Intertwined-A Sweeney Todd tale

That's Johanna

DAVID'S POV

Zazu's latest mission for the both of us was to go back to a time in Victorian Era London, in 1846. In my 17 year old life, I had thought about what college I was going to go to while performing my duties as a decoy to my eldest brother, Joshua. He is a 22 year old man who is lean and lank due to his heart defect, with South Asian skin, long black wavy hair and kind brown eyes. He was wearing what Victorian gentlemen would wear: a navy button-down shirt and vest, a navy coat, a top hat and a pocket watch. I was wearing a green Victorian coat, a button-down shirt and vest and a bowtie. Our latest mission was to find Tammie, my closest friend. I smoothed a strand of my darkened curly hair out of my face as I scanned where I was with my blue eyes. We were near Hyde Park and we saw a young boy close to Joshua's age with pale skin, long dark blond hair and blue eyes roaming around the street. And I saw through a window of a fancy house, a girl about 16 years old with long curly yellowish hair and brown eyes staring outside; she was crocheting and singing to her bird friends as we got acquainted with the sailor named Anthony Hope.

"Hey, Josh...mate, listen!" I said.

Green finch and linnet bird
Nightingale, blackbird
How is it you sing?

How can you jubilate
Sitting in cages
Never taking wing?

Outside the sky waits
Beckoning, beckoning
Just beyond the bars

How can you remain
Staring at the rain
Maddened by the stars?

How is it you sing...
Anything?
How is it you sing? The girl sang.

All three of us heard her pretty song and my guess is that it was a soft message for help. Zazu wanted us to help this 16 year old escape the house she's in. Made me wonder why.

My cage has many rooms
Damask and dark
Nothing there sings,
Not even my lark
Larks never will, you know
When they're captive
Teach me to be more adaptive
Ah...

Green finch and linnet bird
Nightingale, blackbird
Teach me how to sing

If I cannot fly let me sing...The girl concluded her song and she smiled at Anthony.

"Mate, I think she likes you!" I mentioned to Anthony.

Joshua couldn't help but notice that she disappeared from the window and quickly.

"She disappeared but then..." Joshua trailed off. And suddenly...

Alms, alms
For a miserable woman
On a miserable chilly morning...A haggard beggar woman sang out. All three of us couldn't help but feel sorry for the lady so we gave her pounds for her to keep. She had pale skin, and matted blonde hair. She looked like she had been through a lot.

"Thank yer, sirs!" The woman thanked.

"Ma'am...could you tell me whose house this is?" Anthony asked.

"Uh...that's the great judge Turpin's house, that is." The beggar woman recollected.

"And the young lady who resides there?" The sailor curiously asked.

"That's Johanna...his pretty little ward. Keeps her snug, he does. All locked up. So don't you go trespassing there, or it's a good whipping for you, or any other young man with mischief on his mind." The beggar woman mysteriously told us and warned.

It made me nervous, not only for myself but for my eldest brother who has a heart defect ever since he was three years old. Joshua nodded agreeing.

Alms, alms
For a desperate woman...The beggar woman sang out to another passerby.

"I think Anthony's in love..." I said softly to Joshua as the sailor thought of Johanna.

I feel you
Johanna
I feel you
I was half convinced I'd waken
Satisfied enough to dream you
Happily I was mistaken, Johanna
I'll steal you
Johanna!
I'll steal you...Anthony sang.

Suddenly the door swung open and there stood a government official with gray wisps of hair and a wry smile.

"Come in, lads...come in." He gestured.

"Oh, no thank you, sir. I'll wait outside." Joshua inclined politely while Anthony and I came inside the house.

"You we're looking for Hyde Park, you say?" The man asked curiously to the both of us.

"Yes." Anthony nodded. "It's very large on the map, but I keep getting lost."

"Sit down, lads, sit down. It's embarrassing for a sailor
to lose his bearings, but there you are." The man named Judge Turpin invited.

And he talked about drawings of women of the world and what he does to lust over them, which sent me ominous red flags.

"You gandered at my ward, Johanna." He was in Anthony's face now. "You gandered at her...yes, sir, you gandered."

"We were only curious, sir!" I calmly sided with Anthony on the matter.

"Mark me. If I see your face again on this street, you'll rue the day you were born." Turpin threatened to the both of us.

"Really?! Threaten us again and you'll come face to face with my brother!" My voice was even and a deadly sort of calm.

"Hyde Park is that way, young sirs! A left and a right and straight on, you see? Move on, now!" A little pudgy little man said, dragging us out of the house and beating us with his sword cane. The after blows stung with killing fire on my back. If anything, I would take the blows for Joshua, because that's the brother I am for him.

"David!!" Joshua came over to my side. He turned to the Beadle, furiously, pointing his scepter towards the scumbag. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER YOU BUNGLING HE-DEVIL?!"

"You heard what Judge Turpin said, little men. Next time, it'll be your pretty little brains all over the pavement!" The Beadle threatened all three of us and then turned to go.

I tried getting up but Joshua stilled me gently.

"ARRGH!!" I gasped in pain.

"Easy, Dave. I've got you." Joshua gently said, a brotherly arm around me. All three of us were trudging along to Hyde Park. I was quite determined as Anthony to help Johanna escape the situation she is in.

I'll steal you, Johanna
I'll steal you
Do they think that walls can hide you?
Even now I'm at your window
I am in the dark beside you
Buried sweetly in your yellow hair
I feel you, Johanna
And one day, I'll steal you,
'Til I'm with you and I'm with you there,
Buried sweetly in your yellow hair...Anthony sang in hope.