Esteemed Malevolence

XLIV: Subtle Rivalry

They were completely alone.

Abandoned, some might say.

Stuck in the middle of what appeared to be nowhere, too trapped under the dreadful influence of slumber to care, or even be aware of what was truly going on around them.

Their driver was nowhere to be seen, nor heard. Given the congealed blood that had only streamed further down one of the cracked window panes, there had certainly been violent fractures of foul play. It really wouldn't have been a surprise if the driver had turned up dead in a ditch somewhere nearby, if one was so inclined to look, of course. Yet the fugitives within the carriage were too far-gone with exhaustion to dare open an eyelid, let alone discover their new dilemma.

A dilemma in which their desperate means of transporation was lodged down a convenient trench, which acted like a defensive moat considering that it was located beside a decaying brick wall. A dauntingly high wall too, which shielded a rather established-looking stately home from any peeping eyes.

They were certainly in some god-awful remote location, somewhere so off the beaten track that it would be impossible for them to navigate anywhere... successfully, at least.

Despite their slowly bubbling boiling-pot of burden, at least the place was peaceful - peaceful enough that it didn't disrupt their sleep.

Clang.

But, as most peaceful times were for Mr Todd and Mrs Lovett, their cherished silence had finally come to a battering end.

Clang. Clang.

"What d'ya think this is, eh?" an unknown shout erupted with a voice thickened with disgust - in fact, the person's tone was so harsh that it was almost as coarse as the clatters of dense metal that joined it.

In a tired stupor, Sweeney quickly tried to make sense of his surroundings. The constant harsh banging on the outer panels of the carriage sent him into an instant state of discomfort, but he still couldn't bring himself to awaken fully. Eleanor was still soundly asleep and clinging onto him - apparently she was a heavy sleeper, unlike him. Yet with the racket banging away outside, it was rather concerning that she didn't seem to budge.

As soon as the barber caught onto what was actually happening, he broke free from Eleanor's grasp on him and sprang out of his seat. Glowering out of the window closest to him (luckily the one that was devoid of any blood spatter) and already taking on his favourite intimidating expression, he attempted to peer out and find the rude source of his sudden awakening.

As he surveyed the area on the other side of the glass with his hardened black eyes, Eleanor was finally stirring. The cold had hit her as soon as he'd left her side, so it was no wonder that she finally decided to wake up.

As soon as her brown eyes cracked open, she was desperate to bid her partner-in-crime "Good Morning" but her pleasant smile soon fell when she spotted Sweeney half-bent in front of her. If she hadn't been so concerned she was sure she would have laughed at the sight of him - he was ducking down and leering like some kind of hermit just so that he could see clearly out of the small window.

After a moment, he turned to face her with a stern expression. His appearance only added to his crazed look, yet somehow it managed to set her heart racing excitedly despite the seriousness of the situation. Although he'd said nothing, she knew that someone must have been out there from the way the inky-black of his eyes studied her - it was unrelenting, just like it had been the night before.

Her own eyes faltered in response and all she could do was let out a little pant of depression. All these intense situations were getting far too much to bear, but she wasn't about to stop him from protecting them if he had to.