Images From Another World

Burt Beamer was born on the streets in a rough part of the city . He lived with his Mother in a cardboard box for the first year of his life until she deserted him. Burt was left outside one of the best addresses in town . The owner of the fancy home was unable to keep Burt and passed him on to the welfare who placed children like Burt into foster homes and orphanages . Burt never felt the security of a love in a family home .
No one can ever say why the walls come down but they had from the first moment Burt was born . Burt grew up in difficulties . He often had troubles and got sick but he learned to fight hard to continue with life .
At 16 he found work and tried to make friends but because of his hardships in life Burt had problems speaking with people . In the end he was alone in the world . It seemed as soon as he met someone new a doors closed in his face almost as if he wasn't deemed worthy enough to have a friend .
So he worked hard and he saved up all his money until he had enough to ask for a bank loan . The bank agreed and Burt bought a very run down old home in a poor part of town . The church and welfare helped him get settled and very soon Burt discovered a faith in God through his testing times .
He continued to pray hard and go to church and although those around him said God had punished him he remained strong in his faith .
There were members of his local church who were not very Christina in their dealings with people and these busy bodies had nothing better to do than to spread scandal about anyone they wanted . They made sure that Burt would continue to be alienated in the community .
Unexpectedly at Church one Sunday Burt stood up and convicted these people in the community . He called them wicked old biddies for what they were doing . That day inside the church you could have heard a pin drop .
Burt also found in the a silence a message for himself . He walked away after mass and told nobody about what he had experienced .
During the service he felt his spirit leave his body and he was able to look down on all of the congregation . He saw those who had been cruel and he saw those who were full of hatred . He also saw those who were in pain and somehow he was able to touch them and give them a way to cope with it all .
Burt knew he had received a special gift . From that day on his problems with life didn't seem so huge .
One day he came home from work after a very difficult day and fell to the floor in sheer exhaustion . When he opened his eyes he looked down and saw himself lying there on the floor . This strange thing again was happening to him and he didn't really know what to expect . Somehow it came natural to him . He drifted from his body , he walked though walls and floated over the roof of his home . Not to far away a very gentle voice called him . Burt was drawn into a bright light . His thoughts were received by the light and the voice responded to his questioning thoughts . The voice spoke to him
"No you have not died . You are not dreaming . This is a mirror world to your own . You are just part of a reflection form world you live in . When you return to that place you will be able to change the images of all that is .All you do and all you see will be from this world and all you will need to know will be explained in the picture hanging in your bedroom . Each time you change a an image of life the picture in your room will change for you . Use your gifts well and believe "

Next thing Burt opened his eyes and woke on the floor . He got to his feet and walked into his bedroom where he saw a picture on the wall . It was a picture of a man walking along a road through the countryside .In the corner of the painting he saw a man with a gun who was pointing it at the head of a young child . Burt immediately knew what he had to do . He pulled back the curtains in his bedroom and saw a man with a gun force his way into a house and take a child hostage with . As he made he was from the house Burt closed his eyes and pushed himself out of his body , just like slipping a hand from a glove . He flew up the street and was unseen . He took a deep breath and pushed himself into the gunman's body . The he proceeded to free the hostage and drop the gun . When it was safe he surrendered himself to the police who arrived in their squad cars . After being handcuffed Burt pushed himself out of the criminals body and returned back home .As soon as he went into his bedroom he looked at the picture on the wall . A few things had changed . The man on the raod had come a little further down the road and the gunman and child were no longer in the scene . However in the top corner of the picture a house was burning .Immediately Burt knew what had to be done . He closed his eyes and ascended out of his body into the air . In an instant he was drifting over the homes in his neighbourhood . He flew into a black smoke and descended into that home that was burning .The flames were leaping from one room in particular and Burt entered that room and plucked three unconscious people from a growing inferno . It was as if there was a kind of magnetism in his body and a strange force field that surrounded and protected all the people that he brought out to the street . Once on the pavement he left them and they collapsed . People who had gathered ran to their aid as the fire brigade arrived . On his return home Burt looked at the picture in his bedroom and again noticed a change . The man was now half way along the road and walking along with him was a horrible creature . Like a monster . It was not human . Burt could not understand what it meant and for the first time afraid . The fear he could not fight . Suddenly he heard a gentle voice call him and then he was able to drift out of his body and away he went through the roof to a place that was illuminated with a bright light .
Again it was as if the light consumed his thoughts and answered every question that was on his mind .
The voice spoke to him ,
"The monster you saw in the painting is your own fear and it is not an easy thing to get rid off . I have taken away all your fear and now you are free "
The next thing Burt was back in his bedroom . He stood and looked at the picture . The man in the picture was at the end of the road .
A knock came to the door and Burt answered it .
A bright light shone into the home and from it a gentle voice spoke .
"It is time for you to come from this world . You have learnt many things and now you must pass through the light to the other side . Come and follow me ."
Burt walked into the light and the door closed . On the picture that hung in the bedroom two men walked along a road towards a mansion on a hill . A sunset reflected into a lake in the picture and suddenly a very bright light came form the lake the picture was transformed into a mirror .

The End

By Paul McCann