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Friday, December 13, 2013

the prelude//a fictional storytime

Hey so remember that one time I was kinda, sorta freaking out over the wonderfulness of creative writing?
Welp, it's happening again.

I'm sure my professors could definitely sense my attention slowly drifting away from time to time these past few weeks...
But in all fairness, it 'twas a story idea.  (Just maybe not the hard news story they were discussing at the time...my bad.)

ANYWHO, here it is!

The prelude.
The set-up.
The beginning...(of something I hope)

Again, I excel in cheesiest of story lines.  So, if you're not a fan of cheddar, look away.
If cheese is your favorite food group? Read on.

the prelude
(title under construction)
pic via here


The video camera whirs to life and slowly focuses in on the front of the stage.  The cross reins over the chorus of children lined up on the steps and as they center their attention on the teacher kneeling before them.  The crowd hushes and quickly falls silent while the lights dim.  The choir teacher raises her arms and the music begins to play the familiar song on the loudspeakers.  The camera pans over the many cheeky faces of the squirmy bunch; some waving to their parents in their audience, some frozen like statues, and others aimlessly picking their noses.  All at once, the voices join together and begin to belt the tune they’ve been learning for weeks.

“Jesus loves me
This I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak, but He is strong

The instruments pick up and the spotlight turns to one little girl who steps forward from the front.  Her lace socks match her white dress and headband, which helps pulls back her dark bangs. She scans the crowd with her eyes and sees the camera pointed straight at her.  She smiles wide and gives a little wave to the lens.  She then rocks back and forth on her heels as her voice continues to sing the tune.

Jesus loves me—loves me still,

Though I'm very weak and ill;

From his shining throne on high,

Comes to watch me where I lie.

She steps back into her spot in the row and the beaming boy next to her trades spots at the microphone.  He takes his arms sleeve and wipes his nose with pure confidence before he continues the next verse.
Jesus loves me—he will stay,

Close beside me all the way.

Then his little child will take,

Up to heaven for his dear sake.

He falls back into place with the rest of the chorus and shares a quick smile with his fellow soloist and quickly grabs her hand as the applause from the crowd of parents and churchgoers fill the sanctuary.

Tables are filled as parents and extended families wait for the chorus of children to come back into the gym auditorium.  The back doors burst open and the kids come sprinting in towards their parents.  Half the group starts towards the table of lemonade and cookies while the other begins the marathon of picture-taking opportunities.

The video camera records the two soloists walk hand in hand back to their parents sitting at the same table.  Once in reachable distance, they break into a sprint and jump into their congratulating hugs and kisses.

After a few minutes the little boy steps back and looks right into the camera lens.
“Hey Pastor Tim!  Know what?”

The cameraman chuckles and focuses in on the rosy cheeks and excited eyes of the little boy.  “What’s that Riley?”

The boy breaks away from his parents and walks over to the young girl, who is currently chugging her entire glass of lemonade.
Riley throws his arm around her shoulders and locks eyes with the lens once again.

“Me and Samantha are gonna be sooo famous one day! We did great!  I thought my ears were gonna explode from how loud that applause was! ”

The cameraman laughs along with the rest of the parents sitting around the table.  “You never know, Riley. One day, if the Lord is willing, you could be singing for an even louder applause.”

Riley looks at Samantha and she shyly smiles, displaying a set of dimples on each side of her face.

The little boy focuses back at the camera.   “Yea, but Samantha said she was a little scared up there.  So I may just be a solo act.  Maybe she could fly my private jet for me!”

The parents laugh again as the little boy continues to spill the rest of his detailed story of an unbeatable singer and his fellow pilot friend.
After a while, the little boy’s father ruffles his hair and gestures towards the refreshment table.   “Alright Riley, enough planning.  Now go fill up on sugar, why dontcha?”

Riley and Samantha both take a running start toward the mountain of fresh cookies being brought out from the kitchen.

The cameraman sighs off-screen and quietly whispers, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  He chuckles to himself as he zooms in just in time to see Riley stuff five cookies in his mouth at once and Samantha giggling at his side.
“Lord willing…”


To be continued... ;)

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