The Beast Within The Man

Never thought how things would change within you...it did with me when I was falsely accused of something I didn't do by a judge who ripped me away from my family. I spent 15 years in a penal colony and I escaped, vowing revenge on the man who destroyed my family; raped my wife Lucy, and adopted my daughter Johanna as his own. My other daughter, Jillian was raised by Mrs. Lovett. I returned to London and while I was there, I befriended a four year old sweet little girl of Japanese Canadian descent and beautiful blue eyes. Her name was Mirai (Mary) Sakamoto. She too was being hunted after by Judge Turpin and Beadle Bamford, so I had to protect her from those two bastards. I did seek revenge on them...only to find that it was all for nothing, and at a costly price. I didn't recognize my wife until too late...I unwittingly killed her. Mrs. Lovett knew that Lucy lived and covered it up so to have me all to herself. In a furious rage, I danced with her towards the bakehouse oven and threw her in there. That ultimately led to my downfall because a lad named Toby slit my throat, and it was to stop my rampage on the world. I let him do it because I had nothing to live for after Lucy had died. My last thought before I passed on was little Mary...I could hear her wailing in Jillian's arms. She saw what happened with all three of us and it scarred her for life.

4 year old Mei Williams saw her past life as Mirai (Mary)Sakamoto and in the end, it traumatized her and it triggered her panic attack. I would never forget how terrified she was...her long raven curly hair was in her face...her blue eyes were wild with horror and shock. Of course, the heart wrenching scream she emitted after seeing her past 5 days before Halloween. When we reunited, Mei and I had a little chat about revenge, and what it will do to people. Back then in London, there was a beast inside me when I slit the gentlemen's throats when I shaved them. Somehow, there was a man within a beast. Little Mary/Mei dove down that black pit I was in and saved me.

The truth of the matter is...I, Benjamin Barker and Sweeney Todd, are one and the same. And what I did led me to my downfall. Let's just say I clung to the past too much. And that can be dangerous. 'Course, I never meant for any of that to happen. I do have a tale to tell you—no, it's not me, but it's about how a young woman tamed the heart of a beast.

One night, and this was a week before Thanksgiving, I received a red rose from Tamera, Mei's mother and a note.

It read:

Hello, Sweeney. Joshua told me to send this to you. What you and Mei are about to embark on is in the French countryside and a little town. There is a young woman who lives there and her name is Belle. She's living with her father, Maurice. There is only one problem...there is a town hero, a hunter if you will who keeps obsessing over her and has begged her to marry him. I hope that you and Mei could help her.

With love,

Tammie

I smiled at the note and picked up the rose. I lay on Mei's bed and I cuddled her close to me, nuzzling her raven hair. Mei nestled in my arms as I looked at the red rose. It glowed a bright red and magic swirled around it. Mei woke up, alert and we both looked at our surroundings.

"Where are we, Sweeney?" Mei asked.

"Not so sure, love...but your mother said to help a young woman out." I said softly.

"Belle, you mean?" Mei asked.

I nodded.

"I wonder what she needs help with?" Mei mused.

"There is one gentleman who obsesses over her and wants to marry her, but she's not interested in him, either way." I recollected.

The young woman looked to be about 17 years of age, with fair skin, brown hair in a ponytail and hazel eyes. She had on a blouse with a baby blue overall dress. All three of us including her father introduced ourselves.