Short stories

Gym

The day had been very long, just like the rest of the week. She felt very tired. She was eager to go home. She had spent the day answering the phone, responding to all clients and colleagues’ questions. Her ears were ringing from all the noise in which she had spent her whole day. She terribly missed the tranquility of her apartment. She rubbed her face, eager to find herself elsewhere.

The time was turning too slowly. Since she still had time before the end of her working day, she began to fill out a form for a client. The order wasn’t very long to do. She would have time to finish it before leaving. Her fingers danced quickly on the keyboard. Staying focused helped her hold on and not to throw a glance at the clock. Her hiring dated back to almost two months. She knew no one. She didn’t take the trouble to meet her colleagues either. She was there to work, not to make friends. Except she noted that she was the only one to believe in it. She still was ridiculous to react like that, but it was just a job after all.

She leaned for a moment, rubbing her neck. She wasn’t only new in her workplace. She also had just moved into a huge apartment complex downtown. A massive thing with nearly a hundred tenants, a security guard in the lobby, lifts, a large underground parking lot and a fully equipped gym. It was the last asset that had managed to convince her to sign the lease. And the safety aspect, too. As there were many tenants in the building, impossible for her to know them all. And anyway, she didn’t want to. She wanted to be forgotten from the whole world. She herself wanted to forget her past, what happened on that famous night. He still dared lay a hand on her. She then waited for him to fall asleep, dead drunk on the sofa, to pick up her things and leave the city. She knew him enough to know that he would try to find her. She had to quit her job by calling her boss from a terrible room in a seedy hotel. She had to start a new life elsewhere and that was what she would do. This decision should have been taken a long time ago, but she didn’t have the courage and strength before that night. He had crossed the line.

Changing city wasn’t easy for her. Since she had to get away as possible from her former life, she had to do several kilometers to put as much distance as possible. Large urban center illustrated the perfect combination of anonymity and security. She came from a small town and he knew it. She had never been attracted to big cities and he knew it too. He would never have the idea of extending his research so far. The hotel where she had stayed before moving into her new apartment was much better than the last one. The rooms are paid to the night, and not by the hour. The more she walked away, she regained more confidence in herself. The idea came to her when she passed by a gym when she was looking for work. Of course, the inscription was overpriced. But she believed that if she was practicing, she would have the strength and ability to replicate if she ever found herself again in the same situation.

She refused to be a victim again.

The weekend was approaching fast. The atmosphere around her changed. Nobody seemed quite concentrated to sit on their chairs. She ventured to take a quick glance at the clock. There were only five minutes left. Conversations around her revolved around projects that her colleagues had for the weekend. Nobody asked her the question, barely knowing that she worked with them. Anyway, she won’t give any response. She felt that her private life should remain in the private domain. She wasn’t interested in their lives and they should do the same with her. The situation suited her perfectly. She didn’t want to hear about their personal tragedies. She had enough to do with hers!

She finished filling her form before taking the time to close her computer and pick up her stuff. She made a mental list to be sure not to forget anything. Every detail was important. She had some shopping to do before heading home. She remembered by heart what she lacked. She hated having to leave again just because she had forgotten something. Although she was in a big city, she wouldn’t take any risk to cross his path. She used to shop at the same day in the same place. She now knew the place and it made her feel comfortable. She still had to be very careful not to let her guard down. It could become very dangerous at any time. She refused to pay attention to every conversation still occurring around her at work. Organization and planning: two words that have become very important to her. She always had to be prepared for anything. No more surprises! She had to think of everything so as not to be caught off guard. Since her escape, she had established some rules of survival that she followed assiduously. While completing cleaning and closing her computer, she pondered her routine in her head. There was one major problem: she felt so tired. She believed to be unable to go to the gym. Since moving in, she went there every night to unwind and physically prepare for all contingencies she feared. Tonight, she didn’t want to.

The people around her were continuing their discussions while slowly walking towards the exit. She pulled on her jacket and took her bag and then left. She was struck by a strong, cold wind. She hastened to close her jacket and hold it around her shivering body. The outside temperature had dropped dramatically since her arrival. She began to walk anyway. In her way to the supermarket, she held her jacket tight. She was trying to keep her head up to watch the passersby, but the wind made the task virtually impossible. She still managed to go to the supermarket. There were not many guests at the moment. It would be quiet for shopping.

She took a little basket and began to walk through the rows. She walked slowly, taking time to find everything. She approached the frozen food. She thought she had forgotten something on her list. She cast her eyes on the boxes presented behind the glass door. She found what she wanted. When she closed the glass door, she saw a face looking at her. She felt her body freeze in terror. He really looked at her. She whirled around, but there was none. Her heart was still beating at high speed. How was it possible? She actually had seen someone behind her. Where was he? There were other clients near her, but nobody seemed to pay her any attention. She tried to look as natural as possible, despite her fear. She was still in a public place. Everything had to look normal. She moved away a little, continuing her research. This time, she saw the face as the door was open. She hastened to close it to leave. Still nobody. She didn’t like what was happening. She no longer felt safe in the supermarket. She left the frozen section, looking around her. Turning the corner, she was once again facing him. He looked right into her eyes. She suddenly took fright and backed into another alley. She suppressed an urge to start running. She paid for her purchases before rushing off from the supermarket.

The wind struck her again. She hung her bag over her shoulder before hitting the road at a rapid pace. She dared not to look over her shoulder. She had the strange impression that the guy was following her. She felt really scared. She didn’t know who he was. He wasn’t her ex-boyfriend. She would have recognized him at first glance. So who was he? And what did he want?

Arrived outside her apartment building, she noticed that the lights in the lobby were flashing as if they were about to die. It didn’t reassure her. Her hands were shaking terribly as she sought her keys. She didn’t understand what was happening. She knew that if her ex had found her, she wouldn’t be so upset. She was ready, both physically and psychologically. But being followed by a stranger… She finally opened the door and entered the building as fast as she could. She walked up the stairs to get home. Having closed the door, she felt a little safer. She put her purchases, breathing normally. A brief glance at the clock told her she might be late on her personal schedule. She hated when that happened. Her terror didn’t justify this action. Haven’t been hungry, she thought to catch up by skipping dinner.

She hastened to change and get a few things to get to the gym. A bottle of water in hand, she threw a towel on her shoulder. She took her keys and left. When she locked her apartment, she saw a shadow out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head, but there was no one. Something was wrong again. She again had a strange feeling, something she was unable to explain. She went to the gym at a rapid pace. She set her headphones on her ears to subside everything. Sometimes music helped her to stop thinking. It really was what she needed right now. The gym was empty. She sat on the treadmill and started her training program. She let herself be overwhelmed by the music in her ears.

She ran like never before. She wanted to escape so she made up for with jogging, even if she wasn’t going anywhere. Sweat quickly covered her body. She felt fatigue disappear, leaving room for adrenaline. She made scenarios in her head to get motivated to go faster, to excel. Despite the music, she heard a noise. She pressed the button to stop the treadmill and look around. She was still alone. She was unable to say what kind of noise she had heard. A bit like a click, more or less. She went jogging until time was up. The characteristic bipbip the machine made her slow down before stopping completely. She took her towel to wipe the sweat a little. She took a long sip of water and looked up to look out the window. She saw the face again. Her heart rate sped up very quickly while still looking at that face, his dark eyes… How was it possible? He couldn’t stand before the window as the gym was on the third floor of the building… She felt her blood freeze as she slowly turned. He wasn’t in the hallway, behind the glass as she thought. He was behind her, a smirk on his lips. She was petrified with terror, unable to look away from him. His eyes were completely black. She bitterly regretted not having listened to her feeling.

There were worse things than meeting her ex…

THE END