Opheliac

Opheliac Chapter III "Pressing Matters"

Opheliac

Chapter III

"Pressing Matters"

Johanna waited anxiously in Mrs. Lovett's parlor alone for what felt like an eternity. She sat on the floor in a corner clutching the gun to her chest and wondered desperately where Anthony was. What was taking him so long? Was he alright? What would she tell him when he did come back for her? Would he be able to even look at her the same? Tears stung in her eyes as she continued to think about him.

In all her life, Anthony was the first person to show her a care in the world, a care that went beyond his own gain. He risked his life for her, promised to take her away from here, and told her confidently that once they did all of the ghosts would disappear. She envied his naive optimism for she knew that no matter how far they ran, the ghosts would follow her forever - especially now.

She hoped that Anthony would understand that she only did it because she had to. If she had not fought back, he was going to take her back to Bedlam, or even worse, back to the judge. Could she even bear telling him? For she could have just threatened the beadle and screamed for someone to come to her aid, couldn't she?

She thought about the way the beadle's eyes stared back at her in shock after she plunged the razor into his throat. Of course, he never expected her to do such a thing, seeing her as nothing but a fragile child. She thought of all the years he stood by sinisterly as she remained locked away in her room and the menacing glint in his eye after the judge gave him the go-ahead to deal with her how he saw fit ("until now I have spared the rod").

As the memory of the beadle groping her with his filthy hands as he threw her into the carriage that took her to Fogg's Asylum played in her mind, she realized to her horror that she was feeling anything but remorse. The beadle always acted as Judge Turpin's henchman and, in her eyes, he was no better than him.

Servants and associates of the judge always passed by idly as she wept and begged for him to let her out of her room as he rarely let her be in the company of anyone other than himself, the beadle, and various tutors and household staff. Ever since she got older, whenever a man gave her any sort of passing glance, she saw the way his face contorted with rage and ordered her to her room. She figured if anyone found out what she did to the beadle, they would either hang her or send her back to Bedlam, and she found both alternatives much more appealing than going back to the judge.

As time continued to pass, however, she was relieved to find that Mrs. Lovett had been true to her word, they did not go to the law. She wondered why the two strangers were so willing to help her cover up such a horrific crime. According to Anthony, he rescued Mr. Todd out at sea and as a result formed, what he described, as a friendship with him. Was the barber only helping her as a way to show Anthony his gratitude for saving his life? But considering how serious the beadle's injury was, surely he had to watch him die? What about his neighbor, Mrs. Lovett? How was she mixed up in all this? From her understanding, Mr. Todd rented his shop from her, which would only make her his landlady, but something between them made her think otherwise. She thought back to when Mrs. Lovett told him she had "business matters" to discuss with him, what business matters could the two possibly have to discuss so urgently?

Johanna's head was spinning with all of the questions that were circling her mind and settled on the thought that perhaps she just wasn't used to people being kind to her unless they were obligated to or had some sort of ulterior motive.

--

Meanwhile, before Sweeney Todd met Mrs. Lovett in the bakehouse...

Mr. Todd had just made it onto the threshold of the building owned by Mrs. Lovett and was about to make his way inside when a child's voice made him stop in his tracks.