“When I was a boy, I was terrified of storms. The thunder and lightning would roar across the sky and I’d hide under my blankets, hugging my teddy, waiting for it to go away.”
“This continued until my teens.”
“That’s when my dad found out. One night a particularly bad storm hit and my dad came into my room, only to find me shaking beneath a blanket. I was so scared; I didn’t even notice he’d came in.”
“I refused to come out. I was a fourteen-year-old boy, scared for my life, safe as houses – yet I didn’t feel that way.”
“After a few occasions of this, my dad was fed up. He couldn’t reason with me. I was too scared. So, the next time a storm came, my dad knew exactly where to find me. He came into my room and pulled me from my bed.”
“I was terrified.”
“He took me to the window by the hand and made me sit and watch. Lightning belted across the sky, lighting it up with a beautiful hue I’d never seen before. The sound of thunder crunched throughout the air, echoing off into the distance.”
“I sat glued to that spot for hours.”
“I watched it all.”
“There would’ve been a time when I was afraid of Luke Storm. There would’ve been a time where you’d find me hiding under blankets, shaking like a dog.”
“But not anymore.”
“You see Luke, I’ve sat in my spot on this roster and watched you for hours. I’ve watched as you’ve struck many foes with that lightning strike and roared like thunder through every single person who opposed you. Whether it was Simon trying to poison and kill you, or Jet Set Radio abusing you and your friends, I’ve watched the show light up the sky.”
“And I know that just like lightning, you’re dangerous as heck, dude. I know that if you strike and strike true, you’ll electrocute anyone you deem fit.”
“But I also know that lightning doesn’t hurt if it doesn’t hit you. I know that thunder sounds horrifying, but it’s just noise reverberating around the sky. It’s loud and powerful, but it can’t hurt you. I know that whilst a storm might look and sound bad, if you keep yourself safe, it won’t be able to hurt you.”
“At High Voltage on Monday, I could’ve been that little boy hiding under the covers, terrified of Luke Storm and everything he might bring.”
“But I’m not.”
“See, I know that I’m very capable of keeping myself safe. I know that whilst the storm rages around me, I don’t have to be harmed – I won’t be harmed, not unless I do something stupid.”
“And by George, I don’t plan on doing anything stupid.”
“So, whilst I can’t sit back and enjoy the show…”
“I know that I’ve seen the storm in action.”
“And I’ll be as safe as houses.”