ST; DoFT; 6

ST; DoFT; 6

The grand piano stood off to one side of the room, it was white with golden trim. On top it had white roses in a clear glass vase. Rosalie was sitting at the piano, showing no signs of nervousness of fear.

That’s what she really felt right now. Fear.

It was etched into the dark shadows from the candles. The room would be cheerful, with its seashell wallpaper and other white furniture, but the state of mind was already set.

Rosalie positioned herself calmly. She was wearing a white dress also, with a little bit of black here and there. Her fingers began to play the piano automatically. A melancholic tune filled the air as her gloved hands slid gracefully across the keys. Suddenly he was there. James.

She still ceased to smile, like she normally would, as he leaned against the piano with his elbow propping his head up. He had that same love-struck look on his face that always made him look positively goofy. She would always laugh. But not this time. He began to hum. Her face was still concentrated as the shadows began to get longer.

Suddenly, Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney were there too. The music got louder, more angry, and the shadows even longer. The water the roses were in began to become clouded in red. The petals of the roses also became over saturated in the same liquid. Rosalie wanted it to stop, but no. The dreams always played out into the end. Till when the music stopped.

Then the music climaxed, pressing the keys all at the same time. David was there, now. David, the murderer of her husband. But only for a moment. Long enough. Then they were all gone. All of them, as she softly and slowly played the higher notes. A twisted smile came across Rosalie’s face. Then she was gone too, as the music played the last note.

………………………

“Nooo!” Rosalie wailed as she sat up straight. Her heart was pounding in her head. She clutched it tightly, shaking it, trying to empty her head. She attempted to leap out of bed, but ended up hitting her head on the wall because the bed was too close to it. “Oof…” She muttered something as she dizzily got back up.

“Wha’s wiff all the racket?” Ms. Lovett came in, rubbing her forehead.

“Nothing… J-just a dream. A nightmare…”

“Well, try not to hurt yourself, love. I haven’ seen someone so clumsy that wasn’ drinking.”

“Yeah, well, I do me best.” Rosalie said, voice dripping with sarcasm. “I need to finish the upstairs...” She stood there idly thinking before leaving the room. She went up stairs to the near-finished barber shop. She opened the door to see Sweeney, already cleaning it up. She was confused at first, still half asleep, but then slowly remembered their plan.

“What do you want?” He asked gruffly while she was still recollecting.

“Well… I was coming up here to finish me cleanin.”

“It’s already finished… So you can leave, now.” Rosalie didn’t get the hint so easily. She wandered over to the vanity where he was cleaning.

“Who’s this?” She asked. She picked up the photo from before. Sweeney was silent for a moment.

“My wife… Lucy.” He continued to fiddle with the arrangement of the razors. As if it would matter what place they were in.

“Where is she? Is she in traveling? I bet she misses you… Being gone and such. I bet she thinks of you every night.” Sweeney suddenly went stiff. Rosalie didn’t notice. Instead she began to hum. It was a cheerful tune. She began to walk around the room, twirling around once or twice. Suddenly, she began to sing to the tune.

“Little Lucy, Little Lucy… That was me mother’s name too, Mr. Todd. Lucy. At least, that’s what we called her… How much do you fare, there? Little Lucy, Little Lucy, for a lock of your hair. Her hair is more golden than any ov’er ring, Little Lucy, Little Lucy, My dear won’t you sing?” She gazed up at the ceiling, the water from the wash bowl reflecting patterns. She glanced in the direction of the new, yet familiar voice. Mr. Todd was now humming the tune. She laughed slightly before continuing.

“Little Lucy, Little Lucy, watch her dance to and fro, Little Lucy, Little Lucy, oh, look at her go! Little Lucy, Little Lucy, won’t you marry me? Little Lucy, Little Lucy, we’ll live by the sea... We’d always sing this song to me mother on her birthday. Me father would play the piano, and I’d always dance with me mother. Then we’d switch, me playing the piano, and me father dancing with her.” Just before she started another chorus, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw Mr. Todd. He seemed sort of distant. She smiled a little, confused.

“May I… Have this dance?” He said, a little uncertain.

“My, feelin a little adventurous today are we?” She teased. “Alright then…” She began to sing again. “Little Lucy, Little Lucy…” His eyes were closed as they danced. “What beautiful eyes, Little Lucy, Little Lucy, are you in for surprise? I steal you, Little Lucy, to a place with blue skies! Little Lucy, Little Lucy, to where the grasses are green, Little Lucy, Little Lucy, we’ll live by the seas. Little Lucy, Little Lucy, Just you and me! Little Lucy, Little Lucy, a family of two or three!” Just then the door to the Barber Shop opened, and in stepped an angry Ms. Lovett. Sweeney dropped Rosalie, who fell with a thud. Ms. Lovett didn’t even wince as she hit the ground.

“I don’t mean to interrupt your prancin’ around, but I believe it’s time to open shop!” She said angrily.

“I’ll open me shop whenever the hell I want to!” Rosalie retorted haughtily as she pushed past Ms. Lovett and stomped downstairs. She slammed open/shut the door of the shop, which swung the sign to open.

“It isn’ even light out yet!” She grumbled as she took out her frustration on pulling out dough and kneading it. She suddenly felt a sharp pain on the right side of her face. She flinched and started to cry a little. She wiped her tears on her sleeve before leaving to get dressed out of her nightgown and into proper clothes.

When she came back out, Ms. Lovett was coming in through the door, fuming. Rosalie saddened. She knew she’d be nothing more to them than a slave. Not even friends.

She sighed as she went back to kneading dough. She made several meat pies, and stuck them in the oven. The side of her face still stung as she closed the oven tightly. The bell to her shop door jingled and she turned around to see Mr. Todd, who still had his hand over the side of his face. She gasped when he removed it. It was starting to bruise, and there were little scratch marks from Ms. Lovett’s fingernails.

“Oh, Mr. Todd… I’m sorry. I didn’t…” He glared over at her telling her to shut up. Her mouth became a grim, thin line. Her brows furrowed slightly, and a feeling of paranoia came over her. She glanced into a knife’s reflection and there was Ms. Lovett, with another knife. She ducked just as she was about to stab her with it. She ran out of the shop, pushing past Sweeney and apologizing profusely to him as she left.

She heard a lot of shouting coming from the shop as she came down the street. People were doing double takes at the shop, because nobody was there when they looked. She bumped into somebody, and fell backwards.

“Sorry, ma’am… Hey, aren’t you… Ms. Ashton?” She looked up. It was the man from before. He was alone, without his wife and child. He held out his hand to help her up. She took it.

“Well… Yes?” She brushed off her dress. She frowned. “And thanks to you, nobody’s been comin to me shop…” She sighed deeply. “I can’t blame them. They have no idea wot I’ve been going through.” She waved her hands over her head, as if trying to wave away all the rumors.