Til Death do us part

                                   Chapter 1: Music box


“I can’t believe that you’re turning 24 tomorrow!” Livvie screeched as we passed through the market. I let out a small laugh and we proceeded through the fish section. “Doesn’t matter ‘ow old I am. Me mum won’t let me do anything. I mean look at us were only ‘ere ‘cause we snuck out o’ the ‘ouse using my bed sheets and pillow cases.” “Yes and look at where we are now!” Her lips curved to a sly grin. “Yea just look. A fish market.” “No, were making our way OUT o’ a fish market and into the other side o’ London.”

I opened my mouth to speak but she just hushed me up by saying, “Don’t worry. Were only gonna go up ta Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop then were finished” Her cocky grin turned into a smile. We made out way down an alleyway, and into a darker place than we could ever imagine. As we made our way down Fourth View Ave. Every corner we looked at only had Prostitutes, drunken old men, and illegal street merchants lingering around. “I don’t think this is worth seeing Mrs. Lovett.” I whispered as we passed a crowed of a few drunken men who were babbling about God knows what. “Trust me, love…it’s worth it.” She said as she checked a corner. “Nope. Not this one.” I stopped and stared at her. “Really? So us ditching our ‘omes on the other side o’ London just ta see some widow that still goes by the name o’ Mrs.Lovett is totally worth it!?” “Ow’d yea know that she’s a widow?”

I looked up at her. “News travels fast ‘round London.” She let out a small heaving laugh and we continued to wander the dark streets. The clatter of our heels patting the ground kept me distracted from our surroundings. How Olivia could be so fearless I would never know but, all I knew was that we had to find a place soon, or we may have never seen the sun again. Suddenly Livvie let out a gasp. “Wot is it?” “Look! Mrs. Lovett’s shop…we’re ‘ere!” She yelped. I looked around and a few people stared at us with questionability. “Oh don’t mind ‘er…she’s just excited is all.” They nodded and went back to what ever they were doing. “C’mon…!” She shouted as she grabbed my arm and yanked me into the shop.
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The shop was cold and looked like it hadn’t been used in years. I looked around the shop and noticed that the stove was still in use. “ ‘ho would still bake pies, when no one would even dare ta enter the shop?” I questioned as I picked up what seemed to be a meat pie. I put some amount of force on it and suddenly some thick goo like substance oozed out of it. With a screech I dropped it quickly. “Can I help you!?” I heard a voice call. I stood quietly as Livvie looked at me in terror. Suddenly Mrs.Lovett appeared out of a door which what seemed to lead to the parlor. She noticed Livvie first because she hadn’t looked in my direction. “Wot are you do-” Then she looked at me. “You.” She said coldly. My breathing started to get heavy. “Nellie….”  “You know ‘er?” I looked at Livvie, and nodded my head. “Oh that’s nice! So how’s about you tell me ‘ow you know ‘er.” She sat down on a stool and sat up straight. “You shouldn’t be ‘ere, leave.” Mrs.Lovett said as she pried open her oven and took out a dozen meat pies. “Well yea see we can’t leave.” I said as I took a seat beside Livvie. Mrs.Lovett froze with her back facing us. Livvie scooted over a bit and said; “Let me tell ‘er you’re no good at this.” I nodded as I let out a sigh. Livvie stood up and walked over to Mrs.Lovett. “Ya see ma’am can we just stay ‘ere for a-” “No.” “ ‘ow about a-” “No.” Livvie smacked her forehead and opened her mouth to shout until a tall shadowy figure entered the shop. I stared up at him awestricken as Livvie kept on begging Mrs.Lovett to stay here for a while. He stood there watching them then he shifted his head over to where I was standing. Bloody ‘ell stop staring!
But I couldn’t. “Just leave!” I heard Mrs.Lovett demand breaking me out of my trance.
The man looked towards Mrs.Lovett and before I could say anything I felt Livvie grab my arm and tug me out of the shop.
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“Great now wot!?” She exclaimed as she laid her head against a stone wall. “Well don’t look at me! You’re the one ‘ho said you would ‘andle the situation!” She shook her head. “You could o’ backed me up!” “Well sorry!” I paused and looked at the room above her shop and looked back at Livvie. “Yea thinkin’ wot im thinkin’?” Livvie asked as she put a hand on her hip. I shook my head. She let out a grunting sigh as she pushed me towards the staircase. “Let’s look around. Mrs.Lovett aint gonna see.” Now this is where I hated being me, because I was too nice, so I had to say yes to everything. “We’ll get into trouble, she already looked like she was gonna kill yea with ‘er rolling pin.” I said as we neared the shop’s door. She ignored me and continued to drag me towards the shop. Crap out of idea’s.
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I entered the shop shakily as I looked around it. I hadn’t been in here in years. Livvie ran towards the small cabinet on the left of me when something caught my eye. It was Joannah’s crib. I stepped carefully towards it and lifted up the dirtied and wrecked sheet. Underneath was a raggedy doll that had dirt and dust smothered all over her face. I lifted the sheets more and found a blue box.

“See this Amanda?” He asked me as his unraveled a cloth revealing a small blue box. “Yes…wot is it?” “It’s a music box…it plays a small melody that I declared our song.” I smiled and giggled. He opened the box and a tune played out. “If I ‘ad words to make a day for you…” He sand softly “…I’d give you a morning golden and true.”


I stared at the box I now had in my hand. As Livvie shuffled through things in the cabinet I opened up the lid. It still played the melody. “Wot’s that?” “Our song…” “Wot?” I shook my head out of my trance. “Oh nothing.” Suddenly we heard the stairs creak. Livvie already ran behind a broken mirror, and I had nowhere to hide. I circled the room frantically until I noticed a chest in the corner. I quickly jumped into it and prayed that we weren’t found.

“Come in. Nothing to be afraid of love.”

My heart started to race, my breathing got heavier, and it felt like the box was getting smaller.
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After a few minutes I heard absolute silence. I carefully got out of the chest and dusted of my dress. But I heard a creek behind me. I turned around quickly only to see a man staring at me with a glistening razor by his side. He stared at me as if he knew me. Did he “Sir, I can explain.” I said as I glanced over to Livvie still hiding behind the mirror. She out her finger to her lips and shook her head. “Get out.” I heard him say. “I beg your pardon?”
“Get out.”  His voice was stern and muffed. He then glanced at my hand where I held the blue music box. He tilted his head to the side and shook his head slowly.
“Sir…” “Where’d you get that?” I was petrified. He made me feel like a thief. “It’s…mine.” “No. No its not.” “Im sorry but its mine a friend o’ mine gave it to me a long time ago.” He stared at me. “You…” I raised an eyebrow at him until Mrs.Lovett barged in. “Mr.T I- wot are you doing in ‘ere!” I opened my mouth but the words didn’t come out. And then everything went black.