The two girls, Anastasia and Rachel, led Vash and me down the long, winding, cobblestone streets of London to Fleet Street. I'd heard of the place, but I'd never been there personally. Hadn't ever really felt the need to go farther than the docks. We stopped at one of the many two-story buildings: Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shoppe and Mr. Sweeney Todd's Barber Shoppe.
"So...which is your friend?" I asked.
"Both are."
"And which one is the one I want to talk to?"
Rachel pointed to the barber shoppe on the second floor. I followed her arm with my eyes and saw something that should have scared me, but didn't. I was pretty damn used to spooky stuff. A shadowy figure stood in the window, holding aloft a silver straight-razor.
"The barber, huh?" I turned to Vash and hooked my arm through his, switching my normal cockney for a smoother dialect. "Well, hon? Shall we enter this fine establishment?"
My husband's navy eyes glittered with good humour, and his arm snaked around my corseted waist as we stepped into the Pie Shoppe. It was rather quaint, and, at the moment, quite empty.
"Mrs. Lovett?" Anastasia called. "We've brought customers."
A woman with messy reddish pigtails tied on either side of the crown of her head entered from a side room. With her was a boy who looked like a street urchin.
"Did somebody call me?" she inquired.
Anastasia and Rachel practically flew to the woman's arms. "We're back, Mrs. Lovett."
The girls' voices, filled with the same love for this woman that I would hear in my daughter's voice made my eyes fill with tears. I pressed the back of a hand to my mouth to stifle the sob welling up, and Vash pulled me close to his broad chest.
"Oh. Oh dear, what's wrong, love?" Mrs. Lovett asked, bustling over and gently leading me to a table. "Toby, go down to the bakehouse and get something for our guests, would you, pet?"
I sniffed and stopped myself from crying. That was no way for the captain of a ship to act. "My apologies, ma'am. Seeing how you all act made me think of my child. And the b*****d who took her from me. You see, ma'am, a few months back, a man I once knew attacked the ship I captain and took my daughter."
"Is he in London?"
"Not yet. I beat him here. Your girls--"
"Oh, they're not mine, love."
"Well, the girls told me you have a friend that might be able to help me."
Mrs. Lovett smiled. "Yes. He's upstairs. Let me get him for you."
A few minutes later, she returned with a pale man in dark clothing. His hair was rather wild, with a single white streak, and he was polishing a silver razor.
"Do I...know you from somewhere, sir?" I asked, then metal clashed against metal as I drew my sword to block the razor in his hand. "Whoa, easy there," I said, pushing his hand back and sheathing my sword. "You remind me of someone is all. My brother. You look just like him. His name's Jack. I doubt that yours is, too."
"No. It's Todd. Sweeney Todd." He even had the same voice.
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Okay, that's enough chapter for this entry. And the story's not done yet. Not even close. Keep reading and commenting, dear readers!
SKBCTayuyaFluteofDeath Community Member 
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