A Matter Of Understanding

The Rainclouds Can Be Seen In The Tortured Hearts

She was glancing at the window all afternoon. Once it was dinner time, she was interrupted by a really worried Silky, who brought up a cup of hot chocolate. Chise thanked her for the gesture and assured her she wasn't angry at her, but she didn't want to eat. However, she did agree to drink the chocolate. As sweet as ever, the silent maid hugged her, and her gentleness was enough to lift her up spirit.

Once Silky left, Chise was left alone with her thoughts once again. It didn't matter how many times she thought about it, she couldn't understand. No matter what, she couldn't be there, stuck in her own room. She needed to talk to Elias. They were supposed to speak things from this point onward, so she was going to.

She was ready to speak things out and about to leave the room, when a huge lightning stroked a tree nearby.

She screamed.

Chise was really afraid of the storms, since she was little. In Japan those were the times when dangerous fae most threatened her. She could hear their whispers in every thunder, the threats to eat her in every raindrop. Thinking about it, coming to a country as rainy as England wasn't a very good idea, but she didn't have any choice at that time.

The truth was, she had tried to fight her fear of storms before, but it never lasted long. She was still as terrified as ever, and with the same energy she used to get out of bed, she hid under the blankets.

This is great, she thought to herself, Now I can't even move.

She was stuck under her blankets while Ruth wasn't home. She couldn't even feel his presence. And Elias didn't talk to her all afternoon. Things couldn't get worse.

Suddenly, another lightning flashed by, and then, too close, the thunder.

She squeaked. That was far too close. She couldn't believe how fast the storms could become so serious in this country. And another bolt of lightning. Another thunder. Not far enough apart from each other. She counted the seconds- they couldn't have struck farther than a few hundred meters away. The thunderstorm must be over their heads.

All of the sudden, she heard someone running downstairs, and a door being opened. Someone was getting out of the house. Why?

Curiosity was more powerful than fear, so she wrapped herself in the blankets, and crept out of the room.

The empty hallway was usually quite peaceful and cozy at this time of day, but now, it was darkened and scary, though not as depressing as that hallway back at the College. She tried to be brave and held her breath to run all the way downstairs. She managed not to trip. She was sure the noise she made running with the blankets was enough to draw the attention of every living being in the house, but she didn't care. She wasn't able to think straight, she was worried and terrified.

Once she made it downstairs, the kitchen door opened abruptly. Two really wet figures entered the kitchen, screaming at each other.

"It is just a tiny storm, Pilum Murialis! I'll be FINE. Let me GO!" the voice that she recognized as Joseph's said.

"The metal of the glass house could be damaged by the thunderstorm" a really irritated Elias said, "And it could get flooded. So just shut up!"

"You didn't have to grab me like that! I can walk!"

Elias was holding Joseph by his shirt, three feet away from the floor. He looked ridiculously tiny in that situation. And soaked. In her panic she had completely forgotten he was outside in the storm.

"This way you won't get more even more wet. You are barefoot. You catching a cold would be inconvenient."

Joseph crossed his arms haphazardly. He looked like a grumpy, wet kitten.