who was terribly afraid of storms. Lightning lit up the rooms of her familiar home into something alien and strange, and the crack of thunder seemed to reverberate through her small body and leave her trembling; even the hint of a storm, a servant's speculative seems like storm-weather, might set her to shaking like a little leaf. Every time, she would resolve to herself that she would be very brave, and every time, she would be sent scurrying through the halls to her fatherβshe would hide herself beneath his blankets, make him a mountain to shield her from it. Oftentimes, the mountain kept sleeping; it seemed he could sleep through anything, and she would think to herself that if Papa can sleep, then surely, the storm is not so bad?
But then the thunder would roll through the house, and she was never convinced.
One night, when the rain pounded so hard against the windows she thought that they might break, and the roar of the thunder seemed to chase her through the halls, she found him awake, lit by a candle, and for a moment the lightning cut through and he seemed alien and out of place, too, but then it was only warm firelight, and all was well.
He asked, are you afraid? And she nodded, and he drew her up into the circle of his arms, and she was a little less. He said, but you have nothing to be afraid of. Do you know what's in the sky? And she shook her head, and he touched her cheeks very fondly. My love, he said, in the sky there is a girl just like you. Do you know how it is, when you are very sad and afraid? And she nodded, again, and he said: when your heart is too full of sadness, when it is all anger and confusion, you too know a storm. She means you no harm, sweet girl, she doesn't see how frightening her pain; she doesn't know yet that the storm will break.
And then he said: but you know it, don't you? Perhaps tomorrow, or the next day, the sun will come out from behind the clouds, and all is well.
And she thought about what he said, and they went to sleep.
The next time a storm came, she wasn't afraid. She didn't run. She pressed her hands to the window, and then her face, and she told the girl in the sky: you don't need to be afraid, all will be well. I have heard you, she said, and I promise it's so. And then she went to bed, and in the morning, the sun came out from behind a cloud, and all was well.
crystal.
( after a long pause, )
who was terribly afraid of storms. Lightning lit up the rooms of her familiar home into something alien and strange, and the crack of thunder seemed to reverberate through her small body and leave her trembling; even the hint of a storm, a servant's speculative seems like storm-weather, might set her to shaking like a little leaf. Every time, she would resolve to herself that she would be very brave, and every time, she would be sent scurrying through the halls to her fatherβshe would hide herself beneath his blankets, make him a mountain to shield her from it. Oftentimes, the mountain kept sleeping; it seemed he could sleep through anything, and she would think to herself that if Papa can sleep, then surely, the storm is not so bad?
But then the thunder would roll through the house, and she was never convinced.
One night, when the rain pounded so hard against the windows she thought that they might break, and the roar of the thunder seemed to chase her through the halls, she found him awake, lit by a candle, and for a moment the lightning cut through and he seemed alien and out of place, too, but then it was only warm firelight, and all was well.
He asked, are you afraid? And she nodded, and he drew her up into the circle of his arms, and she was a little less. He said, but you have nothing to be afraid of. Do you know what's in the sky? And she shook her head, and he touched her cheeks very fondly. My love, he said, in the sky there is a girl just like you. Do you know how it is, when you are very sad and afraid? And she nodded, again, and he said: when your heart is too full of sadness, when it is all anger and confusion, you too know a storm. She means you no harm, sweet girl, she doesn't see how frightening her pain; she doesn't know yet that the storm will break.
And then he said: but you know it, don't you? Perhaps tomorrow, or the next day, the sun will come out from behind the clouds, and all is well.
And she thought about what he said, and they went to sleep.
The next time a storm came, she wasn't afraid. She didn't run. She pressed her hands to the window, and then her face, and she told the girl in the sky: you don't need to be afraid, all will be well. I have heard you, she said, and I promise it's so. And then she went to bed, and in the morning, the sun came out from behind a cloud, and all was well.