'nother disclaimer... remember how I don't own Digimon? I also don't own Amy Grant, or any of her lyrics that may have happened to find their way into this story... *whistles innocently*
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Chapter Three - "Morning"
Far away, Sora also glanced outside. "The snow's stopped." she noted absently, as she plopped her suitcase down on the floor beside her bed for the night. She didn't really want to reflect on her recent actions… in fact she really didn't want to think about ANYTHING, so she lay back, sighing, and turned the clock radio on. Since Christmas had barely been over three days, a few scattered stations were still playing Christmas carols. The first words she heard made her feel uncomfortable, ashamed…
"Breath of heaven, hold me together. Be forever near me, breath of heaven."
"I wish you were on my side." she thought miserably as a tear slipped down one cheek. She didn't want to believe that God had turned His back on her because she was gay… but it was hard not to, having been taught that her entire life. Turning her radio off, she curled up on her side, facing the wall away from the door, and dismally tried to sleep.
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While Sora slumbered, Mimi was already well on her way to finding her. As soon as the snow had stopped, she had left the University without a note or goodbye to anyone. Now, driving through the deep snow drifts and ever present darkness of the winter night, that fact worried her. Suppose something happened? No one would know where she was.
Suddenly, she hit a patch of ice, and though she was driving relatively slowly, her own nerves made her panic as soon as she felt her wheels slide. As her car spun out of control, she shut her eyes tightly, grasping the wheel as she did so, and tried to focus her whirlwind of thoughts. "Breath of Heaven, be forever near me." an inner voice whispered. Mimi had started praying without realizing it. "Where did that come from?" she wondered. In that moment, she seemed to forget the turmoil around her. She became the calm in the midst of the storm… the eye of the hurricane. Before she knew what was occurring, her car had stopped careening, and had come to rest by the side of the road. She didn't know if she'd be able to drive it anymore in her shaken condition, however, so she looked up to see if there was someplace she could walk for help or shelter. A glowing sign perched above a motel nearby read "vac ncy."
"I wonder if they know a bulb is burnt out." she thought, relaxing now that her ordeal had ended.
Mimi was hardly more than 30 feet from the door to the motel lobby, but with the fierce wind blowing great blasts of snow in her face, the trip on foot took her longer than she'd expected. When she finally stumbled into the tiny room, she found herself face to face with the same aging motel attendant Sora had encountered earlier.
The woman simply smiled and laughed, as if she knew a secret no one else would ever understand. Then, leaning forward slightly in her chair, she gazed at Mimi. "I suppose you'd like a room?" Mimi was a bit taken aback by the woman's odd mannerisms, but , true to form, she smiled politely and nodded. "Well, I think I know the perfect one for you!" the woman quipped, "If I can just find this key… ahh. Here we go. It's room 92, sweetheart. Follow this drive around, and the room will be on your left back by the fence."
In her relief to get out of the biting chill, Mimi didn't notice Sora's car, snow-covered and alone in the dark parking lot. She didn't notice that a light was already faintly glowing in room 92 as she turned her key in the lock. It was only once she'd gotten inside, shut the door behind her, and turned back around that she took in Sora's sleeping form, curled away from her. Against her own will, she let out an audible gasp.
At this unexpected noise, Sora stirred from her slumber, stretched a little, and turned to take in Mimi's wind-blown body, standing suddenly unsure by the doorway. Neither girl spoke, at first, but after a few minutes that seemed more like hours, Mimi stepped forward and knelt by the bed. She began to speak softly.
"I know this girl… she's been my best friend since I was 12 years old. She's stood by me through thick and thin. She's held me while I cried, and congratulated me on every conquest, no matter how small, that I undertook. And for some reason I'll never understand… she fell in love with me, and thought I would hate her for it."
Sora, smiling through small tears, reached out and took Mimi's hand as she continued.
"She thought I wouldn't want to be her friend anymore, or worse yet, I'd BE her friend, but only that, and I'd be a constant reminder to her of her feelings. But there was one option she didn't consider… and that one turned out to be the truth. See, even though she realized it before I did, this girl and I are meant to be together. And that's regardless of what society says… do you think I could make her understand that?"
In response, Sora moved over on her rusty motel bed, and motioned for Mimi to join her. Safe from the winter's fury, they lay, staring into each other's eyes and taking in the wonder of true love they had discovered, until they both lost inward battles they were fighting, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
And that is where this story ends… almost. The next morning was bright and crisp, with blue skies and an untouched expanse of clean, white snow. There would be no Wescott for Sora today, or any other day. Mimi helped her pack up her things to head back to the old University… where, she assured her, she belonged. But as they were getting ready to hit the road…
"I almost forgot!" Sora cried, motioning towards the small lobby. "We have to pay her for the room." Mimi grinned. "You're RIGHT… do you think she's awake? Or even still HERE??" Sora shrugged. "Only one way to find out…" They crunched through the new fallen snow to the room, but as they neared the door, they realized all at once that there were a few things wrong.
"This window wasn't broken last night." Mimi said, furrowing her brow. "And look… there's a padlock on the door. I wonder…" Sora whirled towards the back lot, searching for room 92. When it came into her vision, she got chills… "Mimi… there are planks nailed across our door. This place doesn't look like it's been open in years."
Realizing the full importance of what they'd just seen, the two wide-eyed girls eventually left the deteriorating motel… but what they took away from their eerie trip was a lesson about life. That the standards of others shouldn't stand in the way of good, pure love… and that sometimes, when Christmas still lingers in the air, and snow covers all… miracles can happen.
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Chapter Three - "Morning"
Far away, Sora also glanced outside. "The snow's stopped." she noted absently, as she plopped her suitcase down on the floor beside her bed for the night. She didn't really want to reflect on her recent actions… in fact she really didn't want to think about ANYTHING, so she lay back, sighing, and turned the clock radio on. Since Christmas had barely been over three days, a few scattered stations were still playing Christmas carols. The first words she heard made her feel uncomfortable, ashamed…
"Breath of heaven, hold me together. Be forever near me, breath of heaven."
"I wish you were on my side." she thought miserably as a tear slipped down one cheek. She didn't want to believe that God had turned His back on her because she was gay… but it was hard not to, having been taught that her entire life. Turning her radio off, she curled up on her side, facing the wall away from the door, and dismally tried to sleep.
------------------------
While Sora slumbered, Mimi was already well on her way to finding her. As soon as the snow had stopped, she had left the University without a note or goodbye to anyone. Now, driving through the deep snow drifts and ever present darkness of the winter night, that fact worried her. Suppose something happened? No one would know where she was.
Suddenly, she hit a patch of ice, and though she was driving relatively slowly, her own nerves made her panic as soon as she felt her wheels slide. As her car spun out of control, she shut her eyes tightly, grasping the wheel as she did so, and tried to focus her whirlwind of thoughts. "Breath of Heaven, be forever near me." an inner voice whispered. Mimi had started praying without realizing it. "Where did that come from?" she wondered. In that moment, she seemed to forget the turmoil around her. She became the calm in the midst of the storm… the eye of the hurricane. Before she knew what was occurring, her car had stopped careening, and had come to rest by the side of the road. She didn't know if she'd be able to drive it anymore in her shaken condition, however, so she looked up to see if there was someplace she could walk for help or shelter. A glowing sign perched above a motel nearby read "vac ncy."
"I wonder if they know a bulb is burnt out." she thought, relaxing now that her ordeal had ended.
Mimi was hardly more than 30 feet from the door to the motel lobby, but with the fierce wind blowing great blasts of snow in her face, the trip on foot took her longer than she'd expected. When she finally stumbled into the tiny room, she found herself face to face with the same aging motel attendant Sora had encountered earlier.
The woman simply smiled and laughed, as if she knew a secret no one else would ever understand. Then, leaning forward slightly in her chair, she gazed at Mimi. "I suppose you'd like a room?" Mimi was a bit taken aback by the woman's odd mannerisms, but , true to form, she smiled politely and nodded. "Well, I think I know the perfect one for you!" the woman quipped, "If I can just find this key… ahh. Here we go. It's room 92, sweetheart. Follow this drive around, and the room will be on your left back by the fence."
In her relief to get out of the biting chill, Mimi didn't notice Sora's car, snow-covered and alone in the dark parking lot. She didn't notice that a light was already faintly glowing in room 92 as she turned her key in the lock. It was only once she'd gotten inside, shut the door behind her, and turned back around that she took in Sora's sleeping form, curled away from her. Against her own will, she let out an audible gasp.
At this unexpected noise, Sora stirred from her slumber, stretched a little, and turned to take in Mimi's wind-blown body, standing suddenly unsure by the doorway. Neither girl spoke, at first, but after a few minutes that seemed more like hours, Mimi stepped forward and knelt by the bed. She began to speak softly.
"I know this girl… she's been my best friend since I was 12 years old. She's stood by me through thick and thin. She's held me while I cried, and congratulated me on every conquest, no matter how small, that I undertook. And for some reason I'll never understand… she fell in love with me, and thought I would hate her for it."
Sora, smiling through small tears, reached out and took Mimi's hand as she continued.
"She thought I wouldn't want to be her friend anymore, or worse yet, I'd BE her friend, but only that, and I'd be a constant reminder to her of her feelings. But there was one option she didn't consider… and that one turned out to be the truth. See, even though she realized it before I did, this girl and I are meant to be together. And that's regardless of what society says… do you think I could make her understand that?"
In response, Sora moved over on her rusty motel bed, and motioned for Mimi to join her. Safe from the winter's fury, they lay, staring into each other's eyes and taking in the wonder of true love they had discovered, until they both lost inward battles they were fighting, and fell asleep in each other's arms.
And that is where this story ends… almost. The next morning was bright and crisp, with blue skies and an untouched expanse of clean, white snow. There would be no Wescott for Sora today, or any other day. Mimi helped her pack up her things to head back to the old University… where, she assured her, she belonged. But as they were getting ready to hit the road…
"I almost forgot!" Sora cried, motioning towards the small lobby. "We have to pay her for the room." Mimi grinned. "You're RIGHT… do you think she's awake? Or even still HERE??" Sora shrugged. "Only one way to find out…" They crunched through the new fallen snow to the room, but as they neared the door, they realized all at once that there were a few things wrong.
"This window wasn't broken last night." Mimi said, furrowing her brow. "And look… there's a padlock on the door. I wonder…" Sora whirled towards the back lot, searching for room 92. When it came into her vision, she got chills… "Mimi… there are planks nailed across our door. This place doesn't look like it's been open in years."
Realizing the full importance of what they'd just seen, the two wide-eyed girls eventually left the deteriorating motel… but what they took away from their eerie trip was a lesson about life. That the standards of others shouldn't stand in the way of good, pure love… and that sometimes, when Christmas still lingers in the air, and snow covers all… miracles can happen.