The Sound of Thunder [Open]

[Nayda Vandom]

Thunder rumbled outside, and Nayda had to flinch. Why was se so scared of it?

Maybe it was the fact that lightning was unpredictable. It might never strike twice in the same place. But one could never know when or where would it fall, or the possibilities of getting struck and dying. It was unnerving. It was odd....after so many years of travelling, the small blonde girl should have gotten used to it. But she hadn't. They were so unpredictable...

But no, it wasn't that what scared her.

...It was the sound -that fierce, cracking sound that cut across the peaceful silence- what scared her. It had thundered back then, on that day. Her mother's murder. Something she still blamed on herself. And the sound, that loud, fierce crack, just brought back the memories. And the feel of guilt, too.

"Are you okay?"

Another customer -a small girl who had large brown eyes and black hair- had separated from her family and started tugging at her sleeve; looking at Nayda's bewildered and fearful expression. Large, purple eyes gazed back at the girl for a moment before the half-elf gave a nod.

"I am fine. Just a bit nervous...go back to your family, little one," she encouraged, giving the child a light push, and watching her fling herself into her mother's arms, safe.

The sight just made the flashbacks much worse, and the constant cracking of thunder somewhere far away worked as terrifying background music to her jumbled thoughts.

The thunderstorms, foul weather, nightmares, Kyura's warnings....all of this had to be a sign of something! It just had to. None of this could be just a coincidence. Was it that there was any evil rising? Or had she gone paranoid? All of this...it just wasn't right.

The atmosphere inside this small inn was so warm and welcoming that it seemed impossible to think that there was any dark, evil force rising. Maybe, just maybe she was overreacting to stuff...it was a habit already, after all. She might be freaking out for nothing...

...Or she was right. And there was something coming.

Thunder rumbled once more, and she cling to the table, trying not to pass out.

Once the storm is over, I'm out f here.