Chapter Two
Lightning creased the sky in Dallas, the thunder roaring behind the flashes in the black night. The storm's wrath was just beginning.
Iris was awake in an instant, her eyes trying to adjust to the contrasts of darkness in her bedroom and the blazes of light outside.
"Who's there," she whispered, sensing a presence in her room.
"You are needed," she felt rather than heard the voice.
"What am I to do?" she whispered again.
"You are to intercede for a life hanging in the balance, becoming a bridge," continued the unseen Presence, "as others close to this person are already doing. There is a battle for life being fought. Evil has been done but good may still come of it. What you do will help the outcome."
Wrapping herself in a quilt, Iris padded out to her favorite sitting place, her grandmother's ancient rocking chair.
"Help me know what to say," she said into the darkness.
Closing her eyes, Iris lifted up this person unknown to her. She asked for healing and strength of the body, peace for the mind and heart, revival in the soul. She felt herself breathing deeply in and out for them, felt her heart beating strongly for them, helping stand in the gap with those who were closest. She willed them to fight for life. Stay with us, we care, you are needed here, cross not over the bridge, she said silently to the night as the storm continued to rage outside.
As the hours passed, Iris maintained her vigil and finally reached a point where words failed her. Her heart took over as no more words were needed. Her tears fell like the drops of rain outside; wetting the quilt snuggled about her. The storm had finally abated and dawn was beginning to lighten the sky. Iris finally wiped her tears away with her right hand, seeing it held in the letter sign of "B". She didn't know what to make of that as she left the rocking chair to go out on her porch and see the sun as it arose into the eastern sky.
Looking up, she beheld a faint rainbow, the symbol of promise, and heard the voice again from earlier that night. "The worst has passed and light has won over darkness. The soul that hung in the balance will have its full measure of days." As Iris gazed at the rainbow (which her name meant and also symbolized a bridge), she found herself wishing the other person a long life filled with joy and happiness before she went back inside to sleep a little while before heading to her CSI lab. "Let not your heart be troubled," she murmured, before drifting off to sleep.
