Free Power by Theresa Jones

be painful for me, but that I had to let you go. She said you would have a very unique gift and a very precise destiny.” She paused, breathing slowly in an attempt to stop crying.
    “Now, at the time I had no idea what she was talking about, but she wrote those words all over my things – in my diary, on pictures of the two of us, and in my favorite books. Not to mention, she instructed my mother to never let me forget.” We sat there quietly; holding each other, wishing things could be different. “I can’t explain the things happening, or how she could have known, but I believe that you do have to go. I support you in this, as I have supported you in all your endeavors. But I have to ask you, please let me know how you are doing, where you go, and all that.”
    With that, I smiled. I knew I could promise her at least that. “Of course, Mom. I’m not sure where we are going, but I will let you know once we get there. And Sam and I will call you as often as we can!” With that, we sat there in a long, strong embrace. Neither of us wanted to let go, but I knew I had to. “I love you, Mom. You are the best mother anyone could ever ask for and I am thankful every day for you.”
    She looked at me, hugged me, and said, “Allison, you are the light of my life, and I would never trade you for anything. You be safe, and keep Sam safe too!”
    I nodded. “I will. No matter what else happens, I will keep her safe.”
    ***
    It was somewhat unbelievable, but at the age of 21 I had never been on an airplane. The closest I had come was when I was 17 and picked my mom up from the airport after she had flown back from visiting my aunt in Kansas.
    So if David and Rick had not been leading the way when we entered the terminal, I would have gotten lost in a matter of minutes. After getting our tickets and dropping off our baggage, we walked through the metal detectors, and went to the boarding gate. As we walked around, Sam was just as in awe from the spectacle as I was. I gripped her hand tighter; the thought of letting her go now scared me more than anything. If I could see myself getting lost here, how would a 5 year old fend?
    “Mom, are you okay?”
    I was blinking back tears again. It was so hard to leave my mother behind. Not to mention, I hadn’t even begun to deal with what Alex’s death meant for us. He was the only man I had ever loved, and he was Sam’s father. Even though I really wasn’t sure I had wanted to marry him anymore, he had been a big part of my life for so long and now he was gone.
    I looked down at her and smiled. “Yes, Sammy, I am.” I was scared, yes, but I had hope and faith that things would turn out right, whatever right was. I knew that Sam would be safe with us, and my mom would be safe also.
    We finally boarded the plane at 9 pm. Sam sat next to me with Rick and David a few rows behind us. I let Sam sit in the window seat and she had fallen asleep about 30 minutes after we took off, which left me to my thoughts. Remembering what my mom had told me, I wondered if perhaps I got this power from my great-grandmother. Maybe her predictions came from power too.
    I looked behind me and saw an empty seat next to David and Rick. Rick was in the window seat, David was in the middle seat, and no one sat next to David. I kissed Sam’s forehead and squeezed past the lady to walk back to them. I still had not had a chance to talk to Rick about what had happened when I turned six and this way he couldn’t escape.
    I sat down and made sure I could still see Sam from their seats. Happy that I could, I leant around David to speak to Rick, trying to ignore the microscopic sparks of fire that burst between us every time I was near him.
    “Can I ask you about something my mom told me just before we left?” I said to Rick.
    To my satisfaction, he nodded, “Sure. Ask away.” He always seemed too chipper for my liking, like he missed the part about my impending death or the destruction of the