Chapter 37- Angel or Devil

Christine awoke with a start and leapt out of bed, her energy levels were vastly improved but something didn't feel right inside her. She glanced out of the window to see Erik walking over the hill, not even glancing back to see if she was watching. He didn't have to check, he knew already. Her heart sank as he disappeared out of sight and she let out a long sigh as she slumped back on to the bed. Her eyes drifted over to the clock which read that it was ten am and she wondered to herself how she had slept for so long again. With a grown she pushed herself out of bed, wrapped her shawl tightly around her and walked through to the living room.

She considered stepping outside for a while but she felt an all too familiar pull on her body. Something was pulling her towards the stairs. Yesterday, while Erik had been gone she had been searching through his drawers to find some paper to draw on, she found no paper but she did find a key. She immediately, and without checking, knew where the key was for.

Without thinking about it again she had one finallook out of the window and raced to the drawer in which she found the key. She took the key out of the drawer, closed it carefully and walked up the stairs. Half way up she stopped and gave it a second thought but her curiosity was too much and so she continued up to the top of the stairs and turned to face the locked door.

Erik knew Christine would be up and had probably seen him walk away but he also knew that she needed to get used to her own space and get well again. It would take time, he thought, but she had shown a remarkable improvement. She seemed to have a great deal more energy and a sparkle in her eye. At least her physical health was improving.

The sun was blaring down on him as he wandered towards Emily's house and a feeling of anticipation washed over his body and warmedhim from the inside. His alarms were still there in his mind but they were duller this morning and in spite of himself he was looking forward to seeing Emily. He walked towards the house and saw the dog, barking, from where he was standing. He was barking at people walking by but as Erik approached the house the dog lay down and looked up at him respectfully. Erik grunted and stepped over him.

Before he could knock the door Emily opened it and smiled, he stepped to the side so that he was standing directly in front of her.

'I knew you were here,' she said and her smile widened.

'How?' he asked, thinking afterwards that it was perhaps a little insensitive. She didn't seem to mind.

'A feeling,' she said. 'That and the dog stopped barking.'

He smiled too, for her, even though he knew she couldn't see it.

'Well,' he said. 'What do you have planned for us?'

'You're smiling,' she said, as though she was reading his mind. 'You can hear a persons smile in their voice.' and then she beamed at him and he suddenly began to relax. 'I thought we would go for a walk to the park, perhaps I can get to know you as I spoke so much about myself yesterday...'

'I don't mind,' Erik said, stopping her mid sentence. Why had he said that, he thought, as he watched Emily close the front door behind her and reach for the dog's rope.

They began to walk and talk. She was so relaxed and so comfortable around him that for a moment he thought that he knew her from somewhere. Her easy way of speaking made him think that if she could see then she certainly wouldn't be so open with her. She probably wouldn't want to spend time with him at all.

'Do your play your instruments?' she asked, and he glanced sideways at her as they moved towards the field.

'Not very well,' he replied simply and she smiled.

'I'd like to hear you play,' she said softly and he shook his head.

'I don't really play anymore and I never played well enough to begin with,'
he cracked a forced smile. 'Wouldn't subject your ears to it.'

'I'm sure you're being modest,' she said and playing nudged him with her
shoulder.

They setttled onto a bench in the centre of the park and she turned to face
him, tucking one leg under the other.

'Tell me what you look like, Erik,' she said gently. 'I could see once, I'm
sure I could try to picture you.'

'You could see?' he asked, trying to change the subject. He failed.

'Yes,' she said. 'So, tell me...'

'I told you yesterday that my face is not a nice sight,' he said firmly.

'All of it?' she said, either not detecting or ignoring the warning tone of his voice.

'No,'

'Then tell me,'

'Emily,' he said and suddenly his voice sound distant to his ears. 'I don't...'

'Please,' she said. He groaned internally and wondered what was the matter with him. Why couldn't he just say no and walk away? That was how he usually dealt with things. He was becoming angry with himself.

'I have black hair,' he said and she smiled. Had she just wrapped him around her finger?

'Black or dark?'

'Imagine the most black you ever saw when you were younger,' he said, bearing in mind that she used to have her sight. he saw her nod. 'It's blacker than that.'

She grinned.

'My face...' he began but then suddenly felt stuck. 'How do I describe?'

'Describe it how it looks,' she teased then added. 'Is it sharp? Smooth? Are you really thin?'

'I've...' he thought for a moment. 'I've a very sharp jaw, angular, kind of, defined.'

'And...' she prompted, he rolled his eyes.

'My cheek bone is high,' he said. 'I'm not really thin.'

'I felt your face,' she said quietly. 'You feel good.'

'Thank you,' he said, a little embarrassed and unsure what to say to her next.

'What colour are your eyes?' she asked, reaching her hand out to find his. She held it gently and to his own amazement he didn't move away.

'They're blue,'

'Dark blue?'

'Sort of,' he said and watched her break into another smile. She ran her hand along his arm to his neck and then back up to his face.

'Angular jaw,' she said moving her hand over it gently. Erik froze. She moved her hand up slowly. 'High cheek,' she said.

Erik swallowed hard. She moved her hand back down. 'You didn't tell me about your lips' she said as she touched them but before he could say anything she moved forward and placed her mouth over his, kissing him softly.

'Soft lips,' she said and suddenly, Erik was happy that she was blind.