The Missing Heroes

By Sarrah S. Cochren

What would you do if you had premonitions about strangers who were in trouble?

Michelle has spent her whole life trying to convince herself that God doesn't exist. If God is real, that means she'll have to answer for living an ungodly life. That's something she doesn't want to do. When she starts having visions of tragic events, her life is turned upside down. In each of her visions, there's a hero who saves someone's life. But when the events play out for real, those heroes are nowhere to be found.

Who are the missing heroes in Michelle's premonitions? What good are the visions if she can't change anyone's fate? Michelle may have to do some serious soul-searching before she will ever understand her strange premonitions. Can she trust God to lead her in the right direction before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sarrah S. Cochren
• Release date: Mar 19, 2025
• ISBN: 9798230803539

Book preview

Prologue

Can you figure it out?! the young woman asked.

She was dressed in her flight attendant uniform and was doing her best to keep her composure. It was her first flight out. She had been so excited about being hired, figuring this was her way to see the world. Now, it seemed like she was only going to see the first fifty miles out of Denver, the city from which they had recently departed.

The plane was having engine problems. If that wasn’t bad enough, they were also having trouble with their communication system. But the worst part was that their senior pilot, the one who had been with the airline for twenty-four years and knew how to handle a crisis, had just succumbed to a heart attack. He had recently found out that he had a heart condition. He hadn’t told his employer, not wanting to lose his job. He only had to work one more year. Then, he would be able to retire. The doctor had said if he took care of himself, eating right and taking his meds, that he had a good prognosis. Unfortunately, when the plane started having trouble and he couldn’t get things to work as they should, he became stressed. The next thing he knew, the heart attack had hit him.

Michelle didn’t know anything about his heart condition, though. As she saw the situation unfold before her in her dream, all she saw was the flight attendant and the other pilot frantically trying to stop the plane from crashing.

See if there’s another qualified pilot on board, Pilot Joe Richards said. Quick, Cindy! I can’t do this alone!

Cindy rushed from the cockpit. She ran to the passenger cabin and began asking everyone she could if there was a pilot on board.

You need a pilot? a young man of about thirty spoke up. You’ve got one!

Mike Colnolson was a pilot for the U.S. Air Force. He told Cindy his qualifications.

I’ve been flying planes for over five years, he said. I’m at your service.

The other flight attendants tried to calm the passengers down. The flight was bumpy. Everyone saw the panic in Cindy’s eyes as she tried to find a pilot. They knew something was up. Some passengers were crying. Others were praying. Some sat trembling and looking out the window with a lost look in their eyes, coming to grips with the fact that they would likely soon die.

Mike rushed to the cockpit with Cindy. He saw the senior pilot collapsed over in his chair, dead.

What happened to him? Mike asked worriedly.

He had a heart attack, Joe said. Hank was a good man, but there’s no time to dwell on him. I need your help getting this plane down safely!

Mike pulled Hank’s body from the chair, laying it on the floor. It was a morbid thing to have to do, but Joe was right. Time was of the essence. He took a deep breath and took his seat in the empty chair.

Joe filled Mike in on the problems they were having. Mike went to work, trying to help the Joe compensate for the failing engine. As Cindy watched them, she held the rosary in her hand. She kept it in her pocket at all times, having grown up Catholic and always feeling closer to God when she had it with her.

Please, God, she said softly. Don’t let us die.

The next several minutes seemed to last forever, but it was obvious that Mike was very good at what he was doing. They prepared for a crash landing. As the plane came closer to the ground, Mike and Joe were able to get the plane down safely, with minimal damage to the aircraft. All of the passengers and crew were safe. Hank would be the only one who wouldn’t make if off the plane alive, but that wasn’t anyone’s fault. Nature had run its course, and his time was just up.

Cindy wiped tears from her eyes. As Joe stood up to go assist the passengers, she couldn’t help but throw her arms around him and give him a hug.

Thank you, she said.

Turning to Mike, she thanked him as well.

I’m glad I was here to help, Mike replied.

Michelle woke up. In her eight years of life, she had never had a dream like this one before. It was so real. It took her a moment to realize she was still in her bed. She jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen, still looking visibly upset by her dream.

Her father was in the kitchen. Justin Lakeford was a loving family man. He adored his wife and daughters. He could see that something was bothering Michelle by the look on her face. She was also up earlier than normal. Justin worked an early morning shift and was usually out the door before Michelle got up.

Baby, what is it? he asked. What’s wrong?

I don’t know, Michelle said.

Come on, Justin coaxed. You can tell me.

It was just this dream I had, Michelle replied.

A nightmare? Justin asked.

Maybe. I don’t know, Michelle answered. I mean, everyone was okay. But it was so real.

Justin asked her to tell him about the dream. Michelle revealed the details to him, even down to the dead pilot’s first name.

Well, that certainly does sound like a vivid dream, Justin said. But it was just that, a dream. It’s nothing to worry about. Why don’t you go crawl into bed with Mommy? She doesn’t get up for another half hour. Try to get a little more sleep.

You’re going to work now? Michelle asked.

Yeah, they have me on the early shift still, Justin said. At least, I get to be here when you get home from school.

Yeah, Michelle replied and leaned into her father.

He gave her a side hug and kissed her on the forehead.

I love you, kiddo, he said.

I love you too, Daddy, Michelle replied.

Michelle did as her father suggested and went to her mother’s room to crawl into bed with her until it was time for her to get up. Justin went to work. It was hard getting used to these early mornings. Justin turned on the car radio, hoping it would keep him awake. He would have loved to have gone back to bed for a couple of more hours.

The classic rock song was one of Justin’s favorites, so he cranked up the volume. Taken back to his youth, he found himself singing loudly along with the song. By the time the song ended, he thought he might make it through the day. When the song ended, the disc jockey began to give the morning headlines. Justin had to pull his car over as the news was given. He was unsure of what it meant or if it could even be real.

Flight 59731 went down this morning just outside of Denver, Colorado, the disc jockey said. There was apparent engine trouble. All three hundred eighty-seven passengers and crew were killed, including the pilots, Hank Ayerson and Joe Richards. Investigators are still trying to find out more about what happened. We’ll update you when we have more details.

Justin sat in his car on the side of the road and felt tears rolling down his face. It was so tragic what had happened to those people, but what upset him even more was that his eight-year-old daughter had dreamed about it. The details were too precise, even down to the pilot’s name.

Justin didn’t understand it. They lived in New Mexico, nowhere close to where the crash had happened. Why would his daughter dream about this random tragedy?

But, wait. Michelle’s dream hadn’t ended like this. In her dream, everyone had been saved. Justin questioned if this had anything to do with that Air Force pilot. Justin wondered about him and who he was. Was he also on the flight? Had his efforts not really been enough, after all?

Justin decided it was best to not look into this any further. The whole thing was freaking him out. He knew one thing, though. He was going to do his best to shield Michelle from this information. He wouldn’t let her listen to the news. He only hoped she wouldn’t hear anything about it at school. She had been frightened enough by the dream already. The last thing she needed was to know that the dream was some sort of premonition. How could she even understand what a premonition was at her age? Justin might not be able to protect his daughter from everything, but he would do his best to make sure she never found out about this!

Chapter 1

(Eighteen Years Later)

Smoke filled the night air as the flames reached upward. Serena held her children close to her side. They were crying and afraid, having barely gotten out of the house before the flames completely engulfed their bedroom. Their neighbor was a brave man. He had rushed into the house and had helped Serena get her children out before it was too late. However, as they had run from the room, a ceiling beam had crashed down and trapped their neighbor in the room.

Firefighters were on the scene and were trying hard to get the man out, but the fire was out of control and the whole house was on the verge of collapsing. Lightning flashed overhead, a grim reminder of what had started the fire.

The news reporter was recounting to the station’s viewers the tragic events that were unfolding before their eyes.

As you can see, the fire has spread through the entire house. Firefighters are trying to get inside to rescue Mr. Jesterson, but it looks like they haven’t been able to do so, the newswoman spoke to the cameras. We can only hope they can get him out in time.

She was getting ready to speak again to Serena, to ask her more about her neighbor, Ralph, when a loud explosive sound came from behind her and the whole house collapsed. The two firefighters who had been trying to rescue Ralph had been caught in the blast, and Ralph was still trapped inside also. There was no question as to whether or not he was alive. Everyone knew that he wasn’t. He was dead, no doubt.

Now, Serena and her children were shaking and sobbing. Serena was grateful to have her children safe with her and continued to hold them close, but she was heartbroken that their rescuer had been killed, not to mention the firefighters who were likely dead also.

The reporter gave Serena a moment to catch her breath and then tried to get her to make one more statement.

Can you tell us anything else about Ralph Jesterson? the reporter asked.

He was a good neighbor, Serena said, barely getting the words out. And a good friend. He lost his life saving my children. I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry.

Serena broke down crying uncontrollably. She fell to the ground and pulled her children close to her.

So, as you can see, the house has been completely destroyed by the fire, the reporter continued, looking at the camera. The neighbor, Ralph Jesterson, is presumed dead as are the two firefighters who were caught in the blast. We will update you as we get more information. For now, Beth Hinderson, KILGDT News reporting.

Michelle Lakeford woke up with a start as a loud thunderclap broke the night’s silence. She sat up in bed and found herself gasping for breath. The dream was so real. It took her a few moments to realize that it had only been a dream. She was still half-convinced that the woman she was watching on the news had indeed lost her house. Worse yet, that poor man, Ralph Jesterson, and the two firefighters had lost their lives in the fire.

Michelle turned on the lamp that sat on the table beside her bed. She looked around the room and tried to make sense of it all. She glanced to the flatscreen that hung on the wall facing her bed. The television was off, so she couldn’t have just been watching the news. She had woken up from a lot of dreams before. Why did this one keep tugging at her like something wasn’t right?

She’d obviously been under too much stress. Apparently, the friction between her and her mother was getting to her. She didn’t know why she let it get to her so badly. She should have accepted by now that her mother would never approve of her. Sure, she had made some poor decisions in the past and hadn’t always lived a very moral life, at least not according to her mother. But mothers were supposed to love their daughters no matter what they did, weren’t they?

Well, her mother certainly did love Carla. She was the golden child of the family. Carla could do no wrong. She had always made her mother proud and had always been her mother’s favorite. Michelle knew she could never compete with her sister. She had known that since she was a young child.

Michelle yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had to stop letting herself get so worked up over every little argument she had with her mother. Perhaps she should stop going over to her mother’s house altogether. As it was, she barely saw her mother once a week. The way Michelle was feeling right now, that was already once a week too much.

Michelle glanced at the clock. It was 3:45. Good. She had another hour and a half to sleep. She turned off the light and laid back down, pulling the covers up near her head. She tried to put the thoughts of her mother and, worse yet, that awful dream, out of her head. Eventually, somehow, she drifted back to sleep.

When the alarm went off at 5:15, morning had rolled around much too quickly. Michelle hit the snooze button a couple of times before dragging herself out of bed. Sleepily, she sat on the edge of the bed and slipped her feet into her slippers. She headed to the kitchen to get her morning cup of coffee.

Normally, Michelle didn’t watch the news in the morning, especially when she was getting ready for work, but she felt the need to watch it today. She had no idea why. She had forgotten all about that heartbreaking dream.

She walked into the living room and turned on the small flatscreen that sat on a television stand several feet from the sofa. The set was tuned into a local station, KILGDT. The morning news broadcast was on. Michelle took a sip of her coffee, walking back to the tall countertop that separated the living room from the kitchen. She put her cup on the counter. Turning back to the television, it took her a moment to process what she was seeing.

On the screen, there was a female reporter. She looked familiar. Too familiar. Behind the reporter, footage was being played of a fire which had apparently taken place during the night.

A tragic story, the reporter said. Again, Serena Bryant and her two young children have died in a fire that destroyed their house around two hours ago. We will update you as soon as more details become available. Beth Hinderson, KILGDT reporting.

Only the reporter was on the screen. There was no sign of the mother and her children.

It couldn’t be, Michelle said aloud.

Her strange dream came back to her. A fire had happened around two hours ago. That was the same time as her dream. A woman and her two children had been involved in the fire. The woman’s name was Serena. Just like in Michelle’s dream, Serena had two children. But wait a minute. The news said they had died. They had been alive in her dream. A man had been killed saving them. Michelle racked her mind, trying to remember her dream. The neighbor. Yes, that’s who he was. His name was Ralph Jesterson. He had died in the fire, but he had saved the family. The dream didn’t match the news story. It must be a coincidence.

Still, there was the reporter’s name. It was the same as in her dream. Michelle didn’t normally remember the names of the news station’s reporters. She didn’t care enough about such minor details. But surely, she had heard it in the past, and it was in her memory. That had to be why she dreamed about the reporter by her real name. Yes, that must be it.

Michelle tried to brush it all aside. She needed to hurry and get ready for work so she wouldn’t be late for her morning shift at Garrenson Garden Grocery. Everyone referred to the store as Garrenson’s. There was always a morning rush as retired homemakers did their shopping, and Michelle didn’t want to leave her supervisor short a cashier. She put her coffee down and went to jump in the shower and clean up.

Michelle threw herself into her work. She again forgot all about the dream and the news story until a man in his mid-sixties came to her register. He didn’t have much that he was buying – a little produce, a small package of sirloin steaks and a newspaper. It wasn’t the merchandise that caught Michelle’s attention, though. For a moment, she stood there, gaping awkwardly as she stared at the front page of the paper the man was purchasing. After a few moments, the man spoke.

Are you alright, Miss? he asked. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

Michelle came out of her trance-like condition.

Oh, sorry, she stumbled over the words. It’s the woman on the front page. She looks so familiar.

It wasn’t just the woman who looked familiar, but also the two children whose pictures had been printed beneath their mother’s photo.

A tragic story, the man said. That poor woman and her children dead in a house fire. I pray that nothing like that ever happens to my family. It’s too bad the firefighters couldn’t get there in time.

Yes, it is, Michelle replied, sounding a bit distant.

So, you knew her, did you? the man inquired.

No, Michelle answered, sounding more alert now. I mean, I don’t know. She looks familiar.

Well, I guess all we can hope for is that they’re all in a better place now, the man said.

Yeah, I guess, Michelle replied.

What? You don’t believe in the afterlife? the man inquired.

No. Maybe… I don’t know, Michelle answered.

Well, that must be a depressing way to live, the man said.

What do you mean? Michelle asked, trying desperately to get her mind off the woman and her children.

Fortunately, the morning customers had slowed down. Michelle had an empty line except for the man she was currently helping.

Well, you know, the man responded. All of the problems in this life. It seems like every time you turn around, something is going wrong. I guess I’d just like to think that there’s something better at the end of all of this.

Michelle nodded.

Hmmm, she said. Yeah, I can see your point. Only, something doesn’t exist just because you want it to.

I suppose not, the man replied. But I don’t know. I hear all of those near-death stories. I kind of think there’s something to it all. I guess we won’t know for sure until it’s our time, though.

No, I suppose not, Michelle agreed.

She put her mind back on her work and rang up the man’s last item.

That will be $12.80, she said.

The man handed her a card, and she slid it through the machine. When the purchase cleared, she handed him his receipt and quickly bagged his groceries.

Thank you for shopping at Garrenson’s, Michelle recited the words she had said thousands of times.

You’re very welcome, Miss, the man answered. You have a good day now.

You too, Michelle said as she watched the man leave.

A man in his forties came over and stood beside Michelle. He was her manager.

Are you okay? he asked.

What? Oh, yes. Of course, Michelle answered.

That man is right, Tom said. You look like you’ve seen a ghost. Did you know that woman? Sorry, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.

I don’t think so, Michelle said uncertainly. She did look familiar, though.

You see a lot of customers in here, Tom replied. She was probably just someone who did her shopping here. It’s too bad, though.

Michelle nodded.

You going to be okay? Tom asked.

Yeah, sure, Michelle answered.

If you want your morning break, I’ll watch your register for you, Tom offered.

Thanks, Michelle said. I guess it is about that time. I think I’ll take you up on your offer.

Michelle went to the break room. She put coins in the machine and grabbed a soda. Then, she went to sit down on the sofa.

There was always a newspaper on the coffee table. She reached down and picked the paper up. She looked closely at the picture again, studying the features of the woman and the children in the picture. She definitely had seen them before, only she didn’t want to admit where it was that she had seen them.

The image was clear in her mind. It was as if she was having the dream all over again. The woman and the children in the picture were the same ones who she had seen in her dream! The same ones who were supposed to have survived the fire!

Michelle scanned the article quickly. There was one person missing from the story, one person who had been there at the fire in her dream. She scanned the whole article, but there was no mention of him.

Somehow, Michelle believed that Ralph Jesterson played a part in this mystery and that her dream was tied closely to him. She decided that she must find him, no matter what. She took out her cell phone and zoomed in on the article, taking a picture of the address of the house that had burned down. She knew Ralph was a neighbor. Did that mean he lived in the house directly next to the woman and her children, or was he just somewhere nearby on the block? Michelle didn’t know, but she knew that as soon as her shift was over, she was going to go to Oakfront Street and knock on every door until she found him!

The rest of the workday, Michelle tried to put the woman and her children out of her mind. She needed to focus on her work. She didn’t want Tom to keep thinking something was wrong. She needed her job and couldn’t afford to lose it. Ralph Jesterson kept occupying her thoughts, though. Funny, all she knew was his name, yet she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Somehow, she made it through the workday. She hurried out the door without saying goodbye to Tom. She usually said something to him on her way out. But she was so preoccupied, she didn’t even think to do so. She got in her twenty-year-old car and drove as quickly as she dared to until she finally pulled onto Oakfront Street.

She got to the address listed in the paper. Immediately upon seeing the scene, her stomach sank. There was nothing but a large black pile of rubble that had been cordoned off with police tape.

Looking at what remained of the house, it was very clear to Michelle that no one could have survived the fire. The whole house had caved down on anyone unfortunate enough to be inside when it collapsed.

Michelle thought about those poor children. They looked so sweet. The girl was only eight years old, and the boy was ten. She had gathered that much information from reading the article during her break. It broke Michelle’s heart that their lives were cut short so soon.

She parked her car on the road at the next house down. She sat there frozen in place for several minutes, staring at the scene of the tragedy. Then, her eyes went away from the rubble. Suddenly, something familiar came into view. She didn’t know why she hadn’t noticed it sooner.

On the right side of the property, near the property line, there was a birdbath that stood about three feet high. It had a couple of red cardinals carved out of stone that sat on the edge of the birdbath. She remembered that birdbath. She had seen it before in her dream.

It was funny how little details like that didn’t come back to a person until later. True, the birdbath did look different in her dream, only showing its shape in the dark shadows and being just far enough from the fire’s light to not be illuminated fully by it. Still, Michelle recognized it. It was the same birdbath. She was sure of it.

Michelle had been trying to convince herself that she hadn’t experienced some sort of premonition. But now, looking at that birdbath, it was even more evidence that she had dreamed about the fire. She knew that it hadn’t been any ordinary dream. It had indeed been some sort of psychic phenomena. She wanted nothing to do with anything of the sort, but it wasn’t like she had been given a choice. She couldn’t walk away from it now. She knew more than ever how crucial it was that she find Ralph Jesterson!

Michelle got out of her car and walked to the door of the house where she was parked. It sat to the right of the burned-down property. She rang the bell and wasn’t quite sure what she was going to say.

A young woman in her mid-twenties answered the door. She looked to be about the same age as Michelle which would make her around twenty-six also.

Can I help you with something? the woman asked with a bit of skepticism in her voice.

They got a lot of solicitors in their neighborhood, and she figured the woman at her door was selling something that she didn’t want or need.

I’m looking for a Ralph Jesterson, Michelle said, figuring she should just leave it at that.

Who? the woman asked. I think you must have the wrong house.

You’ve never heard of Ralph Jesterson? Michelle questioned.

The woman shook her head no and said, Sorry.

She closed the door before Michelle had a chance to ask anything else. Obviously, the woman didn’t want to be bothered further.

At the second house, an elderly woman answered the door. She was a bit friendlier but still didn’t know any Ralph Jesterson.

I sure hope you can find him, dear, she said. It seems like it’s important.

Michelle nodded.

Yes, it is, she said.

Someone of importance, is he? the woman asked.

I think so, Michelle said.

The woman gave her a puzzled look.

You don’t know if he’s important? she asked curiously.

No, I guess I don’t, Michelle said. It’s the fire last night…

It’s so tragic, the woman cut her off. Honestly, I didn’t know the young woman personally. I saw her coming and going, of course. I’m afraid that I keep to myself a lot. Got a lot of health issues, I do, and I tend to stay inside or go hang out on my patio. But it’s downright horrible what happened to her and those poor children. We were all anxious, too. You know, worried the fire might spread. They say that the lightning caused it. Such a shame! You don’t think this Ralph Jesterson set the fire, do you?

No, not at all, Michelle assured her. It’s nothing like that.

She knew she was going to sound like a crazy person if she didn’t give some sort of rational explanation.

I think he knew the family, and I’d like to talk to him, Michelle said.

Well, honey, I wish I could help you. But like I said, I keep to myself mostly, the woman replied. I do wish you the best of luck, though.

Thank you, Michelle said. I won’t waste any more of your time.

You’re not wasting my time at all, the woman replied. Don’t you worry about that a bit!

Michelle bid her farewell and went to the third house. A middle-aged man answered the door. He was surprised to see Michelle standing there. It wasn’t often that a stranger, and an attractive one at that, knocked on his door.

Michelle was indeed pretty. She stood about five feet six inches and had a slender build. Her light complexion was flawless. She had long dark-brown hair and light-blue eyes.

How can I help you? the man asked.

Once again, Michelle told the man she was looking for Ralph Jesterson.

I don’t know anyone named Ralph, the man said.

Okay, thanks, Michelle replied. I’m just checking with all the neighbors. I think he lives somewhere on this street.

Oh, I doubt that, the man stated.

What do you mean? Michelle asked.

Well, I’m very active in this neighborhood. I manage the neighborhood watch, he explained. I make it my business to know all of the people in the area, and especially on this street. I’ve never heard of any Ralph Jesterson.

And you’re positive he doesn’t live anywhere on this street? Michelle asked.

If he did, I would know about him, the man replied. I can assure you that there isn’t any Ralph Jesterson on this whole block.

Michelle was dumbfounded. She really believed she would find Ralph. And yet, she found herself believing this man.

Thank you, she said. I appreciate your time.

Best of luck to you, the man replied.

Michelle said goodbye and went back to her car. She pulled out her phone and entered Ralph Jesterson into the search bar to browse