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

of great need. These are the ones who have the gift of prophecy.” She looked right at me. “These people see visions and get premonitions straight from heaven. It is their job to prevent disasters and warn their generation of what is coming.”

Jimmy warily raised his hand as if he were in school. “What is this thing you’re talking about…this thing coming? It sounds spooky.”

“At this minute, I have no idea what it is. It could be, and eventually will be, the end of all things.”

Chapter Eight

Mark of a Prophet

Again Flower met my gaze. “Only someone who possesses the gift of knowledge could know what purpose a prophet has for us,” she said. “I think there are more gifts, but these are the ones I have seen for myself.”

Roger sat wagging his finger at Flower. “You said all the gifted people are marked. It’s your eyes, right? That’s your mark. Looking into your eyes for the first time, I felt a warmth like on a summer day, but it’s night.”

She smiled, “Yes, you are one intuitive young man. It is my eyes.” She leaned back and scrutinized Roger.

Jimmy took it from there. “If your sky-blue eyes are your mark. Then—” He turned and pointed at my face. “Then what about Arland’s crazy eyes? His are wilder looking than yours are.”

Sirens went off in my head again. My stress level must have been redlining. Flower took my hand and the ringing in my ears stopped. A calm came over me. Even with her gift quieting my nerves, I was still afraid to tell my friends. They might run back to Texas and announce to everyone, Arland Loveless is a freak of nature—stay clear of him. But I gathered my courage, and after regaining some semblance of rational thought, I figured there wouldn’t be a better time to tell them than this.

I pressed my lips and tried to choose the right words; nothing came to me. I debated, changing my mind ten times before I opened my mouth and let my secret out, “I’ve been seeing weird things, omens, and crap like that.”

Roger sat slack-jawed, “The hell you say.”

“I know I sound like a lunatic, but I swear it’s true.” I swallowed hard. “Before we met Rose, I smelled roses from out of nowhere. Then I saw the word Die appear above Dave’s head when he was filling his rig. I also had a dream about my parents and I saw Roger looking like a zombie.”

“I knew something was up.” Jimmy declared. “You kept freaking me out. Hell, this whole damned thing is freaking me out.”

“What?” Roger wailed, “I’m going to turn into a zombie? Shit, shit, shit, I don’t want to be a zombie.” Panic was a mild word for what Roger went into. “Jimmy, don’t let me turn into a damned brain-eating zombie. You gotta help me.”

Flower released my hand and took his. Panic visibly dissipated from Roger’s face. She explained, “What Arland sees isn’t exactly what’s about to happen. Some divining must be done before anyone knows the meaning behind his visions. Even Arland doesn’t know what they mean. When he smelled roses, he had no way of knowing Rose was a girl.”

“So, I’m not going to turn into a zombie?” Wiping his forehead of the perspiration forming across his brow, Roger sighed, “What does it mean?”

“If someone with the gift of knowledge was here, then she could tell us. I have no clue.”

Rose spoke up, “You said she. Are people with the gift of knowledge always women?”

“Perhaps I misspoke. Until today, when I met Arland, I was acquainted with a few gifted people and only one other was male.” She glanced my way, “Now, I have met two, but I doubt it matters.” It appeared as if she were in deep thought. “Well, I think it has more to do with the personality of the gifted.”

She lifted her head as if seeing a specific individual in her mind. “Some people are aggressive and others passive; some are subtle and others direct; then there are those who show innate natural skills, while others acquire skills easily through instruction. Whoever is chosen, be it a man or woman, the person will always have the necessary tools to complete the mission set before them because of their unique attributes, not their sex.”

She paused, then added, “Never met a prophet before. The gift of prophecy is extremely rare, and the calling of a prophet is cause for concern.”

Jimmy looked spooked and spoke in a demeaning tone, “All this sounds crazy and makes me as nervous as a Mexican jumping bean. Guys, let’s say our goodbyes and get out of this nuthouse. It’s time to head on to New York. And I mean now. We’ve wasted almost two hours here in this loony bin.”

I couldn’t let Jimmy pass this off. I needed him to believe, or else my friends would think I’d lost a few marbles somewhere along the way. “Wait one minute, Jimmy, you know about my dream. I told you all about it right after I woke up, and you stood in the parking lot with me when I smelled the roses. You know what I’m saying is true.”

Jimmy gave me his intimidating stare, “You want me to believe you’re something special. A rare person with the gift of prophecy?” he huffed, “I got news for you, Loveless—you’re nothing special. You’re still the guy in the gym shower sliding away from my icepick.”

Flower gave Roger a puzzled expression. He said, “It’s a long story,” and waved his hand at her.

Addressing Jimmy, I said, “What about those people in the hospital beds? We might be able to help them somehow.”

“It’s not any of our business. I bet this scary stuff has something to do with what’s wrong with them