"I have to get back!" I said as I jumped out of my bed but Victor stood in the doorway, not letting me through.
"Mother, your lawyer strictly said that you should not get back there - got it? I'm not letting you through."
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him with a sad expression, "I have to."
There was a moment of silence before I walked towards Victor again. But once again... he didn't let me through.
"Mother... it's 2a.m. We can go there tomorrow. I want you to rest now."
I reluctantly nodded, and Victor released a sigh.
He closed the door, leaving me once again in complete darkness.
I need to get back to Fleet Street.
Unfortunately, I went to my bed instead.
I need to get back to Fleet Street.
"Why didn't you go?"
My eyes opened a soon as I heard Sweeney's voice ring in my ears.
I got up from my bed. That's when I saw him. Sitting in the chair that stood next to the door.
"I...I can't go" I whimpered.
"But you want to." He said while his eyes glowed in the dark.
I remained silent and watched him.
He just got up from the chair and walked swiftly towards me.
He knelt down to me, who was sitting on the bed, and placed his hands on my jaw.
"Stop believing lies, Lucy. There's a different point of view to each story." He whispered.
"What's your point of view?" I whispered back.
He just stood up in reply and turned around towards the door.
"Ask Tobias Ragg" that was the last thing he said before he opened my bedroom door and left. Leaving my door open.
I gasped as I woke up once again with a start. It was morning already. The sun shone through my window and blindened me.
I turned around from the window and faced the door.
The door was open.
Maybe Victor opened it as he woke up?
I looked at the clock that hung directly in front of my bed.
6:36a.m.
Victor would never wake up on that time, but who knows?
The dream was haunting me.
Ask Tobias Ragg.
I thought about it for a second...
Could he be my answer?
I got up from my bed and walked through the open door. Just outside my door there were two pathways. One was the corridor leading to Victor's and his fiance's room, the other were the stairs leading down.
I took the stairs, but my eyes got caught on the mirror that reflected to the room next door.
I saw Sweeney...
He glanced up at me through the reflection.
I noticed him holding a scuffy book in his hands with one page open.
He almost lazily threw the book on the coffee table.
I exitedly rushed over to that room to greet him but.... I saw nothing, except the same book he held on the coffee table...
I marched hesitantly over to it and looked at the opened page.
The book contained all the phone numbers in England.
I looked closer and saw the name that seemed to haunt me since this morning.
Tobias Dawson Ragg: 09557 96326
I rushed towards the phone, with the book in my hands.
I dialed in the number and waited for the call to be answered, with a racing heart.
Peep.
Peep.
Peep.
Peep.
Peep.
Peep.
Peep.
Hello?
My heart missed a beat.
The voice belonged to a man who was at least 60 years old.
Sweeney and Lovett died 50 years ago.
Am I talking to Tobias Ragg?
"Hello?" The voice continued to beam through the phone.
"Oh, umm... hello.... I am.... Ella Cincere and.... umm.... I wanted to speak to you.... are you Tobias Ragg?"
There was a brief silence before the voice spoke up again.
"Yes, and speak about what Ms. Cincere?"
I took a deep breath in, "about Sweeney Todd."
There was silence.
Did he hung up?
Everything seemed so tense.
This man is my only hope.
Suddenly, I heard a sight on the other line.
"Where do you live Ma'am?"
Without hesitation, I replied, "Ponders End. Clydesdale Road. Umm... 56 Clydesdale Road."
There was a short silence.
"Alright, I'll be coming Ms. Cincere around 3p.m. be waiting for me." Were his last words before he hung up.
_________________________________
The household was awake. We had our breakfasts and soon it was lunch.
I told my son that someone will be arriving today but I didn't tell him who because I know he'll protest.
We had our dinner at 1p.m. and after I just sat down and started reading a book.
My heart startled when there was a sudden knock on the door.
I stood up shakingly and ran towards the door.
I was greeted by an old man with dark brown eyes when I opened the door.
"Ms. Cincere?" He asked.
"Yes" I said with a sweet smile, "come in."
We went to the living room and sat down.
"Tea?" I asked.
"Yes please" he said with a smile.
I made us both tea and sat down.
"So, what would you like to ask me about him?" He said as he sipped his tea.
"I want you to tell me about him... how he looked... acted... I just want to make sure I'm not going mad... I see him.... as a...." I faded off finding it hard to speak.
"Ghost?" He said. I looked up at him.
"Yes" I whispered.
"Well... I remember him as a cold character... everytime he came, you could just feel his presence.... the surroundings would go sad and cold..." Tobias said looking down, "his skin was really pale... like paper... or snow... he seemed unhealthy... like the living dead."
I chuckled slightly, "like he is deseased."
Tobias looked up, "exactly like that..." he looked down again, "his eyes were jus' black pools... dark... like Mrs. Lovett's.... but darker... his dark orbs always hidden... looking down, unless he's up for a threat."
I nodded as he spoke, "he also 'ad this wild hair stickin' at every corner. They were like a mixture of dark green or brown... but mostly black..."
"With a streak of pure shock and whiteness on his left side of hair..." I said thinking out loud.
Tobias looked up... "are you sure ma'am that you only wanted to see if you're mad or not... or is it something more?"
I looked up at Tobias.
"How did Sweeney die?" I asked.
He tensed up, "he... he... wanted to kill me... Mrs. Lovett was on his side too.... I used to love Mrs. Lovett... she was like my mother... I was petrified... so I hid in the sewer... I suddenly remember how I heard Mrs. Lovett scream... a scream that could wake up the dead.... she screamed 'die' and some other words at someone... but I clearly remember how she muttered the word 'you' in some sort of disbelief..." he stopped.
I waited....
"Then?" I whispered.
"She started to drag a body.... towards the eeriest of all... the thundering roar of flame coming from a large industrial oven against one wall..." he whispered as the memories flooded back to him.
"Mr. Ragg?" I whispered.
Suddenly his eyes looked up at mine with a sad yet discusted look, "then the pig came... that tormented beast... he flung the door open and asked with self concern... 'why'd you scream?'... she worriedly, still dragging the body, told him that some corpse gripped her dress but appearantly he's dead now... the way she said it, sounded like it was an everyday thing..." he looked down again.
I had to be honest, I sort of started to get pissed off with him pausing.
"Mr. Ragg" I said more sternly.
"He told her to open the oven's door and that he'll take care of it... she was reluctant at first... but when he asked twice with pushing her away from her dragging corpse, she did as asked.... there was finally light in the bakehouse, and there was uncomfortable silence..." he said as he remembered, " Mr. Todd whispered something like, ' 'don't I know you' she said'.... there was silence again but when he spoke his words were dangerously louder, 'you knew she lived....you lied to me' he whispered.... Mrs. Lovett seemed to be in great fear... I've never heard her so scared in my life..."
"What'd she say?" I asked in curiosity.
Tobias looked up, " 'no, no, not lied at all, no I never lied'... Mr. Todd was in his own world whispering words like, 'Lucy. I've come home again. Lucy.... oh my god... Lucy....what have I done?' "
My heart beat was louder than his own words. Some of these words reminded me the time when I first arrived at the house. He told me that he has come home again... calling me Lucy.
"Mrs. Lovett was just completely panicking. She was saying stuff like, 'said she took the poison she did, never said that she died. Poor thing - she lived - but it left her weak in the head, all she did for months was just lie there in bed, should've been in hospital - wound up in Bedlam instead. Poor thing!Better you should think she was dead - yes I lied cos' I love you, I'd be twice the wife she was, I love you!"
I spat out the tea from my mouth.
I'd be twice the wife she was!!!???
Is she mad???!!
"'Could that thing have cared for you like me?' were her last words before he shot back..." he continued.
"What'd he say?" I said bitterly.
Tobias cringed at my question. He looked up at me... straight in my hazel eyes, "Mrs. Lovett - you're a bloody wonder eminently practical and yet appropriate as always! As you've said repeatedly there's a little point in dwelling on the past!" He froze.
"W....what.... what happened next?"
"See for yourself..." suddenly, he grabbed my arm tightly.
Flashes of Sweeney appeared... covered in blood....
And Mrs. Lovett... beautifully dressed...
In a rather chilly atmosphere...
The bakehouse.
He was aproaching her.
She was backing away in fear.
She was saying something but Sweeney's voice was so loud that it made her voice so small...
"No come hear my love!! Not a thing to fear my love!!" He said through gritted teeth.
If I was a fool, I'd think he finally fell for her... but I wasn't... I could see from the way he spoke and moved; that he is going to kill her.
"What's dead- is dead!!" He said making it sound so real yet I could see the rage in his eyes.
I could catch a few words from Mrs. Lovett, "do you mean it? Everything I did was only for the best! Can we still be married?" She said with such hope in her eyes... yet his eyes and words lied.
Suddenly he grabbed her by her waist and they started dancing around the bakehouse, "The history of the world my love!" He exclaimed.
"Oh Mr. Todd, ooh Mr. Todd, leave it to me!" She said with tearful eyes and a smile on her face.
Suddenly she was cut off, "Is learn forgiveness and try to forget!" He said with a voice that I was sure told the world that he hated this phrase.
"By the sea Mr. Todd, we'd be warm and cosy - by the sea Mr. Todd where no one's nosy!" She was cut off again.
"And life is for the alive my dear! So let's keep living it!-"
She joined him, repeating the words at the same time.
"Let's keep living it!"
But then his thunder like voice exclaimed, sending chills down my body....
"REALLY LIVING IT!!!"
His hands acted fast... he threw her in the damn oven... her helpless screams echoing down the metal pipes.
His demon like eyes stared at her burning figure.
Her hands tried to reach him... but he shut the metal door...
He closed the oven...
He opened up a window and continued to watch her burn until her screams ended...
This was the most cruel sight I have ever seen in my life.
He slowly closed the window and soon his eyes looked down to the pile of corpses. Just one was out of place.
It seemed to be a beggar. With blond yellow hair.
And a face that belongs to me. But more scruffy. More dirty. More unhealthy. And a red pearcing slit on her throat with blood running down from it like a fountain.
He walked halfway to her. Face emotionless. A razor fell from his numb arm and fell to the floor. Only then he continued to walk towards her.
He knelt down to her... gently placing her in his arms... very gently... like she was asleep and he didn't want to wake her...
"There was a barber and his wife... and she was beautiful..." he sang softly. But I saw what happened behind him... the sewer opened with a creak with two black eyes starring at Sweeney with lust of revenge.
"...a foolish barber and his wife... she was his reason and his life..."
I saw a little boy climb out of the sewer. With raging eyes. His hand grabbed the razor that Todd left behind.
"...and she was beautiful... and she was virtuous...."
The boy walked towards Todd. Standing right behind him. Arm tight around the silver razor.
"And he was...." Sweeney looked up from the corpse. Starring into space. But then realisation hit him. He could feel the figure behind him.
His eyes opened wide and brows furrowed in confusion.
Then it happened.
The obvious.
His own razor cut through his neck like a bullet.
He opened his mouth for air but he couldn't get any. Instead blood flooded out from the wound like a river. His head swung low forwards. His own blood drained onto the woman's face in his now lifeless arms. From her it went to the floor. Making a bloody pool around them.
Flashes of me, but with yellow hair, appeared. She was smiling. Holding a infant in her arms. Next to her was Benjamin Barker. The man who looked a splitting image of Sweeney but happier. He smiled back at her.
"I'd be twice the wife she was!!"
Her words rang in my head as I looked at the three people.
"Could that thing have cared for you like me?!"
Flashes of Sweeney in complete rage overtook me. He was holding a razor high up in the air towards the beggar. Then he killed her without mercy.
"Poor little Johanna... since birth without a motherly touch... well we are going to take care of that..." Lovett's voice repeated like mad.
Then I saw a young girl sitting in the demonic chair scared to death. Golden hair hidden within her cap. Sweeney's arm about to slash open her throat, instead Lovett's scream enters the scene.
Todd freezes... then leans in to her face.
"Forget my face" he whispered as he held the razor warningly towards her pale face.
He runs downstairs. To the bakehouse.
My eyes opened wide in horror. Tobias still holding my arm.
"She lived..." I whispered.
Tobias removed his arm, "pardon"
"Sweeney's daughter Johanna lived. She didn't die. I must find her." I whispered.
Tobias twisted his face, "Mr. Todd had a daughter?"
I quickly stood up.
"I have to get back to Fleet Street. I need to talk to Mrs. Lovett." I muttered to myself.
Tobias just rose his brow in confusion.
Suddenly, something struck me. A thought. A painful one.
I looked down to Mr. Ragged who continued looking at me confused.
"Mr. Ragg-" I started off.
"-please just call me Toby." He interrupted.
I froze, "alright... T-Toby... after the incident.... did you take the razors? Mr. Todd's razors?"
He looked down still confused.
"No... I didn't have the right... the policemen took it as evidence... and as far as I know they haven't been sold." He looked back up at me, "why'd you ask ma'am?"
I shrugged, "it's nothing really... I.... will be going to Fleet Street now if you don't mind..." I smiled slightly at him. I was about to go get my coat but Toby spoke up, "may I join? That place has haunted my nightmares ever since.... but I just have a feeling.... that I lived to help you out... and... another feeling tells me that you'll need my help there...."
I smiled slightly, "alright, I don't mind. But make sure you don't tell anyone we're going there... especially my son Victor."
He once again gave me a confused expression.
"Alright... and we can go with my car."
Soon enough we left through the door...
I saw Sweeney standing next to the house door as I climbed into the car.
He was leaning against the door frame with arms crossed. He looked emotionless at me. Was he happy I was returning or mad? Maybe even scared... or sad...
The car doors closed and the engine went on.