The Gift ( part 2)

Heather looked around at her home in the stillness of night, she checked the doors and windows to see if they were locked. She then went and put another load of wood on the fire that was getting ready to die. And in the sparks she saw a face . She jumped back from the flames that had begun to greedily lick at the wood.



The face was the leader of the midnight riders, It was twisted and bent and his eyes were blacker than the bottom of the well. She prayed for God to show her what to do. She knew her life was in danger and maybe her family's life as well. All the next day she sat in silence in her room, praying and thinking. Her Mother came to see her because this was not like her daughter.



" Heather, what is wrong?" her mother asked her softly.



"Mother I don't know if I want to tell you because I don't know if you will believe me." Heather's lip trembled slightly as she said this to her Mother.



" I will believe you, just tell me. " Her Mother said to her in a worried tone.



"I dream things and they come true." Heather blurted these words out hurriedly. " I don't want them to come true but they do. And I have had visions of things that were going to happen." She began to cry , and her tears flowed down her checks like a damn overflowing.



Her Mother wrapped her arms around her, and quieted her oldest child. " It's all right, I knew this might happen. My own Mother had the Gift. It is not your fault. I was skipped and only certain people are chosen from each line to have it. You must always use it for good and never for evil. I remember there were times my Mother prayed that she would see no more visions and have no more dreams, but God saw fit for her to have this gift.And apparently you have been chosen now too."



" Mother, I dreamed a man was coming to kill me and I saw his face in the fire. I am scared he will kill you and Dad and the rest of our family. " Heather could not quit crying.



Her mother took her in her arms and let her finish crying and then she said, what are all the details of your dream? I need to know everything. These dreams are like puzzles and you have to figure them out."



Heather began, "It was midnight and the moon was out, it was a full moon. And the riders had on black coats and they were very skinny. There were maybe six of them and they riding across the prairie to our home. And the lead rider pointed at me and told me he was coming for me. He had a tattoo on his neck of a knife with blood dripping down his neck."



Heather's mom thought for a minute and said, "I remember hearing about a man who had a tattoo like that over in Silver Creek. He was arrested last year with part of his gang for several heinous murders not far from there. They murdered several families that lived near the river. It was so bad they had to piece the people back together who were murdered to identify them. This gang is scheduled to hang in 3 weeks. But, alot can happen between now and then."

Heather felt like throwing up she was so scared. "Mom, what are we going to do?"

Heather's mom answered confidently. " I am going to talk to the sheriff over there tomorrow and tell him about your dream and tell him to watch out for a jailbreak. I know he will listen, he knew Momma and he use to ask her for advice. He is like us he believes in warnings."

The next day Heather's mother went to see the sheriff and told him about Heather's dream. He took this to heart and when part of the gang that hadn't been caught tried breaking them out the night before the execution, they were prepared. They caught the rest of the gang that evaded them the year before and executed them too.

Heather lived to be nearly a 100, and saved many lives with her gift.

Too many times people assume that which is different to be evil. When in fact it can be a gift from God.

by Nita Barrow- Zimmerman