Why Christine Loves Storms

Christine shivered as a crack of thunder split the warm summer air up above the Palais Garnier Opera House.  Christine had always loathed rainstorms, but the showers with huge bouts of lightning and thunder scared her half to death.  Christine had been frightened of water since the age of six.  That was the year she had witnessed her mother being pulled from the sea, drowned like a rat. Christine had always shuddered away from meeting the same fate.

Ever so relieved she was seated in a plush armchair in front of a cozy fire, she began to wring her hands.  For each thunderous boom, she gave a small yelp and wrung her hands tighter.  She was worrying obsessively over the possibility that in her current location, where there was a lake, the situation would give rise to flooding.

Each time Christine yelped, her lover Erik felt another pang in his already broken heart.  Erik knew Christine loved him, and he would do absolutely anything she asked, but this was an idea he simply could not comprehend.  His angel was afraid of storms?  Erik couldn’t wrap his mind around the baffling concept.  Erik, on the other hand, adored rainstorms.  Erik viewed rainstorms as Mother Nature’s most raw, powerful, and perfect melodies.  

Still, Erik could not adore anything that frightened Christine.

He had been so wrapped up in his own train of thought, taking a pause from admiring Christine’s pristine beauty over the novel he was supposed to be reading, that he had failed to notice the crystalline tears coming from Christine’s sky-blue eyes.  Once she began crying quietly, shaking uncontrollably as another roll of thunder shook the empty opera house to its core, Erik felt daggers in his chest.

Empty, of course, for Erik and his living bride, Christine.

Confounded on how to approach her without frightening her, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

Erik removed his mask, revealing his malformed face.  He glanced once more at his weeping living bride.

“Christine, darling?”

She sniffled pathetically and raised her head from where it had been lying on her chest.

“Yes, Erik?”

He patted his lap shyly.  “Come sit with me.”

Unable to understand the meaning of his gesture, she did as she was bid, and settled quite comfortably into his lap.

She understood the gesture as soon as she was adjusted.  Erik wrapped his thin cold arms around her, and she nestled into him, feeling safer than she had in a long while.  The world could have thrown any horrific disaster at her, and she wouldn’t have been afraid.  Erik would be her shield, and he’d protect her against any misfortune.

Erik, meanwhile, was having a spastic inside reaction to Christine’s willingness to touch him, to look to him for comfort and solace.  The angel was bestowing a magnificent gift upon the demon.  But Erik loved the serenity that Christine’s merciful touch brought.  Erik would stand beside Christine for anything.  

Erik began to hum one of Christine’s favorite lullabies, and within minutes Christine nodded off, still in his embrace.  Erik grinned, kissed her flaxen hair gently, and fell asleep with his angel.