After supper, a terrible storm had settled in for the night. Persephone and the Merovingian sat in one of the elaborate living rooms of the chateau, the Mero reading the evening paper while Perse finished reading the book she had been reading that week. After a clash of thunder rolled by, Perse looked up from her book.
"What is it?" The Merovingian asked, noticing Perse looking at him.
"It's thundering."
"So?"
"You know what happened the last time a storm came."
The Mero put down the newspaper he had been reading.
"I don't understand. I didn't program them to fear anything."
Perse ignored the Mero's words and got up from her chair.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"I'm going to see about the Twins."
Persephone gently pushed open the door to the Twins' room and quietly walked in. The flickering of the lightening could be seen around the window curtains. The soft glow of a nearby nightlight was the only comfort the small room had. Perse walked up to the side of one of the twins' beds and peered down at the sleeping child. She smiled and pulled the cover up over his shoulder. She turned to do the same to the other one across from him. Just when Perse turned to leave, a small voice called her back.
"Mummy,"
Perse turned to Two, who was now sitting up in his bed while holding a stuffed white teddy bear in one arm.
"What is it, Two?" Perse said, softly.
"I'm scared." Two hugged the stuffed bear tight to his chest and stuck his thumb in his mouth.
"It's only thunder, sweetie, it's not going to hurt you." Perse sat down on the bed next to Two and started running her fingers through his dreadlocked hair.
"I don't care, I'm still afraid."
"Look at One over there. He's not afraid. He's fast asleep like you should be." Perse looked at One who was curled up under the covers of his bed, holding a blanket next to his face. Two looked at his brother and shrugged his shoulders in a timid way. Perse smiled while she watched Two fiddle with the sheet, his silver silk pajamas shimmering in the dim light of the nightlight.
"Now you go to sleep." Perse leaned over and kissed Two's cheek and ruffled his hair before helping him settle back under the covers.
Couple of hours past without any more noise out of the Twins. The storm was just as strong now as it had ever been. The Merovingian and Persephone lay in their bed, talking about the Twins. The Mero was engrossed in a book while Perse was busy filing her nails.
"Mummy, Daddy!" a voice suddenly called out, after a huge clap of thunder. The Mero calmly looked at Perse out of the corners of his eyes.
"You going or am I?" He said, calmly.
"I'll go. You'll only get mad at him." Perse threw her covers off and walked out of the room. A few minutes later she came back into the room and got back in bed.
"Well?" The Mero turned a page of his book.
"Everything's ok."
"It better be. I want some sleep tonight." The Mero placed his book on the night table and turned out the light. Perse turned out her light too. When they both got settled another blast of thunder rolled, and again Two's voice came.
"Daddy, Mummy!"
"I thought you said everything was ok." The Mero grumbled. Before he realized it, both twins ran into the room and jumped onto the bed. The Mero's head bounced up and down on his pillow as the Twins roughly made their way across the bed, in between him and Perse. A foot caught the Mero in his back and a hand caught him in the head.
"What goes on here!" His voice raised as he turned his head toward the scuffling. He reached and turned on the light. The Twins stopped moving and stared.
"Persephone! Wha-what are they doing in our bed?"
"They're scared, Mero."
"Well that doesn't mean they have to sleep in here!"
"They're sleeping in here and that's that. Now turn the light back off." Perse pulled Two next to her.
"I thought Two was the one afraid of storms. Why is One in here?"
"I couldn't sleep because Two kept keeping me awake." One buried his face in his blanket.
"That's no excuse!"
"Now, honey, you know that I can't invite Two in here unless I invite One too. That wouldn't be fair, to leave the poor thing alone in that dark room."
"Dark room? Didn't we put a nightlight in there?"
"Yes, but it's still scary on a night like this." Perse rubbed One's back.
"Wait a minute. You said that you invited them in here?"
"Yes. I told them awhile ago that if Two got scared again they could come in here and sleep with us."
The Merovingian rolled his eyes and held back what he was about to say next. It was obvious that he was beaten. The Twins snuggled in between the Mero and Perse and were already about to fall asleep, Two next to Perse and One next to Mero.
"Alright, they can stay in here." He finally mumbled under his breath, before turning the light back out. Trying to get settled again, the Mero suddenly felt a sharp jab in his back. He turned around and felt in the darkness to see what it had been and found One holding something along with his blanket.
"One, what is this?" The Mero whispered while tugging on the object.
"It's my razor." One sleepily answered.
"Your razor! Why are you sleeping with it?"
"In case a monster comes to get me."
"One," the Mero began. "You do not sleep with a razor. Now let daddy have it." The Mero tried taking the weapon away from One, but the twin held tight to it.
"No! It's mine!" One shouted loud enough to startle Perse and Two.
"One, what's wrong?" Perse asked.
"Daddy's trying to take my razor away." One sniveled.
"Your razor?"
"Yes, his razor. He's here sleeping with it." The Mero griped.
"Is it open?" Perse asked, concerned.
"No, but it could fly open." He tugged on it more, but the child was determined not to let it go.
"Sweetie, give daddy the razor." Perse reached over and touched One's shoulder.
"No! It's to keep monsters away!"
"Monsters won't hurt you in here, dear, you're with us. Now give daddy the razor."
One hesitated a few minutes then slowly let go of the razor, which the Mero took and placed on his night table. One pulled his blanket close to his face and pouted until he fell asleep.
