THE TRUTH OF THE TRIAL

Chapter 1. Johanna's Halo

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Toby rushed up the stairs, slipping twice on the stone steps, the blood drawn from the cuts on his hands mixed with the blood that still dripped from the razor that Toby barely knew was in his hand. He stopped once out in the yard of the pie shop. He put his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. With shaking hands, he folded the razor and placed it in his jacket pocket. Without lifting his head he sprang forward, about to run, but ran into someone instead.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Toby said. He helped the other person up.

"I'm fine." Said the person, dusting of their breeches. Toby froze in confusion. That was a girl's voice. A girl dressed in a boy's breeches and jacket? How odd. The hat she had been wearing had been knocked slightly askew, setting free a few strands of long, golden hair. Toby stared, she was very beautiful. She looked at him concernedly. "Are you okay?" She asked him oddly. Toby realized he was still shaking, his face was sweaty and clammy and his breath was ragged. The girl's eyes narrowed in worry as she observed him, eyes lingering on his panicked expression and his bloody hands.

"Johanna!" Someone called. Toby flinched. Johanna? Did he know this beautiful girl? He surveyed her again. No, he'd remember if he had. Then why did her name sound so familiar? Maybe he had heard it among the horrifying conversation he overheard while hiding in the sewer…

A young man jogged up to them, touching Johanna's arm to get her attention. She nodded in acknowledgement, still watching Toby. "Johanna, come on, I've got the wagon and it's time to go."

"Wait." Johanna said softy, waving him off. She took a step closer to Toby, "What's wrong?" She asked him seriously. Toby bit a trembling lip, eyes darting around frantically for no particular reason.

"I…I…" He stammered, he lurched forward the smallest amount. Johanna jumped back.

"Anthony!" She said, putting a hand on the young man's shoulder, "Anthony what's wrong with him?" Anthony looked at Toby, eyes coming to rest on his bloody hands. Hanging his head, Toby pointed to the cellar.

"Stay here." Anthony ordered Johanna, striding off to the cellar steps.

"I'm coming with you." She said stubbornly, moving to follow him.

"No miss!" Toby said loudly, grabbing her hand and holding her back, "Stay here." He did want this lovely girl to see….he shuddered. Seeing the shudder, Johanna stopped anxiously, she knelt beside Toby. He let go of her hand. Johanna held her thin hand up, looking at it. Her pale hand was streaked with blood! Self-consciously, Toby wiped his hands on his pants. Anthony returned at a run.

"Who?" He demanded of Toby.

"Who what?" Johanna interrupted. Anthony moved to her side slowly, draping his arm around her thin shoulders he leaned close and whispered something in her ear. Her fair face turned bone white. Her eyes became glassy as she looked at her bloody hand.

"Who killed those people?" Anthony repeated. Toby's ragged breathing became harsher.

"What people?" He choked.

"I saw Judge Turpin and the Beadle, the beggar woman…" Anthony started. Toby interrupted him before he could ask who killed Mr. Todd. He knew Anthony and Mr. Todd were chums.

"The demon." Toby whispered frantically, "the madman, the killer, the monster." Toby began hyperventilating.

"You've scared him." Johanna scolded.

"It wasn't me." Anthony said darkly, ignoring the odd look Johanna gave him. Toby's breath did not slow, he wrapped his arms around his chest, a single tear leaking from his eyes and traveling down his ruddy cheek. Johanna kneeled beside him, stroking his shoulders soothingly.

"It must have been horrible." Johanna whispered. Anthony was staring moodily at the ground.

"I'll say." He muttered, "Whatever happened they killed Mr. Todd. He was the only one helping us." Toby choked on his contradiction, making the startled reply unintelligible. "Steady there." Anthony advised. "Johanna, we should leave." With a nod, she stood and followed him obediently to the waiting wagon.

Toby stared after them. They wouldn't just leave him there, would they? After all of that they would just abandon him? He already knew he had no place to go, especially if he never wanted to set foot in Fleet Street again, which he didn't. The one tear he had shed did not yet dry, it was caught halfway down his cheek, it bothered him but he didn't feel like lifting his arm to brush it away. Didn't feel like running or hiding or moving. He felt all he could do was watch this young couple as they went to the wagon left on the edge of the street. As soon as they got there Johanna stopped and whispered something in Anthony's ear. He whispered something back with a straight face. Johanna turn to Toby with a warm smile, she held out her hand.

"Are you coming?" She asked, as though he had been planning to join them all along. Without hesitation Toby ran to the wagon, giving both Anthony and Johanna a quick hug, then climbed in back.