What goes bump in the night? (bill)

[Johanna Barker]

Johanna’s day had been the same as all the others where in her simple existence. She had awoke, dressed, ate breakfast alone and returned to her room. All she had for companionship where her birds she kept in a small cage by her window. Johanna would often spend her days talking aimlessly to the birds while working on some embroidery. She would often dread when the clock struck six and the sound of boots would tread down the hallway towards her room. She knew then it was time for dinner, she would dress appropriately and attend the meal with The Judge, sitting quietly hoping to please him. Johanna hated this time of day for she was always afraid her behavior would upset him and if Johanna feared anything it was seeing the Judge loose his temper.

However this time had past and the evening was drawing to an end. She was sat in her room by the window watching people race home to their families while brushing out her long blonde locks. Her birds had settled down and where merely staring out onto the streets like she was. Johanna assumed they also longed for freedom and she often felt awful about caging them up like she was.

With a sigh she stood up and set the brush down on her dressing table before removing her nightgown and hanging it up on the peg by her bed. She climbed in and snuggled down under the silk sheets. While she waited for sleep to take over she imagined one day finally leaving her place of captivity. She thought of the places she’d go and the people she would meet, Johanna didn’t care for this simple life; all she wanted was to live her life without being caged.

It wasn’t long before her eyes closed and she drifted off to that dream world she loved.

[Bill Sikes]

They were bloody crazy, absolutely off of their bleeding rockers. Bill Sikes, shook his head as he walked down a rather darkened street his mind set on something that would reap great rewards, still whoever was in charge of the charade was still off of their rocker. A street lamp stood bleak, black and innocent on a street corner and although it were meant to provide light it seemed it merely brightened the place up a bit, infact as soon as you stood a metre away from the lamp you were thrown back into complete darkness. The street lamp dispersed a few rays of light onto Bill’s coat, which took on a rather dark brown colour, like his eyes, hair and hat. Not much could be said for Sike’s colour choice apart from the fact that the brown was dark … signifying something somewhat similar to his character. Shady, dangerous Bill was a tyrant of the times feared and respected much more then a petty thief but much less than what society deemed acceptable.

Of course what society deemed acceptable was so very hard to find in London. It appeared, in the darker alleyways lurked something that everyone wanted to deny existed. Types like Bill so long as the better half of the public felt safe everything was ok not many stopped to consider the slums, the foul condition that many lived in. Bill was lucky, he had his own home not much but it was sights better then many people’s homes.

Sikes turned a corner of a street, a cane in one hand and a brown sac in the other, of course Bill wasn’t overly unsubtle and kept his left hand (which held the sac) withdrawn slightly. He walked a long, a slight gleam in his seemingly never ending brown eyes, a brisk pace was to be kept, not too fast that’d arise suspicion and not too low that would higher the risk of being considered a loiterer. Bill crossed to the other side of the street only to see the sign of ‘ Baker Street’ there was no doubt that Sikes looked out of place. Baker Street was the domain of the upper class.

Soon enough Sikes drew to a halt outside possibly the biggest house he’d ever had the misfortune to come across, he swallowed quickly knowing what he had to do. Yes the original thought had come back, whoever was in charge of this job was insane. Bill soon enough figured out he was about to rob the most ruthless judge in London’s house. Sikes knew the penalty should he be caught … he may have evaded hangings a good five or six times but this was a Judge a Judge that was well known for sentences that were hardly justified. Bill remembered briefly, an innocent woman had hung for picking up an apple that had been laying on the ground, how was she to know it had rolled off of a stall. Oh well no time for memories.

Bill was much more ruthless then many members of the law, he was brutal unlike most thieves Bill didn’t care too much for being caught, he’d hurt anyone who got in his way and the small pistol that lay attached in a holder on his belt said as much. Quickly Bill managed to get around the back of the house, the back door was locked but there was a ledges, plenty of him so he climbed. Sikes was stocky and held a lot of strength with in his body. Up ahead there was a window that were open just a tad, Bill reached up and pushed it open before hauling his six foot five inches of form into the window with surprising gentility.

Sikes had no idea where he was going … but slowly he headed to the first door in front of him. He turned the knob gently only to discover the door was unlocked, he pushed opening it with a creak. In the room he had entered were a bed with a form in it …cages with birds in them. Good Lord …he had done it.

[Johanna Barker]

The sun was bright, warm on her face; she was sat in a saddle galloping along the beach on a beautiful white stallion. The wind was blowing through her hair and she was free, able to do anything she wanted. Johanna dismounted the horse, she stroked its head admiring the beauty of such an animal, kissing its forehead she let go of the reins and watched it gallop away. Free. Like all things should be. She turned towards the ocean and let the waves wash over her feet the feeling of sand between her toes was so peaceful…

Johanna awoke with a start at first she couldn’t remember what had awoken her but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of her bedroom she took in the image of a dark figure by her bedroom door. Her breath caught in her throat as she felt her heart beat faster and faster, who was that figure in her door way? Was it the Judge? Or the Beadle? She peered closer and knew that the figure wasn’t either of the two. So who on earth was it? She hid her face in her pillow hoping the figure would go away but when she looked again it was still there.

Panic rose up inside of her all memories of her pleasant dream had vanished now and was completely replaced by terror. Maybe it was the devil coming to punish her for being wicked and upsetting the judge. Johanna sat up in bed her blonde locks tumbling down her shoulders she stared at the figure too afraid to scream or attempt to run.

All she could manage was to utter “What are you?” at the figure.

She knew if it really was the devil her screaming wouldn’t help…but maybe it was a bad dream. Yes that’s right a bad dream that would go away if she just shut her eyes. But Johanna was too scared to close her eyes, she couldn’t take her eyes off the figure for fear of what might happen if she did. She worried about her birds, what would become of them if this demon was to harm her? Johanna couldn’t bear to think of them alone with no one to care for them. It broke her heart. But right now she knew she had no choice but to face the devil….