife being dead, and you throw her into the open doors of the oven.
Benjamin cowered. Sweeney continued.
When it came down to it, you Benjamin Barker were just as angry and vengeful as I. Only rather then admit that, you created me. And rather then take the blame for things, you blame Mrs. Lovett. The woman who only did any of this because she loved….
Shut up! Shut up! I am done with you. I wish to hear no more of this nonsense.
Sweeney laughed.
Alright then if it was all nonsense prove it. You wanted the reins. You do it. You try and get her out of the oven, and chase all those ghosts away. Because if didn't want any of this, then you should have an easy time explaining this, and therefore we can get out of here so much faster.
Silence.
This is all from being around you, that's all. You rubbed off on me.
Sweeney laughed again.
God, you are such an idiot. Who said earlier, that I was merely an extension of you, gone wrong, and in control for too long? If that was true, then I am merely a part of you. I wouldn't have existed if you hadn't let me out, hadn't made me. You…are seriously messed up, if you are going to blame this all on me. Go. Knock um dead.
And with that, Sweeney went into the deep corners of the mind he was a part of, merely to watch and not to interfere. And Benjamin, for the first time in 15 years was alone. In the Bake house. With the whistle blowing. Again.