Paper Heart - Bradley Will Simpson

Chapter 8.

                 The night was very dark and the hallway was lit only by the many flashes of lightning that streaked the dark stormy sky. It had been four days since the group had moved into Bradley's parents' house, four days that had passed quickly and had been punctuated by long and prolific writing sessions. Four exhausting days and yet Chloe couldn't sleep. The building was so large that everyone had their own room and, alone in this storm, at this late hour of the night, the young woman did not feel very safe. She had pulled her blanket up under her nose and it wasn't just because of the cold that had hit the area. She had never liked thunderstorms and, above all, she had always had a strong fear of the dark from her childhood. Sensing that she was not likely to go back to sleep any time soon, she decided to brave her anxiety and go downstairs to the living room and sit in front of the TV, hoping to find a film or a TV show that would allow her to doze off serenely for a few hours on the sofa. Wrapped up in her duvet like a pancake that only let her head escape between the folds of the fabric, Chloe walked down the corridor and headed for the ground floor. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, a shadow in the back of the kitchen caused her to scream in terror.

"It's just me! What's wrong with you screaming like that? Bradley shouted as he turned on the light.

              Without answering, Chloe sat down on one of the steps and waited for her terrified heartbeat to calm down before walking over to the young man who had only come to satisfy a small hunger. Armed with a slice of bread and a piece of cheese, the singer approached the young woman, sat down next to her and handed her his snack, which she bit into. No matter what time of day it was, Chloe was always hungry, let alone for a piece of cheese.

"Were you hungry too? he asked.

- No, I couldn't sleep, Chloe replied, her mouth still a little full.

- Because of the storm?

The young woman nodded her head in agreement.

- Are you still afraid?"

            The scream she gave as a flash of lightning streaked the sky answered the young man's question. The young man, touched by the frightened French woman, moved closer to her and put his arm around her shoulders to hold her close. Their hearts were beating wildly, and it wasn't just because of the storm. They had never been this close before and didn't really know how to behave. They looked at each other in silence, unable to utter a single word. Like the previous time, it was a flash of lightning that broke the moment as Chloe gasped and let out a scream, unwillingly breaking away from Bradley's embrace, which left him very disappointed. The young man suggested that they go out onto the terrace, which had an awning, to watch the rain fall and soothe Chloe's anxieties. She nodded and followed him, slipping her hand into the singer's like a frightened child who didn't dare go out alone in the dark. The gesture was so instinctive that the frightened young woman didn't even realise it, while Bradley was all flustered and tried not to show his confusion. They sat on a bench, huddled together under Chloe's duvet, not letting go of each other's hands. The air seemed charged with electricity; the wind was blowing hard through the branches of the trees in the park. It smelled like rain and Chloe found herself enjoying the muted, yet violent atmosphere in which she felt very small.

"I love thunderstorms, Bradley said without looking at her, his eyes fixed on the water that was cascading down from the roof of the house. I really like the rain.

- I like the rain too, but it's the storms that scare me.

- For me, thunderstorms are beauty, the apotheosis of the elements. A mixture of the calm regularity of rain and the unpredictable violence of lightning and thunder...