"…couldn’t look away" (S49)

…couldn’t look away. There was something so charismatic about the individual speaking so passionately about the potential for human growth. The woman in the video began muttering words that felt familiar to Jesse. While the words weren’t exactly recognisable, there was something in her delivery that felt honest and unfiltered. This was an exciting escape for Jesse away from the realities of everyday life and his loneliness. Her gaze was captivating, it felt as though she was breaking through the video and reaching out into Jesse’s soul. He felt a strange feeling of transformation and the more he watched her speak about gifts from the universe, the more he felt like he was a part of it. Jesse had never given a thought to religion, but this feeling of group identity felt palpable during these days where he is looking for a distraction from those messages his mother kept sending him. She never gave much attention to Jesse, and the more she messaged, the more distant he felt. And now he felt that the woman in the video was a reminder of the closeness he desired. The woman promised love, support, and community to the viewers of the video. Nothing felt more certain to Jesse than his longing to be a part of the group. There was something so enticing about it, it felt unique and it felt new. He had been questioning his identity and feeling of belonging, so this felt like a signal for him to be a part of something bigger and better. Without hesitation he kept watching.