When Kaelyn didn’t heed the warning of someone she trusted, she found herself peering into that telescope of hers again, but this time she tumbled right in, right inside the telescope, all the way in, and far beyond, just like I told her would happen.
All at once she heard the echo of the real world behind her, and what lay before her was heaven. I mean, the actual heaven. It wasn’t an imaginary place, it was real, and it was better than real because it was happening right that very moment. The telescope was no longer like she remembered it, but more like a kaleidoscope, with the mirrored images of many, many colors surrounding her and going through her. She was a part of the kaleidoscope and it all made perfect sense.
Surrounded by this beauty, she began to draw what she saw with a crayon she found in her pocket, and a piece of paper she saw laying on a desk. The crayon contained every color in the universe, and the paper was as big as she wanted it to be. When she would draw, she would tumble right into the drawing, and there was plenty more to create while sitting at another desk, on another paper, with another crayon.
Kaelyn drew the future. Somehow, she looked around, and seeing all of the beautiful things around her, she knew how the story of all humankind would unfold, and everything made perfect sense. Soon she was tumbling forward into the future. A future she had drawn for herself.
Each time she would tumble, her surroundings became more beautiful than before.
Kaelyn thought to herself, “How is this possible?” It was possible. It was happening.
Soon, the things she drew became reality, each illustration more and more beautiful than before, full of color, and light, and magic. She became consumed by the magic that she alone created, so consumed that she no longer looked around her for inspiration.
Suddenly, she stopped.
She panicked, looking up, eyes wide, wondering “How did I get here?”
“How…do I…get back?”
That’s when she tried to draw a map to heaven. The real heaven. This heaven that contained the past, the future, the now. The heaven she had tumbled into, what seemed like so long ago, and yet just moments prior.
But the crayon she used kept melting into the paper, and pretty soon, the air around her swallowed the color. The desk faded away. The paper, and all of her hard work was gone. None of it made any sense.
Kaelyn was left with just herself, and she began to cry.
It was that deep, deep sorrow of being alone. She tumbled again, this time tumbling into herself, and just like when she tumbled into the drawings, each tumble took her deeper and deeper.
Deep, she tumbled into bramble bushes; thorny, angry vines that screamed at her.
Deeper, she tumbled into a frightening concerto of brass instruments that played their hateful music like attackers in horrible uniforms.
Deeper still, she tumbled into absolute silence, spinning and turning faster and faster, until she began to shrink into a single orb in the middle of a great abyss – a vast Nowhere.
But it was different somehow, because now she was watching herself tumble, unexpectedly ejected outside the Nowhere, above it all.
She saw herself tumble, and turn, and spin into a starry night, filled with mystery, and stories, and mythology from the ages. She watched herself turning brighter, blinding even, as her whole body became light and she became part of the night sky.
She called out to herself, “Kaelyn! I think you’re beautiful!”
And that’s when she tumbled backward, out through the telescope, and back into her bedroom, where her teddy was waiting with a smile that made perfect sense.
She smiled back, and closed her eyes, and remembered the tumbling, and for the first time she listened to that little voice inside her, a voice that said…
“I think you’re beautiful too.”
Just like I tried to tell her.
If I am being honest, I really had no intentions of actually reading it. I just wanted to see if it was an entire book and probably save the link to maybe read it later. But, in just the first couple sentences, i was completely immersed in the story and would still be reading it right now had it been longer. Loved it!! You are an excellent writer!!
What a tremendous compliment and an honor. Thank you so much.
Wow, that was really beautiful
Thank you so much!
Peaceful and hopeful!
I think so too! Thank you.
That was beautiful. I really wasn’t sure what I was going to read but was very surprised by what I read. Would love to read more.
Thank you! Lots more to come, I promise.
Loved it! Your words are so vivid. Can’t wait to read some more!
Thank you so much, my friend. I am so pleased you enjoyed it.
Captivating! Emotional! Thought provoking!
I felt myself falling and tumbling along with kaelyn!
Thank you for writing and sharing! Looking forward to more powerful words!
I am just thrilled you could take the journey along with Kaelyn. Much more to come!
Breathtakingly beautiful! It brings to mind a watercolor painting that you can find on Facebook at the page, “Periwinkle and Hazel”. Perhaps this artist should be considered for illustrating your beautiful stories!
I’m so happy you loved it. Saw the work you mentioned. Lovely!
Every young girl needs to read this story. As a woman who still struggles with finding her own beauty, I found this to be a powerful message to all of us that we are all beautiful, and we need to realize and trust in that. Thank you, Jay!
What an incredible thing to say. I’m so happy this story touched you.