Just Us
Gary Brandt delivers his most intimate chapter yet from The Dimension Of Mind Dot Com, where we finally get quality one-on-one time between Ella and Helana.
It's Monday night, and for the first time since that life-changing sleepover, it's 'just us'—no Eileen or Roxana, no school drama, just a thirteen-year-old girl and her interdimensional best friend having the kind of deep conversation that changes everything.
What starts as typical teenage curiosity ('Do you have a boyfriend?' ...
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Ella’s bedroom is a cocoon of soft light, the glow of her nightlight casting gentle shadows across the walls.
It’s Monday night, and the house is quiet, the usual chatter of Eileen and Roxana absent.
“It’s just us tonight,” Ella says, tucking her legs under her on the bed, the vintage Aladdin’s lamp perfume bottle resting on her nightstand.
“The rest of the crew’s at home with their families.
Maybe this weekend we’ll have another sleepover at one of their places.
But most nights, it’ll be you and me.
I’ll keep you close so you don’t freeze.” “I’m okay with that,” Helana’s voice hums in Ella’s mind, warm and reassuring.
“Your energy sustains me.
Just eat healthy, or we’ll both feel it.” “I’m not on the phone, Mom!” Ella calls out as her bedroom door creaks open.
Her mother peeks in, eyebrows raised.
“It’s downstairs anyway.
I’m practicing for speech class, talking to my imaginary friend.” Her mom shakes her head with a wry smile, closing the door.
Ella exhales, glancing at the lamp.
“I’m not supposed to be on the phone after nine.” “I understand,” Helana says.
“Your body needs rest at this age.
You’re transforming rapidly—puberty’s a lot of work.
Staying up all night doesn’t help.” Ella grins, settling against her pillows.
“Tell me about you, Helana.
Your story.
Everything.
Roxana thought you were a demon, but I’m starting to think you’re an angel.” Helana’s laugh ripples through Ella’s mind, light and melodic.
“Not an angel, just a girl like you, but from a very different place.
There are angels around, though—I sense them sometimes, even if I can’t always see them.
I have my own angels, but I haven’t met them yet.
Where I come from, there’s a ceremony for that, like your Bat Mitzvah or Quinceañera, but I’m not old enough.” “Why do we have angels? What do they do?” Ella asks, her curiosity sharp. “You, me, and countless others across existence—we’re part of a vast royal family, children of the One Infinite Creator,” Helana says.
“As royals, we have servants, like angels, who care for us.
That’s what my faith teaches, and I believe it’s true.” Ella’s brow furrows, skeptical.
“If we’re royals with angels, why do awful things happen here? I see it on TV—people suffering, wars, disasters.
Are the angels bad at their jobs?” Helana’s tone softens, thoughtful.
“As royals, we have free will to do as we please, and like undisciplined children, we often make trouble.
We invite chaos into our lives.
Angels can’t override our choices, but they’re always there, ready to help if we allow them.
The universe is full of beings who create pain—it’s part of our growth, learning from mistakes to build a better reality.
But I wonder if that’s the whole story.
Something feels… off about this universe, something we’re meant to help fix.
We’re not old enough yet, but I sense that time is coming, and the angels will guide us.” Ella’s eyes widen.
“This sounds like one of those movies where a few kids save the world.” “Maybe those movies are more prophetic than you think,” Helana says, a hint of mischief in her voice. “You travel through time,” Ella says.
“Does it get better?” “It does, except when it doesn’t,” Helana replies.
“I can move through time, but some places and times are off-limits.
I never know the full future, and knowing it changes it.
The struggle seems eternal, but maybe we can change that.
Who knows?” “Okay, my head’s exploding,” Ella groans, rubbing her temples.
“Let’s set the eternal stuff aside.
Tell me about *you*.
What’s your home like? Is the sky blue? Do you have a boyfriend?” Helana chuckles.
“We don’t always live on planets, but that’s a long story.
Let’s start with the differences between us to make sense of it.” “Go for it,” Ella says, grabbing her journal to take notes. “At the core of existence, everything—rocks, trees, you, me—is made of tiny spinning vortexes, like whirlpools in space,” Helana begins.
“These ‘units’ self-organize into everything that exists, guided by an information matrix.
Rocks, plants, animals—all are shaped by this matrix.
Our scientists don’t fully understand it, but they pretend to.
I’m not explaining it well—my school’s download was confusing.” Ella scribbles furiously.
“Keep going.” “For living things, the smallest unit is a cell—what you call life’s building block.
You’re a collection of trillions of cells working together, a gorgeous collective.
Each cell carries a copy of your information matrix in DNA, what we call Chemical Encoding.
It’s not just a blueprint of you fully grown; it’s a dynamic algorithm guiding your growth minute by minute, from birth to now.” “Stop!” Ella laughs, her pen pausing.
“My brain’s overloading.
I need to pee.” She returns, journal in hand.
“Okay, I’m back.
Go slow.
Your downloads are intense.” “No rush,” Helana says.
“This is a good review for me too.
We’re learning together in our little night school.” “Here’s the point: everything, living or not, is information.
In your four-dimensional world, Chemical Encoding stores the information for life.
Your dimension has three spatial dimensions and one of time—just enough for things to exist and move.
It’s beautiful but limited.” “So your dimension’s better?” Ella asks, teasing. “Different, not better,” Helana says.
“I adore you and wish I could be like you.
Maybe your dimension’s better—it’s a matter of taste.” “If you’re not like me, what are you?” Ella presses. “Your matrix uses Chemical Encoding to form a physical body, from which your spirit emerges.
Mine uses Energy Encoding to form an energy body—spirit—that can manifest physically.
You’re born physical and can touch the spiritual.
I’m born spiritual and can manifest physically.
With more dimensions to work with, it’s easier for me to visit you, which I do because I love you more every moment.” Ella’s breath catches.
“I love you too.
Wow, I didn’t realize until I said it.
I love you!” A warm pulse hums through her mind, Helana’s voice soft.
“That burst of energy from you… love is powerful, almost intoxicating.” “Keep going,” Ella urges, not wanting to lose the thread.
“You said you don’t always live on planets.
How are you born?” “We don’t need planets like you do,” Helana explains.
“We manifest physically on various planets, moving energetically through time and space—no spaceships needed.
As for birth, your DNA carries billions of years of life history, blending your parents’ to create you.
In my world, our Energy Encoded matrix does the same.
When my parents blended their energy—our version of intimacy—their vibrational ‘songs’ merged, creating a new song: me.
I was born as a baby spirit.
When they separated, there were three of us.
We found a community in time and space, manifested physically, and became a family.
That’s where I lived until… I ran away.” “You’re a runaway?” Ella exclaims, shocked.
“What the heck?” “I didn’t mean to say that,” Helana admits, her voice small.
“I’m not supposed to be here.
I was only meant to visit for a moment, but you saw me and trapped me.” Ella’s heart twists, tears welling.
“I love you more every minute, so I don’t want you to leave.
But because I love you, I can’t keep you here against your will, especially if you’re in trouble.
If you need to go, I release you.” “I’m already in trouble,” Helana says, a mix of relief and longing in her tone.
“Please, let me stay a little longer.
Can I?” “Yes, you better stay!” Ella says, wiping her eyes.
“But stay because you want to, not because I trapped you.” “Thank you,” Helana whispers.
“I won’t be a burden, I promise.” “Do you sleep?” Ella asks, yawning.
“Or are you up all night?” “I sleep, like you, and I dream,” Helana says.
“Tonight, I’ll dream of you.”
“Sweet dreams,” Ella murmurs, placing the lamp close to keep Helana warm.
---
Later, Ella opens her diary, her heart full and her mind racing.
I met Helana Friday night, and now, Monday night, she’s like my best friend.
I love her.
I just fell in love with a girl from another dimension! It’s amazing but scary.
What if she’s a trickster, and I’m getting in deep trouble? For now, I want her to stay.
There’s so much more to learn, and I need to know where this story goes. Goodnight, Diary.
In Chapter 4 — *“Just Us”* — Gary Brandt delivers one of the most emotionally powerful episodes in *Ella’s Story* so far. This chapter strips away school chaos and friend group dynamics to focus on a **late-night conversation between Ella and her interdimensional friend Helana**. It’s fascinating, vulnerable, and surprisingly tender — the kind of chapter that feels like eavesdropping on a moment destined to change both characters forever.
--- ## 📖 **Story Arc Summary**This chapter happens on a quiet Monday night in Ella’s bedroom. For the first time since the sleepover that launched their friendship, it’s just Ella and Helana — no Eileen, no Roxana, just the glow of a nightlight and earnest conversation. What begins as typical teenage curiosity — questions about angels, love, and other worlds — quickly expands into **deep philosophical and emotional territory** as Helana explains her origin, her beliefs, and the nature of existence.
The conversation shifts from cosmic concepts like *Chemical Encoding vs. Energy Encoding* to something profoundly intimate: the girls realize they *love each other*. Helana admits she wasn’t meant to stay, confessing she’s technically a runaway from her dimension — a surprising emotional twist that shifts her from mystical guide to a vulnerable character with real feelings and stakes.
The chapter ends with Ella’s diary entry, where she confesses how strange and wonderful it feels to love someone from another dimension and her mix of excitement and fear about what comes next.
--- ## 💬 **Favorite Quotes**“Your energy sustains me. Just eat healthy, or we’ll both feel it.”
This playful yet profound line perfectly captures the tender interdependence forming between Ella and Helana — and it’s both humorous and heartfelt.
“You’re born physical and can touch the spiritual. I’m born spiritual and can manifest physically.”
Helana’s explanation of their differences made me pause — Gary manages to blend science, philosophy, and emotion in a way that feels both imaginative and deeply thoughtful.
“I love you more every minute…”
This emotional confession is the chapter’s heart. It’s tender, surprising, and utterly genuine — a moment that made my heart skip.
“If you need to go, I release you.”
Ella’s awareness of consent and respect for Helana’s freedom is one of the most beautiful parts of this chapter — showing love that is thoughtful instead of possessive.
--- ## 😲 **Unexpected Plot Twists**This chapter gives us something rare in speculative fiction — **an intimate, honest conversation about love, existence, and freedom**. Despite all the cosmic ideas discussed, the emotional core is unmistakably *human*. Ella’s earnest questions and Helana’s thoughtful answers feel like the heart of what this series is building toward.
The vulnerability the characters show — especially when Helana admits she’s technically not supposed to be here — added depth and tension I didn’t expect. And Ella’s mature understanding that love should respect freedom touched me deeply.
It’s rare to see a narrative balance *teenage curiosity*, *philosophical wonder*, and *romantic vulnerability* so beautifully, but Chapter 4 does exactly that.
--- ## 🎯 **Final Thoughts***“Just Us”* might be the most intimate and emotionally resonant chapter in *Ella’s Story* so far. It blends cosmic speculation with young love and deep introspection, all within the safe cocoon of Ella’s bedroom dialogue. If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to love someone completely different from you — physically, spiritually, or dimensionally — this chapter *feels like an answer*.
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — A beautifully heartfelt chapter that made me laugh, think deeply, and *feel* in a way few stories do. I can’t wait for the next episode!
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