He's got the whole world in his hands | Jeongin

Chapter fifty-one

Minsi planned on meeting Jeongin at Abstract Coffee, but he had other plans. Her heavy car door slammed shut and she wrapped her arms around her torso. She forced one foot in front of the other and began to ascend the cement steps up to the church.

The last time she saw Jeongin, she was an utter wreck. She hadn't meant to find him in the church, she thought it'd be empty. Humiliation and embarrassment found her when he came inside and found her crying. To make it worse, when she came to the church service a few days later, he fainted.

She just needed a quiet place to go at that moment and the church was the first place she thought of. The doors were always unlocked and the sanctuary lights were constantly running. She didn't want to talk to God, she just wanted to put the pieces of the puzzle together about the reality of Suki's death.

Today, things were different. The topic of death was still brewing in her mind. Suki's passing had been somewhat of a struggle to cope with. As much as she hated to admit it, the church service made her feel a bit better. There was a comfort in believing that the hurt found forgiveness and peace in the next life.

An eternity full of happiness, love, and support set her mind at ease. She hadn't thought about heaven in a while. She didn't think it was all white robes and golden streets. She believed that if heaven existed, it was a comfort to us. Everyone found comfort in different things, so perhaps heaven looked different for everyone.

She was about to open up the door when a voice called out to her from behind. She spun around and Jeongin stood at the bottom of the steps. He was in a pair of dress pants with a white long sleeve shirt tucked in. A belt looped around his waist and a golden buckle held them up.

"It's been a while since I've last seen you. Your mom said you wanted to talk to me. She said it was an emergency, so it made me a bit worried. Is everything alright?"

"I-" Minsi's head cocked and an eyebrow raised. "My mom said it was an emergency?" Jeongin nodded. She let out a sigh and rubbed the back of her head. "No, it wasn't an emergency. I just wanted to talk to you about some stuff, that's all. I'm sorry if it made you worry."

"Nonsense. If anything, I should be apologizing to you for the other day. If I frightened you during service, I-"

"You didn't. Was I shocked? Yeah, but I'm glad you're better. Hopefully, Felix got you home and made you eat something. He seemed pretty set on helping you."

"That's Felix for you."

"He sounds like a wonderful friend."

"He is. An excellent friend with a passion for helping people and-" His head turned back towards the church. "For finding God."

Minsi frowned, but Jeongin didn't see it. Instead, he began to head up the stairs towards the church. She didn't try to stop him as he walked around her and began to hold the door for her. She walked inside and mumbled a soft appreciation.

"It's getting cold out there, isn't it? Lately, it's been cold enough in the mornings to keep a chill running down your spine. I think soon I'll have to turn on the heat instead of the air conditioning."

"Yeah, something like that."

There were no signs of the flies today. No signs of demonic possession anywhere on Minsi. If she was possessed by the devil, Jeongin might have made a mistake. Inviting her into the church alone wasn't the best idea. If the devil wanted to taunt him, now was the perfect time.

The only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner. Jeongin headed through the tile foyer and in the direction of the sanctuary. "So what's on your mind? Anything I can help with?"

Minsi's steps followed in line with his. "I just have a few questions, but I don't want to offend you. I know that some people tend to shy away from the topic, so I-"

He waved his hand and chuckled. "You couldn't offend me if you tried. Whatever it is, just spit it out. Surely, I'll be able to help you with it. Is it about God or..."

"Yeah, kind of. I wanted to know your thoughts and opinions on ouija boards. Do you really think that spirits can be conjured up through a children's toy? I know it seems like a silly question, but I'm curious."

He froze at the words and paused. His head slowly turned to glance over his shoulder. "Have you been playing with a ouija board lately or does this have to do with Suki's death?"

Shame instantly drowned her heart. She forced herself to spit out the words. "I want to know. Yeah, maybe it's somewhat about Suki, but I'd like to know your thoughts and opinions. Can we really speak with the dead or demons?"

Jeongin started to walk again and Minsi followed. His hands had clamped themselves behind his back and he clicked his tongue. "I think there are things in this world that we don't quite understand. Even with God's knowledge and information from the devil, I'm sure there's still unearthed information out there."

Walking down the worn carpet, he headed straight down the center of rows. When he got to the front, he gestured his hand out for Minsi to sit in the front row. She followed his gesture and finally slipped into the pew.

"It was one time with the board. My friends and I contacted the spirit of a young boy. I feel bad for him and maybe it's wrong, but I kind of want to reach back out to talk to him again."

Jeongin slipped himself about two feet away from her. His hands went to his lap and he nodded. "As humans, sometimes we have a desire to nurture things. I think there are things out there that we're not sure about. Demons can disguise themselves however they wish. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"Besides," he continued, "I've never heard a good story involving a ouija board. You should be careful before it's too late. If I were you, I'd burn it and sever the chances of a demon attaching itself to you."

"They can really do that?"

"Supposedly, but..."

"But?" Minsi echoed with a frown.

"Even if there was one attached to you, you might not realize it until it's far too late."