Rosa and the Graven Kings - A Spiritual Warfare Novella

Chapter 3

Brooke and Nina gasped, so Rosa frowned at them. But it was something to gasp about. What stranger would come from the land of Pootin' searching for a twenty-year-old girl?

Rosa's eyelids flickered with fear and confusion. "I beg your pardon. I don't think I got your n . . ."

But the lady cut her off. "Shall I explain? Yes. I awoke from a dream five days ago. Indeed, your name be Jasmine. No?" Rosa stopped her jaw from falling. Then the lady said, "God bestowed me a dream about you. He wanted to tell you that He loves you and hasn't forgotten about you. But-and here's the bad news-He wanted me to tell you that He won't forgive you for . . ." Rosa covered her ears and heard the last part of the lady's speech. ". . . that you did at the party."

All her friends gasped, so she looked at them and sternly said, "That's not true."

"Rosa . . . you didn't do that, right?" Brooke asked, shocked.

"Heaven forbid," Rosa yelled, swallowing a cuss word. "I did not."

But the old lady nodded. "Hope does remain, my dear, Jasmine." Then she let down the big sack from her back, dug something out, and passed it to Rosa. After returning the sack and catching her breath, she said, "Take this."

Rosa could feel her eyes burning with grief. Tears begged to fall, but she held them back. Undoubtedly, the lady knew what she did at the party. And all my friends heard it. She felt like running away. Running home to her mother. But if she went back, she'd probably have to explain her actions two days ago.

"Rosa," Brooke said, "this has got to be false."

But Rosa wasn't paying attention. She gazed at what the lady gave her and whispered, "Why does God want me to have these?"

The lady replied, "Because there is hope."

"Hope for me?" Rosa wondered, eyes flickering. "But I seriously thought . . ."

"Listen, Jasmine. Take what was given to you before it is too late."

Rosa surveyed what was in her hands: a golden key and a rough scroll that felt like sandpaper. But there was one problem: "I thought only witches use scroll paper these days. We have copy paper and printers . . ."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," the lady said, waving her left hand. "I am not a witch. No, indeed."

"Sorry, stuff like that popped up online."

"No. No witch. But a prophetess." She said the last word with passion. "Listen: take the key and the map and go to the place God directs. You will find a box in the desert. Open it."

Rosa looked weird. "And do what?"

"Receive your healing. Receive the power to overcome the past."

"Um . . ." Rosa said, looking at the scroll.

But the lady cut her off. "Jasmine, do it. Your time is running out." Then she walked away from the group.

It was silent as everyone eyed her, probably thinking she was strange. Pootin' strange.

Then a tear fell down Rosa's cheek. She turned her back to her friends and said, "Was that You, God? Do You still have hope for me?"

"Uh," Brooke hesitantly said. Rosa wiped the tears away and looked back to see Brooke and Nina hugging each other with fear. "Does anyone else feel weird?" Brooke shouted.

"Yes," everyone but Rosa replied.

After a brief pause, Nina looked Rosa in the eyes. "Um, Rosa?"

"What?" Rosa snapped. She knew what was coming.