Chelsea scanned the crowd for some glimmer of light, but all she saw was darkness. Then out of the black came a fearsome cry that silenced the clamoring crowd.
"My God, my God, why have you abondoned me?"
His language was foreign to chelsea, but Manny had given her access to his eyes and ears, so she understood the words.
Chelsea watched in horror as Christ's head fell limp for several moments. Then he pressed himself up on the nails and cried out, pausing between each word: "It is finished!"
Bitter tears stung Chelsea's eyes. She couldn't bear another moment of the cruel struggle. "Why did you bring me here, Manny?"
"This is the loneliest point in history. The last moment of true abandonment. From here on, abandonment is nothing more than a myth. And loneliness? A choice."
As Manny spoke, their bleak surroundings melted away. Dark, heavy clouds shifted in the sky,
revealing a brilliant morning sun that chased away the shadows. The hard rocky ground bloomed and flourished beneath her feet. Chelsea now stood in a bright garden. Vines worked their way up a stony wall. Flowers were lifting in the morning sun. The sky was brilliantly blue. On thee other side of the garden, a large rock sealed on the entrance to a tomb.
"There is no separation. There is no chasm between you and the heavens. There is no divider, no veil between you and God's love."
That's when Chelsea saw him. Jesus. Fully alive. His robe was as ray of sunshine, each thread radiant. His face shone like a full moon, the perfect reflection of his Father in heaven. The very sight of Jesus brought passersby to their knees. But for Chelsea, that moment when she caught a glimpse of his eyes, like blazing stars. The same light that was present in her darkest hours was shining back at her.
"You wanted to know how you'll make it on your own?" Manny asked as the sights and sounds of the lush of Jerusalem garden gave way to the sterile hospital chapel. "You'll never know. Because you never will be."
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