title Girl Anachronism
author pinkeop
summary Behold the world's worst accident, I am the girl anachronism. ( AU )
authors note Ooooh, almost finished, you guys! This is the LAST chapter, and then there's the epilouge. Are you all excited as I am? It's like getting to the end of a really good movie and you just NEED to know how it's all gonna end! Well, at least for me it is. But, I know how this is gonna end, so all you silly people will just have to wait and see! I'm the master of killing off characters, so all the deaths will be super easy for me.
Will they be easy for you to read about? Who knows! Thanks for all your darling reviews, they make me so happy insiiiide. I really hope I do the final scene justice, because I'm SOOO nervous. I wasn't sure how I wanted it to end, until I got there. So... we'll see.
And everyone- I know I should use spell check, or get a beta, or something, but the truth of the matter is, I type these up in word doc because it makes it easier to write them for me. And I'm far too excited to ever get a beta, but I promise I'll read them over more and fix the mistakes. And if I ever make another multi-chapter fic, I'll do the same thing. I just tend to type REALLY fast and my fingers muff up words.
Don't forget to review! Love you guuuysss.
Especially my Finny!
Love!
Pink Elephants on Parade
--
chapter nine Finale Scene
You can be cautious or just a rebel
Until the day the Lord kicks your bell
Angel or devil who can unravel
So just blow it all to hell
You can be lovely
You can be ugly
It aint no matter if you sing or bark
'Cos where we all go
Just poison ivy
will grow wild on your heart
The sound of the bakehouse lock slamming into place was enough to drive anyone into madness.
Ana stood in the short hall between the parlor and the shop when Nellie came back up. Her face was stricken and pale and her eyes were moist with tears. She looked ever so devestated at what she'd done and looked at Ana with a face begging for forgiveness. The girl didn't hesitate and wrapped her arm around her shoulders, leaning on her toes. Nellie pressed a hand to her mouth, the tears spilling across her cheeks. Ana couldn't find it in her to feel hatred towards the baker, nor distaste. She knew she was only protecting the man up stairs. Pushing back the thoughts of Toby, down tehre, no doubt about to find out the dark secret of Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shoppe. That thought- of getting found out -scared her more than it should.
Ana waited at the bottom of the stairs as Nellie went up to Mr. Todd's shop. She closed the court door behind her firmly. The streets were eerily silent- not a single person roamed. And no sight of Antony and the barber's daughter. Ana clenched her jaw and waited patiently there at the bottom of the stairs. She thought she heard a clicking sound- a door being shut, but the loud sounds of Nellie and Mr. Todd trumping down the steps made her turn her heard sharply.
"I got 'im locked in, but if 'e escapes, 'e'll go to the law," Nellie said in breathless hysterics as she bound down the steps. Mr. Todd wasn't far behind her. His eyes were dark, but calmly satisfied.
"'E wont escape," Mr. Todd said firmly. "Ana, I need you to---" But his request was stopped as the door behind her swung open and both Nellie and Ana whirled. Two twin yelps of fright were the reaction to the Beadle's presence suddenly in the door way. Ana's hand flew to her throat. Up close, the man was very ugly and dirty. His teeth were yellow and poorly filled. His dark, beady eyes landed on her cleavage for a few moments, taking in the swell of her breast. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. She didn't see the flash of vengenge in Mr. Todd's eyes.
"S'cuse me," Nellie pardoned lightly. "Gave us a fright!" She grabbed Ana by the arm and pulled her hard towards her, wrapping a protective greedy arm around her shoulders. As if to say, "I'm not losing this one." Ana squeezed her hand lightly in silence assurance. The woman looked between the barber and the Beadle. Mr. Todd's lips twisted upward in a malicious grin.
"Pardon me, Madam," Beadle Bamford said condescendingly. "That was no my original intention... But I am here on offical... business." The Beadle talked with long pauses between his words, making it sound as if he'd just run a while. His hat was tipped of his pig-like face and a dark smile fell over his lips. "I've gotten complaints about the smoke from your chimney... they says at night it is something most... foul. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a look... at your... bakehouse."
Ana's blood ran cold and as the man moved towards the cellar stairs, Nellie moved subtly to block his back and Mr. Todd placed a hand on his shoulder. How wonderfully in unison they worked! The Beadle's eyes rested on her for a half a second longer than they should have before he turned his head to look at Mr. Todd. Ana felt numb tot he world for a moment. But somehow, craftily, Mr. Todd had coaxed the Beadle up stairs. Nellie took off into the shop and Ana stood for a few quiet minutes there in the court. Her eyes searched the street. Even less signs of Johanna and Antony than there had been during the rush. Her heart thundered in her throat. In the shop, Nellie was cleaning nervously. Ana returned to her side, place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Nellie began shaking her head frantically back and fourth.
"'E'll kill 'im," Nellie whispered. Ana somehow knew she wasn't talking about Bamford. "I knew I couldn't keep 'im around much longer, 'e was too young an' 'e was too good, but I don't want 'im to kill 'im. 'E 'as to kill 'im." The woman sniffed as she scrubbed weakly at the flour covered counter. "'E'll go tot he law an' we'll all be given a hangin'..." She sighed softly. "I knew I couldn't keep 'im forever. But I dreamed."
Ana's mouth felt dry and she wasn't sure if she should say anything or not. She decided against it however as the woman straightened her back and wiped her brow on her forearm. Nellie was, without a doubt, the strongest woman she'd ever met. A determined look crossed the woman's face as she went on silently cleaning. Ana plopped onto the stool behind the counter. She tried to picture poor young Toby down in that dreadful bakehouse, probably unawares yet that he'd been locked in. A loud noise came from above the shop, a mechanical clanking, creaking sound. Both women looked up, Nelli'es expression horrified and miserable. Ana swallowed down bile.
A loud pounding started from the bakehouse door. Toby's muffled screeching was heard. Ana jumped up and glanced at Nellie, who was suddenly looked back down at the counter. Her expression was devestated. Her eyes twisted shut and her fingers clenched her wash rag. Ana's hearted broke for the woman. She could see, clear as day, how badly Nellie wanted to run to the boy's aid. And yet she couldn't. Her love for Mr. Todd- the man he used to be, really -was stronger than her motherly instict. It broke Ana's heart. Toby's calls got louder and she heard him calling her next, her name muffled by the big, metal door. She took a half step towards the door that lead to the count. Nellie's warm hadn on her shoulder halted her advances and the two women listened as his shouts moved away from the doors. All was silent for a half minute. Mr. Todd's apperance took everything out of slow motion.
"Mrs. Lovett," the man snapped. "Come."
Nellie saw the razor in his hand as plainly as Ana did and she swallowed. Ana, swearing to keep her promise to protect the kind woman, stepped forward instead, shaking her head.
"I'll go," Ana responded. Mr. Todd wrinkled his nose, but he didn't object, but isntead turned swift for the bakehouse stairs. But, ever so faithfully, Nellie followed in tow of Ana. All three of them descended the steps. Ana could only remember the last time she'd been in the dark cellar, and her hand shook and trembled as her memories of the dear bodies in the corner under the trap door flooded over her. She let Nellie pass her on the last step, hestitating at the doorway. Mr. Todd turned halfway and glared at her, reaching to take her by the writ and yank her over the threshold. She stumbled, but caught herself just in time.
"Tooooby," Nellie called lightly into the darkness, the furnace door shut and only giving off a pale, orange light. Ana didn't look towards the corner where she knew the Beadle's body lay. "Where aaaare you looove?" Nellie's voice bounced off the walls.
"Where is he?" Ana whispered.
In the farthest corner of the bakehouse was a small passage way that lead down into the dark, cold sewers under London. The sound of wooshing, dripping water echoed off the dark, stone walls. If the bakehouse had a hot, orange glow, then the sewers gave of a cold, blue-ish hue. Ana found herself stopping at the top of the three, stone steps that lead down to the sewers. She could hear Nellie's heels clicking along the stone walkway below, her warm voice holding the sound of choked back tears and even a bit of warning- like if Toby was in ear shop that he should get far, far away. "Nothings gonna harm you," Nellie's voice echoed. "Not while I'm around."
Ana finally stepped down the stairs, standing quietly in the passage way. Mr. Todd's voice was sharp as he called out Toby's name. Ana followed their voices around the corner, nearly running into Mr. Todd's back. His razxor was clutched in his hand behind him. Everything was getting oddly out of hand. Nellie's dream plan seemed bleaker and bleaker with every passing minute. Her own plan to find her way home seemed just as far off. Ana thought she heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't care to look. When Nellie rounded another corner, Mr. Todd turned abruptly and grabbed her by the shoulders. Ana bit back a terrfied, pathetic squeal. He looked down at her with dark eyes. He leaned down until they were face to face. His breath ghost across her forehead. Like a kiss.
"Are you frightened?" he whispered, his voice still echoing slightly. Ana's brows knit together and bit her lip, chewing on the delicate skin, ripping it with distinct care. To her surprise, Mr. Todd quickly and gently raised his hand and peeled her lip away from between her teeth. She looked down.
"A little," she admited.
"Good," the man said sharply, standing straight again. "You're finally reacting as expected."
Nellie returned around the corner and Mr. Todd turned to look at her. She shook her head and the barber turned and shoved on past Ana. The women looked at each other before following the tempermental man back into the cellar of the shop. The warmth of the bakehouse was almsot welcoming, but the stench reminded her of death.
"'E won't get far," Mr. Todd growled. "Mrs. Lovett, leave the Beadle and the both of you come upstairs. The judge will be here soon." He disappeared on that note up the cellar stairs. Nellie pressed a hand to her lips and Ana could see the pain in her eyes swimming in tears. She moved to the older woman's side as quickly as she could and crushed her arms around the baker, throwing them both back a few steps. Nellie burried her face into Ana's throat and for once the child comforted her mother. For a few seconds she allowed the dispair to drown her. But the vulnerability didn't last long, for the baker pulled away and took Ana by her hand and started for the bakehouse steps. Such a strong woman, her Nellie was. Nothing but love and determination, her Nellie was. Ana could feel her hyperventalition begin to set in as they left the heat behind and stomped up to the shop.
"Come on, love," Nellie crooned, setting Ana down on the stool. "Bein' down there don't never do you any good... that's right." She smoothed her hand over the fly-away strands of Ana's messy hair. She closed her eyes and forced all thoughts of what was moral and right out of her head, because those thoughts would do her no good. For a minute, the two just sat there in silence, calming frazzled nerves and churning stomachs.
A figure went flying noisily by the court door and up the stairs to the barber shop. Ana and Nellie moved towards the door. A voice, older and frantic, shouted on the way up- "Mr. Todd!"
"Turpin!" Nellie hissed. The judge. Ana looked up towards the ceiling. The judge. Somehow the Judge knew how to find the barber at his most malicious. She knew then the man wouldn't escape again. It all felt as if it were coming to a close, now. Ana could finally catch the breath that eluded her since the night began as she and Nellie sat in the shop, listening to the house creak- and the goings on upstairs through the language of footsteps. Ana found she'd come very good at reading footsteps in the time she'd been there. She felt almost calm now, sitting there, as if it was all going to be over soon.
Mr. Todd's barbaric yawp from above was muffled, but not long after the clanking of the chair tipping back was heard. Nellie squealed with delight and jumped up and away from Ana, moving towards the bakehouse.
"The judge is dead!" Nellie cackled as she disappeated. Ana was left alone in the shop, feeling her head spin with the rush of it all. She wondered if Mr. Todd felt freed now. She wondered, if Nellie's dream of living by the sea would become truer than true? Would they really leave this place? Would the sun rise and the sky actually turn blue and cloudless? Because she felt so trapped in London, now, with it's cage of clouds forever closing in on them. Ana looked up at the ceiling, closing her eyes. What was her Mr. Todd thinking now? She wasn't expecting him to change- not entirely. Not at all. To seek revenge may lead to hell, though everyone does it, though seldom as well, as Sweeney Todd. Ana chuckled quietly to herself, letting out almost a sigh of relief. It was over. It was really, really all over.
Or not.
A scream echoed from the bakehouse and Ana jumped. Nellie's voice came up from the cellar stairs. "DIE! DIE! GOD IN HEAVEN- DIE!"
She reached the court door just as Mr. Todd reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked... scary. For the first time, Ana was taken aback and frightened by the very sight of him. He didn't look like the dangerous but scarily calm if not mood swingy barber that she had known. But instead, his face was hardened and his eyes cold, blood splattered across his face, his white sleeves soaked red. The streak of white stringing through his hair was stained crimson. Ana knew her face betrayed her, because he flashed his razor threateningly towards her.
"Wait 'ere," he snarled before descending the steps. Ana stood numb where she was, the crushing weight had returned to her chest. At the top of the stairs, leading to Mr. Todd's flat, stood a young lad, who as he rushed down the stairs, Ana saw was not a lad at all, but instead a very young, pretty girl dressed in a boy's clothing. She nearly ran into Ana as she moved to stop her from coming down the stairs.
"Who are you?" Ana demanded. "What are you doing here?"
The looked scared for a moment, her big blue eyes wide. And yet she looked relieved. She reached out a hand and grabbed Ana's tightly.
"Are you the Miss Ana Antony spoke of?" she asked breathlessly. Ana's brows furrowed, but she nodded nonetheless. "The sailor brought me 'ere... 'e searched the house looking for you, but you weren't to be found.. so 'e took me to the shop. A man- a madman, miss, a sweaty toothed madman--!"
"Hush," Ana said. This was Johanna. Pretty, yellow-haired Johanna sho's locks were shoved up under a cap.
"I hid in the trunk in a corner," Johanna went on, her big blue eyes looking off so forlornly. "I 'eard my gaurdian, Judge Turpin... but when I opened the trunk 'e was gone and the madman was..." she paused. "An' I only hid because a woman wandered up--- sounded kind of crazy, but I reckon 'e killed 'er too... would 'ave killed me, if summon 'adn't 'ad screamed. Told me to forget 'is face... all covered in blood... Miss Ana, I'm so glad you're unharmed!"
Ana did a double take.
"Lady?" she asked. Johanna nodded numbly, looking off with searching eyes. Suddenly, a coach pulled up from the streets to the curb of the walkway infront of the shop. Antony flung off it in excitement, running towards them, nearly leaping over the gate.
"Miss Ana!" he crowed, flinging his arms around her in a tight hug before pulling away. He began to thank her, obviously forgetting she had been unable to hold up her end of the deal. "Thank you, so much, Miss Ana! And when you see Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett thank tem as well. I am forever in your debt."
Ana swallowed and shoved him towards the coach, roughly grabbing young Johanna and giving her a push after him. "You want to repay me? Go, now, before anything else goes wrong tonight."
Antony wrapped his arm around Johanna, and the girl's cap fell off her head. A mess of dirty blonde hair fell around her face. The sailor nodded and without another word, turned and jogged to the waiting coach, pulling his young bride along with him. Ana didn't wait to watch tem ride off before she truned back to the cellar stairs. Excitement flooded her as she stepped lightly- Mr. Todd would be glad to know that his young Johanna was safe now with Antony. Of course, her new found giddiness was countered with the feelings of sickness the bakehouse evoked from her. She took her time moving down the steps, holding the stone wall as she went. The sound of Mr. Todd's voice stopped her ont he middle stair. She couldn't see him from where she stood and figured that she was invisible as well.
"Don't I know you... she said..." the man wheezed. Curiosity tugged at Ana's stomach, but something kept her frozen on her stair. "You knew she lived." Grief and accusation flooded his voice.
The sound of the baker's heels clicking on the stone alerted Ana that she was moving away. "I was only thinkin' of you," Ana heard her say. Her brows knit together. What had happened while she had been directing the young couple to safty?
"You lied to me!" the barber accused. A small part of Ana instantly knew.
"No, no not lied at all!" the baker pleaded in a high pitched voice. "No, I never lied---"
"Lucy..." Mr. Todd moaned.
Lucy. Ana's eyes went wide and she stared numbly at the stone wall of the stair well, her heart stopping. The old begger must've wandered up on her own accord just before the judge came. How Mr. Todd would have recognized her before he went her to her doom was impossible to tell and easily forgiveable. Killed her, his own wife. His love. His life. Ana felt her heart break for him and the pain made her kenes weak, forcing her to slump to sit on the step above her. She couldn't remember when she last felt so selfless for another person. She realized then that she throbbed hollowly inside. Her throat was dry as she placed her hands on her knees. From her new, lower position she could see Mr. Todd knealing over the crippled old hag of a Lucy. She couldn't see where Nellie stood, but the look of utter devestation on the barber's face made him seem almost human. Almost. Nellie was still hastily trying to explain herself.
"---said she took a poison she did, never said that she died---"
"I've come home... again..." the barber moaned pitifully, looking down at the poor body of his wife. His hand stroked her cheek and arm that lay strew awkwardly across her body. Ana's breath hitched in her throat.
"---poor thing, she lived, but it left her weak in the head, all she did for months was just lie there in bed---"
"Lucy..." Mr. Todd weakly begged as he gripped the limp shoulders of his wife. Ana resisted the urge to run to him. The way he looked down at the dead woman suggested that the man Nellie was in love with was still in there. Somewhere. Perhaps he just needed some coaxing.
"---should 'ave been in a hospital, wound up in Bedlam instead, poor thing---"
"Oh, my god..." he breathed. His eyes flashed dangerously and even Ana saw from where she sat. Her breath hitched and it felt like she was stuck on that stair, unable to intervien with what was sure to come next. It wasn't like she didn't know- but her body was numb, unable to move.
"--better you should think she was dead- yes, I lied! 'Cause I love you! I'd be twice the wife she was---!"
"Lucy..." Mr. Todd's jaw clenched and his face snapped upwards, toward wherever Nellie stood in that room. Ana knew that look all too well. The one where he locked your eyes like a snake and wouldn't let go. There was no escape from that look. But Ana's whimper of protest died in her throat.
"---I love you! Could that thing have cared for you like me?!"
"Mrs. Lovett!" Mr. Todd said in a loud voice, throwing himself into a stand. It was at this point that Ana found the strength to stand and slip down the steps. Her body was hidden behind the iron door. "You're a bloody wonder! Imminently practical and yet appropriate as always! As you've said repeatedly there's little point in dwelling on the past---"
He was advancing on her. Ana watched, her heart racing, pounding so loud in her ears that she heard little else.
"Do you mean it?" Nellie asked breathlessly. "Everythind I did, I swear thought was only for the best--!"
"Do come here, my love," Mr. Todd hissed scathingly.
No! Ana's mind screamed. No, god, Nellie, no!
"Nothing to fear, my love!" he lied.
"Can we... still be... married?" the baker was swept into a clumsy waltz with the barber. Ana couldn't find it in her to move, mesmorized by the way the fire light from the open furnace danced their shadows across across the stone walls, growing bigger as the danced closer and closer.
"The history of the world, my pet!" Mr. Todd began.
"Oh, Mr. Todd, oh Mr. Todd, leave it to me!" Nellie gushed.
"---Is learn forgiveness and try to forget---"
"By the sea, Mr. Todd! We'll be comfy cozy, by the sea, Mr. Todd, where there's no one nosy---"
No, Ana thought as she saw how close the man was leading the woman, blinded by her love. Blinded by the man she so desperately wanted him to be.
"And life is for the alive, my dear," his face turned malevolent.
No- Ana thought desperately, stepping from around the door.
"So let's keep living it--" his eyes grew dark as he swung her closer. "Just keep living it--"
NO! Ana's mind screamed.
"REALLY LIVING IT!" He threw her.
Ana didn't realize she was actually screaming and making her way across the room, running. Nellie's screams were mingled with her own. She was in the fire, burning, screaming and Ana had broken her promise to keep her safe. The door of the furnace was shut firmly before she could reach it. Her body crashed into Mr. Todd's, and she was still screaming hysterics. God, no- no, no! Strong arms locked around her as she grabbed for the handle of the oven. No, no, NO--
"NO!" Ana scramed. "Nellie, no!" Her hands slapped useless and desperate at the arms that were locked tight around her waist. "I promised! I wasn't going to let her get hurt--- I --- NO! ---!" Mr. Todd pulled her away. Now it was jsut her screaming over and over. Nellie's voice had died away. No! Keep screaming Nellie, keep fighting, no! Don't die, NO! "Let - go - of - me!"
Mr. Todd held her against him. One large hand held her head against his chest, his other around her shoulders. He had killed her Nellie- her warm, motherly, Nellie. She screamed into his chest and beat her hands into whatever part of his body she could reach. His hands tightened around her even more. As she was screaming, she realized she was crying. Bone-shattering, breath stealing sobs. It hurt. Everything hurt. The grip he had on her hurt. Her heart beat, battered, bloody and broken against her rib cage, and it hurt. Every breath she took hurt her lungs. Her fists hurt from hitting him over and over. Her throat was raw from screaming and every gasping sob she took hurt. Her body hurt- it just hurt. Her sobs turned into miserable moans and Ana stopped hitting him and instead grabbed his shirt in her fingers. They got sticky with blood. He killed her. He killed her!
"You killed her!" Ana screamed, throwing herself away from him. "She didn't do anything but take care of you and me and you killed her- you fucking killed her!"
"Ana, stop this," he said sharply. He grabbed her and pulled her back from the oven, which she was clawing at, breaking her nails to try and open.
"NO!" she screamed, fighting against his strong grip as he locked his hands around her wrists. He didn't try to justify his actions. He needn't, because Ana knew the reason- anger. Rage. Blinded by revenge. Nellie had lied to him and to him a life was worth a life. The life of a common street begger who's head had gone loopy from years of lonliness and depression as worth the life of Fleet Streets own bundle of warmth. Her Nellie was worth more than that, and he had killed her.
Ana found that she wasn't fighting him any longer as she stared longingly at the oven that he put himself between. A part of her wanted to believe that the women would step out of her own ashes if she opened that big iron door, like a pheonix. The other part was numb to everything- the bruises that Mr. Todd had placed on her trying to restrain her didn't even sting. Her breathing was heavy as she stood there, half slumped against him as he held her. But his eyes weren't on her- they were in the corner of the room, where his Lucy lay, dead and bent and broken and still trickling blood from the clean slice in her throat, too quick to even cause a blood spurt.
"She's home now," Ana whispered when she looked up at him and caught where his gaze landed. He looked down at her, as if he'd been caught doing something he knew he shouldn't, his brows pulled together. She hated herself for comforting him- hated herself so much. "Your Lucy," she whispered. "She's home now."
Mr. Todd's eyes narrowed, and then glanced towards the oven. He shoved Ana away from him and watched in almost satisfation as she knocked her back against the wall. "As is your Lovett," he said so soft it was almost a breath out of his lips. He stalked away from her, towards Lucy's body, and dropped to his knees. Carefully, he pulled her into his arms, across his lap. His breath was shaky and Ana watched from where she'd been thrown, slumping into the wall for support, her legs weak. Finally, they gave out and she slid slowly down the wall until her butt hit the stone floor. "Lucy..." Mr. Todd murmured from where he sat, rocking the woman closer. "I've come home again..."
Home.
Oh, how she wanted to go home. Lucy was home. Nellie was home. Why couldn't she just her her way---
Home.
"Mr. Todd," Ana breathed softly. He was lost in his thoughts. "Mr. Todd," she said louder. The man turned his head a fraction of an inch, as a knee-jerk reaction. "Mr. T, are you listening to me?"
"What?!" He snarled, not bothering to look at her.
Ana sighed and looked upwards at the high ceiling of the dark, orange-tinted celler. "I need you to do me a favor," she asked. Her voice was breathless with an odd excitement. Her body shook with quivers and trembles- was she going into shock? This was a distinct possibility. Couldn't people die of shock? Her hands quivered as she smoothed her fingers over the frumpy skirts of her dress. The man turned this time to look at her, his hand still stroking over the dead Lucy's hair, stringy and once perhaps a very beautiful blonde. His face was dark with the dried blood and his eyes were hard. Perhaps it was the way she looked so pathetic and that he really did have a small part of his heart left to him, or perhaps it was that he realized she was all he had left, but for whatever reason, he carefully laid his wife down to rest, hesitating with his fingers brushing her bands out of her eyes, before turning to stand and stomp to Ana's side. He reached down, as if to grab her arms and yank her up- but instead the girl took him by the shoulders and pulled him down. His center of gravity hadn't been all that great to begin with, and he came crashing ontop of her, their lips meeting in a collision corse. She could taste the blood that had splattered into his mouth on her lips. They kissed, hard and quick and raw and her hands grabbed his hips- her fingers brushed over a hard object hidden in the hollister on her hip.
Bingo.
She was surprised by how quickly she could open the razor and push her free hand into his throat, careening him back from her. He looked dazed for a second before he saw the razor she wield in her hand. Ana raised her chin and held it to her own throat. His expression didn't change much- his eyes narrowed, and his hand darted out to wrap around her wrist.
"Stop," she breathed. "Let go."
"Don't," he demanded sharply. "Don't you dare."
"You were so right," she could feel the cool metal against her throat every time she spoke and her arm ached witht he effort to keep it there, even as he clutched her wrist so tightly that she thought it was going to break. "I didn't know what such feelings would do to me. Now I do. And I'll gladly escape them."
"Don't you dare leave me alone," the barber finally snarled, leaning into her, making sure not to put any pressure on her wrist. No, he tried to pry that away from her throat.
"You need to let me go home, Mr. T," Ana begged pitifully. His eyes darted over her face. So she was all he had left. And is scared him- but she wasn't going to go letting on that she knew that. The man's hand quivered, before straightening with a grip ten fold. The cool mental was forced away from her throat and the man slammed her hand against the wall beside her head.
"No," he snarled.
"I want to go home!" Ana shouted at him. Her breathing staggered and she was much more quiet, "Please..."
Mr. Todd let his grip on her wrist loosen but he wriggled the razor out of her hand. Roughly, he pulled her to him and pulled her into his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. On his hand, he held the razor, the other curled around her shoulders and holding her to him. He looked down on her, his face suddenly so devoid of emotion. But Ana knew she looked stupidly giddy, excited, maybe, even. Home, she thought blissfully. She hadn't any doubt in her mind that this was the right way, the only way. Nothing was going to magically lead her back home. No, it had to be taken by force, by herself or by someone else. Her hands twisted into the folds of his blood stained white shirt. She tilted her chin up obediantely.
"Rest now, my pet," he whispered to her, his head tilted so his cheek rested on the top of her head. She could feel the cold metal sting her hot flesh as he simply placed it there. "Sleep, now, the untroubled sleep of the angels..."
It happened too quickly for her to really feel anything but the cold metal digging into her flesh and the odd tuggin sensation at her throat as he dragged it as quickly as possible, as hard as possible, and as deep as he could, slicing as many things on the way through as possible. Her green eyes stared up at him, still seeing, even as her mind slowly shut down, the blood escaping through a gash in her throat.
She thought she saw a salty track of water slowly slid down his cheek- only one, really, but she couldn't be too sure, because her vision was beginning to dot with black spots. It's alright, she wanted to say. It's alright. But when she opened her mouth- or tried -a warm metallic liquid gushed forward and dribbled over her chin.
It all went black after that. For a while. She couldn't hear anything but a loud silence in her ears, a soft buzzing. The buzzing, of course, got louder, until she could make it out to be a single name, repeated over and over.
Ana... Ana... Ana... Ana!
"Analise!"
Her eyes opened.
The sun warmed a square on the dusty floor from the large bay window, the light casting orange glows every where. Her arm felt awkward from where she'd been laying on it and the pins and needles feeling hurt her fingers as blood rushed back into them. With her other hand, she pushed herself into a sitting position, her head lifted, red hair falling over one side of her shoulders. As the girl lifted her face, she saw her mother towering over her, hand son her hips, a dark look crossing over her face once she saw that her daughter wasn't laying dead. Before, she had seen what she thought was worry.
But everything got lost in translation.
"What are you doing laying on the floor? I've been calling for ten minutes downstairs! I'm leaving. Get up." The woman crowed. Ana looked around her- the floorboard was still upturned and the little journal lay a few feet away, closed and the Do Not Read plain as day. The little velvet box sat by her knees. She blinked rapidly.
"Ten minutes?" she asked in a tired voice. Daisy looked at her daughter with narrowed eyes.
"I'm leaving," she told her snottily. "Remember what I said about giving your Aunt Helen a hard time- don't do it. Get off the floor, put away whatever dirtiness this is and finish unpacking."
Ana watched her mother hesitate a moment before turning away from her, marching towards the door to the room. "Wait!" she called.
The woman stopped and turned expectantly.
Ana looked down at the book and her mind reeled back to the past few weeks events- or... the last ten minutes? -and couldn't quite think clearly. Her heart throbbed as she scrambled to recall what had happened. A cold face flashed in her mind, and a warm hearted baker. But that was it. She clawed at the darkness in her mind, but could not conjour up another memory. She felt frustrated tears prick her eyes.
"What?" Her mother snapped, having waited a good thirty seconds.
Ana looked up in surprise. Mouth dry, she opened and closed it a few times before she swallowed. "I love you, mum," she whispered.
The woman's face softened as her hand hovered at the door knob, ready to shut the door behind her. "Yes... well... I love you too, darling. I'll see you in a few months."
Ana nodded softly. "Bye, mum."
Daisy smiled. "Goodbye, darling." And she was gone.
Ana moved slowly as she grabbed the little journal, dragging the velvet red box to her side. She didn't dare open it again. But another part of her yearned to. Just holding it, she got small flashes- a malicious smile on warm lips, clumsy waltzing in the dirty shop of a meat pie emporium. Raw emotions exploding in a frenzy of clutching hands and needing lips. A man, so quiet, so soft, so hard, so mean, so evil, so broken, so alone. A woman, so soft and warm and ever so motherly, with a voice like nails on a chalk board and a cockney accent so thick it was hard to understand her. And a young couple of lovers that escaped from hell together, arm in arm. And a young boy with a hardened face like a criminal, but a heart as warm and soft as a child's should be.
Ana closed her eyes and dropped the journal and the box back into the floor board, covering it up. She stood and moved towards the full lenght mirror on her way. Her clothes felt too lose, her jeans too constricting. She raised her chin slightly to look up and around her, and when she looked back down her eyes caught something that she thought would be a trick of hte mirror, but when she shifted it was still there.
A long, thick, pink scar wound it's way from one side of her throat to the other, branding her. Marking her.
Ana's lips curled into a smile and she turned away to continue unpacking.
It was only for three months, after all.