The Rival

A Silly little short story that came to me whilst I couldn't sleep last night. The inspiration merely being a friend's description of a boring session at the gym.

I entered the luridly lit gym, this was never an inviting place, but perhaps because I deemed it a chore, it seemed all the more so like an institution. The room itself seemed to exude an odd smell from the very walls, a mixture of stale sweat and something else I daren't try and put my finger on.

Once I had hastily changed in the deserted room for such a purpose, I made my way over to the treadmill, and started the monotony of running without a goal, without a destination. To look at the sea of faces, exerting themselves with sweat making its journey from the temple to the neck, I thought it a foolish act, but one that I'd seemingly thought necessary.

My eyes, as usual, tried to block out the periphery. It was no good, I could make out an amorphous shape to my left hand side. That same person that was always there, on the bike by the window. My heart sank. Was it odd that this person had somehow become my nemesis? Always just before me, getting the good spot. I'd imagined most of this seemingly calculated attempt to ruin my life, and even thought I had begun to see them outside of the gym setting. Just in front of me on the bus, or just inside the tube train as the doors were shutting. Had I seen them in the park near work? I wasn't sure.

My thoughts had run away with me, thankfully the obnoxious scent of the room filled my nostrils once more and bought me back to reality. It was time to go to work.

As I exited, I convinced myself I could hear footsteps following very closely behind me...

Reviews

[Newspaper Skeleton]

Love this- I want to read more. (:

[AndyJCash]

This seems like it could be the beginning of a very gripping thriller where the rival is the antagonist. Just a random thought, good stuff ^.^

[zainul]

I understand the jargon of gym to some extent.My son is a member in a local gym.
I guess there is at least one rival of my son who may resemble your rival character of your story.
Very nicely written.Keeping it in my library.