End of Days

Birth

Key Twenty-Three: Birth:

The beginning of the end started with a little baby.

Ami's water broke around eight in the morning. She had just gotten out of bed at the time. The girl was brushing her teeth when she felt something running down her leg. Ami looked down.

"What the...?" she began to ask. Suddenly, a sharp pain cut into her abdomen. Ami sank down to her knees, gasping.

"Lavi!" she screamed. She sank down to the bathroom floor, toothbrush in hand. Footsteps ran to the bathroom door.

"Ami?" she heard outside. The girl lifted her head.

"Lavi!" Ami wailed. She clutched her stomach.

"What is it?" he asked.

"My water just broke!" she cried. The door flung open. Lavi saw her lying on the floor. A puddle sat beside her, soaking into her faded red rug. He gasped and stepped back.

"Okay! Uh... Hang on!" he said, looking around. "Old man! Help! The baby's coming!" Doors opened the down the hall. Ami let off another scream.

Everyone ended up rushing to the hospital. Kwan rubbed on her granddaughter's shoulders.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Keep breathing. Keep breathing." Ami took in heavy breaths. All four of them with her parents climbed into the car.

"Get us to the hospital!" Kwan shouted.

"Yes, mother!" her son shouted. The car pulled out of the garage and pulled away.

Meanwhile, many eyes started to open. The whispers filled the air. Was this it? The dawn of a new era was coming! The dawn of a new era was coming! Crows landed on the power lines, watching. One by one, they gathered. They didn't make a sound. Their dark eyes stayed on the car.

From inside, Bookman held charms in his hand. He tuned out Ami's cries. They weren't the only ones going to the hospital. Who was here? How many of them were there? Bookman nudged Lavi in the air. The younger angel turned his head.

"What?" he whispered.

"Be on your guard," he whispered. "We're being followed." Lavi looked out the back window. He noticed all of the crows on the power line. A grim feeling came over the angel.

"How many are there?" he whispered.

"I do not know," Bookman said. "But there's going to be more coming."

"What do we do?" Lavi asked.

"Keep calm," the older angel said. "We have to keep watch until the baby isn't born."

"Right," the younger angel said. The car went further down the road.

The family made it down to the hospital. More crows watched them from the outside. The parents ran up to the front desk. They talked to the receptionist about what was going on. Meanwhile, Lavi and Bookman noticed something off about the hospital. Why was everything so quiet? Where was everybody? The parents were talking to no one at the desk. Lavi looked so confused at first.

"Who are they talking to?" he whispered. Bookman shook his head.

"It's an illusion," he said.

"What?" Lavi asked.

"Look around you," Bookman said. Lavi looked around. At first, the lobby looked full. People sat around waiting. The doctors and nurses hurried around back and forth. Sounds and smells floated everywhere. Life rushed around them.

But then, the image changed. The lobby became silent and cold. The people disappeared. Lavi couldn't smell anything at all.

"I don't understand," he said. "What is going on? Why is this happening?"