LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION....

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION….
Still don’t know what the Date is, and not exactly caring.
Being a blood slave is fun! It’s kind of like sleeping because then I wake up like a week later! So, I get to sleep, something I never can do! But the best part of being a blood slave is getting my health back so I can be a blood slave again! During this time, Kali let’s me feed off her whenever I want as long as she isn’t too weak (which is never!). Kali says that my letting her feed off me is called a ‘Donation’, I prefer the term ‘blood slave’ because then I can use it on her when im ‘gaining health’. Drinking so much of Kali’s blood is giving me a whole new perspective on life! Words sound fancier, colors look brighter, hearing is more clear, life is better, life has meaning! Believe it or not, I am actually having a great time with her! All we ever do is read together or sing or have philosophical discussions! Well, there is the occasional time when Kali makes me play board games (Yahtzee) or perform plays with her. She always has a grand obsession with tragic deaths like Brutis being impaled by his own sword or Hamlet being run through with a poisoned foil!
Well, usually, I end up saying to hell with her and locking myself in one of the castle rooms. She leaves me alone for a short 8 hours then comes knocking at the door saying I am acting like a child. Her voice of reasoning piques my curiosity but I refuse to budge. Like every mother, though, she has her tricks. Usually the same trick will do, She charms me out of my room and onto the stage with her blood on the line. We will be standing on a mini stage in her theater reciting lines from Hamlet’s great speech with my mouth on her neck or her wrist.
Today was different though:
“’What shall we do now, love?’” Kali casually asks as she begins painting my portrait.
“’Let me think.’” We sit in silence for a while with my mind skimming all the great works of literature worth my time.
I find myself thinking about what seems like a far away time, a distant memory. A man is roaming the streets setting destruction upon every one he meets. He is angry because he has lost (or gained? It could be perceived as either) someone dear too him and he sings out his emotions. I start humming.
“’What was that?’” Kali snaps.
I stop.
“’No. What were you humming?’” She seems frightened.
“’Sweeney Todd?’” I say. I am not sure if this is good or bad.
Kali seems to go into a thoughtful trance, “’Yes,’” She breathes at last.
“’Im sorry-’”
“’Yes!’” She says louder, “’My love! You are a genius!’” She puts down her paint, “’We are going to put on a production of Sweeney Todd!’”
“’Yes.’” I say.
“’With you as Mr. T and me as Mrs. Lovett!’”
“’Yes.’” I repeat.
“’And we are going to make it real!’”
“’Ye-How?’” I ask.
“’How? Yes, how,’” Kali pauses, “’We are going to use humans in our production. We will get you silver blades and let you slice open their throats!’”
I pause a moment until realization hits me, “’Yes!’” I stand up.
“’The end will have to be completely re-written of course!’”
“’Of course!’” I agree.
“’Mrs. Lovett can’t die, and neither can Mr. T!’”
“’Not at all!’”
“’The worlds greatest heroes shouldn’t be killed! As far as we’re concerned, Mr. Todd and Mrs. Lovett did London a favor! Killing all of those good for nothing-’”
“’Savage-’”
“’Greedy-’”
“’Lazy-’”
“’Childish humans!’”
“’Exactly,’” I stepped up to her and put my arm around her waist and grabbed her hand.
I began twirling her about the room and we start singing simultaneously, “’Sweeney Todd: Mrs. Lovett What a charming notion Eminently practical and yet appropriate as always Mrs. Lovett How I did without you all these years I'll never know! How delectable! Also undetectable How choice! How rare!
Mrs. Lovett: Well, it does seem a waste... Think about it! Lots of other gentlemen'll Soon be comin' for a shave Won't they? Think of All them Pies!
Sweeney Todd: For what's the sound of the world out there?
Mrs. Lovett: What, Mr. Todd? What, Mr. Todd? What is that sound?
Sweeney Todd: Those crunching noises pervading the air?
Mrs. Lovett: Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, Mr. Todd! Yes, all around!
Sweeney Todd: It's man devouring man, my dear And who are we to deny it in here?
Mrs. Lovett: Then who are we to deny it in here? ‘”

We continue our satanic waltz while thinking up ideas for our show of death.

Within two days, we have our cast selected and ready for a “Dress Rehearsal”. I walk into the auditorium to find Kali fiddling with something on the wall.
“’What are you doing, my dear?’”
“’Just setting up a camera. I want to document this,’” She smiled, “’Come sit with me for a minute. We need to have a chat.’”
I did as she told me.
She sighed and settled her arm around my shoulders, “’I know you came here to kill me.’” She stated bluntly.
I was freaking out! Where did that come from?!? I hadn’t even thought of that since I arrived! How many weeks ago was that?
“’I just wanted to tell you that it’s okay. I forgive you.’” She gave me a tight squeeze and mounted the stage.
I had no intention of saying this, “’I will do it, you know.’”
“’Do what, Darling?’”
“’Kill you.’”
She started laughing uproariously then stopped suddenly, “’No you won’t.’”
“’And what makes you think that, All-Wise-Creator?’” There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice.
Kali ignored me and called out some of the company. We went on with our production and stopped just before Mr. Todd’s grand ballad.
“’Take five!’” Kali yelled. The humans shuffled backstage and I sat down.
All around me, the stage was soaked in blood. The actors thought it was fake….they weren’t on the stage when I slashed some throats. My shirt was soaked in blood as well.
All the sudden Kali wrapped herself around me, “’It’s a pity that Aro is dead.’” She stated flatly.
“’And why would that be? He deserved it.’” Anything that kali said had something to do with me.
“’Oh, Gabriel. You are quite the killer!’” she chuckled, “’So unforgiving, and ruthless, and unknowing.’” She tapped my skull, “’You have much to learn, young one. Did your friends tell you that Aro and I were well acquainted?’” She asked curiously.
I felt my body and mind freeze. They knew?!? About her?!? Well, why wouldn’t they tell me?
“’I know what is going through your mind, Gavril. You feel betrayed and angry and scared…’”
“’What are you trying to say, Woman? Get on with it because I am sick of you.’”
“’I guess you don’t want to know.’” She flitted to the exit.
“’Tell me!’”
“’Aro held the secret to my death! He was the only one that knew how to kill me!’”
I froze.
No. This can’t be! After all I’ve done and how far I’ve come!
“’I guess I should thank you for destroying him for me. And now, I will be unstoppable! Bravo, Gavril, you killed the one person who held the key to my destruction and your freedom!!!’” She disappeared. I shrunk down to the floor. I finally remembered what I had come here for. I finally realized how far I strayed from my original course! I had mans blood on me, literally, when I swore I would never rest until Johanna was avenged. This didn’t exactly make me feel human again, it was like another grand realization! Like an…Epiphany.
Five minutes later, we were all back on stage with me singing EPHIPHANY:
“ No I had him!
His throat was there beneath my hand.
I had swear I had him!
His throat was there and now he'll never come again.

Mrs. Lovett: Easy now, hush love hush
I keep telling you -

Todd: When? Why do I wait?
You told me to wait -
Now he'll never come again.
There's a hole in the world like a great black pit
And it's filled with people who are filled with shit
And the vermin of the world inhabit it.
But not for long...

They all deserve to die.
Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why.
Because in all of the whole human race
Mrs Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two
There's the one they put in his proper place
And the one with his foot in the other one's face
Look at me, Mrs Lovett, look at you.

Now we all deserve to die
Even you Mrs. Lovett...even I
Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief
For the rest of us death will be a relief
We all deserve to die.

And I'll never see Johanna
No I'll never hold my girl to me - finished!
(shouted) Alright! You sir, you sir, how about a shave?
Come and visit your good friend Sweeney.
You sir, you sir? Welcome to the grave.
I will have vengenance.
I will have salvation.
(shouted) Who sir, you sir?
No ones in the chair, come on! Come on!
Sweeney's waiting. I want you bleeders.
You sir - anybody.
Gentlemen don't be shy!

Not one man, no, no ten men.
Not a hundred can assuage me -
I will have you!
And I will get him back even as he gloats
In the meantime I'll practice on dishonorable throats.
And my Lucy lies in ashes
And I'll never see my girl again.

But the work waits!
I'm alive at last!
And I'm full of joy!’”
I finished the rest of the play, and at the end, the only ones alive to take the final bow were me and Kali. We had the entire cast dead. Am I proud of what I’ve done? Can I be? I helped Those Friends get away with their lives and freedom….but what about mine? Where is my freedom and my life? Where is my reward for all the good things (Okay, THING) I’ve done?!? Why aren’t I the one sitting in some run down farm house where dead people used to live with my mate Johanna sitting on my lap?!? Why aren’t I the one proposing to her?!?
-Gabriel