Chapter3
English is not my first language, so be kind about my grammar and choice of word.
Rated M because depictions of murder and sexual activities.
Constructive criticism is welcome.
!This chapter contains graphic descriptions of murder!
Enjoy :)
A few days passed by, without anything special happening. Mrs Lovett staid mostly in the shop, and Sweeney stayed in his room, trying to process everything, and tried to get rid of the fear Pirelli had bound him to. One morning, when he was shaving his face he heard a friendly knock on the door. It could be no other than Mrs. Lovett.
"Come in." Sweeney said with a calm voice. She came into the room, with a piece of pie and said "Here ya go, your morning pie." Sweeney looked at her in confusion. She seemed rather nervous. And it had almost become a tradition for him to eat his breakfast in the shop with her.
"Why?" Sweeney asked and looked away from the mirror, directly at her. "Toby is coming over with eggs today, and there is a chance that Pirelli will be there too. It would be best if you stayed here. For your own safety." She answered and opened the door to leave, but was stopped by Sweeney´s strong grip on her forearm.
"And what about your safety?" He asked concerned, felling the warmth from her body through his hand. "Oh, me? I´ll be fine. Just promise me you´ll stay here no matter what…" Mrs Lovett said, trying to brush it off and sound calm, but Sweeney could still hear the angst in her voice.
Mrs Lovett took her free hand and slowly lifted his hand to free herself. She looked intensely into his eyes. "Promise me?" She begged. "I´ll stay here" Sweeney answered monotone and nodded. He finished his shave and sat down to eat. He heard the bell from the door and could hear Mrs Lovett in the distance say "Toby! What happened to you?"
"I fell." Toby answered. There was a small pause and then Mrs Lovett answered in a bleak tone: "We both know that isn´t the truth Toby. But nonetheless we will need to clean it. Or else you will get some vile scars." Their voices started to lower, so Sweeney walked to the door and laid his ear against it to hear better.
"Mr Pirelli is going to be mad." Toby said. "Toby, we need to clean it. I´ll deal with Mr Pirelli. Now, sit still while I clean you up." Mrs Lovett said, and after that, silence ensued. Not a word, not a sound was said for a good time, until the silence was broken by the door bell and the door being slammed violently.
"Mr Pirelli." Mrs. Lovett said, trying with all her might to sound brave. "How is it, that it always takes way to long to deliver to you? He is my boy Mrs Lovett. I take care of him." Pirelli yelled. "But, his wounds… I had to clean them." Mrs Lovett said, not as brave as before. "You shall never touch my boy again? Do you understand?" Pirelli said.
Silence. A way to long silence. "Toby, leave." Pirelli said commanding. Shortly after the doorbell rang. "I´ll teach you a lesson." Pirelli said between clenched teeth, in a low demonic voice. Sweeney wasn't sure what happened next. He heard a lot of sounds. A smack. Sounds of pots and pans falling to the floor. Mrs Lovett who grunted and yelped. Sweeney stepped a little back, thinking if he should go down and help her, even though he promised to stay in his room.
Then he heard the words that took the decision for him. "Pirelli… put that knife down. Please. Don´t hurt me." Mrs Lovett voice said. He could hear she was sobbing and gasping for air. He didn´t think it much through, as he grabbed his shaving knife and stormed downstairs. Mrs. Lovett was lying on the floor surrounded by pots and pans, blood running from a wound on her forehead. Over her, Pirelli was standing with one of her big knives clutched in his firm grip.
Sweeney was instantly filled with anger. How could this man be so cruel and gruesome towards women and children? And the fact that Pirelli knew to much at the same time added more frustration. Without thinking twice, or giving Pirelli a chance to do anything, he stepped up behind the man and with a sharp swing, he cut Pirelli´s throat with his barber knife.
Pirelli lost the grip of his knife, and in what felt like slow-motion, it fell to the floor, the metallic blade clinking on the stone. Then Pirelli fell, lying completely still, with blood gushing from his throat. Mrs Lovett got up, wobbly and starred directly at Sweeney.
He was breathing hard, standing with the bloody blade in his tense hand.
"You… you saved my life…" she whispered, breaking Sweeney out of his trance. "Yes…" He growled and relaxed. She walked over to him, slowly and carefully and then stopped right before him. She looked up at him, as asking for permission. He didn´t move at all, so she went ahead. Softly she put her hand on his heaving chest, and laid her head with soft curls onto his other chest.
Sweeney reacted putting his arms around the small woman with one of his hands cupping her head. She started to sniffle and cry quietly. "I though I was going to die…" she mumbled. Sweeney tightened his arms around her and whispered: "No one is going to hurt you. I promise." They stood there, like a statue for what felt like eternity. Then Mrs Lovett slowly broke out of his arms, looking down on Pirelli.
"We have to get rid of the body…" she said. Sweeney just nodded. "I might have an idea… It´s kind a mad, but it could work…" she said looking at Sweeney who gestured her to go on. "No one will notice that he is gone for a while… I could use him in my pies, serve him to the rich… And when someone sounds the alarm, he would already be consumed" she said with a smirk. "That is horrific and foul… I like it…" Sweeney said.
They used the next couple of hours grinding the meat, cleaning up, and hide their tracks. Sweeney cleaned his blade, and then turned to Mrs Lovett. He carefully ran his fingers over her wound, feeling her tremble under his touch. "I´ll clean it." Sweeney said and gestured to a chair. Mrs Lovett sat down, and he returned with a piece of cloth and a bowl with water.
He kneeled down and started to clean. Mrs Lovett starred at him, so intensely, not feeling the sting from the wound. They didn´t talk. There was only silence, their breaths and the dripping of the water, running from the cloth back into the bowl. "There, all clean." He said and stood up. "Thank you." she said with a timid smile. It was an magnificent moment. Her looking up at him, him looking down at her, intense eye contact accompanied by the silence.
The moment was broken by a small subtle knock on the door to the shop. Mrs Lovett got up and cracked the open to see who it was. "Ah, you poor boy, come inside." She said and let Toby into the store. "Where is Pirelli?" He asked and looked around. "Uhm.." Mrs Lovett said slightly panicked. "He´s gone. He will never return." Sweeney said. Toby looked a bit frightened.
"Don´t worry Toby. We are safe now. You can stay here." She said and pinched his cheek. "Really?" He said ecstatic. "Of course" Mrs Lovett answered, looking up at Sweeney with the boy in front of her. She looked at him like a child, asking if she could keep a pet. He nodded and went upstairs to unwind.
He was surprised that he hadn't felt anything unpleasant as he had murdered Pirelli. He didn't feel any resentment. It was the right thing to do. But he felt something else. His pants seemed so tight, and his stomach had tightened. Having Mrs Lovett in his arms, taking care of her wound, her soft, yet graceless voice, speaking his name.
He quickly kicked the unholy thoughts out of his head. He didn´t want to be such a man, who fantasised about such a kind creature. But then again, who could blame him? 15 years in celibacy, and then a kind woman, with a divine body crosses his path. He laid down on the bed, and feel asleep to these unholy thoughts, feeling his body pulse with the lust.