Amber by Dan-Dwayne Spencer (e book reader .TXT) 📕

knew it the moment I touched his temples after he collapsed. I could see the realization in his eyes.”

“I didn’t want to believe it.” Glancing around at my friends, I lied by replacing what I should have said with, “I… I thought there had to be something else—another reason not in the realm of the twilight zone.” Truth was, and I knew without a doubt, Flower’s healing gift was supernatural.

Roger grabbed my arm. “I was right. They did something to you. I mean, she did something to you. Did she give you some drugs?”

It was time to fess up. “It’s not like that,” I explained. “Flower has a gift. She heals people. I mean she literally can heal them.”

Roger’s eyes widened. “When you say she’s a healer, you are talking about giving them medicine—right?”

A knock at the door drew everyone’s attention. A little girl of no more than ten-years-old with beautiful brown skin and bright brown eyes to match, stood there shyly holding her hands behind her. She bit her lip and asked, “Miss Flower, is this a bad time? I can come back later.”

Flower smiled and waved her in. “Anjelica, what is it?” She looked up at us and added, “She is so shy, if she interrupted then there is a definite reason. I won’t be but a moment.”

“It’s not for me, Miss.” She pulled her hands from behind her back. In her right hand nestled a dove, its right-wing hanging down in an awkward position. “It’s Javier, he got out of his cage.” Tears filled her eyes. “It’s my fault. I didn’t close the cage very good, and he got out. He flew around the house…I was chasing him, then he flew into the glass door trying to get out. I think he hurt himself bad.”

Flower looked up at us, then back to Anjelica, and said, “You know it’s my rule to only do this for people, but today I’ll make an exception. Give him to me.”

She took the bird in her hands and stroked the wing with her index finger. The bird fluttered and pulled the limp wing back into position. Handing the bird back to the girl, she said, “There, he’ll be fine now.”

Anjelica leaned up to Flower and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you, Miss Flower.” All smiles, she turned and scampered out of the room.

Jimmy said, “Tell me what I just saw wasn’t some kind of real hocus pocus. Please tell me it was a trick.”

“No trick. I’ve always been able to heal in the past,” she waved toward the people in the beds, “but these people are different. They aren’t sick or injured.” She ran a hand along the bedside railings of the raven-haired teen from my dream. “I’m helpless for the first time—ever.” She turned toward us. “They appear to be dying of natural causes, but what’s happening to them is far from natural.”

Jimmy released Rose’s hand and stepped back. She shook her head, saying, “I don’t have a gift. I’m just plain old Rose.” Jimmy’s eyes darted from Flower to Rose and back again.

Seeing panic growing in Jimmy’s face, Flower calmly said, “Let’s go back to the Roundhouse and I’ll explain.” Again, she led the way.

Sitting up to a table in the Roundhouse, Flower paused, deciding how to describe her extraordinary gift with words we would understand. She sighed and began, “I suppose you all have heard of the Bible. Perhaps you have gone to Sunday school or Mass?”

We all nodded. Even I didn’t know where she was going with her explanation.

“I suppose you could call it unnatural or supernatural, but it’s more. It’s all about spiritual gifts. The complete list is scattered throughout the New Testament, some in Romans, some in First Corinthians and Ephesians, but one of the spiritual gifts is healing.” She closed her beautiful blue eyes and did her best to explain. “Some people are gifted with skills, like how to fix things and make things, inventions that will make life better. This is the gift of knowledge and understanding. Then there are those with the gift of wisdom. Those are rare people indeed who can work out any puzzle, they can logically sort out any math problem, and can even interpret dreams.”

Roger asked, “Are you saying they never have to study for any tests?”

She smiled, “Yes, exactly.”

“Can I sign up for that gift?” he eagerly asked.

“No, I’m afraid no one can choose or refuse one of God’s gifts.” She pressed her lips, trying not to laugh before she continued, “God selects who He wants to receive them.”

“The people who are chosen,” I asked, “they don’t know they’re gifted until the gift suddenly makes itself known—right?”

“Yes, it’s true, until the gift manifests itself, the person is clueless to its existence.” She nodded. “Thomas Edison surely didn’t ask to be so observant and… well, smart. Although he made mistakes, he was surely gifted to be able to invent so many wonderful things—just as Mozart must have been gifted with music, too. And yes, music is another of the gifts.”

Roger hung on her every word with an excited interest. Jimmy, on the other hand, sat with an expression of horror as Flower continued, “Then there are some people who have the gift of speaking and counseling, while others have the gift of faith and healing—like me.”

Crossing her arms and clutching her elbows, she sat upright. “We who have gifts are few and always marked by God. It’s like a sign to ordinary people saying, these are the ones who can help you.” She shrugged. “Sadly, instead of seeking us out for help, humanity has more often sought to persecute us, calling us witches, phonies, or some other falsehood.”

Flower paused, glanced my direction, and hesitated before saying, “Then there are the very rare ones. The blessed ones who God only sends in times