No Good Person

Chapter 8: Out Of Choices

I pulled away the debris from the wall nearest to the place where light is shining in. My hands are bleeding...

I looked at the officer as he laid against the wall next to me. His legs... he can't feel them. I think they are broken. But I am no doctor...

I pulled off a large piece of part of the wall and threw it onto the ground.

The officer looked at me as I worked.

"I wish I could help you-"

I looked at him for a moment.

"No... you can't, physically. At least I can move-while you..."

The officer laughed slightly.

"I know... I'm sure I will end up another cripple."
That is harsher than it sounds...

The officer looked at me apologetically.

"Hey, it's not your fault."

"It's not good to lie, you know?"

"Sometimes it's best to."

I looked back to my work.

"A-Anyway... earlier you said that you wouldn't let another person lose themselves... or something similar to that..."
The officer closed his eyes.

"Yeah... yeah I did. His name was Jerico. He was my brother... and it was only after I learned that he was affiliated with the Free Angels that I realized how bad of a place he was in. the reason I even came here was because I heard the Free Angels had attacked this place-so I left my patrol route and came even when the company security notified the police department saying not to come."

I stayed still for a moment.

Jerico...

"I... I knew Jerico... though that was before I 'joined'..."
The Officer looked at me surprised.

"You knew him?"
I nodded.

"He worked with me at the mines..."
I shouldn't be talking about this.

I continued to work on pulling the debris away.

The officer breathed in softly.

"Hey... give it a rest... you're only going to hurt yourself. I'm sure they will find us."
I nodded.

"Yeah..."
I fell to my knees in exhaustion.

"We need to get out of here... I..."

The officer patted my shoulder.

"Don't worry. I know we'll be fine... besides, I promised I would save you. Didn't I?"

"You did... thank you... I don't think I have said that yet..."

The officer closed his eyes.

"Don't fret over it... and my names Jerry. Lieutenant Jerry."

"So, I didn't ask your name either? Sor-"
Someone from above started to call out something from up top.

Someone's up there...

I stood up with the last of my strength.

"HEY! ANYONE HERE ME?"
My throat is getting dry.

"Hey! Is... is anyone... out... there... "

I held onto my chest.

I looked up at the hole in the ceiling.

Someone suddenly looked in from up top.

"Hey? Who's there-it's you?!"

The man turned around and called out to someone else.

"Hey I found him Ragniel! I found him!"

R...Ragniel?!

The man walked away for a second before coming back with a shovel.

He hit the debris around it as it slowly got bigger, the pieces he knocked off falling onto the floor.

A man walked up next to him with a long rope and threw it down.

"Can you climb up?"
I can't believe this... it is Ragniel...

"No..."

Ragniel held onto his head in disappointment.

"Look... tie yourself to the rope and hold on-we'll pull you up."
I clenched my fists.

"NO! Fuck you... Ragniel... do you even see what I did...? What you made me do...?"
Ragniel looked away from me for a second.

"Feisty to the end I see... I can't let you die, Aren. I know that right now..."

I shook my head.

"You don't know anything!"

I held onto my side as a sharp pain suddenly shot through it.

I fell to a knee.

My vision is really starting to get bad. Everything's blending together...

I looked towards Ragniel. I can't even see him...

Someone started to climb down the rope.

I suddenly felt a hot substance rise from the back of my throat.

I fell forward onto the ground. My body can't move anymore...