Chapter Text
She was too young when it started.
A heavy crack on the floorboards, an unusual knock on the window. No one would have noticed it; it would have been dismissed as just another background noise.
But she heard it, felt the light breeze that imposed itself like a drop of a few degrees in the room. Her expanded senses were dismissed as an overly scared child, who craved more attention than her busy parents could give her.
She tried to be normal, dismissing the shadows and the noises at night as just a figment of her imagination, She forced herself to ignore her surroundings even when she felt like the claws in the shadows might tear at her skin.
But everything went wrong when, on her tenth birthday, her parents decided to celebrate it far from home, all her friends were invited, no one suspected anything about the girl who was too scared in the dark. It wasn't until they found her in a closet, screaming about beings who wanted to harm her with tears streaming down her face, that they decided she was crazy.
They had to move to another city.
Her father blamed her for lost opportunities, her mother simply remained silent.
Lorraine was curled up on the stairs when she heard her father speak. "She's crazy. There's nothing else we can do. Maybe a psychiatrist can cure her, but I can't deal with this, with her."
"Maybe... I don't know, she's our daughter..."
"Well, I can't live like this, Georgiana. We have to take care of her or..." It was the creaking of the stairs that alerted them to the girl's presence. "Lorraine, darling..."
Lorraine only had one choice, she could admit that she heard her parents, or she could simply ..."What's for dinner, Mother?" It was only when relief showed on her mother's features that the girl stopped digging her nails into her palm.
After that night, she promised herself to be normal, to stop being a burden.
She tried, tried with all her might, she made friends, she grew up, she stopped worrying her parents. But only deep down he knew how the shadows swirled around her mind. She played dumb every time she responded to a whisper that no one else could hear, every time she jumped for an invisible touch. She tried, too hard, and with scars on her palms, she managed to survive into her teens.
But as cruel as fate was, her abilities only increased with time. Whispers turned into screams, and shadows became physical hands that could touch and harm her when she was alone.
And she was alone more and more often.
Every time she slipped up, every time she flinched too much at something invisible to other eyes, someone walked away.
And as her loneliness grew, something else grew steadily, a dry bitterness that rotted her soul, a fire inside him that only sought explanations... Why did God let her go through this alone? Day by day, her questions grew, her resentment toward the god who was supposed to protect her and instead had condemned her to that life was bigger and bigger.. That omnipotent being had left her alone, like everyone else in her life, and all she could feel was horrible resentment..
Until him
One of the few times she was included on an outing with girls her own age—who were oblivious to the whispers others muttered about her in the hallways—she saw him
She was too shy to talk to him, so it was only when she had to run to the bathroom with tears in her eyes because there was something in the movie theater - and then she couldn't get in anymore (nor did she want to) that she was able to interact with him.
"Hey, everything's ok?" He asked in a warm voice She was embarrassed, He had probably seen her entering the bathroom, and now her eyes and nose were red, she was a mess and he was in front of her, talking "you are scaring me a little, do you want water? Please, tell me what I can do to help you"
He was talking to her and she was totally lost in her feelings "oh no I.. I'm sorry, I didn't want to annoy you, I should leave" As soon as she started walking, he followed her
"Are you leaving alone? My shift just ended, and I'm sorry, but you look distressed. Please allow me to escort you. I'm Ed." He was too tender, and she couldn't ruin him with her troubles, not now when she couldn't control herself. But there was something, a devastating gleam in his eyes, a warm feeling surrounding him, and she couldn't help but fall into his tranquility..
"I'm Lorraine..." She whispered, with the tears still in her throat "yes... You can come with me... Thank you" As soon as she said those words, a smile that could light up the world spread across his face.
"Well Lorraine, do you want to tell your friends that you're leaving?" The mere thought of entering that room again terrified her, so she simply shook her head, and allowed him to take her hand and guide her out. When he touched her, the world seemed to stop, his hands fit perfectly in hers and the feeling of security she felt with him simply increased. So she smiled, really smiled for the first time in years, and together they went out.
He was amazing- kind and exuded an aura of peace. Their walk home turned into a much longer walk, and it wasn't until it started to rain that she realized what she was doing. He looked at her with stars in his eyes and she knew it was him...
But how could she? She was too much of a trouble, she couldn't do this to him. The shadows followed her every step she took, she couldn't condemn him to the same thing "a penny for your thoughts?" She was startled when she saw him staring at her "sorry... I didn't want to scare you, I just... You seemed disturbed.. I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have pressured you to let me..."
"No... Please it's not... That's not what's happening " She was acting crazy and yet he still only cared about her, she couldn't believe it, he wasn't pointing a finger at her, or spreading rumors about how crazy she was, he was just caring about her... Lorraine couldn't stop the tears that bumped into her eyes " I- I'm sorry.. I just need to.."
And as good as he was, without asking, he hugged her, it was warm, thoughtful, full of sweetness " I don't know what's happening, what's upsetting you, and I'm not going to pressure you to say it to me. But Lorraine, I need you to know that you can count with me, I know we don't know each other but I- You... You make me feel less empty, I really like you Lorraine, I'm sorry... This is a lot and you are feeling unwell... I should shut " Ed couldn't finish his sentence, because soft lips cut off his words, it was just a touch, something totally tempting, but for him, it felt like the world had exploded and come back together in a second
"Thank you Ed" A light pink blush covered her cheeks, and her eyes sparkled, and fate was sealed for Ed at that moment, he knew at that very moment that he would marry that girl.
The rain slowly subsided, and with it the young souls resumed their journey.
"I guess here's where I left, thank you for letting me accompany you Lorraine..." A shyness uncharacteristic of the young man had absorbed him "you know where to find me... But maybe.."
She smiled at him, all her torments seemed to disappear when she was with him "Next week? When your shift is over..."
"Yes please.. I mean.. yes... Absolutely..." He answered with without hesitating, too nervous to control his mouth. Lorraine simply smiled and kissed his cheek with a soft laugh
"Goodnight Ed, thank you.."