The Choices That We Have

I run as fast as I could while I can still hear the screams are getting louder.

A young woman's voice can be heard screaming for help from a park nearby. I run into the dark, dimly lighted park and the screams can be heard near the side of the public toilets.

I called the police beforehand while running to report the screams. The police told me that the police are on their way and stay out of any danger.

"Please help me, anyone!" and a loud banging hit the door.

I tried to open the door but it was locked.

I yelled "What happened? Are you okay?" and the woman screams "NO, THERE'S A NAKED MAN IN HERE WITH A KNIFE. PLEASE HELP ME."

As I heard there was a knife, a surge of cold sweat came down through my whole body.

I tried to break down the door by ramming myself a few times. A wooden crack can be heard near the knob.

A slicing sound can be heard inside as I heard the man yell,

"DO NOT INTERRUPT OUR MOMENT, I WILL HURT YOU IF YOU TRY TO COME IN HERE"

Without wasting any time, I put my foot near the knob and kick with all of my power.

The door is open and the woman, with her torn pink blouse and black long skirt, ran out quickly.

The man inside was pushed to the floor because of my kick on the door.

Fuming with anger, the man lunged at me with his knife in his hand and push me down so fast that I cannot react quickly enough. The man is on top of me and I cannot feel my back. In front of me is his face, smiling while I can feel the excruciating burn and pain on my abdomens. A feeling of metal grinding into my flesh and bones. The knife is stuck in me while his weight is crushing my body.

"You do not know how much misery this woman is giving me. I wanted our moment together and you just interrupt it" said the man while laughing.

But,

the police sirens can be heard coming into the park as I am losing my consciousness. I pull up my hand, smearing with my own blood, holding the criminal from getting away as I weakly said, "At least you will not get away with this."

As my eyes are getting heavy, I close my eyes while tightly grabbing the man who is trying to get out from me. I fell into a dark abyss as the sounds of a woman crying and the police sirens accompanied me.

-

"Raise up my long-awaited champion"

"Open your eyes and greet me"

These are the words I heard as I am trying to open my eyes.

"Open your eyes and greet me, my champion"

I slowly open my eyes and saw a womanly figure far in front of me. The woman wearing a hooded long black robe with cleavage that shows her burned scar, slithering around her chest and neck, as if it is an alive snake. The white pale face can be seen from where I am standing and her fiery amber eyes glowing and staring right into mine.

She is floating towards me and then puts her bare feet down as she is standing right in front of me.

"Where am I?" I ask while looking around my surrounding. I felt so cold like the ice enveloped me from top to bottom.

"You are in my realm, my champion. I have summoned you because I have taken an interest in you," she said as her face is nearing mine.

"I have taken you as my champion and hereby giving you a chance in life"

Chance in life? Am I dead? The last thing I remember is that I tried holding to -

"You are right now in grave danger, my dear champion. Your life depends on whether you are to accept my offer to be my champion. Do you agree?" She interrupts my thoughts as she holds my cheeks.

"If I do not agree, what would happen?" I ask while staring right into her eyes.

"Then I cannot help you and you will die miserably. It is up to you and time is not stopped. You just need to accept my offer to be my champion" she said as if she has given me no other choice but to accept.

-

The ambulance has arrived at the hospital, on the stretcher is a student with a knife stuck into his abdomen with blood all over his white shirt. The doctors immediately sent him into the operating room while the woman wrapped in a long jacket that also comes in the same ambulance is crying and worrying about the student. The perpetrator has been sent to the police station and being questioned by the police.

Several minutes later, an elegant woman in black walks into the hospital room and asks the nurse at the front desk. "Where is Miss Tachibana Amy?". The nurse points at the back and the woman immediately walks past by to find her friend. She sees her friend, sitting down with some police officers and nurses who accompanied her.

"What happened, Amy?" the woman asks her best friend who is still shocked at the current situation.

"That disgusting man, Sae, he..." She bursts into tears and hugs her friend, crying and lost for words for what is currently happening.

-

"I accept but there are some questions I wanted to ask," I asked the woman as I feel the coldness crawls up from below.

"Ask quickly, you do not have much time." The woman replied while she maintain her gaze on me.

"Who are you? What do you want? How will you save me? Do not tell me that you are going to save me by reincarnating me into some other world!?" I question her as quickly as possible as I can feel like the cold grip me.

*chuckles*

"I am what humans called Misery Goddess, I want you to fight for me as my champion and I am not saving you not by reincarnation because you will fight for me in your world." the goddess replied as she is smiling and her eyes closed.

I felt somewhat relaxed and worried but I do not have much time.

As if I was pushed into making a decision while my life is hanging in the line. I uttered the words that will change my life and the world around me.

"I accept to be your champion, Misery Goddess"