The Black and White Car: The Temptress

A Short Story by Adam Sill

Shaun sat at his desk in his room staring at his computer. The door was locked and his ipod played music through loud speakers that made everything in the room inaudible. His mouse hovered over the browser button. He’d been in this position before. So many times had he fallen to the temptation of the subtle, momentary pleasures that sat beyond that small “click” of the mouse.

His face was vacant and his body frozen.

He sat for a few minutes without moving, then his hands began to shake… Then his head… His knees. He let go of the mouse and sat back in his chair. He glared at the bright glowing screen. His mouth sneered but his eyes were laden with lust. He lifted both hands to his head and began to scruff up his hair. “ohhh….” He moaned, “Come on! Come on!” He slammed his open hand against the top of his desk. “Godammit, come on!”

He attempted to stand up but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see a tall woman. She had dark orange hair, and brown eyes that pierced into his. She wore a tight red dress and makeup. A lot of makeup. Red lipstick, and gray eyeliner. She stared at Shaun. Her eyes ran him up and down. In that moment, Shaun felt totally exposed. He tried to turn away from her but she pulled him back. “No!” he yelled, “Not any more!”

“Shaun.” She said in a soft but firm voice.

“No. I can’t!” Shaun said, but he felt her grasping his heart, and though he did not want her there, he could not let her leave.

“Shaun.” She repeated, “It’s okay.”

“No it’s not.” He replied

“Yes… It is. You are sixteen years old. You are old enough to do this.”

Shaun began to shake his head violently. “No! It’s wrong!”

“Why?” she asked, “Why is it wrong?”

“It’s lust!” he retorted, “It’s – it’s…” He drooped his head and stared at his feet.

She reached out and gently touched his chin, pushing his face upwards. She stared down deep into his eyes and he could feel her entering an deep empty pit in the middle of his stomach.

“It’s what you want.” She said, “It’s what you need.”

Shaun closed his eyes. She grabbed his hand and began to guide it to the mouse. Though she was guiding his hand, he was the one moving it. He grasped the mouse and double clicked. The search engine opened, and he clicked on the white blank bar. The blinking black line sat on the white bar. Shaun let out a subtle groan. “Please.” He turned his head away from the screen, and closed his eyes.

She gently pushed his head back towards the screen and whispered in his ear, “Yes, you can.”

He opened his eyes and reached out to the keyboard. He typed in one letter; “P”

Immediately, a list of possible searches popped up under his “P”

He stopped and read each one; “Puggles for sale” “Pirates of the Caribbean” “Pictures of sunsets” “Pythagorean Theorum” until he reached the very bottom; “Passion of the Christ”

“Oh no…” Shaun said, “This is not-“

“Ignore it.” she whispered in his ear.

“I- I can’t.” he said as he glanced out the window. His jaw dropped as he stared into the street outside where he saw an old black and white car.

“No!” she said, “Close the window!”

“But – It’s Him.”

“No it is not! Don’t look outside!”

“Why not?”

“He is not the way! He is false. And he is selfish! He doesn’t care about you! If he did, then where has he been this whole time. I’ve made you feel better about yourself! I’ve given you something to live for!”

“No,” Shaun said, “You haven’t. You’ve left me broken. Cold. Homeless.”

“Where has he led you?” She asked, “He does not know what is best for you! I do!”

“I’m going outside.” Shaun said

“No!”

Shaun stood up and walked toward the door. “Stop” She yelled as she followed him outside.

As he began to approach the car, She grabbed onto his arm and pulled him around. “Shaun,” she said, “I know it hurts. I know that you feel alone and you feel like there is nothing out there for you. But you’re wrong. I’m here. I’ve always been here and I am the way.”

“You don’t get it.” Shaun said. He turned around and continued walking toward the car. She ran around in front of him and stood between he and the car, stopping him in his path.

“Wait, Shaun!”

“Shut up!” Shaun yelled, “You did this to me! You made me feel alone! You have screwed up everything I had going for me, and I am not going to take it any more! Now get out of my way, you bitch!” He pushed past her and walked toward the car.

“No!” she yelled, “Shaun, come back!”

Shaun walked around to the passenger’s side of the car and grabbed the handle. “No!” She continued to scream. He pulled the door open and got in the car. Immediately she shattered into small pieces of glass and burned away on the ground leaving a mound of sand that blew away into the wind.

Shaun looked over at the man sitting in the driver’s seat. He looked young and strong. The Driver turned and looked at Shaun. The Driver had soft eyes. But they were strong. Not strong like the Temptress. But powerfully deep.

“She’ll be back.” Driver said.

“She will?” Shaun asked

“Yes. But don’t worry, I’ll be here with you. As long as you stay with me, she can’t steal your heart.”

Shaun took in a deep breath of relief, sank back into his seat, and buckled his seatbelt.

F = Frequency

Frequency
Directed By: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Andre Braugher, Elizabeth Mitchell, Noah Emmerich, and a very young Michael Cera
Rated PG-13 for intense violence and disturbing images

WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

36 year old cop, John Sullivan (Caviezel) stumbles upon his deceased Firefighter father's old Ham Radio. Thinking nothing of it, he plugs it in and begins to broadcast. He soon discovers that, through this radio, he is able to speak to his father, Frank Sullivan (Quaid), from thirty years in the past. John warns his father about his untimely death in a fire, which is then prevented, causing a chain of events to unfold as a series of murders begin to occur, ending the lives of many nurses, including John's mother and Frank's wife. Together, the father and son work to find the killer and stop him from killing the rest of the women, using their only connection-- an old ham radio.


As I prepared to watch this film, I prayed to God that He would expose Himself to me through this film. And His message became clear when in one of the first scenes, Frank is teaching 6 year-old John to ride a bike. When John falls, he runs inside. Frank calls out, "C'mon Chief, don't quit on me now!"
John's mother walks outside and says, "Don't be so hard on him, Frank. He just needs to know you're behind him, that's all."
That line stuck with me throughout the rest of the film, and I walked away with a new perception on what this story truly means.
This story is truly phenomenal. It is simply the representation of the battle between good and evil. A Firefighter and Cop striving to vanquish a Murderer. The fact that Frank is a Firefighter and that John is a Cop is very interesting to me. 


Frank is a Firefighter. When we think of Firemen, we think of a savior. His job is to put out fires and save people. Someone who we rejoice to see
John is a Cop. When we think of police officers, we think of a man arresting a criminal. We have a natural fear of cops. When we see them, we slow down to five mph under the speed limit, and we walk all the way to the crosswalk instead of just bolting across the street. But at the same time, we are happy that they are there.
We think of Firemen as people who have come to save us. And we think of Policemen as people who have come to punish us.
These are also two of the many things we think of in terms of our relationship with God. He is here to save us. But He is also here to bring justice. 

There is a relationship between the father and son that can be closely related to our relationship with God. However, what is so bizarre about this story is that they both play a Christ-like role in each others lives.
In the film, John is trying to discover who the murderer is, and Frank is trying to protect the women from the murderer. But neither of them could achieve this without the help of one another. It is confusing, I know. However, these two characters portray our relationship with God. 

How do they communicate? Through the radio. All they have to do is sit down and talk with one another. They can't see each other, but they can communicate... Prayer... Duh. So, as they begin to talk, they can work together to stop these murders.

I am reminded of the story in the Joshua 10, when Joshua is leading the Israelite army against the Southern Forces. In their battle, Joshua prays to the Lord in verse12;
"Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon."
The Lord answered Joshua's prayer and the sun stood still over Gibeon, and the moon stood still over Aijalon.


Joshua and his army go on to defeat the southern armies with God's help. He sent Joshua and the Israelites into that land to vanquish the kings that reigned there. God chose to use Joshua. But Joshua needed God.
So, as Joshua carried out God's commands, God gave him the power to do so.


In Frequency we can learn the exact same lesson that we learn in Joshua 10. We need God. And He will move through us as we do His good work. In Frequency, Frank and John needed each other. Frank needed the cop and John needed the fireman. But the fireman and the cop didn't need John or Frank, but they used the father and son to vanquish evil.


No prayer is too big for God. And He is behind us, teaching us how to ride that bike. Guiding us out of the fiery building. Once we've learned how to walk with Him, He will teach us something else. Something greater; How to work for Him. We are God's tools... Are we sharp enough?

"We can do it. Me and you together. Spirit and Guts."

E = The Edge

The Edge
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Elle Macpherson, and Harold Perrineau
Rated R for language and some adventure gore/violence

WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

The film, The Edge is about three men who are trapped in the wilderness after surviving a plane crash. As they struggle to survive and find rescue, they are also being hunted by a grizzly Bear.

While there are many aspects of this film that could be connected to the Bible and our walk with the Lord, I am only going to focus on one- The Bear.

In the film, the three men, Charles, Robert, and Stephan, had sustained many injuries from the plane crash. And while trying to start a fire, Stephan accidentally stabs himself in the leg. After a while, the great bear smells his blood in the air and attacks. He kills Stephan and feeds on his body. Though Charles and Robert escape, the Bear continues to hunt them down.

A little while back I had given my testimony. I spoke about pornography, and how it was my greatest temptation in life. However, I think this film works as a good analogy for all temptations.

In 1 Peter 5:8 it says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour."

The Devil is a hunter. A master hunter at that, and this film draws the perfect picture of us when we are faced with the devil and the temptations he presents.

In my testimony I talked about how people always throw around the expression "Flee from Temptation". And although I do agree that we should Flee from temptation, I have a problem with the "wording" of the expression. We cannot run away from temptation. Especially when it has already made an influence on our lives.

In the film, Stephan is stabbed in the leg, and he begins to bleed. Once that blood has hit the air, the bear can smell it. (It's like the shark of the land). Stephan can try to run, he can try to hide, but he will fail. No matter how hard he tries he can't escape the bear, because it can already sense his weakness.

The same goes for our situation with the Devil. When our sins take a hold on us, we cannot just flee from them. The enemy will follow you wherever you go, and when you are at your weakest, he will attack.

In the film, Charles finally comes to the conclusion that the only way he and Robert can survive, is if they fight the bear. So, they sharpen up wooden spears, and fight off the bear.

What made it possible for these characters to fight off the bear?... The Spears. 

1 Peter 1:9 says, "Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. remember that your Christian brothers and sisters are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

Right here in the Bible it tells us to FIGHT BACK. "Stand firm against him"; so we are not to hide. We are not to run. We are to stand up to him like a bully trying to steal our lunch money.

"be strong in your faith"; We can't fight off a bear with our bare hands. We need spears. When we fight Satan, we NEED God. We cannot do it on our own. 

J.P. Charfauros created a marvelous analogy of our faith being represented as a sword and shield. He said, "If we have strong faith in God, our sword and shield shall be strong. But if our faith is lacking, it's like fighting with a plastic knife and a paper plate." 

We find our strength in God, so if you are in a situation where you feel trapped, turn to God. He is the only one with all the right answers. 

"all your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."; If you feel like you are in a rut in which there is no escape, do not be discouraged. There are literally thousands of people going through the exact same thing as you. Have faith in this. It shows that there is a way out. And it's God. He is the way, the truth, and the light. Turn to Him.

"What one man can do, another can do."

D = The Departed

The Departed
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, and Alec Baldwin
Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence, Pervasive Language, Some Strong Sexual Content and Drug Material

 WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

This film represents more than just all of the violence and deception in the world. It also represents all of the violence and deception within every Christian on Earth. A lot of the characters represent the different types of people in the world.

There are four characters in this film that really stand out to me. Colin Sullivan (Damon) is a police Sergeant in the BPD Special Investigations Unit. He is also a "rat" for the Irish Mob Boss, Frank Costello (Nicholson). Costello is the most wanted criminal in Boston. He recently recruited a man named Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) whose family has always been heavily involved in the Irish Mafia. Billy is an undercover Police Officer under the command of Captain Queenan (Sheen) and Sergeant Dignam (Wahlberg).

Colin Sullivan represents most people. He is the "Two-Faced Christian". He cares more about his appearance than he does about appeasing God and serving Him wholeheartedly. He'd even sacrifice those closest to him if it means he can escape justice. In the film he murders Costello, fearing that he might be caught by the FBI. In the end he murders Billy and just when he feels as if he might be free, Sgt. Dignam kills him.

Billy Costigan represents the fully Devoted follower. The Christian that will sacrifice everything he has to glorify God and to reach out to Non-Christians.  He is the Christian that we all must strive to be like. Throughout the film he always strives to obey the law and bring justice to Costello and Colin.

Frank Costello represents the Non-Christian. Someone whose life is blanketed by sin. A person who needs a fully devoted follower of Christ to bring them to the Lord. He is an insane man who will murder just about anyone and lives his life to be the "Alpha-Dog"

Captain Queenan and Sergeant Dignam are the Christ Figures in this film. Throughout the film they are constantly quarreling with Colin Sullivan. Eventually, Queenan sacrifices himself to protect Billy. Dignam becomes Billy's only friend, and in the end, the vengeance belongs to Dignam when he shoots Colin in the head.





The question you are faced with now is which character are you? Billy, Colin, or Costello? I believe that everyone should strive to be like Billy. He had sacrificed everything he had to Glorify God. We must reach out to non-believers and watch out for our fellow believers.

If you find that you are most like Colin, be afraid. Let's remember who killed who. Colin (The Two-Faced Christian) kills both Billy (The Fully-Devoted Follower) and Costello (The Non-Believer). However, it was Dignam (God) who killed Colin. So if you find yourself in Colin's shoes, beware.

This film also indicates that everyone dies. Everyone except God. Just look at the Title; "The Departed" No matter which of these characters you are, you will depart from this world. But where will you be departing to?

"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me."

C = Cast Away

Cast Away
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Starring: Tom Hanks and Helen Hunt
Rated PG-13 for Some Intense Images and Action Sequences

WARNING!!! Spoiler Alert... If you have not seen this film, I suggest you watch the movie before reading this blog. Otherwise, Enjoy!

Cast Away is the story of a FedEx Executive named Chuck Noland (Hanks)who survived a plane crash and is stranded on an island with nothing but a few FedEx boxes that contain different objects that he uses for survival. He lives on the island for 4 years with no company except for a Volleyball with a painted face named Wilson before he is finally able to build a raft and escape

I am very excited about writing this blog because I feel that of all the characters I have written about so far in this blog series, I can relate to Chuck Noland the most. Over the past few years I have turned away from the Lord and from my friends and family. I had pushed people away for so long that before I realized it, I was stranded on a beach, all by myself. We become so prideful and so self reliant that we sometimes push others away and eventually we are completely isolated.

I had pushed people away and eventually I felt as if I was completely alone. I didn't have any friends that I felt that I could talk to about my problems. I mean, I had freinds, I just did not feel that close to them because I was pushing them away. I felt like I was so useless and that it would be more of a benefit to God's kingdom to remove me from this Earth. I've caused so much pain and anxiety in my family. How can I call myself a servant of God, when I refuse to serve him? Nothing I do glorifies God. So maybe everyone would be better off if I just ceased to exist.

I know that this is somewhat melodramatic to you, but when in my shoes where nothing you do is right, this is a rational thought. So, please don't roll your eyes when you read this blog.

I literally prayed to God to just remove me from all existence. No Heaven, No Hell. Nothing. My mind, and soul would never exist. Maybe I was already in that position. Think about it. I had removed God, and everyone who is dear to me from my life. So what is left to define me? I was sitting on a beach talking to a volleyball. But then, God gave me a chance. A "sail" if you will. I was able to escape that island and start new. However, when I returned, everything was different.

I also believe that this film shows us that we must use the gifts that God has given us for our own survival and for God's Kingdom. This is represented by  the FedEx boxes that Chuck possesses on the island.

To me, my favorite scene in Cast Away is the very end when Chuck Noland is standing at a crossroads uncertain which direction he should choose. Regardless of what path he took, his life would be completely different. But he was meant to travel down one road. God chose one road. There were four possibilities, but only one was from God. How did he know which one it was? A symbol. The same symbol he had been looking at the entire time he was on the island. This symbol-

The Wings of Angels. God makes it so obvious where he wants us to go... We just don't listen. Sometimes when things get tough, we just want to give up and die. But it's not what God has planned for us. In the brilliant words of Jeremiah Mullins; "There's an Angel. There's a way out."

God's hidden message behind the film Cast Away is simple; When you feel trapped and alone. When you feel like giving up. Turn to God. He will provide you with the necessary tools to survive. Keep pushing forward, and never give up.

"I gotta keep breathing. Because who knows what the tide will bring in tomorrow."

The Christian Church Vs. The World

During the past few weeks I have felt so... Sad. I'd been in and out of the word. Praying every other day when the world delivered me a platter of dog crap. Something was missing. Eventually I realized that it was the lack of studying God's word, so I forced myself to read more. I started reading through Psalms, which is a great book, however, it seems that the words seem so redundant. In no way am I saying that it is worthless. I  believe that the book of Psalms draws a beautiful picture of God's mastery and His glory. However, I needed something that didn't sound exactly like the same three songs that we sing at church on sundays and wednesdays. I found myself merely skimming over the words until and not processing them correctly.

Recently, I had been living with the false mindset that I have to give up all hopes and dreams in order to become a follower of God. The reason for this is because I had just finished reading a book called Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller. The book deals with idols and the dangers that they impose. The book made me wary of all possible idols. I was afraid to watch TV or be too focused on writing. I was afraid to spur on any romantic relationships with any girls (Not that I didn't flirt with the really pretty ones). I thought that I was living my life for God when in reality I wasn't really living my life at all.

One day after returning from the movies after watching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 I felt the need to be... More. Life suddenly felt so dull. I wanted to create something because it had been so long since I had let myself sit down and create characters and put them into exciting situations. I felt so worthless.

As I sat in my room staring at a blank computer screen I felt this "pull". It was like some supernatural being had grabbed by shoulder and pulled me away from my desk and out of my room. I found myself walking down the hall and entering my parents' bedroom when I suddenly stopped. I looked around the room, searching for a reason to enter this room when I spotted it. A sticker above my parents' window that reads, "'We are such stuff as dreams are made of.' -William Shakespeare"

I sat and tried to process the words in my head, and this is what I came up with;

1. We have the ability to be whatever we can dream of. It is in our nature. All we need is the willpower to do it.

2. Dreams = Our greatest Desires. So if we are such stuff as dreams are made of then wouldn't that mean that our creator desires us? In fact, it would mean that we are his Greatest desire. He desires to have a relationship with us.

It was shocking to me. This quote basically was telling me that I could have the things in this world that I want and still be a fully devoted follower of God. No way! Immediately all of my dreams of my future, including occupation, possession and romance, became possibilities.

We can have the things of this world and still worship God. In fact, we can use the things of this world to glorify God. I am always hearing the phrase, "Don't be of the world"... Why not? There is nothing wrong with this world. You know what is wrong? When We take the things of this world and when We turn them into idols. It's not the world that is wrong... It's us. In the very wise words of Louise Armstrong; "Maybe it's not the world that's so bad, but what we are doing to it."

In fact, the very thing that drew my attention back to God was not the Bible, but a quote from William Shakespeare's The Tempest. God uses things in this world to help us grow in our walk.

Don't say you are not of this world. This is a world that God created. Then we came along and kicked him out. So let's let him back in.

The Black and White Car: Broken Isolation

 A Short Story by Adam Sill

Jennifer Hart- fifteen years old. Her friends called her Jenny. But he called her worthless. She stood in the bathroom staring into her light blue eyes that reflected off of the old, rusty mirror. She examined the many bruises that decorated her face and the endless scars that stained her arms and legs. Her eyes were bloodshot and filled with tears as she mumbled to herself softly. "I can't..." she said.
She rushed out of the bathroom and found her old Cinderella backpack. She quickly grabbed all the clothes and supplies that she could find and threw them into her backpack. She approached the front door of her house where she found him laying, passed out and smelling of booze and urine. She looked down on him and felt empty. As if all of her emotions had simply drained out of her. She knelt down and stuck her face just a few inches away from his. She ran her eyes up and down his unclean, unshaven, wrinkled face. She then stood up, flipped him over so he was laying on his stomach, took out his wallet from his back pocket and took all of the cash that was in it; Eighty-three dollars. She turned away from him and opened the front door and paused. She turned and gave him one last look. "Go to hell." she yelled and ran out of the house slamming the door behind her.
As she walked she felt a great deal of stress and anxiety which caused her to trip over herself several times. She tried to imagine her new life on her own but it was impossible. In every fantasy that she dreamed up he always intruded and she could visualize him standing over her preparing to strike. She had left her neighborhood and was walking on a main street when she felt it. It burned like a flaming sword being stabbed into her belly. It was a new feeling, yet she recognized it almost immediately as 'isolation'.
Jenny fell to her knees and began to cry when an old black and white car pulled up next to her and the passenger's door window rolled down. She was ashamed to be seen crying so she turned her head away from the car. She dried her tears and tried to act like she was not crying. "I'm fine!" she yelled to whoever was in the car yet she dared not look up to see who she was addressing. 'What if they didn't even stop for me?' she thought, 'what if they just stopped because they ran out of gas or needed to answer their phone?' she was humiliated so she stood up and, without facing the car, turned to walk away.
"Jenny," came a strong, masculine, tender voice from the car
Jenny turned to face the car and found a dark-haired man who looked to be in his mid-thirties sitting in the driver's seat. He was handsome and he had a warmth about his appearance that brought about a great calmness. Jenny approached the car and looked in through the window. "Who-" she began
"I Am." he interrupted
"Why?-" she began again
"Because we need to talk," he said, "now get in."
Jenny looked at him and then turned to look at the road. "Okay," she said as she opened the passenger door and climbed into the car.
The car immediately sped off. It drove straight for a few yards then miraculously lifted off the ground and began to fly into the sky. Jenny sat upright in her seat and lost her breath. She was terrified as she looked out the window to see that she was now flying thousands of feet in the air. "What's happening?" she yelled.
"I'm taking you somewhere." the man said
"Where?"
"Somewhere you have never been before."
They continued to soar higher and higher into the sky. Jenny noticed that they were now soaring high above the clouds... Then above Earth... Then above the Milky Way... And before she new it she was flying in what appeared to be nothing. She felt the car touch back on the ground and when she looked out the window all she saw was White. As if she was staring into a flashlight. She turned to face the man who was staring at her. He put the car in 'park' and turned his upper body so he was facing Jenny. "So, Jenny," he said, "I've been watching you."
"Are you-" Jenny said, "Are you- Him?"
"What do you think?"
"I- I don't know."
"I Am" the man said again
"What does that mean?" Jenny asked
"It means... Everything."
"What does that mean?"
The man laughed and said, "It means you will never understand."
"I'm confused." Jenny said as she lowered her head
"I'd be impressed if you weren't... Or disappointed."
"What are you doing to me?" Jenny asked
"I'm  introducing myself to you. Hello, I Am." he said as he held out his hand.
Jenny warily shook it and said, "What do you want with me?"
The man frowned, "What do you mean? Aren't you in awe of everything that is around you?"
"What?" Jenny asked, "There's nothing around us."
"Really? Is that what you think?"
"Well... Is this... Heaven?" Jenny asked
"Yes," the man answered, "and no."
"What does that mean?"
"It means, this is your soul. Empty and barren. It makes you feel uncomfortable, does it not?"
Jenny nodded her head.
"You have gone through you life living to remain pure and humble. You have striven to be a good human being and loving friend. Beaten by your father and abandoned by your mother you have tried to mask your emotions by being the 'funny girl' and now everyone loves you. You are a kind, and loving person. But you are naive. You know that there is nothing out there for you so what is the point in staying in the same dull situation that has brought you nothing but grief and despair?"
"I-" Jenny began but was cut off by the man
"You have tried so hard to make sense of the world around you and you can't find any answers. You have walked alone for many years and now I am calling you out. This... Whiteness that you see... It is all that you are. Pure, light, and yes, somewhat beautiful. But it is empty."
"What are you saying?" Jenny asked
"I'm saying you don't have to live your life on your own. I'm saying you don't have to run away from home."
"No," Jenny said, "You don't know what it's like."
"I don't?" the man asked, "Hold out your arm."
"What?"
"Hold out your arm and roll up your sleeve."
Jenny obeyed. She held out her left arm and rolled up her sleeve displaying the many cuts and bruises that have scarred her arm.
"You have your scars..." the man said as he held up his right arm and pulled up his sleeve, "I have mine."
She saw it. The very thing she had heard about since she was a girl. And suddenly she understood just how powerful this man was.
"Okay," she said, "But I thought you said my life was wrong. What is to change if I go back to the same routine?"
"I'll be with you." he answered
"Oh," she said, "I see."
"You have a friend very dear to you named Katherine, don't you?"
"Yes."
"And she has told you about me?"
"Yes."
"Maybe it's time you start following Katherine's example."
Jenny sat and thought. This all seemed so strange yet so normal. It felt right.
"I am going to give you a choice." the man said, "You can choose to stay here in this 'Whiteness' and forever be an empty soul, or you can return home... With me. What will it be?"
Jenny looked from the man to the whiteness outside her window. She grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. She threw her Cinderella backpack out of the car and closed the door. "Okay," she said, "Let's go home."