Sweeney Dash: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

"Come wit me, deary." Pinkie motioned for Dash to follow her up the stairs to the old loft room. The stairs creaked and groaned like a million dead souls screaming out in their abyssal horror. They continued up the stairs until they reached a large wooden door. Pinkie pressed on it gently, causing it to swing forward and release a cloud of dust up into the air.

Dash slowly pushed passed Pinkie and crossed the room to a large vanity mirror that sat on one end of the loft. A few trinkets sat on the edge of the vanity, most of them old lather jars and brushes. They were all meaningless to her as she focused on an old picture frame that she had not touched in many a year. It contained two photos, one being of her wife, the other his wife and daughter. She picked it up slowly, her hoof caressing the cold glass covering. She quickly sat the picture frame down and made her way over to a crib that sat opposite the vanity. It was old, rusted and charred, the metal frame bending and flaking away from years of disrepair. She moved closer and peered over the edge at a burned quilt that covered the interior of the crib. She pressed her hoof to it, the corner crumbling away as she lifted it. The mattress below had been worn away, a spring skeleton laying motionless. Her eyes wandered until they fell upon a small pony doll that had been melted by intense heat and had melded to the frame. Dash would have cried had she the emotions within her to do so. A sound from the other side of the room made her jump abit. She turned and faced Pinkie, who was slowly lifting up a wooden panel hidden in the floor.

"I hid these away when they came to take the girl. Thought about selling them once, but...." She lifted out a small red box and slid it over to Dash. Dash slowly picked up the box, it's wooden stain barely succumbing to years of neglect and the effects of the weather. Her hoof slid lowly across the top until it reached a small silver clasp that held the box closed tight. She pressed on it enough for the clasp to release and the lid to slowly raise. Inside were Dash's most prized possessions. Several silver straight-edge razors She looked like she was about to break down, her breath becoming heavy and thick as kerosene as she removed one from it's hibernation. She lifted the blade to her face, her hoof slowly sliding the razor from it's handle. It flipped out with ease, Dash's breath becoming even more heavy. She quickly grabbed another, keeping it closed, but holding it up to the light.

"Those handles are chased silver, ain't they?" Pinkie asked, her pale face focused on Dash's

"Silver......." Dash said in a quick breath that seemed to knock the wind right out of her. ".....yes."

Dash stood and moved slowly over to the window. She raised the open razor up into the light, the other flicked outward from her hoof, opening as smooth as butter, the light reflecting off of it flashing across the room.

"These are my friends.

See how they glisten.

See this one shine...How he smiles...in the light..

My friend.....my faithful friend...."

Dash slowly raised the blade resting in her left hoof to her ear, as if listening for some response that she would never receive.

"Speak to me friend.

Whisper, I'll listen.

I know, I know....you've been locked....out of sight all these years

Like me my friends

Well, I've come home....to find you waiting

Home.....and we're together....

And we'll do wonders.....

won't we?"

Dash slowly walked closer to the window, the blades in her hooves raised skywards, her eyes reflecting every inch of the silver surface. Pinkie stood slowly and moved closer to her, her voice somber and soft as silk.

"You there, my friend?

I'm you're friend too Ms. Dash

Come let me hold you

If you only knew Ms. Dash

Now, move aside

Ohh, Ms. Dash

You're warm in my hand

My friend

You've come home

My clever friends

Always had a fondness, for you I did"

Dash slowly closed one of her blades and let it rest in the case. The other she held tight in her hooves as the two knelled on the cold wood floor.

"Rest now my friend

Never you fear Ms. Dash

Soon I'll unfold you

You can move in here Ms. Dash

Soon you'll know

Splendors you have never have dreamed....all your days

Will be yours

My lucky friends

I'm your friend and now you're mine

So now you'll shine

Don't they shine beautiful

Was merely silver

Silver's good enough for me

Friends

Ms. D

You shall drip rubies...you'll soon drip precious....rubies..."

Dash tilted the blade a small bit, it's silver gleam reflecting the pale face of Pinkie Lovett as it peered over Dash's shoulder. She didn't even give her the slightest bit of acknowledgement before her demeanor once again changed.

"Leave me...."

Pinkie hesitated a moment, but slowly began to stand and make her way from the window to the large door and down the stairs. Dash waited until her hoof steps where no longer heard before she stood and raised her hoof to the horizon, the blade open and pointed outward.

"At last....my arm is complete!"