ST; Demons of Fleet Street part 2

ST; Demons of Fleet Street part 2

The door swung open, once again sending dust everywhere. The woman flinched, stopping the broom.

“We’re not open yet.” She said flatly. Her hair was long, blonde, and messy, coming down over her shoulders. She was wearing a dark blue and black dress, covered in dust and cobwebs. “We should be open in a couple of days, if you’d like something.” A spider crawled its way up her hair and stopped on the top of her head.

“Oh. Yes, well… I’ll be sure to stop by.” He was silent for a moment. “What is the name of this establishment?”

“Ashton’s. There should be a post about it after I’m finished setting up.” She resumed sweeping. But she paused to look up at him. “It looks like a food shop, but I’m not sure what to cook.” She did one last motion with the broom and set it aside. “I don’t suppose you have any idea of what I should to here?”

“You’re… Asking me for advice?” She nodded.

“You give me advice, and I’ll give you some in return.” He thought for a moment.

“The lady who was here last made meat pies…?” He suggested. Her blue eyes brightened a little.

“Okay then. I’ll try that.” She waltzed over to the windows and took the curtains down. “Hmm… These need a good wash.” She thought out loud. “Alright then, here’s your advice.” She leaned against the window. “That lady out there’s your girl, right?” He nodded. “Pretty little face… She’s going to leave you.”

“Huh?” His eyes widened in shock.

“Out you go, love. I’ve got lots of work to do.” She pulled him to the door, and shoved him out. “Keep an eye on her! She’s a naughty one, that one is.” She slammed the door, and locked it. She pressed her back against the door, sighing. “Men. Head over heels for their ladies.” She shook her head.

“Figure I’m going to explore the place as I clean it.” She sighed and put her hands on her hips. She felt something tickling the side of her face. She snatched the spider and threw it on the floor. “I better leave you alone so you can eat all them other pests.” Just then a rat came across the floor, scooping the spider up in his jaws. It slipped through the window she had opened for fresh air.

“Hey, come back, you!” She picked up the broom and went through the front door, slamming it behind her. The rat raced up the stairs, and pushed open a door that hadn’t been shut all the way. She came after it, clomping up the steps. She pushed the door all the way open and cornered the rat. She grabbed it. She walked back to the door, and threw it out into the street, where it got ran over by a carriage. She watched in disgust.

The woman turned back around, looking at another dusty room. It had an old chair in the middle. She walked around it slowly. Suddenly, a trap door opened to her right.

“I’ve got to remember that… I wonder what else is here.” She turned around. A dusty old vanity. She walked up to it, going through the contents. “I wonder who lived here…” She picked up a dual photo-book. She opened it up, and on the left side was a picture of a woman that looked a lot like the one outside of her shop earlier. On the right side was a photo of the same woman, but with a baby. Both were yellowed, and in black and white. She frowned at streaks on the one on the right. Dried blood? She stuck out her tongue in repulsion once more.

She grabbed the handle of one of the drawers in the vanity and pulled it open. So it was a barber shop. That would explain the shattered red and white pieces she found on the street. It must’ve got knocked off in a storm.

She shut the drawer and left the upstairs room. She went back downstairs, and picked the broom back up, resuming her cleaning spree.

……….

“Well?” Said Toby as Antony staggered back towards the three.

“It’s a shop.” Antony’s voice was strained. Toby looked at him, and then set on a crooked frown.

“Of course, but what’s going on in there?”

“I’m not entirely sure. She asked me what she should do. I told her what the previous owner did.” Toby’s eyes went wide as the door to the shop opened. The woman ran crazily up the stairs after a rat.

“And?! And what did she say?!” He asked, more like shouting though. Toby dropped the bottle with a crash. He grabbed Antony’s shirt, shaking him madly.

“Stop!” cried Johanna.

“She said she’d try it!” He stopped, and put his hands by his sides.

“Tries it… Sir, do you have any idea what they ‘id?...” His voice trailed off. “Here comes a candle to light you to bed… Here comes a chopper to… Chop…Off…Your…Head.”

“Toby, what’re you talking about?”

“She tries it. Tries it sir.”

“Toby?”

“That’s what he did; chopped off people’s heads. And my Missus Lovett… Dead. He shouldn’t have hurt nobody. Like Mum to me, she was…”

“He’s talking crazy, Antony. Please, let’s go.” The couple hurriedly left, Antony glancing back at the drunken mess that Toby was.