Still Frames

Chapter Four | Special

It made me so curious, as I'd never heard anything like it before. What was God like? Did I have sin? There were so many questions running through my mind at once that it was hard to keep up . . .

As if Bec knew this, he spoke up in a comforting tone. "Hey, I know it's a lot. You don't have to learn everything right now, but just know that God is with you always. He won't ever leave you, and it was because of Him that I'm able to see you right now."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

He looked out across the heaps of cargo and at the dancing orbs. "I can't tell you everything right now, but I will someday." He promised, his smile making my chest oddly warm. "You're the only one able to enter the still frame, Cecelia. Out of everyone in the world, you're able to see me, and I thank God for that . . . That we're able to meet like this."

There was a strange . . . something else that I felt was behind his words. Like he seemed very happy that it was me God chose, or that there was something much more that he wasn't telling me . . . I wanted to ask about it, but something inside me wanted to put it off. I felt as if I wasn't ready for the whole truth yet.

I would find out about it someday from him.

"How can I find out more about God?" I asked him, still curious about the subject. I shivered just knowing there was someone like that watching me.

I watched as Bec walked around the area, seemingly tending to the orbs around us. "Do you know the necklace Ms. Betty wears?"

I thought back on it. Normally Ms. Betty kept it hid behind her clothes, so the younger kids wouldn't grab it. I've seen it once or twice, and each time I was curious about it. I was just too afraid to ask her about it. "Yes, I've seen it."

He smiled ruefully, "It is a cross she wears; something symbolic to God. Ask her about it, and she will show you God's Word."

"God's Word?"

"It is a book you can read." He answered.

I felt myself grow excited. "I can read about him?!" I was on the very edge of the table.

He chuckled when he saw me, and I tried to imagine what he saw, a scruffy looking girl whose eyes brightened at being given such knowledge. Why would God choose someone like me?

"So all I have to do is ask her about her necklace?" I asked, just to make sure. There were also the angels and demons I needed to ask her about . . . There was just never a good opening for me to bring it up to her privately.

"Yes, your curiosity will tempt her to tell you more about her faith," Bec said with certainty in his voice, before waving me over to where he was standing.

I slid off the table and walked over to the patch of light in which he was standing. I stood before him, and he had his hands open, almost cupped together. With wonder, I watched as something sparkling appeared in his pale hands. It started dancing in his palms, shimmering upwards in dark and light spots.

I gasped in awe as the spots expanded into a globe. It showed something I've never seen before. "What is that?"

"This is Earth, Cecelia. This is where we are," Bec explained to me, smiling patiently - the same smile I often saw on Mrs. Hamel's face. It was such a nice smile.

Although the image was fuzzy and in black and white, it still seemed beautiful to me. So this is what the world looked like . . .

"How are you able to do this, Bec?" I asked him, watching as the shimmers dissipated.

"You're able to do it too. It's our power that we share," he told me, and gently took my hands.

Suddenly, the shimmers came back and the orbs danced in silver streams around us. The black and white sparkling spots grew and expanded more. They took on a glow that highlighted the room like a bunch of burning candles. It even felt warm.

I watched as the silver orbs danced in our midst and couldn't help but smile at the fluttering feeling it caused in my chest. I didn't know doing something like this was possible; it gave me such an enormous feeling! It threatened to explode out of me, and I felt a laugh bubble up my throat and out my mouth.

Such a foreign thing to do, it honestly confused me.

Then Bec's laughter cut in, and I looked at him, noticing he had been watching me.

My face grew hot, and I looked away.

"Your laugh was cute, Cecelia. Please don't be embarrassed. I was simply joining you." His reassurance helped calm me, and the heat receded from my cheeks.

"Sorry . . . I'm not really used to that." I wasn't sure what else to say.

"Laughing?" he questioned, his head tilting, and his short white bangs swept across his forehead.

I nodded, "Or just feeling really good. I don't get that often."

"Hm, that is sad to hear." He hummed, and I studied his wistful expression. What was he thinking? He smiled at me, and my heart fluttered again in my chest. "Then I want to make you feel happiness every time you're with me. In a world of grey, I want to help you into the light."

My cheeks were burning again, and I didn't know why. I gazed at his smiling face, but my vision blurred suddenly; I saw Bec, but it wasn't the same Bec in front of me. He was somehow different, older, and it felt like the reality around us was breaking. We weren't in the cargo room within the still frame, instead we were on a white bridge. The sky was a light purple, and there seemed to be some sort of vegetation around us.

More than that, I felt like I knew this place, yet at the same time I didn't know it. What was going on?

Most importantly, why did I have this huge feeling that I knew Bec before? Was that even possible?

My hands slipped from his as it all became too much. We were back in the cargo room, and all the orbs and shimmers fell apart and went away between us.

It was as if the spell was broken. Bec looked confused too, and I felt my heartbeat return to normal.

"You said you'd explain everything to me someday, right?" I stressed. I had the urge to know this strange bond between us.

"Right." There was a promise in his tone, and it helped relieve me some.

"How come I can do what you just did?" I asked him, referring to the orbs and shimmer spots.

"You're special, Cecelia."

"Oh . . . yeah." It's what he kept telling me, but I wanted to know why I was so 'special.' I'd never felt special in my entire life, so it was strange to me to suddenly hear it all the time.

The world around us started blurring and contorting, and I looked at Bec's knowing face.

"Remember what I told you. I'll see you soon," he said, looking particularly sad, and it tugged at my chest. I didn't like that look on him.

"I'll come back soon!" I promised just as the world started to turn back to the real one.

Back to the one without Bec in it. Why did I have such a strong attachment to him? What else could he be hiding that concerns me and him? I had to know . . .

But first, maybe God could help me. I sure hoped that would be the case.

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I hope you're enjoying the story so far! More to come soon~!