ROGER (Read Until 7/31)

T W E N T Y - T H R E E

Ever just wonder to yourself the importance of exercise? That—maybe—participating in gym class, or picking up a sport, was beneficial to the overall health and well-being as a human? They'd said it all the time during Province daytime news: Health 101.

Me? I'd never tried to participate. Sure, I ran around as a kid, played tag. But exercise was never my thing. And if it was in school, I never did more than was necessary.

That's why when the second day started, and Roger put me through basic training, my body screamed help, bloody-murder, and all things unholy. I knew Alex said anything I'd felt in this reality wasn't real, but that didn't change the fact that it'd hurt like a bitch. And Roger wouldn't go easy on me, either.

The second day was one thing, but the third was another. We'd run the city streets; jumped from one light pole to the next. He even created boulders that suddenly appeared in the road, right in front of me as I was running; he expected me to dodge them.

Me... dodge them?

Let's just say I couldn't do it successfully until day four.

Still, it was all needed. Apart from the boulders and random curves in the road, he'd made open fields, shooting ranges, and tracks. After extensive exercise, he'd make food, and it was always my favorite. I supposed the meals made up for his vigorous teaching techniques, but I'd be lying if I said I hated every day of it. Because I didn't. Day four was the start of my fun.

The training had left imprints in my mind. During our morning run, I caught up to him; my endurance had increased. When we went to the shooting range, I didn't miss; it wasn't a headshot, but a bullet through the shoulder and a person would go down, wouldn't they?

That's when Roger gave me my props. He tossed me a towel and told me, "You're better than I expected."

I couldn't help but take it as a compliment because I couldn't agree with him more.

That still didn't change the fact that we'd wasted a day. The time lost didn't register until our virtual sun dipped low in the sky, setting itself into another night that would stretch out into our next morning. By then, Douglas would go into the room and request my release, because—like Matthews had said—he'd said five hours was enough.

I was on hour four.

"You all right?" Roger stood above me and blocked my thoughts as well as the sun. The red skies behind his head made him glow. I couldn't help but smile when he did.

"I am," I answered honestly. I'd been sitting on the floor for over ten minutes, legs sprawled out in front of me. My muscles ached. I was covered in sweat, so naturally, I pulled at my tank top and laughed when it slapped back against my skin with a quiet plop. "I'm just waiting for this tired feeling to pass."

Roger shook his head as he snickered. "Tired? You think this is tiring?"

"Well..." I turned my feet left, then right, and hissed at the discomfort. "It isn't nice."

"Training isn't supposed to be nice," he said, and gave me his hand. When I took it, he pulled me up to stand beside him, both of us leaning against the metal exterior of our Dome. "Besides, whatever you're feeling now isn't real. Your mind is just going to put it to memory."

"Okay," I huffed and looked back at the reddening sky, "that doesn't mean I can't ask for it to stop. At least for today."

"Just today?" Roger tilted his head, to better look at me.

I gave him a side glance. "Just today. Just one nice day."

Running his hands up and through his hair, Roger took a moment to look at the sun. When he dropped his hands down, he let one hand tug at the collar of his shirt before dropping lower to hold my hand. I didn't talk as he gently pulled me through the Dome's entrance. We walked down two halls and made a right, stopping at a wall with no windows or doors. I was ready to complain, because I wasn't sure how standing in one spot would make me feel better, but he stopped my words with a wave of his hand.