Under The Blade {Sequel to 'In Time'}

Chapter 7; The Search Begins

London outside the safety of Jacob's lodgings felt cold and blank, a mere wilt of its former self. No sellers called from street corners, children no longer ran the streets with sticks and hoops in hand- the place was eerily dormant for the capital of a country that was practically ruling the world.

All brought down by this one mysterious killer.

Wrapped up in the warmth of your shawl, you paced the cobbles just a little way down the street, noticing how the place felt like a ghost down in the broad, white daylight. The place felt like it was trapped in a nightmare state with the veiled sun and the freezing temperatures, like even the city itself could not begin to overcome the horrors that had swept it.

Your (eye colour) eyes searched the distained and rather unkempt exteriors of the houses that lined the lifeless street, frozen fingertips clasping to hold your shawl together.

You knew not to go far - you didn't feel like you knew the city anymore so it would be unwise to wander off and find yourself face to face with the Ripper or another horror of that kind.

So, drawing in a cold breath that plumed like hollow dragon's fire, you turned on your heels and headed back towards Jacob's home, walking meekly along the cobbles in a passive mannerism.

Certain shifting shapes from the corner of your eyes made you dart your head upwards, catching sight of someone moving in the shadows of the alleyway just ahead of you. A fearful lump wedged in your throat, as you could see this person was moving back to try and keep themselves firmly concealed in the shadows.

"Who's there?" You barked, trying not to let the fear shake your tone, "show yourself."

Your command surprisingly went abided, and a young woman dressed in a revealing red dress stepped out of the alleyway. She didn't look quaint or timid; she looked quite positively like she had ran straight from Lambeth Asylum.

Her heavily made up face and imposing red lips where all stained and smudged, like she had ran and ran through God knows what to be there. She was without shoes, you noticed, as she paced very skittishly and cautiously forwards, her dirtied and frozen looking feet skimming the cobbles, probably red raw and blistered.

"I did see you, yeah?" She asked in a high pitched voice, her octaves croaking a little like she was hoarse.

"What?" You asked, wondering whether you should just run from the woman as fast as you could. God knows what she was up to.

"I saw you- comin' outta Mr Frye's house." She added, talking quickly with wide and empty looking eyes, as if she had been drained of everything but an animalistic terror- like she was about to be preyed upon.

Suddenly she leapt forwards and grasped your arm with her bony and almost skeletal fingers, her hands frozen upon your skin.

"Let me go-" you cried, trying to wrench yourself free.

"He's coming girl, you and Jacob are no exception- he's coming!" She rambled, shaking her head monotonously with juddering movements. "He knows what you're doing he sees everything! Leave the house, leave the house until he's gone!" She was screeched now, nothing but clear white fear struggling to emanate off the girl's raw throat.

Alarmed and frankly sick with fear, you managed to pull free and ran back in the direction of the house, the girl still crying loudly after you, shouting about the Ripper and how he knows everything. Suddenly even Jacob's so far protective hold of you didn't seem enough to keep you safe- and that was something new.

Never in your entire history of knowing Jacob had you ever felt the way you did at that moment. When you were young he was this god like figure, not to be reckoned with- and you were his little sweetheart of whom he was always looking out for- no matter what; nothing could hurt you, or so it felt.