1
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own Edward or Kim; do own Nora & Bryan.
12
A loud clap of thunder sounded almost directly above Nora and Edward. Nora jumped. Neither of them had noticed the lightning that had flashed a moment before. Edward looked at the sky. It had been many shades of gray but now it had darkened considerably. It seemed much later than it really was as the thick black clouds began to obliterate the sunlight. Nora noticed a strange freshness in the breeze probably from a distant downpour.
"We better go inside," Edward said.
"Ok," Nora agreed, thinking how a lightning storm would be especially dangerous to Edward considering his metal scissors..
Edward walked up the stairs to the door and opened it. Nora followed and they both entered the mansion. Although on a dry day the inside of the mansion seemed cool and damp, today it seemed less damp than the outdoors and even a bit warmer as it closed out the breeze. It was rather dark however and Nora mused that it would be difficult to see well in the dimness. There was no sun shining outside to illuminate the interior through the small windows.
The dimness closed around them and Nora immediately felt an incredible sense of comfort as she followed Edward. A small ache of desire ran through her as she studied his back and shoulders as he walked in front of her. She wanted very much to reach out and touch him.
The sound of the wind becoming stronger outside distracted her. She knew the storm would soon reach the mansion.
"Do you mind if I go up the stairs and look at the storm from the window?" she asked. Edward stopped and turned around to look at her. He was torn in that he wanted to go with her but he knew it would be foolish to stand at an open window during a thunder storm with his metal scissors. He saw her standing there with a strange earnest expression on her face.
"I don't mind," what else could he say? That he wanted her to stay near him so he could feel her closeness? That if she stayed near there might be a reason for her to touch him one more time?
There was another flash of lightning and crash of thunder. Nora's pulse quickened She had to get up to that window. She had to see what the storm looked like from there. She glanced at Edward's scissors. "I won't be long," she said, her heart beating faster. They could feel the breeze getting stronger, finding it's way down the stairs to where they stood.
"Ok," Edward said but he knew it didn't matter what he said. He could tell that, for whatever reason, she would go regardless of what he said. He'd barely spoken when she turned and hurried up the stairs. He looked after her and wondered.
At the top of the stairs Nora hurried across the expanse of floor feeling the storm soaked breeze flooding through the hole in the roof. It was more of a wind now and it swirled around her as she made her way to the window.
The breeze carried with it the first raindrops of the storm. They were large scattered drops that splattered against her clothes and skin. She took a deep breath through her nose, filling her lungs with the power of the impending tumult. She leaned out the window and the wind whipped her hair. She closed her eyes for a moment as she tried to experience the feel and the smell of the storm. But she couldn't bear to keep them closed too long. Opening her eyes she looked out to the town and the expanse of sky above it. The dark clouds were moving very quickly and changing shape, form and color as they did so. There was more lightning and then thunder that seemed to rumble through her entire body. It reminded her of the sound of fireworks - the way the booming noise seemed to go right through her. With the wind in her face she searched the horizon for the forked streaks of lightning but she didn't spot any and now there were electric flashes and thunder sounding nearly directly above her. She realized the storm was coming from the other side of the house and that she would not be able to see it's approach. Maybe later she would be able to watch it as it passed. She could hear the sound of the downfall as it made it's way along the roof from the far side of the mansion to just over her head. It started to fall through the roof hole and then the torrent of rain fell past the window and down into the yard below, pelting the bushes and flooding the lawn in a matter of moments. Now it was less comfortable upstairs. Not much rain was coming in through the roof considering the intensity of the downpour but that was probably because of the approach of the storm and the angle at which the rain was coming down. The storm had hit the front of the mansion and so the back was somewhat protected. She was still getting wet at the window, however and she couldn't see any distance because of the downpour so she turned back to the interior of the attic area and started toward the stairs.
She noticed to her left, in the dim light, a fireplace area that she had not seen when she had been there at night. She walked over to it. This was where Edward had pointed to when he told her where he slept. It was far enough from the roof hole and window so that the rain didn't quite reach it. There was just enough light in spite of the storm for her to see a stack of books against the wall and lots of magazines that seemed to have been cut up spread around the fireplace. Inside it was a bed of sorts. She immediately felt as if she were intruding on Edward's privacy but she was fascinated as well. There were clippings fastened up within the fireplace. They were of strange newspaper stories and of people and buildings, animals and flowers. One clipping said "Boy born without eyes reads with his hands". As Nora surveyed the small area and read the clipping she felt all of the longing and sadness that she was sure Edward must feel as he lay on his bed at night looking at the papers surrounding him. Her eyes traveled up to the hole in the roof and she remembered how he had said that he like to look at the stars at night. Slowly she turned and bending down sat carefully on his bed. No longer aware of the storm, her hands touched the rough worn mattress and she felt her throat tightening with emotion and tears forming in her eyes. Oh Edward!, she brought her hands to her eyes to stem the flow of tears that threatened to overflow. The tears wet her fingers and she felt as if her heart would break for him. Exhausted from the emotions churning inside her, she lay down across his bed. She felt the impression that his body had made in the rough bedding as she stared unseeingly into the deepening darkness. Closing her eyes she felt as if somehow she had become Edward as she lay there - feeling what he felt, almost thinking his thoughts. Unsure of how much time had passed, she suddenly realized she had to find him right away. Feeling dizzy, she sat up and hurried across the floor. It was becoming darker and darker as she made her way further from the window and roof hole. She found the stairs and started down.
As she hurried down the stairs it became darker yet. The sun must have begun to set even as the storm began to subside because a whole new wave of darkness seemed to suddenly engulf her as she descended. Now and then a weak flash of lightning allowed her to see where the windows were but the storm had passed rather quickly and the lightning was farther away than before so it did nothing to light her way. At the bottom of the stairway she called out to Edward. A distant rumble of thunder was all she heard in reply. She had no idea where he had gone and no clue as to which way to go to look for him. Suddenly she felt as if she had lost him forever and a strange panic ran through her. " Edward!" she called again. She hesitated to let go of the banister. She felt as if the last stair was an island in a sea of darkness and if she let go she would be lost in it. Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened again for an answer. Suddenly she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Turning to the left she saw it again - a dim flicker of light that was slowly growing larger. Now she could hear Edward's shuffling steps and she exhaled in relief. As he rounded the doorway across the room the candle he carried cast wild shadows along the walls. Seeing him at last, Nora wanted to rush across the room and wrap her arms around him but instead she just stood as if she were anchored to the floor.
Having heard the urgency in her voice he hurried across the expanse of floor to see what was the matter.
"Are you ok?" he asked, concern in his quiet voice. The candle he was carrying softly illuminated his pale face and to Nora he had never looked more beautiful.
As he got closer he saw that her eyes were glistening and she was breathing heavily.
"Yes." she answered. Edward studied her face, he was sure that something was the matter but he didn't know what.
"Did the storm frighten you?" he asked. He thought, just for a moment, how lovely she looked in the candlelight.
"No...it's just that it got dark really quickly and I... didn't know where you were," she swallowed, looking up into his dark eyes.
/I...didn't know where you were./ - The words echoed in his mind and he felt a strange sense of importance - of being needed. He had been needed before but not in the same way. The people in town had needed and wanted him for what he could do with their hair or their pets and because he was different - and they needed him to make themselves feel important.. But now, because of her words, he felt for the first time that he was needed for himself - just for Edward - just because he was. He stared down at her as he let the feeling sink in. It was new and he liked it.