Chapter 1
Sweeney paced around his shop, caressing one of his razors and wondering how to summon up some sadness for Toby when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Ah, that'll be him now, he thought vaguely and put down the razor. He had already cleaned up and now his biggest problem was the boy.
Why didn't he just kill the boy? But he knew why. Strange as it may seem, after accomplishing his purpose in returning to London and simultaneously destroying what remained of his life, the demon barber felt averse to killing. He had to laugh at himself. Him, averse to killing? No, just to killing innocents. Most of London's residents still most definitely deserved to die. But still, how strange. He fondled the razor that seemed to have lost some of its shine after taking the life of his Lucy.
"Mista Todd, where's Mrs. Lovett?" Toby asked upon bursting in, his voice full of suspicion. Sweeney turned around, thinking of his dead wife to bring a tear to his eye. He walked over to Toby and placed a hand on his scrawny shoulder.
"Toby..." he began. Toby looked scared.
"What? What happened? If you've done anythin' I'll.."
"I didn't do anything. I went downstairs to the bakehouse and she was leaning over to put some pies in the oven..." Sweeney sniffed for effect. "And she tripped and fell in." At this both Toby and Sweeney burst into sobs, but a malicious and triumphant smile lurked under Sweeney's tears.
A rustle of fabric jerked him rudely from his thoughts. He turned, wondering if his insanity had finally begun to manifest itself in a more traditional form-- and stopped dead. A white face framed by messy red curls flashed in his vision. He stared in a mixture of wonder and horror.
"Nell-" he stared, then shook his head. Toby stopped crying and turned around. The boy didn't seem to see anything.
"Mista Todd, what are you lookin' at?" Toby asked curiously. How could he not see her? Even as Sweeney watched, Nellie walked over to Toby and stroked his hair tenderly, a sad smile on her face. "Mista Todd..."
"Don't you see her?" gasped Sweeney. Toby looked at Sweeney strangely.
"See who, Mista Todd?" he asked. Nellie looked up from the boy and grinned at Sweeney poisonously. "Are you all right?" Sweeney made frantic little shooing motions with his hands.
"Go, go, go away..." he muttered desperately, and it was unclear whether he was speaking to Toby or Nellie. Toby departed hastily, not wanting to incur one of Sweeney's violent rages. Sweeney blinked, and Nellie was gone.
Nellie
"Good, good," hissed that strange voice. "Start small, now... Don't you want to make this slow and sweet, my darling?" Nellie grinned at the terror she was causing her murderer. She let her form vanish and had to hold back a laugh at the pure panic on Sweeney's face. This is fun, she thought, but when can I do more?
"Sooonnnn, my darling, sooonnnn."
Sweeney
Sweeney massaged his temples slowly and tried to calm his emotions.
"You did not just see Nellie Lovett," he said to the empty room. "Nellie Lovett is dead and your mental instability is finally starting to affect you in a new and unexpected way." The room seemed to shake with silent laughter. "Oh, shut up," he told it. He sat down in his barbering chair, waiting and wishing for the morning.
Sweeney didn't realize that he had fallen asleep until a knock came sharply at his door. He jumped up in alarm, trying to straighten his clothes and make it look like he hadn't just been asleep.
"Come in," he called professionally. One of Nellie's friends, Coraline, swooped in, her eyes red.
"Oh, you poor dear, how perfectly awful it must be for you. Your boy Toby just told me all about it. Poor, poor Nellie. You mustn't blame yourself now, dear. It wasn't anyone's fault." If only you knew, Sweeney thought, but managed to sadden his face appropriately.
"If only I'd been down there... I just know I could have prevented this from happening..." he said, struggling to suppress a smile. Coraline obviously took his trembling lips for a man trying not to cry, and she took his arm sympathetically.
"Don't you worry one bit, Mister Todd, I'll be back in a tick!"
Fifteen minutes later, Sweeney was surrounded in food, flowers, and sympathy gifts. He grinned. Who cared if he was insane? Who cared if he suddenly had simpering, inane women doting on him? All it took was his lovesick landlady dying and suddenly he was a rich man!