Hysterical Hell

Demise Alliance

"Rise and shine, my beloved children!" Dr Fogg cheerfully sang as the large metal door creaked open. The door then hit the wall behind it; giving out a loud bang they awoke the patients more effectively than Fogg's morning call.
Todd and Oliver were already awake and were waiting for the door to open. The second it did, they shot up to their feet and raced one another to the door. They were both eager to evade and dingy and cramped cell and into the more open area. They were both deemed to be cooperative enough for breakfast and were lead into the dining hall.
Todd seemed oddly content today. He was hoping that Blake had more assuring information on the escape plan. He wanted to tell Oliver, but knew Blake wanted it as confidential as possible. For the first time in awhile he felt a small stab of guilt. Guilt that he had the possibility of leaving this hell and Oliver didn't.
The two sat down at their usual table and the trays of slop were served. Before putting it onto someone else's tray, they played around with it as if they eating it.
"So... uh... who's your doctor? I mean, the doctor you have for sessions?" Todd started as he pushed all the gray mush to one side of the tray and back to the other side.
"Dr. Hadley, he's a real prick especially the last couple of days. Be happy that you don't have him. Who's yours?"
"Blake," Todd simply answered with his head lowered.
"Aw man, I heard he's the worst," Oliver hissed and patted Todd's left shoulder in sympathy.
Todd at first as dumbfounded at Oliver's statement. Blake had been nothing but good towards him, then he remembered he and Blake are the only ones who know that as well as other patients he might have.
"Uh... yea," Todd agreed. "I'd rather have your doctor than him, he's worse than I am," he lied flawlessly.
"Yea I've heard he kills a lot of his patients, and I mean a lot! Be careful not too piss him off," Oliver instructed; saddened to know his pal was in the hands of what he thought to be a madman. "Didn't mean to scare ya... just thought you'd like to know."
Todd knew better. Blake didn't have the nerve to kill one of his patients; it just isn't in his nature. Blake was too gentle to even lay a hand on a patient, at least that's what Todd wanted to believe. But then a new image of Dr Blake began to brew in Todd's mind: was the whole nice doctor image an act? Was it like a mask as Blake had once referred to Todd's stability to? Was this mask of a genuine doctor going to slip and the real Dr Blake emerge from the shadows? Todd didn't want to believe these new ideas, but they were too mind opening to forget.
-
Mrs Lovett finally arrived at the madhouse. The coachman had stopped the carriage a few meters from the other mysterious one. No one had gotten out of the carriage, it just sat there. There were small curtains in the windows, so no one could see who the people inside were. A coachman sat on top where the coachman seat was; minding himself and fidgeting with his pocket watch.
Mrs Lovett informed the charming coachman that she should be back in a little over thirty minutes and started her way for the door. The coachman wished her a good luck and made small talk with the other coachman.
~
Breakfast concluded and everyone was escorted to the day room until taken to the individual doctor rooms. Todd and Oliver sat at the sofa that faced the door. Todd sat with crossed legs on the sofa while Oliver lied sprawled out on the ottoman of the sofa.
Todd still had his mind wrapped around the suspicious Dr Blake. He felt betrayed. He felt like a fool for falling for such an act.
"C'mon, man," Oliver's voice interrupted the barber's thoughts. Oliver was now on his feet and motioning towards the door where the same, usual nurse stood.
Todd put aside his thoughts and quickly caught up with Oliver and the other patients who were lined up at the door. Among the small crowd of patients stood Big Wes. They made brief eye contact. As brief as it was, it was as if they both said, "this place is hell and I don't belong here."
"Worst part of the day," Oliver muttered anxiously to Todd as they all shuffled down the hall with two guards right on their heels.
"Yea," Todd whispered with his eyes lowered to the ground. He watched all of their dirty and torn up shoes trot along the tile flooring.
The crowd of patients began to dwindle as they all entered their own doctor's room. Remaining were Todd, Oliver, and Big Wes.
They all exchanged glances; glances that seemed to declare some alliance between all of them.
"Wesley, take your pills," the nurse instructed and handed him the small cup of pills.
The boulder of a man lifted the cup with a gentle hand and tilted his head back. Todd took notice of the strange way he took his medicine. It was the same trick he did. Big Wes clandestinely acted as if he took the pills but only hid them under his tongue.
The nurse nodded at his cooperation and opened the door to which Big Wes entered and he was then out of sight.
The group stepped to the next door in the line and it was Oliver's turn.
The transaction of pills was taken and before Oliver vanished into the hell that waited in the room, he gave Todd a nod and Todd gave him one in return. Todd could easily tell that Oliver was trying to force a brave face, and he couldn't help but feel a small pinch of guilt. The guilt felt strange and unexplainable. Oliver was entering a room of untold torture while Todd got the luxury of sitting in a calm environment with an edible meal. It was just another thought that consumed Todd's mind.
It was now Sweeney Todd, the thin, fragile nurse, and the two buff guards that stood thick and firm behind them. The nurse lifted up the small cup with a sadistic smile and chimed, "take your pills, sir."
Todd almost mocked her accent in a galling way, but quickly stopped himself when he remembered the guards behind him. He took the cup and did the same action he had done in previous times.
The nurse smiled at the cooperation and opened the door. Todd slowly motioned to the door and abruptly stopped. He remained stiff at the doorway; his eyes met Blake's who was seated at his chair with his book in hand. It wasn't Blake he was concerned about.
Their eyes locked. Todd's eyes filled with astonishment and rage, Blake's eyes filled with confusion.
Down the hall, towards the front desk, Todd heard a very distinctive and familiar voice. His blood ran icy cold as so many thoughts raced through his mind. All the tainted memories played like an old black and white film in his head.
"Good morning," that deep, monstrous voice exclaimed. "I'm here to check in my deceiving and raving ward, Johanna."
The entire building fell silent except for Todd's rapid heartbeat. The time was now. With thoughts and plans being pelted at his brain, Todd finally broke from his frozen state.
He made a move for the cabinets in Blake's room. A flashback from a few days ago snapped in his mind. He could see a blurry scene of the kitchen knife Lovett had smuggled in falling from Todd's pocket and Blake putting it away in the cabinets. The flashback ended and Todd found himself with the knife gripped tightly in his hand.
Without another thought, Todd had shoved the nurse that blocked his way to the ground and scurried around the two guards which were now chasing after him.
"Sweeney!" Blake hollered after him; realizing there's no possible way for this to end pretty.
His rapid footsteps echoed down the hall; alerting Judge Turpin and Dr. Fogg who stood by the front desk. Both their heads snapped in Todd's direction. Todd was moving so fast he looked like some blurry, blank figure with something shiny in his hand.
To the now racing barber, the hospital was silent and all that existed in the hall was him, the judge, and the knife. His eyes which were ringed in purple were wide open.
Everyone was shouting, screaming, and racing after him, but Todd elected to ignore it all. Everything external between him and the vulture in front of him had vanished.
As Todd approached the judge, his arm was raised high with the knife gripped so tightly his knuckles were sickly white.
"Dear God!" Judge Turpin gasped in a breathless voice. He shoved the delicate Johanna out of the line of attack; causing her to trip and fall onto the hard, merciless tiles.
Todd heard the thud of her fall and the second he did, he heard the thud of Judge Turpin's fall. Todd collided with the beast; knocking him to the ground and hammering his arm down.
In the blink of an eye, Todd had plunged the kitchen knife straight into Turpin's chest. It was then when the rest of the world began to exist again and he could hear all the cries and screams.
Todd retrieved the knife; having to pry it from Turpin's ribs only to drive it back into his chest and closer to his heart.
Blood splattered like paint, but Todd paid no mind.
"Mistah T?!" A cockney voice squealed.
Todd shot his head up to find his neighbor a few feet in front of him. Her eyes horrified as she looked down at the now murder scene.
"Get her outta here!" Todd commanded as he began tugging on the knife to free it from Turpin's vessel. It made a disturbing crackling sound that everyone heard
By this time with all the screaming, several of the doctor's doors flew open with doctors and even patients flooding into the main hall and having a look at the scene. Among the audience stood Oliver who at first didn't notice it was his pal.
Todd noticed the baker hadn't budged and was still scanning the gory event in utter shock. Todd took a glance at his beloved daughter; still sprawled on the floor and eyes glued to the demise of her master.
"Now!" Todd ordered in a dark voice; causing everyone to jump. The command finally registered in Mrs Lovett and she quickly scurried to the fallen Johanna. She grabbed her by the wrist and lifted the lass off the floor and rushed outside without Johanna getting in a single word.
Neither of them had time to comprehend what happened in a mere five seconds. Mrs Lovett knew what had to be done and that they needed out of that place as quick as possible.
She waved her hands rapidly at her coachman who was gazing at the dreary sky daydreaming. He glanced down and noticed the baker raving like some madman and that she wasn't alone. Lovett dragged along with her a thin, distraught blonde who didn't have a clue on what to think what was going on.
"Don't ask questions, just go! Go!" Mrs Lovett ordered as she nearly ripped the coach's door off its hinges. She ushered Johanna inside and scrambled in after her. The coachman gave his horse a whip and they pulled off immediately before Mrs Lovett could close her door.
The carriage flew down the gravel road; a blanket of dust and dirt chasing behind them.
A crowd circled around the murder scene; guards trying to find a good time to take Todd down without him wielding the knife at them.
Dr Blake weaseled through the crowd, trying to get a better view. He knew there was no way the man Todd attacked was alive. The tackle was forceful and surely had to crack the man's skull.
Oliver also shoved his way through the crowd and could clearly see the guards ready to pounce with syringes in hand. He had to help his pal even if it meant he'd get in trouble as well. Oliver scanned the hall; looking for someone willing to help. That's when his eyes caught Big Wes standing close to the wall and staring down at the scene since he was the tallest in the crowd. Oliver scampered towards him and slapped him on the arm.
"We gotta help him," Oliver exclaimed and began tugging on his arm, but he was too large to pull.
"Why?" Big Wes laughed. "This is amusing," he added in his broken English with a smirk.
"Wesley stop being a prick and help him!" Oliver scolded and gave him a firm punch in the arm. It hurt Oliver more than Wesley, but it was enough for him to realize Oliver was serious.
They then both pushed and shoved the spectators and found themselves entering the circle. Todd was on his knees; repeatedly plunging the kitchen knife into the judge's chest and sometimes in his face. The judge was becoming unrecognizable by the second. Blood that was almost black poured and formed a pool around Todd and would smear each time he moved.
"Get the guards," Oliver ordered Big Wes; knowing he was equal if not stronger than the guards.
Big Wes nodded and swung a fist at the guard left. The callused fist slamming into the guard's nose caused him to fall to the floor.
The guard made a loud thud when he made contact with the ground; a thud that echoed down the hall and made the crowd jump and inch backwards.
Todd paid no mind to the noise and kept his attention on the obviously deceased Judge Turpin. His breathing had ceased and his once healthy, tan face was like a canvas with red and purple paint smeared across it. His throat was slashed countless times, nearly to the point where his head was connected to his neck only by a few strings.
Oliver stopped for a brief second to watch the madman at his inhumane work and was horrified. The judge no longer looked human, just a mangled blob leaking red ooze.
"Hurry up, Sweeney, we can't help hold them off much longer!" Oliver announced as he tried to keep a guard pinned to the ground. He kept playing the memory of killing that stranger in the cell last night in his mind. It was a way of reminding himself that he was capable of such power. That that confidence and ability resided in him.
Todd then looked up; his vision seeing the hall and people in a dark, foggy filter. He didn't realize a crowd had formed.
"We?" Todd questioned under his breath and found several guards on the ground and trying to recover. Then just as quick as he looked up, his vision ended as well as his consciousness. Everything was black and all he could hear was a high pitch, ear bleeding ring.
-