Chapter 2 - "Just Before She Hangs Her Head To Cry"
Tony walked softly down the hall towards his and Christine's bedroom. He sighed. *Poor Virginia,* he thought. *She keeps having these dreams, these dreams about Christine...* Tony corrected himself, *these Nightmares about Christine. But why?*
Tony shook his head, he knew why. Even if he wouldn't admit it to himself or anyone else, and despite his hopes, his pleads, and his prayers, Christine was not a mother. In fact, she wasn't doing too well as a wife either. *But that can't be her fault. I must be doing something wrong...* But it was so hard to take care of a daughter and a wife, especially as he was struggling to keep his business thriving. Not that he was in too much danger, yet, but he had to be careful with his next couple of investments. *Oh well,* Tony thought, as he crawled into bed next to his wife. *These are problems for the daylight. Right now I need some sleep.* He rolled over, shut his eyes, and SNAP, the light on Christine's bedside table came on.
"Anthony?" The tone of her voice warned Tony that it would be stupid to pretend he was already asleep. It would be much better for him to respond. He groaned inwardly then shifted in bed so that he could see Christine's pale face surrounded by locks of silky red hair. He couldn't help staring at his wife; her beauty still impressed him. Her large green eyes were chilly as they looked at him, but even in her anger her lips were begging to be kissed.
"Yeah?"
"You really shouldn't pamper her like that. Now, I know you think you're doing the right thing," Christine continued over Tony's mumbled protests. "But really! These nightmares of hers are just getting out of control. And you're only encouraging them!"
" She's our daughter, Christine! And we need to take care of her."
"Well why don't you try giving her sleeping pills or something!" Christine snapped. Tony noticed that her eyes held a dangerous and unusual fire. "I'm getting headaches from all the screaming going on!"
"Trin?! What are you saying?" Tony would have been furious, but he loved his wife too much.
"Oh, I don't know!" Christine said, slightly annoyed but strangely comforted that he'd used her pet name. "Sometimes I just get so mad that I'm not perfect, that I don't have a perfect life, a perfect daughter. Why?! Why don't I have perfection? Don't I deserve it? I've tried so hard!!" Christine was hysterical now, but her eyes were losing their fire.
Tony reached over and grabbed her tightly. "Hush honey," he whispered in her ear. "It's going to be okay. We'll be perfect together, if you just wait. It'll all be okay."
Christine crumpled against him; wanting to believe him, needing to believe him. But she found it hard to forget her obsession with perfection. The images of that old woman she'd met in the park kept flashing through her mind. She was saying the same thing over and over. 'I can give you everything you've ever wished for...'. She was reaching out her hand to Christine, but Christine was terrified of the old women. She wasn't ready to go with her yet.
Christine didn't know who that old woman was, but she had started to wish that she had never met her. She had been taking a walk through Central Park a few weeks ago when an old woman dressed in rags had stepped out on the path in front of her. On her fingers were beautiful rings, and Christine found herself staring at them. When she finally had looked at the rest of the old lady she had been horrified by her ugliness. The old woman had laughed ruefully at Christine's horror; she said that she had once been beautiful and young, but now all that was left was her power and her jewels. *Still,* Christine thought *those are something. And those rings were so lovely...* But the old hag's face and her crusty voice haunted Christine. Even for those rings and the perfection she promised Christine didn't ever want to see her again.
Christine pressed her face firmly into Tony's wide shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the image of that witch from her mind. Slowly, ever so slowly, sleep came to Christine and Tony felt her relax. He gently laid her head down on the pillow next to him, turned out the lights, and snuggled under the covers next to his wife. He felt for her hand and squeezed it, as much to reassure himself as to comfort her.
Tony walked softly down the hall towards his and Christine's bedroom. He sighed. *Poor Virginia,* he thought. *She keeps having these dreams, these dreams about Christine...* Tony corrected himself, *these Nightmares about Christine. But why?*
Tony shook his head, he knew why. Even if he wouldn't admit it to himself or anyone else, and despite his hopes, his pleads, and his prayers, Christine was not a mother. In fact, she wasn't doing too well as a wife either. *But that can't be her fault. I must be doing something wrong...* But it was so hard to take care of a daughter and a wife, especially as he was struggling to keep his business thriving. Not that he was in too much danger, yet, but he had to be careful with his next couple of investments. *Oh well,* Tony thought, as he crawled into bed next to his wife. *These are problems for the daylight. Right now I need some sleep.* He rolled over, shut his eyes, and SNAP, the light on Christine's bedside table came on.
"Anthony?" The tone of her voice warned Tony that it would be stupid to pretend he was already asleep. It would be much better for him to respond. He groaned inwardly then shifted in bed so that he could see Christine's pale face surrounded by locks of silky red hair. He couldn't help staring at his wife; her beauty still impressed him. Her large green eyes were chilly as they looked at him, but even in her anger her lips were begging to be kissed.
"Yeah?"
"You really shouldn't pamper her like that. Now, I know you think you're doing the right thing," Christine continued over Tony's mumbled protests. "But really! These nightmares of hers are just getting out of control. And you're only encouraging them!"
" She's our daughter, Christine! And we need to take care of her."
"Well why don't you try giving her sleeping pills or something!" Christine snapped. Tony noticed that her eyes held a dangerous and unusual fire. "I'm getting headaches from all the screaming going on!"
"Trin?! What are you saying?" Tony would have been furious, but he loved his wife too much.
"Oh, I don't know!" Christine said, slightly annoyed but strangely comforted that he'd used her pet name. "Sometimes I just get so mad that I'm not perfect, that I don't have a perfect life, a perfect daughter. Why?! Why don't I have perfection? Don't I deserve it? I've tried so hard!!" Christine was hysterical now, but her eyes were losing their fire.
Tony reached over and grabbed her tightly. "Hush honey," he whispered in her ear. "It's going to be okay. We'll be perfect together, if you just wait. It'll all be okay."
Christine crumpled against him; wanting to believe him, needing to believe him. But she found it hard to forget her obsession with perfection. The images of that old woman she'd met in the park kept flashing through her mind. She was saying the same thing over and over. 'I can give you everything you've ever wished for...'. She was reaching out her hand to Christine, but Christine was terrified of the old women. She wasn't ready to go with her yet.
Christine didn't know who that old woman was, but she had started to wish that she had never met her. She had been taking a walk through Central Park a few weeks ago when an old woman dressed in rags had stepped out on the path in front of her. On her fingers were beautiful rings, and Christine found herself staring at them. When she finally had looked at the rest of the old lady she had been horrified by her ugliness. The old woman had laughed ruefully at Christine's horror; she said that she had once been beautiful and young, but now all that was left was her power and her jewels. *Still,* Christine thought *those are something. And those rings were so lovely...* But the old hag's face and her crusty voice haunted Christine. Even for those rings and the perfection she promised Christine didn't ever want to see her again.
Christine pressed her face firmly into Tony's wide shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut to block out the image of that witch from her mind. Slowly, ever so slowly, sleep came to Christine and Tony felt her relax. He gently laid her head down on the pillow next to him, turned out the lights, and snuggled under the covers next to his wife. He felt for her hand and squeezed it, as much to reassure himself as to comfort her.