The Barber's Son

Three

"Mr. Todd, Mr. Todd! Mr. Todd!"
The boy chanted.

"How many time have I told you to call me Sweeney, boy!?"
I said a little annoyed.

"Never, Mr....., Sweeney."

I sighed, and got out of bed.

"Come boy! Now!"
I shouted as the boy jumped.

The boy ran to me, and kneeled at my feet pleading with me.

"Please Mr. Todd, Sweeney... don't hit me. Please don't hurt me."
The boy said shaking.

"Stand up."
I said helping the boy up.

"What makes you think that Mr. Todd or I would do such a thing?"
Mrs. Lovett said.

"Come here."
I said sitting and holding the boys hands in mine.

The boy looked at me with his sad green eyes almost as if he might start to cry.

"Max, as long as I have you in my care, neither I or Mrs. Lovett shall hurt or hit you. Understand?"

"Yes, Mr- um, Sweeney. I understand."
Max said.

"Right then."
I say as the door opens and a man walks in.

"Judge Terpet. How do you do?"
I ask.

"Fine Mr. Todd, fine."
The judge says looking around.

"A shave shall it be?"
I ask again.

"I think very much so, Mr. Todd."

"Sit sir, sit."

I start preparing my cream, and sharpening my blade as it shines in the sunlight. I sing as I start to give the judge a nice clean shave.

Sweeney whistles as he shaves the judge.

Then, next week, the judge returned.
While Im busy with the judge, I don't see Max sneak down stairs, and neither does Mrs. Lovett-she's out and about.

Max's POV
I look back a third time to make sure Sweeney isn't looking, and I sneak down stairs.

All of a sudden a hatch drops open, and as I go over to look. A body falls down through the hatch and lands right in front of me.
I get a closer look: Judge Terpet! Wasn't Sweeney just giving that guy a shave upstairs?!

Then, I hear a door creak open. It's Sweeney Todd!

"Max! What-weren't you just upstairs!?"
Sweeney asks me.

I stand there frozen, and speechless.

"Very well, go up stairs now. And, if you tell a soul about this, I will kill you."
Sweeney says.

Fearful, I just stand there breathing heavily looking Sweeney in the eye.
He walks up to me.

"I thought I told you to go upstairs!"
Sweeney shouts scaring me.

I turn and run back upstairs in a hurry, and head to my my room as I brush past Mrs. Lovett.

"My son, what ever is the matter?"
She ask as I barrel into her.

"Sweeney, he killed someone."
I cry, tears streaming from my eyes.

"Oh, well that's just lovely."

"What?"
I say lifting my head from her chest, and sniffing at the same time.

"Ohh, nothing dear. I know what happened."
Mrs. Lovett says to me with her arm on my back.

"You do?"

"Yes, of corse. You were dreaming."
She says.

"No I wasn't."
I say running upstairs to my bed.

Sweeney's POV
I come back up from the basement.

"What the hell happened!"
Mrs. Lovett boasted.

"Exscuse me?"
I say.

"I'll talk to him tomorrow about it, okay?"
I tell Mrs. Lovett.

"Very well."
She says as she goes upstairs.🏴