The Demon's Angel

Chapter 6: After the Dinner Rush

It is April 20th today.

The day of Mrs. Lovett's grand re-opening. The day that I hoped and prayed wouldn't ever happen for the sake of all those unfortunate Londoners.

For all they knew, they could be eating either a best friend, a grandfather, a father, or heaven forbid, an uncle of theirs. But I did promise Mr. Todd that I wouldn't tell a single living soul.

I wish more than anything that I could at least tell someone if not one person.

No! If I am ever to leave this place in one piece with my neck still intact, then I can't tell anyone what happens between the two shops of terror and horror.

I don't think Mrs. Lovett knows that I know about her and Mr. Todd's plan because the very moment I tried to go out for a nightly stroll, she put me straight to work on helping Toby serve the unfortunate customers.

Poor boy doesn't know what he's been eating recently.

I tried my best to just smile and be polite no matter how much I wanted to throw up at seeing people so eager to dig into their meat pies.

I looked up every so often to see one customer right after another go up to see Mr. Todd, but not one of them backing down.

It has surprised me how no one has caught on yet. Once the dinner rush was over, I was exhausted beyond belief. I just wanted to rest on my bed for at least a good 15 minutes.

But that peace was short lived as soon as I heard the heavy footsteps of who I could only assume was Mr. Todd. I stayed quiet in my room as I kept my door locked just in case.
Then the closing of a door, followed by silence.

An hour later, I started getting hungry. Mrs. Lovett tried to offer me a meat pie or two earlier but all I could do was offer her an apologetic smile and say, "Thank you Mrs. Lovett. Really, but I'm afraid I'm allergic to meat. I told her the only lie I could think of last minute.

And she said, "Ah, it's quite alright luv. I do have a nice fruit salad on the table in the dining room the back if you want it."

I nodded and smiled until she and Toby left to go rest for the night.
I grabbed a slightly oily and flour covered rag and turned on the sink to start cleaning it so I could use it to clean the tables outside.

The weather outside was fair, not too hot but also not too cold. I tried to think of better things other than what witnessed.

After the rag was clean enough, I went outside and began cleaning the tables while continuing the song I sang when I made a deal with that demon of a man,

If I had words to make a day for you
I'd sing an afternoon
Golden and true.
I would make this day last for all time.
Then fill the night deep in moonshine. . .

Suddenly the door to Mr. Todd's opened following the sound of a bell above the door.
I gasped quietly and looked down continuing my work in a brisk fashion.

"I'm sorry if I woke you Mr. Todd. I wasn't trying to sing too loudly. . ." I muttered loud enough for him to hear.

"You didn't wake me. I can't sleep very well anyway. . ." he replied.

You'd think a man like that would at least dream sweet dreams of murdering his victims over and over again.

The fact that he can't sleep as well as me actually confused me.
He sat down across from me at the same table that I was cleaning,
". . . A deals a deal pet. . . I'll meet you upstairs in five minutes. ."
I heard him mutter.

I knew what he was refering to and I knew that I was going to dread every second of this tourment.
I nodded my head slowly and put down the rag on the table I just cleaned then hung my head low as I made my way up those dark, creaky, old, wooden steps.

Once I was inside, I closed the door behind me and took this as an opportunity to look around and maybe learn a bit more about this barber so I can know how to handle him alone.

The room was dark even with two candles lit. It had simple and modest furnishings except for the chair in the center that looked like it was meant for royalty.

But thats not what caught my attention the most, it was the picture frame that was sitting on top of a vanity desk wide open and a box full of the demons razors right next to it. I walked over to the picture and gently picked it up.

Something about the woman and the child in the picture looked very familiar. I felt like I had seen them somewhere before, but where?
I racked through my brain to try and think of a memory but it felt so long ago.

My attention was turned to the chair before I set the picture back down before turning my attention to the chair. It didn't seem to have any blood on it which made me sigh in relief. I can't stand the sight of blood.

I noticed the pedal on the side and gently stepped on it with my right foot from behind the chair to try and make it a bit taller for me to sit on so I could at least be at eye level when that demon comes back.
What happened next nearly took me by surprise. . . .