Secrets (Sweeney Todd)

Chapter 8, Home

I wake up to complete silence. The silence is not eerie- it is full of contentment. Everything is as it should be.  I sit up slowly, trying my hardest not to rustle my broken arm. My back pops and a groan escapes my lips. Sleeping on the floor was definitely now cozy, but I think it’s worth it to know Violet is comfortable. 

                It is still pitch black in here, but my eyes are slowly adjusting. I look over and see a faint silhouette of a sleeping Violet. I stand up with great care not to make any noise. I walk up to the couch on which she lies, softly stoking her head. I bend down quickly and plant a kiss on her brow.

                Still trying to be as silent as possible, I make my way into the kitchen, and after fumbling in the dark for a minute, I manage to light a single, dim lantern. I sit the glowing cage on the table and step towards a cupboard. I pick up a small loaf of dense bread, tear off a chunk and then place it back quickly, shutting the cabinet softly.

                I walk back to the table and sit beside the lantern. As I dust off the stale bread and nibble, I watch Johanna’s birds in the dim light. I see one of them hopping excitedly from one branch to another. I stand and walk over to the brass cage. It was my favorite bird, a little yellow one I call Nellie, who was doing the hopping. As I approach, Nellie’s head tilts sideways and she chirps a single, questioning note. I smile and break off a large crumb from my bread.    

                I stick my finger in the cage, and after giving one more curious chirp, Nellie hops forward along the branch and pecks the bread off of my finger.

                “Pretty bird.” A sleepy voice sings from behind me. I start, I hadn’t known that Violet was up. A blush floods my cheeks, and I pray that there isn’t enough light for her to notice.

                ”Sorry I woke you.” I mumble and turn to face her. Nellie chortles again- telling me to pay her attention.  Violet steps forward eerily from the shadows, into the small circle of light form the lantern. Her midnight black hair is frizzy and unkempt, causing a sort of a birds nest to form on the side of her head. I laugh at the sight.

                “Not funny!” she says, embarrassed, as she tries to smooth out the mess with her fingers. “And you didn’t wake me. The singer did.” She says, gesturing to the cage behind me.

                “Sorry about that,” I say with a taunting smile. Violet laughs and walks up to me. She smiles sleepily as she reaches me, and then she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me close to her. The blush covers my face again, as I remember that she probably isn’t wearing anything more than a thin nightdress. She’s practically naked against my body.

                As I have that thought, I am suddenly aware of her body. I move my hands to rest on her waist. She body is so soft, warm, curvy. A blush creeps up my neck. She tilts her head up to look in my eyes. She must see how embarrassed I am because she laughs. She pulls away from me, and I am just opening my mouth to ask her to come back when she turns and pushes me backward.

                I fly back and narrowly miss the birds’ cage, landing with a thud as my back hits the wall. I am too shocked to respond, but I don’t have to because Violet slams her body into mine, pinning me to the wall. Her lips lock onto mine fiercely.

                It takes me a second to register what happened, but then I move my mouth roughly with hers. I feel her hands tangle in my hair, pulling greedily. I pant in between her rough kisses, and I place my hands on her hips, gripping her nightdress in my eager fingers.