Chapter 6

05:30 August 23, 1983...

Two Days Until the Attack.

The next morning was a lot like the one before. I met the Colonel at the track where he was already running and I joined him for my four laps, trying to match his pace. I couldn’t do it, but I pushed myself as hard as I could. Then, after a quick break, I did my burpees, crunches, and pull-up-flexed arm hang.

Then, because it was Saturday and neither of us had to work today. We started on the forms for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He showed me the most basic ones and had me do a set of ten of them from start to finish. He explained the forms were the basic moves and that once I could do them smoothly and consistently with all ten sets, he would show me how to use them to defend myself and introduce the next set of forms.

After that, he got in his car and went home and I rode out past the subdivision to my Granny and Pap-pap’s farm. I arrived in time to get a quick shower and put on the clothes I’d brought in my gym bag before Granny had a big farm breakfast on the table. Being famished, I dove right in and cleaned my plate. Once done eating, I helped Granny clean the table and wash the dishes while Pap-pap drank a cup of coffee and read a copy of last night’s paper. It was an extra copy that I’d brought him. Now was a perfect time to talk to the two of them. “Granny, do you believe in all that Appalachian Mountain Witch stuff like good luck, bad luck, omens, and stuff? Dad says it’s all just superstitions.”

Pap-pap grunted from his seat at the table. “That boy has gotten too big fer his britches. He needs to remember his heritage and where he comes from. You listen to your Granny, Harrison, and accept that there are some things beyond book learning.”

I nodded. “Yes, Sir, I take it to mean that you believe in those things as well?”

He put his paper down and nodded once. “That there book learning will tell you the Farmer’s Almanac can’t be right and refuses to believe in anything they can’t prove beyond a shadow of a doubt. But let me tell you something boy. The Almanac is almost always right, and wha, them college people call superstitions, holds true more often than not. What’s got you asking me and Granny these questions boy?”

This was where I needed to spin a little white lie to cover how I knew the things I knew. “What about dreams? Do you think they come true?”

Granny looked at me. “You’ve been having dreams that you want to come true Harrison?”

I shrugged. “One I hope doesn’t, one I hope does. I’ve had the same two dreams for twenty-one nights in a row.”

She put her hand over her chest. “Three sets of seven. Those are a very powerful set of numbers. There are those in our family history that were known to be seers of true dreams. Tell me these two dreams you’ve been having.”

“Well, the first one kind of freaked me out because it was about my new girlfriend. You two met Amaryllis last night. It was kind of a shock the first time I met her because I’d been dreaming about her for weeks. Imagine my surprise when she is my new next-door neighbor and tells her parents and mom and the twins that I’m her boyfriend!”

“Was that the dream that she became your girlfriend?”

“I shook my head. No, that wasn’t my dream. I wish that was my dream, Granny because it wasn’t a good dream. I’ll tell you because I need to know what to do, but just know it isn’t nice. The second dream is good but I need to know if these are just dreams or something else.”

My Granny gasped, “You saw her death didn’t you?”

I nodded. “It’s worse than that. Here’s the dream. According to the dream, she is going to be raped, in two days, by some bullies in our school. In the dream, I saw them and left her to them because they are bigger and meaner and threatened to hurt me if I got in their way.

In the dream, I walked away and they raped her. Then two days later she kills herself. I keep dreaming it over and over Granny. Do you think it’s a true dream? I mean how could I dream about something so terrible about someone I’d never met until three days ago?”

My Granny gathered me into a big bear hug for such a tiny woman. “Oh child, I wish I could tell you that it was just a dream. But the fact that this girl exists and you dreamed this before you met her makes me think this is a true dream, and that you might have to decide if you will allow it to play out or if you will change it. Most of the time these kinds of dreams are a warning for those who receive them. They are the powers that be warning you that you can change what happens to your friend. What will you do Harrison? Will you be like the boy in your dream and turn away in fear? Will you leave this girl, who has claimed you, to be violated and end up ending her life out of shame and fear? Or will you stand up for what is right no matter what it costs you personally? Are you the hero or the coward?”

“Tell me what to do Granny and I’ll do it.”

She squeezed me tight. “I can’t tell you what to do, Harrison. That’s the whole point. If you take action, you can change this dream and save your friend from the boys and prevent her from taking her own life, and you won’t have to live with the guilt. If you act to change the dream, I don’t know what will happen. You might save the girl’s life at the cost of your own. You might stop her from getting hurt only to be hurt yourself. Or the Almighty might show you a way to win the day. The choice, however, is one you have to make. No one else can make it for you. This is why our ancestors, who had the power of this gift, called it both a blessing and a curse. It is a hard gift and a heavy load for you to carry at fifteen. Know that I will pray for you and Pap-pap, and I will always be here for you no matter what choice you make.”

Pap-pap slammed his hand on the table. “That’s a load of horseshit Beulah and you know it! I’ll tell you what to do, Harrison. You’re a man almost fully grown. You protect what’s yours. I agree with your grandmother. This seems like a true seer’s dream. So what do you do? This young lady has claimed you as her man. Did you tell her you weren’t? You have taken her statement seriously and have made your own claims based on what we witnessed last night. If not with words, then with your actions.”

“A man does what is necessary to protect his loved ones, grandson. Did you make this girl your own in any way yet?”

I blushed and nodded. “Yes Sir, I’ve not told her she isn’t my girl, and I’ve kissed her a bunch. So I believe that through my actions, and even my words, I’ve made her mine.”

He stood and gripped my shoulders. “Then her safety is your responsibility now, and you do whatever it takes to protect her. Even from those that are bigger and stronger than you. You use all the strength and heart in your body to protect her and you don’t stop until the situation is resolved. That’s what a real man does, whatever it takes.”

I looked into his eyes. It was what I’d already determined I would do anyway, but now at least when I destroyed the bullies I’d have backup facing my father.

My grandmother also nodded. “Pap-pap is right, Harrison. I tried to take the easy road. Most of the time, the easy road is the wrong road. I didn’t want to decide because I didn’t want to pressure you. The choice is yours, but I agree with your grandfather. Last night you showed our family, her family, and your friends, that she belongs to you. You need to handle your business. Now, tell me that your second dream isn’t like this one?”

I shook my head. “No Granny, it was a good dream, I think. It was about you and Pap-pap. I dreamed you went to the Circle K and while Pap-pap got fuel, you went inside and bought a Powerball lottery ticket. I even saw the numbers you picked. 19, 26, 39, 43, 58, and the Powerball was 16. You even told the girl at the counter that you didn’t play the lottery, because you thought it was for suckers, but you had a feeling about those numbers. I even saw the date on the ticket. It was next Monday’s date. Then I saw you on TV with a huge check for over four million dollars. This dream keeps coming just like the first one. If I was eighteen, I’d go to the Circle K and play those six numbers. But I’m not old enough to play. I even have a dollar, but I couldn’t buy the ticket if I tried. If this is a true dream, I hate for us not to win that four million dollars. That would give me a good start in life. I could pay my tuition at college or do a lot of good with even half that money. But I guess it wasn’t for me to win. After all, it was you in my dream collecting the money.”

“Isn’t Monday the same day you dreamed your girl gets hurt?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I hadn’t thought about that. Do you think that’s important?”

Granny nodded her head. “Did you have this dream before or after the one about your girl?”

I could see where she was going with this. I should feel guilty about lying to her, but I didn’t. As much as my Granny believed in the supernatural; time travel and getting a second chance to change your life was a bit more than even she would believe. So I told her what she needed to hear to buy the ticket and hopefully split it with me. “The dream with you in it always comes after the dream about Amaryllis? Why is that important?”

Granny looked at Pap-pap. “Calvin, you think the Almighty is trying to reward Harrison for the choice God knows he will make about the girl?”

My Pap-pap pulled a pouch of Mail Pouch chewing tobacco from his overalls. Pap-pap started chewing Mail Pouch twenty years ago when the company offered him free chewing tobacco if he would paint his barn with their advertisements. To this very day, the side of Pap-paps barn that faced the road stated “Chew Mail Pouch Tobacco. Treat yourself to the Best.”

“I’d have to say that it seems that way, Beulah. I mean, he’s given a dream to change a girl’s fate. If he does so, it appears the Almighty has offered him a reward. A chance to change his own fate. I think we are involved because we both know that our son would take the ticket if Harrison got one and keep the money. We ain’t got no need fer that kind of money. This farm gives us everything we’ve ever needed.”

Granny nodded her agreement. “I agree, Calvin. I say on Monday we go down and buy that lottery ticket using the numbers that Harrison dreamed of. If it’s a winning ticket, then we claim the money and set it up so that Harrison has some for now, but most of it he can’t get until he’s eighteen. If it loses, we know it wasn’t a true dream and we are only out of a dollar.”

I shake my head. “No, that isn’t right. It’s my dream. I’ll give you the dollar and you and I will be partners. You may not need that kind of money, but we all know that there are things on the farm that money would fix or make better. So we split the money fifty-fifty. You and Pap-pap keep a million and the rest you can deposit for me. But we can’t tell anyone. We can’t put this money in Dad’s Saving and Loan. We need a different bank that he can’t get into the accounts for.”

“This is your dream, Harrison, so the money is yours. But I agree with you that if your father catches news of this money, he will try to get his hands on it. Especially if he thinks it’s yours.”