Grimace

Chapter 1|Newborn Death

I'm not a stranger in a hospital. I mean, I have been to hundreds of it without any single person seeing me. Well, except for the soul of the one I came for.

I am very familiar with scenario of nurses running along  hallways,  one having a phone call behind the counter probably with a doctor,  while at the other hallway where ER is located I could see anxious faces and tearful eyes. Those emotions, I eat them for breakfast. But then,  what's happening in that hallway is not what I came for.

I'm looking at the closed door right in front of me with small vertical rectangular window transparent enough to see several green robes slighty hovering inside. Delivery room is what they call it, so as what is written above its door.

Outside is a sitting man with a face painted with hope and fear. By the absence of wrinkles, his considerably young and fare skin suggests that he might be at his mid-twenties. Though his thin beard reveals that he is a father.  He's wearing a light blue polo fitted enough to expose some muscles' outline. And the bottom is a black fitted slacks partnered with old leather shoes. Came straight from work, I should conclude.

I wonder if his fearful and anxious stare at the floor while both of his fists are clinched together supporting his chin could lessen the problematic vibe inside the room in front of me. Oh, he closed his eyes. Oh my, ofcourse, his praying, yes, why not. But whatever idol he's talking to right now, it better be mighty and great. 'Cause what's written on my Red Book is always a hundred percent accurate.

Despite that, my hands curiously sneak in inside my black robe in search of  something. It's not that I suddenly questioned the accuracy of the Red Book, but it could be me that made a mistake.

Yes, there's still a chance of me committing some. Though historically I haven't done anything foolish at the middle of guiding a soul, I'm not God. I don't have extraordinary abilities or superpowers like your favorite Avengers. I could hover though, teleport and pass through solid walls and objects while I'm in physical world. But when I'm at my place, at the Deliro I couldn't do any of them. At Deliro I have to walk miles and miles and there I feel tiredness and pain. But I'm not complaining about not having extraordinary skills that's capable of killing.

I know, it sounds ironic. But I am not a killer, I'm a guide, just to be clear. And I don't have someone to defend myself from. So I should say I don't really need one because I'm merely a conscious spirit. So yeah, there's a possibility of me committing mistake. Who's perfect anyway?!

After grabbing the book, I gently toss it in the air. And as it float like it has its on life, which is quite actually what it is, it turned its pages by itself, rapidly, so that it created a sound of papers scratching with each other. It stopped at one area. And at the right part, the only part wherein the list of words was and will be written. If you're an environmentalist you'll be pissed off for not using all sides of a page. But I'm not a nature lover. So it doesn't bother me anyway.

I started to read the latest one in the list,
"Isabela Ferral, 26, March 20, 2020, St. John's Hospital, 6:47am." I was relieved that I read it right earlier. I'm also grateful that even though the book is not very specific about the person and place, I could instantly teleport on a certain place and recognize the right person by seeing his or her body glow, that's if I read the words on the list right and clear. Because if not, certain things will get even worst than death.

Though I'm not sure of the exact consequences if I failed to guide a soul into last Black Ring of Deliro, The Black Gate, there's is something inside of me saying that I should guide all the souls written on the Red Book, or else something will happen to me.

I started to contemplate the appearance of a woman laying in bed inside the room in front of me. I waited. I guess I came earlier. I am getting a bit impatient. If I wanted to,  I could effortlessly pass through and go inside without even touching any part of the door and do something 'evil' to shorten the process. But I didn't. It's against the law of everything. Besides, I'm kinda sick of seeing vulnerable faces and bodies. I would rather wait for the more decent looking version,  the moving one,  the one that I could talk to.

After several hours of staring at the wall, finally a man in robe came out. While the man waiting outside automatically stood up and rushed into the doctor's space making them meet inches away from the door. The doctor uttered a word, that made the man smile into tears. But that smile vanished and replaced with surprise and confusion that resulted to  struggling to breath right after the doctor added few more words.

“Oh come on,  I don't intend to take two souls at a time. Relax! ” I said as if he can hear me.

I switched my attention to the laying body inside. I have to be fast or things will get harder for me. As I walk through, a cry of a baby next to unmoving woman welcomed me. It should not take too long. I grabbed the woman's wrist,  and waited several seconds. I stare at her face, and concluded that she's older than the man waiting for her. Until a fume started to fuse out of her body slowly forming her own shape. Then,  I saw a more pleasant form sitting on a bed,  I couldn't help but compare it to the one laying silently. I'm convinced that she might have the same age with the man outside. Now I am holding the wrist of the one who is staring at me blankly. Without waiting another second I took her away from that room as we both vanished from that room.