The Training

Pain.

That’s all I was feeling for the entire month. It was from the training that I put myself through. After deciding that I was going to be the one to catch this Coal Jenie guy, I decided to waste whatever money I had left on a gym membership that I would use to make myself as strong as I can possibly get in the shortest amount of time possible. I knew that if I was going to take down or capture a murderer like this Coal guy, then I’d have to become strong. Strong enough to survive and win any possible fight that would break out between me and him, and anything that would happen on my journey to get to him.

Now, I know what you're thinking, I can’t get that strong in only one month, can I? Well, I’ll have you know that I was always one of the strongest kids at every school I’ve ever attended, and I even used to attend powerlifting meets regularly, and I always won. Deadlift? Easy. Squat? Unmatched. Bench? 605 pounds at only 180 pounds body weight on a good day. Despite how strong I was, I always appeared skinny, but I guess strength doesn’t necessarily always equal size, right?

Anyways, becoming strong wasn’t necessarily my goal because I knew that I already was. It was regaining my strength which was the goal here since I haven’t worked out or done anything physical in years after being forced to throw all my time into working to pay for bills. So, that’s exactly what I did. I trained to regain my previous strength. Although this month passed rather quickly (perhaps because of the focus that I had on my training), the training was truly excruciating. Push up after push up, rep after rep; the unbelievable sweat and soreness that my body exhibited was immeasurable. There was only one thought in my mind as I worked my ass off every day: I must persevere through this in order to survive in this world… the real world.

After about the first two weeks of training, I was beginning to feel and look pretty good, and I was beginning to get used to the pain. I was also making sure of course to eat well (as best as I can due to my financial situation) and sleep well to recover effectively every night. As the days passed I felt what I can only describe as physical power swelling up and growing within me. That’s how I knew my training was working.

After another week of constant weight training, I decided that it was time that I began working on my fighting skills. I had one week left before I became homeless and Mr. Pappagul kicked me out of my apartment. There was a tremendous amount of pressure and stress that came with this deadline. I had to finish my training, somehow get to Phoenix Village, find Coal Jenie, beat him or capture him, and turn him in to the police to get paid before I get kicked out of my apartment. For the next three days (there were only four days left after these days), I dedicated myself to working on my fighting skills.

At the gym, I was working with a punching bag 24/7 and around the clock. I woke up at 6 O’Clock in the morning every day before these workouts, and I stayed all day and night. I punched over and over until I couldn’t feel my hands anymore, and then I punched some more. The bag swinging and juggling over and over from my tremendous swings. It had me in a trance. I swung and swung and swung. Over time, my swinging became normal and the pain lessened, and I was able to produce the same amount of power in every punch. Two days of punching, eating, and sleeping passed. I was on my final training day now.

After about seven hours of swinging and hitting the bag, on my third and final day of training my punches, a thought sparked in my head. I was beginning to reminisce about the things that I’ve had to get through in my life. All the hard work that I put into school as well as the debt that I’ve accumulated… all for nothing. All the hard work that I put in at several crappy grocery store jobs and warehouse jobs… just to end up right back here… in the gym. My parents kicking me out of the house just because I turned 18… did they even love me? Would parents that loved their children kick them out of the house to fend for themselves in this disgusting world? The answer was simple. No. No, they wouldn’t.

But that’s when I realized it. There is no love in this world. There’s only hardship, struggle, and pain. Like the punches that I’m throwing at this bag, and like the pain that’s coursing through my arms every time I throw one. Just like in the real world. Over time you begin to forget that you're even feeling pain. Like the innocent animals that we kill and eat, and like the poor homeless people who we throw on the streets with no care in the world. Selfishness. Hate. Envy. I was feeling it all and understood all of it as I focused on the bag. I was always told that this is just the way things are.

Bullshit.

I paused and stopped punching for a brief moment. I felt a breeze pass by me, perhaps from the air conditioning. It was way past midnight now, and there was no one left in the gym but me. I stared at the bag… angry. I winded my arm back as far as I could to the point where it hurt. I clenched my fist, stomped on the ground, and planted my feet in a suitable stance flexing every single muscle in my arm and body with all my might and strength. My veins were popping as great blood coursed through my muscles. The heat. The sweat. The pain. I felt it all. I ground my teeth and pretended that the bag was the world. I felt the power. I swung.

Boom.

It was as if a bomb just went off in the gym from how hard I hit that bag. It literally exploded and flew off the chain that it was hanging on. It hit the wall in front of it which was smashed upon impact. There was now a hole in the wall, and there was smoke and rubble everywhere. I didn’t care. The world… deserved it.

I fiercely stomped on the ground once more. The vibration reverberated across the entire gym, and I screamed a mighty roar. I howled as loud as I can while remembering all the bad things that this world of ours holds. My scream was so loud that it burst all of the glass windows in the building which set off the sprinklers on the roof along with some alarms. There was so much adrenaline flowing through me that I felt I could do anything. I knew now that I was ready. I was going to take Coal Jenie down and collect my bounty no matter what. I hated the idea of doing the world a favor by taking this guy down. This rotten world didn’t deserve any favors, but I didn’t care. I had to survive. It was either Coal or me.

However, after a few minutes, I realized what I did and began to freak out hoping that no one saw what just happened as I looked around frantically. I packed up my stuff quickly and left the gym through the wall that I created hoping that no one would spot me. I was lucky that this was a crappy gym. It didn’t have any cameras or desk attendants working at the time, and there were no cars in the parking lot. I felt bad that I put a hole in the wall because the owner was a great guy, so I pledged that when I get the money from the bounty, I’d confess that I was the cause for the wall and that I would pay the cost to fix it.

As I walked away from the site, I looked at my hands and felt great power surging from them. Surging power that I didn't recognize. Is this... really me? It was as if I had awakened. I felt like… I just gained something. I knew that now was the time, and I knew that I was truly ready. I clenched my fist and gazed at the dark sky filled with glittering stars.

The only thing I wondered... was if anyone... would get in my way.