Chapter 1 - " Dreams "

" Thank you and come again . " ironically those words so used by me were directed to an old lady who comes here every night , I think she takes the 'come again' way to seriously .

" Mia , your shift is over . Go home . " that scary voice that everyone fears in this bar , also known by the voice of the big boss , echoed in the almost empty bar . Another day of work was finished and I wasn't happy or relived , maybe because I knew that tomorrow I have to do it all over again and that exhausted me to the bone .

…

I spin the key and opened the door to my tiny apartment , god how I hate this apartment , I'm sick of this life . I called my cat but nothing , she was always in the streets , even her abandon me every time she has an opportunity , oh well . I threw my bag to that dusty couch , It's been here since I moved in so it's not mine , it must belong to previous owner . Whatever . There it is , that picture , staring at me , a picture where is a tall blonde man wearing a military uniform holding a little girl with a big smile and a big blonde ponytail . Yes , the little girl it's me . The man is my precious father , he is my goal , my inspiration , I want to become a military just like him , but I'm far from becoming one . Since I have two jobs I don't get much sleep , which makes me being tired all day in the academy , so my grades are dropping , I believe my father would be very disappointed , I mean if he was still alive …. he died last year leaving me alone in this world since my mom died when I was only four . So yes , I'm that kind of girl , the kind of girl who lives alone because her parents died and doesn't have anyone to help her , the one that everyone looks at with pity but doesn't do a damn thing . Don't get me wrong , I don't need others people pity , I'm proud of what I've accomplished only in a year . It's just another sad story .
After I brushed my teeth and put on my blue pajama I laid down on my bed and closed my eyes .

" Just another day . " I whispered those three words that I've whispered every night in the past year to give me strength to get through to this shitty life … everything was better once I closed my eyes , but that was it , I was just closing my eyes , I can't actually sleep , I feel the hours passing by , minute by minute . It's so irritating . And if that wasn't enough suddenly I start to get cold , very cold actually , and my mattress turned really hard , well that is uncomfortable .

I slowly opened my eyes . What the heck ? This isn't my room . Where am I ? I looked around and it seems that I'm in some forest , an unusual forest , the trees were way to big and the atmosphere around it was so creepy , so evil . I stood up looking down , I was barefoot of course , but that didn't stop me to examine the situation so I start walking . I didn't know that some creatures that are in this forest even existed , this is so rare , maybe it was some sort of a prank ? Someone broke into my apartment and then place me here and made this really scary creatures ? I mean , I don't know where is the fun of it but maybe some kids did it . No wait , I must be dreaming , of course , this a dream , a lucid dream to be more precise , how cool . It's so dark , I can't see a thing , maybe I will just stop and make a camp fire , I learn how to survive in the hoods by my father , this is easy . After I did the camp fire , I build some sort of shelter to make me go through the night protecting me from the wind and if it rains , I hope not I have enough problems already . I laid down on the floor and closed by eyes , I will be awake in a few minutes or hours .

…

Ugh , I'm feeling some breathing in my neck , maybe it's my cat . If it's her , it means that I'm finally awake and "returned" to my room , I opened my eyes . Strange . I'm still in the forest , so what is breathing in my neck ? I turned around and my mouth dropped wide open and a scream came out , what the fuck is that ? I look up and saw some sort of a lion , but it was a giant lion with unusual colors and it seems that it has claws or spins in his back ? I couldn't think straight but I knew that I had to run away so I start running the faster that I could , my feet hurts and my clothes are being ripped by the branches of the trees , but I can't let that stop me , I have to keep going , keep running . That was all that I was thinking for the last 15 minutes , this forest seems that doesn't end , and the monster is still after me , I have bruises all over my body , I don't think that I can keep going , I'm going to die ? Here ? I'm going to be killed by that monster ? I have to live , that was the last wish of my father , he wished that I kept living . Wait , I see the ocean , that means I'm trapped , no , please , I don't want to die . I closed my eyes and run , if I was going to die , I didn't want to watch . But then something made me stop and fall ass on the floor . Ow . I look up and see a man with a very scary aura around him . Quickly my staring stop when I heard the lion roaring at us , now we all were in danger . Fuck . Mia think , what my father would do ? When I was about to stand up and run towards the lion the man grabbed my arm and stop me . Instantly the man jump in air , omg so high , is that even possible ? " Room . " the man shouted and a light blue aura appears around him and the lion . " Takt : Sterben ." after he said those words the lion starts levitating and then a big slash appears and the lion dropped dead on the floor . Omg , who is more danger ? The lion or this man ? I really have to get out of here but then I fall on my knees , oh … that's right I run for 20 minutes without stopping and didn't eat or sleep much , I'm weak . I really want to cry on frustration , but I'm stronger that that , c'mon .

" Are you ok miss ? I'm sorry ." I turned around and saw a bear , oh … WAIT A WHAT ? A bear ? Talking ? I start screaming and tried to run but was useless .

" Could you keep it down ? Unless you want more creatures like that , I suggest you keep it down . " the man who killed the lion was now petting the bear that I made cry . " You have injuries , right ? I can help , I'm a doctor . Penguin bring her with us ." the man that apparently is called Penguin nod and then tried to grab me but I slap his hand and stood up .

" I'm not going anywhere with you ! I want to go home ." I took steps backwards .

" I'll take you there , from which island are you from ? "

" Island ? What are you talking about ? I'm not from an Island , and certainly I am not from the same world that you , there is no such thing that you did with the lion ! "

" What are you talking about ? I'm devil fruit user , you are in Grand Line so you definitely have heard it , what's wrong with you ? Did you hit your head ? "

" Devil what ? Grand what ? What's happening ? " suddenly I started to see everything blurred and all the men that were there start spinning and then … black , everything was black .

...

hello everybody ,

this is the first chapter of "Choices" , so tell me did you like it ? please let me know .
I will publish a new chapter for week probably every Friday , but I don't want to confirm it because I may be not able to publish .

also , if you want to know spoilers or be more connected to the story , feel free to follow me on twitter , fujoshi_heaven , (if you have twitter) , I will be telling little spoilers of the story .

all the love , mari-chan . xx