I mentioned, “That’s where we’re staying and Gregory’s family can be traced back to Barrister Williams.”
Destiny cocked an eyebrow at us. “How coincidental that you would happen to pick the very house that your ancestors grew up in.”
Gregory spoke up. “We had no clue at the time I made the reservations. We’ve enjoyed checking out the various rooms of the house and catching up on our American History, while staying in Philadelphia.
My aunt sat back and pursed her lips, as if contemplating something. “What I’m about to say may alarm you, but there’s no need for the act around me, Hannah and Aaron.” She looked directly at us as she said our names. “While I may be only related by marriage to the Clark family, my ancestry is from a long line of clairvoyants—able to see the past, present and future.”
We both inhaled sharply, as she went on. “My family has been friends with both of your families throughout time.” She held her hand to her chest with tears in her eyes. “We feel awful that our visions, which could have saved you in the past, came too late for us to help. But, we know that your prophecy mentions multiple lifetimes of rebirth to help you grow stronger and more knowledgeable in order to handle the evil you will eventually face.”
Both Gregory and I said in unison, “You know of our prophecy? Do you know how to translate it?”
“The women on my family have been given glimpses of your prophecy, but never the full description. We’ve been searching for a copy of it. We know it was written in an ancient form of dialect that pre-dates the birth of the Latin language. The best I can determine, without actually seeing it, is a cross between Latin and Proto-Indo European.”
I was about to ask a question, when she turned to me. “I know you’re going to ask whether we’ve been able to translate any of what we’ve seen. Sadly, we cannot. Throughout the generations, we were able to get bits and pieces of it in the English translation. None of my immediate family has ever seen the full prophecy and searched for it.”
I looked over at Gregory and smiled. “We have the prophecy hidden in a safe place. I’ve been given insight into a portion of what it says, but we need help with the rest of the translation.”
She reached into the coffee table and pulled out a piece of paper with a name and number scrawled on it. “This gentleman is a specialist in dead languages. The more unusual the language, the happier he is to try and decipher the words. I was about to set up a meeting with him to show him the couple of sentences I was able to write down. Maybe you’ll have luck with him being able to translate it.”
Gregory took the piece of paper. “Thank you, Aunt Destiny.”
Her eyes widened. “You called me Aunt. Does this mean…?” She glanced over at my left hand, at the ring. “May I take a closer look at that, Jordan?”
I leaned forward on the sofa, opposite her, and placed my hand in hers. She turned my hand this way and that, taking in the design of the ring, before placing her other hand atop it. I watched as her eyes rolled back and a strange expression crossed her face.
She had gone into some sort of trance and within moments, she came back out of it. “This wasn’t your original engagement ring?”
I was stunned by her knowledge. “No, it wasn’t.”
I was too speechless to carry on so Gregory took over. “When Jordan almost lost her life in an automobile accident a couple of months ago, that we believe was caused by the witch’s dark spirits, my grandfather offered up this ring. It was my grandmother’s ring and has great sentimental value to him. He felt it brought them good luck for many years, so he gave it to me in hopes that we might have the same good fortune, love and fate.”
“He was right to give this to you. The ring has a strong vibe of safety and love coming off of it. I believe it has been blessed with special powers of protection.” She pulled me closer so my eyes met hers. “Whatever you do, Jordan, never take this ring off. It is providing you safety.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes ma’am.”
She went back to looking through papers in the boxes. “By chance, you wouldn’t happen to have the letters that Aaron wrote to me as Hannah?” I asked.
She looked up with a sad face. “I wish I did. They were once within our procession, but one of the past keepers of the Clark history failed to lock a couple items up and they were stolen away in the night.”
“Did I keep the papers in anything special?” I wondered.
“No, dear. You had them twined in a bundle at your bedside table, initially. Then Aaron made a box for you to keep them in, so they would remain private. Sadly, that box was stolen. I don’t recall much about the box, itself, other than people describing an inability to open it and discover its secrets.” Aunt Destiny went on. “My predecessors were not too worried about the box, citing it would find its way back to its rightful owner at a future date– which means it will somehow seek you out, Jordan.”
I wondered if the box I left in the car with Anderson could potentially be Hannah’s. I looked over to Gregory wondering if I should mention it, but he gave a slight shake of his head. So, I kept quiet, knowing I would try to figure it out later.
He glanced down at his watch. “Aunt Destiny, I’m sorry to cut this short, but we have another appointment that we need to get to, so we must leave soon. Is there anything else you can tell us?”
She smiled, knowingly, as she reached back into the coffee table and pulled out a small rectangular box that was ornately carved and hinged on one side. The box seemed familiar and I thought she would hand it to me; but, instead, she passed it to Gregory.
“You gave this to Hannah a long time ago, when you asked her for her hand in marriage. We’ve tried figuring out the secret to getting the box open, but no one has managed to do it to date. I think it’s about time that it finally makes its way back to its rightful owner.”
Gregory grinned from ear to ear, recognizing the box and what contents it held inside. I watched as he pulled on three unseen levers that were hidden within the construction of the small container, in a specific order. As he began to lift the lid, I realized why it was so familiar; it held the earrings he had given Hannah that night at the Franklin’s Ball. They still looked as dazzling as ever with the curvy “S” style design and drop pearl.
He held the box out to me, as he placed one hand in mine, “I remember how lovely you looked that night. The earrings really set off your dress and you made me the happiest man alive, promising to be my wife.”
The partial dreams I had, came rushing back along with new memories of that night. I could see everything that had transpired and felt the devoted love Aaron had for me—the same as I had for him. “That was a special evening to remember. I felt I was the Belle of the Ball, floating in a dream like state. I was so enamored by you.”
We were about to say more, when a soft knock was heard at the door. We watched as Aunt Destiny made her way to answer it. It was Anderson.
“I’m sorry to interrupt your visit, but if you are to make your next appointment, we need to leave shortly.” He tipped his hat at all of us.
My aunt put her hand to her mouth. “Anderson, is that you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I haven’t seen you in such a long time. How have you been?”
“Life was,” I noticed he corrected himself, “is good. But, now I have plenty of duties to keep me busy. I’ll try to stop by sometime for a visit, when time allows.”
I got the vibe that Anderson was definitely more than he appeared to be. I knew he had been sent by Ray, but was he also an Angel? Had his life expired and now he was here helping us right our path? I hoped that we would eventually get some answers.
We got up from her sofa and offered to help her put everything away. But, she declined our offer.
We hugged each other tightly with tears starting to form in my eyes as well as Destiny’s. She whispered in my ear, “You two have the strongest chance of finally defeating the witch and her darkness. Stay strong, protect one another and know that love has
no end, only a beginning, and you can make as much of it as you want.”
She pulled back and held a hand to both of our faces. “The resemblances are so uncanny. I know the two of you will do well. It is obvious that the love you have for one another runs to the center of your souls. Be safe, take care of each other and keep in touch. Now that I’ve found you, I would like the chance to know you better.” She smiled before adding, “Your uncle would be so proud of you, Jordan.”
We waved goodbye to Aunt Destiny as Anderson pulled out of her driveway. Gregory had resealed the container that held the earrings and placed it in the bag with the box I had bought earlier.
Anderson was taking us a different direction than what we had traveled. “I hope you don’t mind, sir, but I believe you and Miss Jordan wanted to have a look at the Delaware River before leaving Philadelphia. I know you are meeting your grandfather tonight, for dinner, but was unsure of the time and wondered if we had time to stop by the river for some fresh air?”
Gregory looked over at me to see my thoughts. When I nodded in agreement, he said, “We still have some time. When you were referring to another appointment, I thought you meant the dinner tonight.”
“No sir. It was just about getting the chance to see the river. I have a feeling that some of the answers you seek, lie at the river’s edge.” He looked back in his rearview mirror at me and winked.
I realized that he must be taking us to that part of the river where our nightmares had us tied in chairs along the river bank. When we had sought answers about our history in Richmond, Virginia, we hadn’t had much success until Anderson directed us to the Seer, Faith, who, in turn, led us to the train station where we were shown how we had been duped by the witch and her cohorts. He must be guiding us, again.
Anderson took a nice, scenic route and talked about some of the more fascinating tourist and historical spots of the area. We rode past a museum with the steps used in the famous scene from the Rocky movie. We were told it now displayed a statue of Rocky Balboa. We drove past the U.S. Mint and across the street from it was a famous cemetery where Benjamin Franklin and his wife were laid to rest, complete with plaques and public viewing area.
We were back in the heart of the historic district, when Anderson drove slowly past the very first hospital in America. The sight of it brought back a flood of memories of my father, Dr. Clark. I would often follow him to the hospital offering assistance wherever needed; finding the field of medicine fascinating. Suddenly, I had a moment of clarity, realizing that Hannah’s and Aaron’s past parents looked identical to the present day ones. Could it be that we were all set on a path of repeating life until the prophecy is fulfilled?
Gregory must have been remembering things, as well, because he held me close and kept squeezing one of my hands and placing gentle kisses on my temple from time to time. I squeezed his hand for reassurance and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and leaned into him.
After a while, at a red light, Anderson turned to us, “We are approaching the river. Let me know where you would like me to let you out to walk around a bit. I’ll find a spot to park the car and wait for you.”
He drove along one end of the river that was not recognizable to either of us. After a mile or so, we approached an area where boats could be seen in the distance; some sort of Port for a variety of vessels.
Both Gregory and I looked out the side window, yelling, “Stop,” in unison. There were a lot of modern additions to the park area and to the streets themselves, but something about the place was familiar and called to us.
Anderson pulled off to the side and opened the doors. He pointed to a parking lot about a block away. “I’ll park over there. Please feel free to take your time. Just wave to me and I will pick you back up.”
“Thank you, Anderson,” we both said, together. Wow, we were really in sync, today. I almost felt like yelling, “Jinx, you owe me a Coke” every time we said the same thing at the same moment. But, we already had enough bad luck; I didn’t want to risk cursing us.
Gregory interlaced our fingers together as we headed toward the edge of the river. “What do you think, Jordan?”
I know I had a puzzled expression on my face. “The area feels familiar; but, at the same time, different. I’m trying to find some landmarks from the past, but there’s nothing. Do you think maybe things are hidden or maybe destroyed in the war?”
“I have that same feeling. I think we are in the right area, it’s just that things have built up over the last two hundred years.” He continued to hold my hand, drawing me forward with him as he checked out the railing along one section of the river.
Nothing seemed familiar to me, until we leaned on the rail and I placed my free hand over one of the posts. A sudden pulse of energy coursed through me, suggesting I had found the right place.
Gregory released my hand. “Ouch.”
“Did you feel that, too?”
He nodded. “I did, but it felt like it was coming through you.”
I touched the post again and could see the nightmares of our dreams start to play out in reality at that location.
“I have been waiting for you.” Ray said, as he appeared behind us, causing us to turn and face him. The wind and a few fall leaves began to circle around us as the surroundings faded to black and we began our journey back into the past. “Prepare yourselves for what you’re about to see. The dreams were only a slight vision of what you are going to witness and what actually happened.”
Ray placed a hand on each of our shoulders and looked us both in the eyes. “Remember, you two, together, are our strongest hope of finally defeating this evil.” He released us and stepped to the side. “Watch and learn from the mistakes of your past. Look closely, for all is not what it appears to be.” We watched as the scene unfolded.
The street near the docks was dimly lit, and a woman, her face hidden by the shadows of the leaves on the trees, paced back and forth in the distance. A low hum of several voices could be heard chattering about in the darkness. The volume grew louder as they approached. A man’s irate voice spoke up, “What is the meaning of this? Why have we been summoned out here this time of night?” The crowd seemed to agree cheering at his line of questioning.
A soft glow came from the female figure. As she turned around, the last traces of red hair turned to brown, both Gregory and I gasped at seeing my face reflecting back.
I started to shake at what I’d just seen. Gregory wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close into his side, giving me a gentle kiss on my temple as my eyes stayed transfixed on the figure before me.
“That can’t be me.”
“Is something wrong with your father, Hannah?” One woman asked.
That person, the one who looked like me, shook her head in response.
A man spoke up. “Is something wrong with the barrister or Aaron?”
This time she opened her mouth and began to speak with my voice. “No, dear ones. Nothing is amiss with our families, per se. But, something does disturb my mind and I must tell you with a sad heart.” She paused, looking back toward the shadows and nodded, as though she were giving a signal to someone. But no one was there; or were they?
Gregory pointed to an area where the shadows were darkest and we watched in horror as they started to move across the ground toward the colonists. At the same time, a man stepped around the corner, with a strong red glow surrounding him and we watched as his height and face changed into that of Aaron.
“I fear my future sister in-law and her husband are not what they appear to be. Aaron sent me on an errand into town, this day, and I came across Rebecca passing a note to a known enemy spy.” She feigned tears, as whispering began to pass through the crowd.
“I quickly hid around the corner to escape being seen. I thought it was just Rebecca at fault, but soon watched as Nicholas came up with information about General Washington’s current location.”
The person who looked like Aaron stepped forward. “I followed Hann
ah into town and, while I find it hard to believe my own brother would be a traitor to our cause, it is true. The soldier paid them some coins and said, “General Howe thanks you for your service to our cause.”
The one looking like Hannah spoke up. “We cannot allow this to continue. We must force them to confess their crimes and deal with them, accordingly.”
The colonists argued. “But who is to say that your word is truth? Are you both sure you were not affected by the heat or have clouded eyes, mistaking one person for another?”
We watched as she yelled out, “Now!”
The shadows that crept across the ground began to divide into individual shadows and circle round each of the colonists. The colonists yelled out, “What deviltry has befallen us, you evil witch?”
We watched as the majority of the shadows entered the colonists through their mouths. Their eyes began to glow red and their auras quickly changed from white and yellow to a bright crimson glow. A few colonists resisted and the shadows quickly abated back to their corners, as the person looking like Hannah chanted some strange chant. “Hic verbis meis, succumbebat postulatum meum ... vestrae mentes iam in mea potestate. Pugna ultra, quia dico, quod fit dum erit hæc dimittet vos. Parebis, nunc!”
She kept repeating the words over and over. Ray touched our shoulders, lightly and suddenly we heard, “Here my words, succumb to my demands...your minds will now be in my control. Fight no more, for what I say will be what is done, until I let you go. You will obey, NOW!”
Their eyes glazed over with darkness and the entire crowd of colonist’s auras all turned red. It didn’t take much to realize she had cast a spell on the remaining colonists and they would now follow whatever she said.
Time sped up and we found our past selves, looking like Rebecca and Nicholas, bound to the chairs and perched over the river’s edge. We watched as the one looking like Hannah, taunted the fact that the group was now under her powerful control. “You cannot beat me. I have everyone here in my command.”
Aaron asked, “Then why not shift to your true form, Rebecca, if that is who you really are.”
Loving You (Remembrance Series, Book 2) Page 16
