Sam lifted her head and focused. The world isn't here. It's just me- her hands lifted and balled
into half fists. And the target. Her
right hand blurred forwards into the punching bag. She pulled it back and threw
her left hand into it. She kept alternating hands, progressively getting faster
and harder. 1, 2, 1, 2. She
subconsciously changed the combination of the blows. Left, left, right, left,
right, right. She performed uppercuts and hooks, her hands going where they
needed to. Beads of sweat formed across her forehead and dripped down her face.
Her teeth were gritted in concentration. She visualized the punching bag as a
fighter. She ducked and swiped, maneuvered and struck. A hand rested on her
shoulder. She stopped moving immediately and her mind allowed the distractions
to flow into it again. She turned and saw Graham smiling. It was a small, thin
smile. But it was still a smile.
'Yes, sir?' Sam asked, masking her pleasure.
'Come with me.' Graham turned and walked out of the
training room, through the spotless corridors of the facility and into an
unused locker room.
'How long have you been training here?'
'A little under a year, sir.'
'In what areas of combat?'
'Boxing, sir.'
'And how long have you been boxing for?'
'Since I was twelve, sir.'
‘So, you mean to tell me, that you have been boxing for six
years, and you have perfect form.’
‘If I have perfect form, then that would seem to be the case,
sir.’
‘Have you fought anyone?’
‘No, sir.’
‘In six years? Not a single fight?’
‘No, sir.’ Sam was quietly wishing this conversation would
end. Graham may have been her trainer, but she hated having to call anyone sir.
‘Why is that?’
‘I’m not competitive, sir.’
‘I’m putting you in a practice fight with Logan.’ Graham
finished. Without giving Sam a chance to object, he was out of the room.
‘But- Wait, wait! I don’t want to fight!’ She shouted. He
was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. And, of course, she had to show, or risk
losing all the cred she had gruelled over earning. She sighed.
‘Logan!? I have to fight Logan?’
Sam leaned against the wall behind her. Not only was Logan taller than her,
stronger than her and faster than her, but he was also the most experienced
boxer in the facility. And ripped. She trudged back into the training room and
resumed beating the punching bag. She was just settling into the rhythm when a
shadow fell across her punching bag. She repressed a growl and faced the owner
of the shadow. He had dull green eyes, tanned skin and short, brown, curly
hair. His hands were wrapped in bandages, and he had removed his shirt due to
overheating.
‘Hey Logan.’ Sam mumbled.
‘Today, right after lunch. I’m looking forward to it.’
‘Okay, thanks Logan.’ Sam kept her head tilted slightly
down, a few strands of her own black hair falling across her face.
‘See you then Sam.’ Logan turned and walked away. Sam faced
the punching bag yet again and pulled her hair out, talking to herself softly.
‘Okay, okay, Logan. Weaknesses. He dislocated his left
shoulder last month. Which means he would favour his right side.’ She thought
deeply as she tied her hair back into a loose ponytail. ‘Strengths. Tall, fast,
experienced, strong…’ Sam trailed off and focused on trying to destroy her
target.
At lunch Sam got her food and sat down. Someone sat next to
her.
‘Hey Sam, what’s up?’ the person asked. Sam jerked her head
up to see her friend, Tara.
‘Oh, nothing, I just have my first fight in… twenty
minutes.’
‘Holy cow, really!?’ Tara exclaimed. Sam rolled her eyes.
‘Yes. I’m fighting Logan.’
‘Oh…’
‘You’re filling me with hope Tara.’
‘Well, good luck!’
‘Thanks. I’m going to need it.’ Sam groaned. She finished
her lunch and stood. She walked briskly to the ring. The ring was in a room
that could only be accessed from training room. She walked around the ring a
few times, analysing it. She slipped her sleek black boxing gloves on and
swiped at the air, ducking and weaving. Sam had watched Logan competing, so she
had a basic knowledge of his typical pattern, but she also knew he had a record
of switching styles abruptly. The door opened and Logan walked in. Sam stopped
and nodded to acknowledge that Logan had arrived.
‘Is anyone watching?’ Sam asked.
‘Only Graham, I think. Unless you invited anyone.’
‘Nope.’
‘Then it’s just the three of us. Nervous?’
‘Would it be a bad this to answer yes?’
‘You would think so, but not necessarily.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘Well, being nervous is bad, but I’ve seen you working.
You’re so focused. If you can get your mind there, you could take me down in an
instant.’ He paused to pull his gloves on. ‘So, what I’m going to try and do,
is prevent you from getting into that zone.’
‘Oh. Goodie.’
‘Good luck.’
‘Thanks.’ Sam finished. Graham walked in and nodded.
‘Get on with it.’ He grunted. Sam and Logan touched knuckles
and climbed into the ring. Sam stood in the corner of the ring, swapping her
weight from one foot to the other. Graham rang the bell and Logan and Sam
walked to the centre of the ring. They raised their fists. Sam’s breath
quickened. Concentrate. Logan was
about to make a move when the door to the ring blasted open. It flew across
room and splintered against the opposite wall.
‘What the hell?’ Graham roared, facing the door. Sam watched
as a figure stepped into the room. He was wearing a dark grey overcoat, a
scarf, gloves and bowler hat of the same colour and polished black shoes. The
hat cast a shadow over his eyes, and the scarf came right up to his nose. He
also had a shiny, black cane. Graham snarled.
‘This is a private meeting. Leave.’
‘Oh, don’t mind me. I’ll even pay for the door being fixed.
I just wanted to watch young Samantha here fight.’
‘Sam, are you okay with that?’ Logan asked, ignoring
Graham’s reddening face.
‘Oh sure, why not.’ Sam said sarcastically. The intruder
nodded.
‘Good. I’ll stay.’ He said. Sam shrugged. Hell, this’ll be great.
‘Let’s go.’ Sam grunted. Logan and Sam raised their arms
once more. Sam blocked out all sounds but the ones Logan and herself were
making. She ignored the smells and the room. It was just her and Logan. She saw
him tense the muscles of his right arm slightly. She ducked just as he swung
his fist towards her. She came up and landed a blow to his left shoulder. He
hissed in pain. It worked! The pair
of them punched and dodged. Graham and the man in the overcoat watched. Graham
was smiling. Still the tiny, thin, little smile, but a smile nonetheless. Sam
could tell Logan was starting to tire. She waited for Logan to strike again. He
moved to punch her jaw, she ducked down and returned his swipe with a boxing
glove to the cheekbone. He staggered onto the ropes. He leaned against the rope
and laughed. He pulled his gloves off and faced Sam.
‘I gotta say, you’re very good at this.’
‘Thanks.’ Sam said, pulling her own gloves off. They shook
and hands jumped out of the ring. Graham walked out after congratulating Sam
and glaring at the hatted man one last time. Logan lingered for a second,
shrugged and left.
‘Samantha, you’re a very talented young person.’ Said the
man in grey. Sam turned and gave the man her most fearsome scowl.
‘I swear, if you call me Samantha one more time… Call me
Sam. For gods sake, call me Sam.’
‘Okay then. Sam, you’re a very talented young person. My
name is Henry Wright.’
‘You mean my boxing?’
‘No, I mean you’re talented. Literally. Listen.’
‘Listen to what?’
‘Just be quiet, and listen.’ Henry said. Sam folded her arms
and listened.
‘Can you hear me?’
Henry’s voice said. Sam jumped.
‘You didn’t move your lips. How did you do that?’
‘I didn’t. You did. All I did was think. Keep listening.’
Henry said.
‘Sam, can you still
hear me?’ Henry’s voice asked. Sam nodded. ‘Okay, now it’s your turn. Say something in your head. Try and make it
appear in mine.’
‘Um… Okay… Does this
work?’ Sam thought.
‘Congratulations Sam, you’re coming with me.’ Henry said.
Sam’s eyes widened.
‘What?’
‘And we’ll need to be getting that Logan as well.’
‘What?’ she
hissed.
‘Follow me.’
‘I’m sorry, if you expect me to be ordered around by a
complete stranger, I think you’ll find you’re mistaken.’
‘I won’t be a complete stranger for long. And either you
come, or you come.’
‘Or I don’t.’
‘I recommend you find Logan and meet me at the front of the
complex.’
‘And if I don’t?’ Sam asked. Henry twirled the bottom of his
cane and there was a crack of thunder.
‘Do not test me. Find Logan. Front of the building. Twenty
minutes.’ Henry walked out of the room. Sam snarled. She walked into the
training room, looking for Logan. She saw him on the far end of the room. She
moved over to him, grabbed his wrist and dragged him out of the training area.
Yeah, I don't actually like this one that much. I have the concept, but no actually-y'know- plot.
Possible continuation.
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