No More Choices (Void and Light Book One)

Chapter Three

I arrived at work twenty minutes early every day and I have for the past 294 days that I have worked here. I worked at the Agility Course every Monday, Thursday, and Friday. I got this job just because I liked the place but know it's more for the athletic aspect of it all really. I love the opportunity to constantly go from course to course and test my own skills along with that of the patrons and this place never got boring because we always changed the landscape. Emilio, the owner, said it was so that we could all keep agile and fresh but every time I worked here he put me on the course and had me practice non-stop until I could literally do it blindfolded and he never gave me a harness or a helmet for that matter.

"Do you think that if you had to climb up and over some shit that nature would just provide you a helmet and gear like some power up in Mario Cars?"

"Mario Kart, Emilio." I corrected.

He waved me off, "Fah, who cares, that's not how you're supposed to drive anyways.". He snorted as he hobbled away. I'm about to start climbing again when I hear him groan and then the sound of a body hitting the ground.

"Emilio!" I yelped as I ran to his prone form on the ground."Oh, my gods are you okay? Let me call for help."

"Ah no, doctors," he said, his voice so weak it was barely above a whisper. "Call my... nephew, here." He handed me his phone and I moved as fast as possible. I found his nephew under the contact name El Sobrino Cochino and pressed Call.

"¿Si? ¿Como Estas Emilio?" A deep voice answered, warmly.

"Um, this isn't Emilio, he told me to call you, um, for help. And uh, he said no doctors?" I said as quickly as I could into the phone.

"Shit! I'm sorry, uh I'll be over in a minute. Are you at the course?"

"Yes. Hurry." And I hung up. I looked down at Emilio to see if he was doing okay but his skin was as pale as if he had never seen the sun. "Just hang on Emilio, okay?"

He opened his eyes and gave me a weak smile. "Oh, darling, he may not make it in time, I thought I could go on a little longer but this is very much the end for me."

I could feel the tears in the back of my eyes and I started building mental walls so that I didn't cry but the dams that I built crumbled, for every brick that I put in place three more crumbled like sand and before I knew it wisps of tears were falling from my eyes. "Emilio you aren't going to die. You are perfectly healthy, okay well maybe not perfectly but who is these days? You'll be fine."

"No, no.", he pulled a ring from his pocket. The ring wass thin with a hand-shaped symbol on it and an onyx charm in the center of what looked like an eye. "This is a ring of protection, my daughter wore it when she was your age and," he struggled to breathe, "you must wear it now, for my sake, I can no longer protect you."

I took the piece of jewelry from his fingers and slipped it on. "What are you talking about Emilio? You will be fine, but if it is that important then I will wear it always."

Emilio nodded his head and his eyes closed. He had a self satisfied look on his face and then, as if possible, his skin paled more and untensed.

"Emilio?"

"..."

"Emilio?!", I all but screamed. The doors to the Course opened suddenly but it was too late. A black and pink-haired boy came running my way but his eyes weren't on the dead body next to me, but on me. I was sobbing because even though I hadn't worked here long Emilio had been like that extra portion of the family. He'd taught me self defense, sword fighting techniques, and martial arts. I wouldn't ever need to use any of them in such a safe town but I learned just to keep Emilio happy because this man who had given a sad, broken girl a chance to live again, had been there for me since my least favorite event of the year.