Red Bones

Haunting

Key Eighteen: Haunting:

It was supposed to be a normal doctor's visit. Ami had to do this for her prenatal visits. By now, she and Lavi looked worn out. She had her hand to her belly. Bookman looked behind him from the passenger seat. This wasn't good. He started to hear that damned child's voice as well.

"He already hates me," Lavi told him last night.

"Good," Bookman told him. "Put distance between you and him."

"But..." his student said.

"No!" the old angel snapped. "You cannot wavier in this! That child will damn us all."

"How do you know this?!"

Bookman only said one thing that made Lavi's blood run cold. "I heard his voice." Lavi backed away, trembling.

Three more months left.

This could plunge the dying world further into chaos. The Woman in Red was getting close again. She could smell this child from Japan. She wasn't the only one either.

The doctor's office had just opened for the day. One nurse had just unlocked the door to her office. Lately, something felt off about her place of work. No, it had been like that for a couple of months now. Cold spots around the building. Strange noises from the night shift. Things disappearing and reappearing in different places. The staff couldn't figure it out. Even the patients had their own questions.

"Excuse me," a small voice spoke. The nurse didn't turn around.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Are you open yet?" the voice asked.

"No," the nurse said. She didn't move from the door that she was blocking. She pulled her bag closer to her side.

"What do you want?" the nurse asked.

"Heh," the voice said. Suddenly, the nurse froze. She smirked to herself. She opened the door and walked into her office.

-10:00 a.m.-

Bookman led the young couple into the doctor's office. Lavi had to help Ami through the door. Right off the bat, Bookman sensed that something wasn't right.

"Do you sense that?" he asked. Lavi looked up with his eye narrowed.

"Yeah," he whispered. Bookman held up his rosary under his cloak.

"What's going on?" Ami whispered.

"Stay by me, okay?" Lavi whispered. She nodded as he pulled her close to his side. He ignored the energy the baby gave off within. They made it up to the front desk.

"Good morning," the receptionist said. "How can I help you today?"

"Um... I'm here for my appointment," Ami spoke up. Lavi took a look around. There weren't many people around and the waiting room was eerily quiet today. Neither the TV nor the radio were on. No one was talking on a cell phone. There was no talking in the room.

"Name please," the receptionist said.

"Ning Ami," the mother-to-be said. "I'm here to see Doctor Lam."

"Who?" the receptionist asked.

"Doctor Lam," Ami said.

"Of course," the woman said. "Hold on a minute." She started typing on her computer. Lavi squeezed Ami's hand.

"Ah yes," the receptionist said. "Here it is. You're just in time too. Has any information changed in the past six months?"

"No," Ami said.

"Okay," the lady behind the desk said. She slid a form across to Ami. "Make sure the information is correct on here and sign." Ami took the clipboard and read over everything. The receptionist looked up at Lavi and Bookman.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?" she asked.

"I'm the kid's father," Lavi said. He grabbed on Ami's shoulders.

"I'm his grandfather," Bookman said.

"I see," the receptionist said. Something looked wrong with her smile.

"Who are you?" Bookman asked. "Why are you here?"

"I work here," she said. Ami signed her name on the paper and handed back the clipboard.

"Thank you," the receptionist said. "Please take a seat."

"Thanks," Ami said. She bowed and the trio took their seat in the waiting room. All eyes stayed on Ami.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" she whispered.

"You are carrying the destruction of man," Bookman said. Ami looked up with big eyes.

"What?!" she asked.

"Old man!" Lavi shouted.

"She has to know the truth," Bookman said.

"But..." he said.

"What truth?" the mother-to-be asked.

"The birth of that child will doom us all," the old angel said. "The demons are looking for a new king in the living world."

"Demons?" Ami asked. "You don't mean...?"

"Sons of Heaven and daughters of Earth will give birth to monsters," Bookman said. Ami held her stomach.

"No..." she said. Ami could feel the baby kick inside of her.

"You will not stop me," Bookman said to her abdomen. "You will not fool me with your innocent voice. You are a monster. Your born will doom us all!" The mother-to-be screamed in pain as she clutched her stomach. The room grew colder as the eyes staring at her started to glow.

"What have you done?" Lavi asked.

"Don't you see it?" the older angel asked. "You carry an evil within your belly." He stood up on the glass coffee table.

"No!" Ami wailed with tears in her eyes. Suddenly, the door opened. A nurse with brown hair came out with a clipboard in her hand.

"Ning Ami," she said. The young mother-to-be stood up with tears in her eyes. Lavi shot Bookman a cold glare before following after his girlfriend. The nurse held out her arm.

"I'm sorry, we just need to see her," she said. "Not you."

"I'm the child's father," he said.

"You will not be needed today," the nurse said. "You just wait here. We won't be long." She turned and walked out of the room before he could say another word.

"Wait!" Lavi said. The door swung closed. When Lavi tried to push it open, it found in stuck closed.

"Hey!" he shouted as he tried to force it open. "Hey! Hey! Open this damn door! Hey! Hey!" Lavi started pounding on the door as he tried to open it. "Hey! Hey!"

"Lavi!" Bookman shouted.

"What?!" the younger angel shouted. He turned to see all of the people in the waiting room standing up with their eyes glowing bright red.

"Oh..." Lavi said. He grabbed for his hammer charm around his neck.