• CHAPTER 9

       Gabriel awoke in his bed next to Rose. WAS IT ALL A DREAM Gabriel wondered. He considered waking Rose to ask her, but he found a much better way. He would check his arm. If it were a dream, it should be wrapped up or the design around his tattoo and on his back should be gone. Silently, Gabriel crept to the bathroom.
       Everything was still and dark. Gabriel always feared the dark. It wasn't necessarily the darkness but rather not knowing what's inside of it. Relunctanly, he walked down the hall to the bathroom. After walking in and closing the door, he found the light switch. He took a couple deep breathes, then cut on the light. 
       Gabriel's arm was wrapped up. The bandages seemed new, however. He slowly unwrapped his arm, afraid to see what lay underneath. After he managed to reveal his wrist, he knew. The design was still there. Gabriel cut away the rest of the bandages and headed back to bed. On the way through the hall, he heard footsteps behind him. 
       Gabriel ignored it and kept walking. As he continued they seemed to get louder, faster. Finally, Gabriel turned to look. There was nothing there. He figured it was just his imagination. As he turned to continue onward, he heard an almost demonic scream and then was hit so hard he flew a couple feet down the hall. 
       Lights came on and everyone flooded into the hallway. Gabriel lay on the floor bleeding as everyone else went to check on him. 
       "Damn. Gabe, you okay?"
       "Yeah D. I'll live dope boy. Nice lookin out though. I expected Rose to get here first."
       "Oh God! You're bleeding!" Jaime was the first to notice the blood pouring out of his back. She took some bandages and wrapped it up. 
       "Thanks JJ. Didn't expect anyone to bring bandages."
       "Never can be too safe right?"
       "Hey," Chris said with some urgency. "I don't mean to sound critical but where's Rose?" 
       "Rose?"
       Suddenly, there was a scream from Gabriel's room. Everyone ran to the door. As Gabriel ran, he felt Ariel's spirit around his arm. He could hear the bandages rip as wings sprouted from his back. Armor began to appear around Gabriel and everyone else stopped, unable to believe what they were seeing.
      Gabriel reached the door and knocked it down. Wood flew everywhere as he entered the room to see a demon standing in the middle of it. Rose sat in a corner crying, afraid for what was going to happen to her. Gabriel, not stopping to think, ran towards it brandishing the physical manifestation of Ariel's soul. 
       He swung with so much force that the collision with the being caused a large enough shockwave to destroy the wall behind it. 
       "Well well well," said the demon, it's voice inhuman. "The warrior has come at last. Shall I kill you then Rose? Or maybe I should kill her and bathe in her blood. No, I'll make YOU kill her and then give your eternal soul to me" 
       "Or how about this." There was a cocking noise followed by a gun shot. Gabriel shot the monster multiple times, knocking it away. Slowly, a terrifying power came to him, appearing physically as a blackish red electrical spark. With a sadistic look in his eye, Gabriel knocked the monster into the air.
       Then, in a voice not his own, Gabriel said two words. 
       "Batter up!" He swung and sent the demon flying through the hole in the wall. It split in two on impact sending blood all over the walls and floor. As he backed away all the armor and Ariel disappeared. He looked at Rose. She was terrified at what she'd seen, but embraced him all the same.
       "Thank God you showed up when you did. It was gonna kill me for sure. I thought you wouldn't get here on time to save me. I was so scared."
       "Its okay. I'm here now. Nothing's ever gonna hurt you baby. Nothing."
       "Good." She held him tighter and kissed him. Her body was overcome with relief. She looked into his eyes and remembered what she had planned on telling him.
       "Gabriel, I'm..."
       "You're what?"
       "Im pregnant. I was gonna wait until tomorrow to tell you. But yeah, I'm pregnant."