Raven Black was born with a veil in the summer of 1966. Her family recognized this sign meant special sight. Raven was taken home from the hospital to see her older sister, Raine. Raine doted on Raven, she treated Raven as her child. Raine protected her, worked with her, and helped feed and bathe Raven. Raine was only a year and five days older than Raven but saw her baby sister as her personal baby doll. Raven enjoyed the attention and Raine was willing to sacrifice all her attention to her infant, as she called Raven. As the girls grew, they became closer than just two sisters. It was like they were twins, possessing that special communication bond between two siblings. The girls found out early in life that they could communicate with each other in their dreams. Many nights, in their dreams, they would run outside to recreate in a magical universe. They never said a word to each other but communicated with their minds. They found this fascinating and fun. As they grew older and started grammar school, they decided to prove and communicate while in class. Raine had a unique power of being capable to see Raven, no matter where Raven was in the building. Raine was like a location specialist when it came to Raven. Raven had the unique ability to not only talk to Raine but also speak with her grandmother, Hattie. When Raven was in school, Raine would talk to her, telepathically and Raven could pull Raine along to talk to Hattie. The three had so much fun and kept it all secret until the summer Raven turned eight. Hattie was a special grandmother to Raven. Hattie was more like a mother to Raven because Raven spent as much time with Hattie as she did her own mom. Hattie always talked about God bestowing “gifts” of those worthy and Hattie had received the gift of healing. Many times, when Raven was with her Mamaw, people would stop and request prayer from Hattie. Hattie would always send Raven to her bedroom. Today, there was a woman that came to the door requesting prayer. Raven had never seen her before and neither had Hattie. Usually the people stopping by are people from the church they all attended. Only this woman looked desperate and in need of assistance. Hattie invited her in, poured her a cup of tea to get the woman to open about her problem. The woman told Hattie that she had got wind there was a God-fearing woman that had a gift of healing. She wanted to know if it was true and Mamaw confirmed the rumors. Hattie led the woman to the sofa and instructed her to lay down and get comfortable. Hattie walked to the window behind the sofa and opened it about two inches. She told the woman she needed the fresh air. Raven was sent to Hattie’s room, so she could watch tv and color. Hattie walked to the front of the sofa and knelt. Hattie told the woman to relax and just pray. Hattie took her hands, hovering over the woman’s body, and began praying. As Hattie prayed, she moved her hands all the way down the woman to her feet and back to her head. Hattie continued to pray and moved her hands again to a spot over the woman’s chest. Without ever touching the woman, Hattie began praying louder and louder. The woman lay there praying with Hattie and began crying. Raven heard her Mamaw’s voice getting louder and louder. She just wanted to know why. Raven opened the bedroom door and crept down the hall to a crack in the door to the living room. Raven sat motionless, observing as her Mamaw and the woman prayed. Hattie’s voice got so loud that she commanded God to remove the evil and heal the woman. Raven saw a black mass jump from the woman’s chest and hover. Hattie again commanded it to go away. Raven watched as the black mass exited through the small opening of the window. Raven gasps, making the slightest noise. Hattie turned to see Raven, sitting behind the crack in the door. Raven ran back to the bedroom and shut the door. It wasn’t long until Hattie opened the door and sat on the bed, looking at Raven. Raven turned, looking up at her Mamaw, afraid she was in trouble. “You know you are not old enough to watch that,” Hattie stated. “I know, but I’ve never heard you get so loud. It scared me.” Raven told her. “I know, I’m sorry but it was necessary.” Said Hattie. “Mamaw, what was that black stuff that came out of her? Did you see it? It just flew out the window. How did you do that?” Raven rattled. “Well, sweet baby, that’s the power of God working through me to cast out the ol’ devil and the sickness that was hurting that woman. You see, God gave me a gift. He works through me to defeat the evil. Now the evil can be the devil or the sickness that is hurting the person I’m praying for. God knows what they need but today he led my hands over that woman and made me stop right on the place she was sick. So, I started praying for God to help me get rid of whatever was in her. The black stuff was that sickness. Usually, you don’t see anything, but I must open the window, so it leaves. So, you saw the black stuff, huh?” Hattie explained. “Yeah, it was scary but neat at the same time. I didn’t know you could do that.” Raven said. Hattie laughed at Raven and took her to the kitchen for a snack. Raven continued asking questions while Hattie continued to answer as best she could. Hattie knew Raven had a curious mind and would ask a million questions if she could. But Hattie was patient and let Raven ask all the questions she wanted. Raven couldn’t wait to get home to tell Raine about all the fun stuff she did today. Hattie thought about Raven telling someone and requested Raven keep it a secret, for now. Raven agreed but only if she could watch Hattie perform more healings. Time passed and one day while Raven was with her Mamaw, the phone rang. It was the woman Raven had witnessed Hattie praying over. The woman informed Hattie that she had a clean bill of health. The doctors couldn’t believe what they saw. The woman told Hattie that the doctors had only given her six weeks to live, that’s when she decided to see Hattie. The new test showed no cancer anywhere in her body. She had been completely healed. The woman was crying when she thanked Hattie. Raven couldn’t believe her ears. Mamaw really healed that woman. Raven was in shock but proud of her Mamaw. Raven wanted to know if this gift was passed down through the family tree. Hattie laughing told the child no but was sure God would give Raven another gift just as special. Hattie knew she had also been given the gift of sight. Hattie could see when things were going to happen. Somehow Hattie could sense things about people and know if they were good or bad. Hattie also had dreams of things to come. The family would heed Hattie’s word if she told you not to go somewhere or do something. Raven continued watching and asking Hattie through the years. Hattie continued to heal numerous people with her gift. Raven would help when Hattie would allow her. When Raven was twelve, she had a dream one night that she was riding in a truck with her cousin that lived in another state. She hadn’t seen him in years and couldn’t figure out what she was dreaming about him. Cooper was driving with a high school buddy riding shotgun, she dreamt she was in the middle. She recognized the highway, they were on because she had been down it several times when visiting. It was a paved back road between Jonesboro and Weiner, Arkansas. She knew there was a sharp corner coming up. Cooper was driving too fast. She tried to get him to slow down, but he couldn’t see or hear her. She felt the truck start to turn when she heard the tires squealing. She felt the truck go airborne, then she was standing in the ditch, observing the truck striking a telephone pole, trapping Cooper behind the wheel. The truck looked like it only wrapped around the pole. She could hear Cooper in the truck, moaning. Cooper’s friend was thrown from the truck through the passenger window, he was lying in the ditch near the truck. She stood across the street in the ditch watching all of this unfold without being able to do anything but watch the horror that was yet to come. As she stood watching Cooper, the truck burst into flames. The fuel tank had been punctured and gas was leaking onto the hot engine and muffler under the truck. She heard Cooper moan as if waking up, then heard him yell for help. She stood watching as the flames engulfed the truck. She could barely make out the shape of Cooper before the explosion. She heard him scream as the truck exploded into a huge fireball. His friend was still unconscious lying in the ditch and was lucky he was thrown clear. She watched as the truck burns and the police showed up. She saw the fire department arrive to extinguish the truck. When the fires were finally out, they discovered there was somebody inside. The police officer noticed a key ring in the ignition and knew it was Cooper’s. Early on Saturday morning in the fall of 1978, the phone ringing woke Raven from her nightmare. She saw Raine run to answer the telephone. She listened, hoping it was not a phone call regarding Cooper. She could tell by Raine’s questions and her reactions that it was the call informing them of the untimely death of Cooper. Raine ran to Raven, tears streaming down her face, yelling for Raven to get up. She looked at Raine and said, “let me guess, Cooper is dead.” Raine stopped in her tracks, looked at Raven quizzically and said, “Yeah. How did you know that?” “Never mind. Did he die in a car wreck?” Raven asks. “Yeah, but how….” Raine trailed off. “Did it catch on fire?” Raven questioned. Raine shook her head and couldn’t say anything. All day she continued looking at Raven with a weird expression on her face, half like she was afraid of Raven and half wondering how Raven could have known about Cooper. Raven sat solemnly in her bedroom waiting for the details when her mom walked in her room to take a suitcase. They were leaving to go to Weiner, Arkansas to help with funeral arrangements. Raven’s dad, Edward, had been high school buddies with Cooper’s dad, Chet, then Chet married Raven’s aunt. Uncle Chet asks dad to come and help him with the arrangements. They all packed and left for a long drive across the state of Arkansas. Raine and Raven sat in the back seat holding hands and crying. Raine kept looking at Raven, wanting to ask her about that morning, but afraid to say anything. When they arrived at Uncle Chet’s house, Edward began to sob. Raine and Raven had never seen their father cry but knew this was a humbling moment for him. Uncle Chet welcomed them inside, then helped them settle before he and Edward left to look at Cooper’s truck. Raven knew what the truck looked like and didn’t want to see it. Her mom thought this was a job for the men and didn’t want to see it either. Raine wanted to ask Raven questions, but Raven kept avoiding her. That night when Raine and Raven went to bed, Raine started questioning Raven. Raven told her about the dream and everything that happened. She couldn’t believe Raven dreamt she was with Cooper and that everything occurred exactly like her dream. They stayed for the funeral, which was standing room only. When a senior in high school dies in a small town, the town shuts down to honor that student. Everyone knew Cooper or his family. The school took a day off to attend his funeral. The church wasn’t big enough to accommodate all the attendants. They knew it would be large and the church was the largest building in town. Raven’s family left right after the funeral. On the way home, Raine and Raven continued discussing the dream. To this day, Raven still recalls that dream and how real it all felt. It was a defining moment in Raven’s life. Months later, while spending the night with her Mamaw, Raven woke up screaming. Hattie rushed to Raven to what was wrong. Raven could only cry and cling to her Mamaw.
The Gift
Raven Black was born with a veil in the summer of 1966. Her family recognized this sign meant special sight. Raven was taken home from the hospital to see her older sister, Raine.
Raine doted on Raven, she treated Raven as her child. Raine protected her, worked with her, and helped feed and bathe Raven. Raine was only a year and five days older than Raven but saw her baby sister as her personal baby doll. Raven enjoyed the attention and Raine was willing to sacrifice all her attention to her infant, as she called Raven.
As the girls grew, they became closer than just two sisters. It was like they were twins, possessing that special communication bond between two siblings. The girls found out early in life that they could communicate with each other in their dreams. Many nights, in their dreams, they would run outside to recreate in a magical universe. They never said a word to each other but communicated with their minds. They found this fascinating and fun. As they grew older and started grammar school, they decided to prove and communicate while in class.
Raine had a unique power of being capable to see Raven, no matter where Raven was in the building. Raine was like a location specialist when it came to Raven. Raven had the unique ability to not only talk to Raine but also speak with her grandmother, Hattie. When Raven was in school, Raine would talk to her, telepathically and Raven could pull Raine along to talk to Hattie.
The three had so much fun and kept it all secret until the summer Raven turned eight.
Hattie was a special grandmother to Raven. Hattie was more like a mother to Raven because Raven spent as much time with Hattie as she did her own mom. Hattie always talked about God bestowing “gifts” of those worthy and Hattie had received the gift of healing. Many times, when Raven was with her Mamaw, people would stop and request prayer from Hattie. Hattie would always send Raven to her bedroom. Today, there was a woman that came to the door requesting prayer. Raven had never seen her before and neither had Hattie. Usually the people stopping by are people from the church they all attended. Only this woman looked desperate and in need of assistance.
Hattie invited her in, poured her a cup of tea to get the woman to open about her problem. The woman told Hattie that she had got wind there was a God-fearing woman that had a gift of healing. She wanted to know if it was true and Mamaw confirmed the rumors. Hattie led the woman to the sofa and instructed her to lay down and get comfortable. Hattie walked to the window behind the sofa and opened it about two inches. She told the woman she needed the fresh air.
Raven was sent to Hattie’s room, so she could watch tv and color. Hattie walked to the front of the sofa and knelt. Hattie told the woman to relax and just pray. Hattie took her hands, hovering over the woman’s body, and began praying. As Hattie prayed, she moved her hands all the way down the woman to her feet and back to her head. Hattie continued to pray and moved her hands again to a spot over the woman’s chest. Without ever touching the woman, Hattie began praying louder and louder. The woman lay there praying with Hattie and began crying.
Raven heard her Mamaw’s voice getting louder and louder. She just wanted to know why. Raven opened the bedroom door and crept down the hall to a crack in the door to the living room. Raven sat motionless, observing as her Mamaw and the woman prayed. Hattie’s voice got so loud that she commanded God to remove the evil and heal the woman. Raven saw a black mass jump from the woman’s chest and hover. Hattie again commanded it to go away. Raven watched as the black mass exited through the small opening of the window.
Raven gasps, making the slightest noise. Hattie turned to see Raven, sitting behind the crack in the door. Raven ran back to the bedroom and shut the door. It wasn’t long until Hattie opened the door and sat on the bed, looking at Raven. Raven turned, looking up at her Mamaw, afraid she was in trouble.
“You know you are not old enough to watch that,” Hattie stated.
“I know, but I’ve never heard you get so loud. It scared me.” Raven told her.
“I know, I’m sorry but it was necessary.” Said Hattie.
“Mamaw, what was that black stuff that came out of her? Did you see it? It just flew out the window. How did you do that?” Raven rattled.
“Well, sweet baby, that’s the power of God working through me to cast out the ol’ devil and the sickness that was hurting that woman. You see, God gave me a gift. He works through me to defeat the evil. Now the evil can be the devil or the sickness that is hurting the person I’m praying for. God knows what they need but today he led my hands over that woman and made me stop right on the place she was sick. So, I started praying for God to help me get rid of whatever was in her. The black stuff was that sickness. Usually, you don’t see anything, but I must open the window, so it leaves. So, you saw the black stuff, huh?” Hattie explained.
“Yeah, it was scary but neat at the same time. I didn’t know you could do that.” Raven said.
Hattie laughed at Raven and took her to the kitchen for a snack. Raven continued asking questions while Hattie continued to answer as best she could. Hattie knew Raven had a curious mind and would ask a million questions if she could. But Hattie was patient and let Raven ask all the questions she wanted. Raven couldn’t wait to get home to tell Raine about all the fun stuff she did today. Hattie thought about Raven telling someone and requested Raven keep it a secret, for now. Raven agreed but only if she could watch Hattie perform more healings.
Time passed and one day while Raven was with her Mamaw, the phone rang. It was the woman Raven had witnessed Hattie praying over. The woman informed Hattie that she had a clean bill of health. The doctors couldn’t believe what they saw. The woman told Hattie that the doctors had only given her six weeks to live, that’s when she decided to see Hattie. The new test showed no cancer anywhere in her body. She had been completely healed. The woman was crying when she thanked Hattie.
Raven couldn’t believe her ears. Mamaw really healed that woman. Raven was in shock but proud of her Mamaw. Raven wanted to know if this gift was passed down through the family tree. Hattie laughing told the child no but was sure God would give Raven another gift just as special.
Hattie knew she had also been given the gift of sight. Hattie could see when things were going to happen. Somehow Hattie could sense things about people and know if they were good or bad. Hattie also had dreams of things to come. The family would heed Hattie’s word if she told you not to go somewhere or do something. Raven continued watching and asking Hattie through the years. Hattie continued to heal numerous people with her gift. Raven would help when Hattie would allow her.
When Raven was twelve, she had a dream one night that she was riding in a truck with her cousin that lived in another state. She hadn’t seen him in years and couldn’t figure out what she was dreaming about him. Cooper was driving with a high school buddy riding shotgun, she dreamt she was in the middle. She recognized the highway, they were on because she had been down it several times when visiting. It was a paved back road between Jonesboro and Weiner, Arkansas. She knew there was a sharp corner coming up. Cooper was driving too fast. She tried to get him to slow down, but he couldn’t see or hear her. She felt the truck start to turn when she heard the tires squealing. She felt the truck go airborne, then she was standing in the ditch, observing the truck striking a telephone pole, trapping Cooper behind the wheel. The truck looked like it only wrapped around the pole. She could hear Cooper in the truck, moaning. Cooper’s friend was thrown from the truck through the passenger window, he was lying in the ditch near the truck.
She stood across the street in the ditch watching all of this unfold without being able to do anything but watch the horror that was yet to come. As she stood watching Cooper, the truck burst into flames. The fuel tank had been punctured and gas was leaking onto the hot engine and muffler under the truck. She heard Cooper moan as if waking up, then heard him yell for help. She stood watching as the flames engulfed the truck. She could barely make out the shape of Cooper before the explosion. She heard him scream as the truck exploded into a huge fireball.
His friend was still unconscious lying in the ditch and was lucky he was thrown clear. She watched as the truck burns and the police showed up. She saw the fire department arrive to extinguish the truck. When the fires were finally out, they discovered there was somebody inside. The police officer noticed a key ring in the ignition and knew it was Cooper’s.
Early on Saturday morning in the fall of 1978, the phone ringing woke Raven from her nightmare. She saw Raine run to answer the telephone. She listened, hoping it was not a phone call regarding Cooper. She could tell by Raine’s questions and her reactions that it was the call informing them of the untimely death of Cooper. Raine ran to Raven, tears streaming down her face, yelling for Raven to get up.
She looked at Raine and said, “let me guess, Cooper is dead.”
Raine stopped in her tracks, looked at Raven quizzically and said, “Yeah. How did you know that?”
“Never mind. Did he die in a car wreck?” Raven asks.
“Yeah, but how….” Raine trailed off.
“Did it catch on fire?” Raven questioned.
Raine shook her head and couldn’t say anything. All day she continued looking at Raven with a weird expression on her face, half like she was afraid of Raven and half wondering how Raven could have known about Cooper. Raven sat solemnly in her bedroom waiting for the details when her mom walked in her room to take a suitcase. They were leaving to go to Weiner, Arkansas to help with funeral arrangements.
Raven’s dad, Edward, had been high school buddies with Cooper’s dad, Chet, then Chet married Raven’s aunt. Uncle Chet asks dad to come and help him with the arrangements. They all packed and left for a long drive across the state of Arkansas. Raine and Raven sat in the back seat holding hands and crying. Raine kept looking at Raven, wanting to ask her about that morning, but afraid to say anything. When they arrived at Uncle Chet’s house, Edward began to sob. Raine and Raven had never seen their father cry but knew this was a humbling moment for him.
Uncle Chet welcomed them inside, then helped them settle before he and Edward left to look at Cooper’s truck. Raven knew what the truck looked like and didn’t want to see it. Her mom thought this was a job for the men and didn’t want to see it either. Raine wanted to ask Raven questions, but Raven kept avoiding her. That night when Raine and Raven went to bed, Raine started questioning Raven. Raven told her about the dream and everything that happened. She couldn’t believe Raven dreamt she was with Cooper and that everything occurred exactly like her dream.
They stayed for the funeral, which was standing room only. When a senior in high school dies in a small town, the town shuts down to honor that student. Everyone knew Cooper or his family. The school took a day off to attend his funeral. The church wasn’t big enough to accommodate all the attendants. They knew it would be large and the church was the largest building in town. Raven’s family left right after the funeral. On the way home, Raine and Raven continued discussing the dream. To this day, Raven still recalls that dream and how real it all felt. It was a defining moment in Raven’s life.
Months later, while spending the night with her Mamaw, Raven woke up screaming. Hattie rushed to Raven to what was wrong. Raven could only cry and cling to her Mamaw.