“You call this running, Johnny boy? Pathetic. Run! Keep up!”

“Yes… sir…”

Deep haggard breaths puffed in and out of John as he chased after the sergeant with dragging feet that skid against the dirt path. John knew not how long they ran, but it felt like forever. His malnourished body was already giving out.

However, John’s eyes were still sharp and full of determination. With pure willpower, he forced his legs to keep moving forward. He told himself he would have the last laugh over the instructor from Hell.

I’ll play your game, Sergeant. I will show you that I can do this and more. Do your worst! I won’t give up!

The sergeant did not know John’s inner thoughts, but he looked back at the still-chugging-along John with a small smile that was quickly hidden behind a frown. He wouldn’t show it, but inside, the sergeant nodded his head approvingly at John.

“You cannot even keep up with infants at this pace, boy. Hurry it up, or you will owe me pushups!”

The two had run quite a ways into the forest. John missed it, but a wood structure was starting to show above the treeline. He was too focused on overcoming the sergeant to notice.

However now, no matter how much John pushed, he moved little forward. John’s pace slowed to a crawl; even the serviceman’s walking speed was faster.

“Alright. Take a moment, Johnny.”

“I…” John gasped for air before continuing, “can still go on.”

The military man frowned; his rare show of good graces was ignored.

“You think I am giving you a break? You think you even earned a break, brat? We even barely started! This is not a break! I said a moment!”

John gave a second look at the fuming supposed instructor from Hell. He felt the sergeant’s current actions were slightly out of character. At least, from what the others told him about the sergeant. He gazed at the serviceman with dubious eyes.

What is this guy playing at? Is he really giving me a break? This guy? The hellish instructor that trains everyone nonstop till they puke? Why is he trying to be nice? What’s the catch?

“I’m not dragging your fainted corpse to the combat grounds, boy.”

John rolled his eyes.

Yeah, of course, it wasn’t ‘cuz he cared. What was I thinking? He just didn't want a burden. Well, no need to worry. I’ll show him I’m no burden that he needs to bear.

The sergeant looked at the heaving thin man before him that kept moving at a snail's pace even though he gave him a chance to rest. He was a little curious about John now. His unrelenting perseverance was commendable.

“Hey, weirdo. Where you from?”

John glanced up, still slowly moving towards the instructor while desperately trying to catch his breath. He responded with a sharp snap in his reply.

“Why,” John gasped again for air, “do you care?”

The sergeant frowned. His good intentions were met with pointed resistance and doubtful suspicion. He was starting to think John was unlike the others with his unyielding determination to prove himself worthy, but their recent interaction reminded him of the many other civilians who assumed him to only be some sort of devilish instructor. He huffed back, taking offense.

“Damn. Is it wrong for me to care? Can I not genuinely ask about my underlings? If I do not care for those that I watch over, then would I protect you all in the face of danger? Would I put my life on the line to defend your pathetic asses that cannot follow orders?”

John stopped completely this time. He needed to, but not to breathe, but in order to fully understand what the sergeant just told him.

Seriously. What are you playing at, man? Are you an evil trainer from Hell or not? You’re not making sense right now.

John didn’t understand, but he meant to imply that Sergeant Jay was not living up to the image that others gave him. The serviceman’s little contradictory actions so far confused John. It would only be harder to tell.

“Fine. Ignore my small talk. Who wants to associate with the big bad wolf? Alright. You had your moment. NOW MOVE IT! Failing to follow my orders just gave you thirty push-ups after your run. See that building rising over the trees over there? Meet me there. Run, with all your might. If I beat you to it, you will give me thirty more push-ups.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Sergeant Jay ran off before the flabbergasted John could ask any further questions.

What is he, a kid? Why is he running off instead of having a conversation to explain himself clearly? Isn’t he more of a boy than me?

John paused, thinking about the sergeant’s earlier comments.

So he does have a heart but also likes to run that damn mouth of his. No wonder everyone finds it difficult to like him. But it’s hard to hate him too. Dude. You’re such a kid.

John shook his head, thinking about his last thought of the sergeant. Looking up at the wood building standing over the tree line, John was reminded of the military man’s threat of push-ups. He shuddered at the mental image of more training. His body was already fatigued.

Thirty push-ups were not too bad, but John started to sweat over sixty. Breaking into a mad sprint, John raced past Jay. Jay smirked as his competitive spirit ignited. The military man lowered his stance as his feet dug into the ground. He kicked off, blitzing forward like lightning and moving faster than humanly possible while leaving John in a cloud of dust.

John coughed as he waded his way out of the dust storm.

What the hell was that?! How’d he shoot off like a bullet?!

John was definitely unable to catch up at this point. His body wanted to give in to fatigue, knowing that there was no way to beat the sergeant. But John gritted his teeth and jogged over, even though he was not looking forward to pushups.

On the way, he observed the surrounding area. John grew more confused about the place. The metal door exited to a beaten dirt road, meandering through a dense forest of trees.

“What is this? Some sort of set for a movie?”

John plucked some of the grass foliage along the path and rubbed them together between his fingers. A green juice squeezed out and stained his hand.

It’s not fake. So then this is all real? But how is this possible inside a building and underground of all places?

John headed towards the towering wood structure that slowly grew larger and taller over the tree canopies as he approached. The dirt path turned solid as a cement road took its place. John continued on the road as he came out to a forest clearing.

But he abruptly stopped, no longer moving, and stared wide-eyed off to the distance. Standing in a clearing of the forest, John realized he was on a high point of a mountain while looking deep down and across a vast and endless valley that split through an expansive verdant mountain range. He was now sure as hell he wasn’t inside the cement building.

“You wasted my time, new recruit! Quit your dilly-dallying and drop and give me sixty! For wasting my time, exit that wooden fence post below and run down the mountain and come back up. Now get, boy!”

“Wait! Sir! Could you please tell me what’s going on here? Where are we?! How is this possible?!”

“One time down the mountain not good enough for you, huh? Alright. Make it ten. Where are my push-ups, boy? Seems like sixty not enough for you either.”

Goosebumps rose up from underneath John’s skin when he saw the crazy devious look on the sergeant’s face. He immediately dropped down and hurriedly started his push-ups. Sixty was more than enough for someone who did little exercise. He was already huffing with short breaths and slowly pushing himself up near the end of the set. Sergeant Jay purposely waited until John finished to make John redo the whole sixty push-ups.

“The hell is this bullshit?! You call those push-ups?!”

John flinched, and his knees collapsed to the ground.

“Your form is terrible! Nothing but sissy ground humping! Again! Redo them!!”

John clenched his jaw at the blaring critique and grunted in a complaint, but he pushed himself off the ground.

“You trying to screw the ground by flopping around in that flimsy form like some goldfish, new recruit!? Where did your spine go?! Suck in your belly! Arch up your upper back!” John immediately tightened his core and his spine straightened like a line as he slightly hunched his back.

“Keep your elbows tucked to your sides!” John did so, but his belly slowly caved back toward the ground.

“Do not dare lower them hips! You not humping the ground on my watch, pervert! Up! Now!”

John went back into a flat plank but his arms trembled, barely keeping him in good form.

“You want to make love to the ground, right? Now down! Make sure you kiss the dirt, but keep your knees and back straight! If they dare touch the ground, you are gonna do another set of thirty!”

John gritted his teeth and kept as close to perfect form as possible.

You shitty bastard! You’re the weirdo! I’m not trying to do anything to the ground! And stop threatening me with more push-ups!

But any faltering in John’s form resulted in an added set of thirty push-ups; eventually, John slowed down and ensured each trembling motion stayed flat and consistent.

You cruel bastard! My body can’t take it anymore, but I’m going show you! You’re not going to break me that easily!

“Alright. Sixty actual push-ups. Took you a hundred and eighty attempts though. Just barely passable, but decent, I guess. Should have just done them right the first time. Moving on! You still owe me ten laps up and down the mountain! Get moving!”

Hearing ‘ten laps up and down the mountain’ knocked out the little strength left in John’s arms, and he fell flat onto his stomach.

“Once you finish those ten laps down the mountain, then we will talk more about this place. Make them fast or you’ll be here all night with no dinner.”

John glanced at the vast mountain range and turned back with a flabbergasted look at Sergeant Jay. The sergeant only smirked and squatted down to pat John’s back.

“Ten laps, ok? Nothing less. But if you do not do it right now, there will be many more. Now get, Johnny boy!”

With a hard slap to John’s back, John jumped up and dashed off to the open gap in the wood fence. He rubbed his still stinging back as he ran down the mountain. The way down was not so bad, but he was still huffing from the push-ups.

John needed to be careful with his footing as he dodged the trees and vegetation so he would not trip and roll down the mountain. However, after reaching the bottom, the way back up was not so easy.

Barely a quarter way up the mountain, John’s legs felt heavy as if boulders were tied onto them. Each muscle movement stung and ached. His pace up the mountain slowed to a crawl compared to his earlier trek down.

“I told you to run! Not walk like a snail! Run!”

John jumped in fright at the sudden shout coming from his side.

“Holy shit! You scared me, sergeant! How the hell did you get down here, sir?!”

“Obviously, I walked here. You still have yet to give me even one lap! Run!”

John grunted, not believing the sergeant walked beside him the whole time. John recalled how the sergeant flashed away at nearly inhuman speed. He knew the military man was extremely fit, but his ability was beyond what a human body should be able to do. However, he could not complain or ask even though he wanted to quench his curiosity.

He forced himself to run back up the mountain with deep haggard pants of breath. John could barely think anymore. He could only hear the loud thumping of his heart and the deep breaths coming out of his mouth. Johnny’s roommate, Nathan, was right, John’s partially-full stomach ached from one side and made him queasy.

Nearing the fence post, John abruptly stopped and suddenly fell over. However, John did not collapse and faint from fatigue or vomit his lunch.

He fell flat on his bottom with fear in his eyes.

John shuffled backward on all fours from his sitting position as if hurriedly backing away from the sight of a snake.

But then realizing what was chasing him was not something to fear, John stopped.

His eyes widened and his mouth was left agape. An airy chime rang in John’s head while the light blue screen that followed after him hovered in front of his face.

Stamina +.05