Thank you to believeinlove08, mnshart06, IheartORANGE, and RainbowTwiddles for the reviews! I am so, so, so, SO sorry that I have taken so long to update this. Life issues have gotten in the way of my writing, as has a fiction story I am currently writing to possibly be published. I'm sorry if there's hardly any Loliver in this chapter. I know I promised it, but the next chapter DEFINITELY will have a lot of Loliver (I promise). This story has turned out to be shorter than I expected, but there will be at least one more chapter.
I almost laughed as I answered, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Lilly."
Lilly twisted around with a sudden jerk and glowered at me. Unfortunately, the veil of anger didn't manage to hide her curiosity or confusion. Actually, it didn't nothing but strengthen my resolve.
"You see, Lilly, I can't run away. I can't leave you alone anymore."
Her face now turned confused and half-fearful as she asked apprehensively, "You do realize that I'm in love with Oliver, don't you?"
Now I did laugh. "If you weren't, would I even be here?"
Her jaw dropped. Had I forgotten to tell her that?
"All this time, you were here because of," she gulped, "…Oliver and me?"
Maybe I had. Oops.
"I—we wanted to show you what you've always been blind to," I hesitantly replied.
Lilly's head cocked to the side, and I could practically see her mind trying to decipher the meaning of my words. However, I knew that she was still in the dark.
The worst part was that I didn't know how to fix this. The best part was that Master did.
He stood up silently, not even moving the swing. With a smile on His beautiful, perfect face, He came up behind my friend. Like the cool, refreshing breeze of a bright autumn day, His fingers brushed against Lilly's left shoulder.
The words came in a whisper so loud that the trees surrounding the area shook as if blown away. "You are loved."
Lilly jumped visibly. She glanced behind her, and seeing nothing, turned back to me in amazement. From the knowledge in her eyes, she knew that I had heard it too, and that she was certainly not crazy.
"Who was that?" was her cry.
Smiling, I told the truth. "The One who sent me here to you. The Master."
Her face glittered—literally. She was crying. All of her defenses had been crumpled, and she sat before me on the swing, broken and hurt.
"That's not true," she whimpered.
"Stop that!" I yelled, and suddenly was surprised at myself. I knew how she felt—had felt it myself. And yet, I was angrier because of it.
"That's a lie," I continued, "and you know it. I know how easy it is to listen to them, Lilly, but you have to draw the line somewhere. So draw it—here and now."
Lilly shuddered, but I realized that something was changing. The glitter on her face was no longer from her tears. The sky was crying for her. I glanced to my right and I saw that the sky wasn't the only one crying. Master's face was ridden with teardrops.
The sight made me wish that I could be human again, just so that I could weep as well.
Lilly's voice broke through the storm. "You really mean that, God?"
Master looked up and smiled at me, and I instantly froze. Something was changing. It struck every bone of my boneless body. It blasted every nerve, filled every vein, flooded my consciousness. It put an angel in awe.
Wind whipped the trees violently in every direction, and the raindrops which had before seemed calm and melancholy now pelted the ground with a ferocity that mirrored the wind. The threatening clouds now churned in circles. The earth began to tremble, the vibrations growing more prominent with every second. It seemed as though the world was falling apart.
And yet, Lilly sat stock still as if the chaos around her was merely a dream. Both swing sets on either side of her shook furiously with the ground. The one that Lilly and the Master were on remained untouched by it all as if cut off from the rest of the world.
Fear almost caught hold of me again at that moment. I sat on the brink of disbelief and uncertainty. Well, that is, until Master caught my eye. Instantly, the chaos raging inside of me seemed to fade away into nothing. I knew without a doubt that there was no going back for me. I had been to the other side, and had made it through. I had seem and felt the things that humans took for granted; however, that seemingly implacable doubt had marred humanity for me forever. I couldn't go back to that knowing what I did now. Fear and doubt had given me normalcy, but love and grace made me extraordinary.
Now neither I nor Lilly would ever be the same. We were each created for a purpose, just in different places.
When my mind came back to earth, Lilly's world was waiting for me. However, the chaos had ended. The sky shone with the brilliancy of the day's sunset. The trees now stood, silent again until Master's breath was to shake them again.
Master's voice whispered next to me, "It is done."