BELC_ Vol 1 (5) (1)

4
Body Builders
Sweaty, grunting bodies. Clanking iron. Pulsing, beating,
throbbing, clanking.
He walked in. Open the doors, burst of light. All movement
stopped. Step-step-step but like rolling thunder. No, like a
cracking whip. No, like a furious greek god (that’s right). Stepstep-step
like a furious greek god into the gym.
They all turned and stared. He had returned, sleeveless. His
back, arms, and chest glistening with curves and valleys, with
nothing but muscle. His thighs could crush a melon or a
human skull (it had been done before). They all scrambled to
the side like little mice. Squeaking away to the corners of the
gym as they stared aghast and terrified at his return.
He cleared the floor of its puny dumb-bells, kettle-bells, and
other children’s play-things. All the while, staring at himself in
the mirrors, flexing his beautiful and sculpted muscles.
A show for himself and for his spectators, the other men.
“Other men - HA!” how could they be called men? He was a
man. He grinned confidently and looked at himself in the
mirror, falling deeply in love with himself.
Before his feet was the largest iron barbell in the gym. Loaded
to 220…on one single side (that’s 440 total). He laughed deep
and threatening. The mice-men cowered further trying to
shrink their tiny heads inside their thick, protruding shoulders.
He bent over and grabbed the bar. Prepping his feet, defining
his stance. He looked at himself once more in the mirror. A
sweat began to break at his brow and his face turned red as he
held his breath. And then, he began to cry. Tear-tears-tears but