Aaron paced through the luminol halls of the gym. His sneakers squeaked from all the friction. The morning goers avoided him like a plague—he even drew glares from the friendly coffee vendor he shouted at all week.
His tousled salt-and-pepper hair looked like a bird’s nest. Sweat ran down his angular face and veiny arms like fatty oil from a local Wendy's. Aaron hid in the men's restroom after he shuddered at his own reflection when he walked by a large mirror. He kicked everyone out, including someone in a stall who was still not done with his business.
“My plan is crumbling,” Aaron huffed and bit into his thumb. “Where did I go wrong? It’s almost eight in the morning, and she’s STILL not here!”
Usually, Val was one of the first people to arrive in the morning. Sometimes she even came at the crack of dawn for a quick morning exercise like many other overambitious people do before work. Something Aaron welcomed with open arms to help her in her recovery program. But recently, Val had been slacking.
She didn’t come early, didn’t stay longer, and even skipped their appointments! It was a trait that was inconceivable to her, Aaron thought.
“That bothersome butterball’s distracting her!” Aaron pulled at his hair. He punched the ceramic wall in frustration, denting the metal rods inside it and causing a leakage. “I thought I could get rid of her naturally. Making that Valkyrie understand how unworthy and unsightly that woman was for someone of her calibre,” Aaron sighed aggravated, “but I guess not. I need to approach this differently.”
Aaron washed his face and arms and walked out. He huffed angrily at how much Maya’s presence irritated him. Glancing outside from the second floor, Aaron spotted Val—walking! Not walking briskly, or jogging, but casually making her way inside while holding hands with her girlfriend.
“This does it,” grumbled Aaron, his scleras greying. “Bigger guns it is.” A spasm rocked his body. Disappearing inside, Aaron flexed his muscles to control himself and the convulsions better. “Much bigger guns.”
“This is much better, isn’t it?” asked Maya, stroking Val’s knuckles at the entrance. “A breezy morning stroll. Just us walking and talking.”
“Mhm,” Val nodded agreeingly. “Though I still. Struggle. Understanding the plot. Of the movie.”
Maya chuckled. “I’ll explain it to you another time.” She gave Val a quick peck before withdrawing. Though Val pulled her back and wrapped her arms around her.
“That’s. It?” she asked needily.
Mirthful, Maya gave her another quick peck and untangled herself from Val’s vice. “More later,” said Maya a bit shily. She still couldn't process showing so much affection, but seeing Val’s reaction was all the more worth it. “Look forward to it.”
Leave it to Val to suddenly not want to do anything and just go after her to spend more time together. She sighed wistfully entering the gym, and immediately found Aaron standing right before her nose.
“Well, well, well, well, well.” Aaron tiptoed on the spot. “Look who’s finally here.” Aaron brushed back his salt-and-pepper hair. His crooked smile was overshadowed by the mad glint in his eyes. “What took you so long? Our gear feels cold and lonely without you.”
“Ohm- I-”
“Nah ah ah,” Aaron hushed Val before she could speak her bit and ushered her inside the training hall. “Let’s get started, shall we? You have a LOT to catch up on for your abstinence.” Aaron pushed harder, feeling his veins pop. “Much more, Valkyrie.”
Maya glared at Austin’s face with a disgusted look. “Seriously, that thing looks like some ugly bug… is it alive?”
Austin stroked his chin for good measure, tugging at the little hair. “Oh? I think it suits me just fine. Makes me look like a comic villain.”
“Shave it off. Now.”
“Hoho, do I smell jealousy?” Austin smirked and gained a groan from Maya in response. “Come on, admit it, you secretly wish you could grow one too.”
“No, I don’t,” Maya said with a shudder of disgust. “My brother and I once wore fake beards for Halloween when we were children, and that was more than enough. I don’t like beards. They’re itchy and unattractive. Only goats can pull off whatever you’re trying.”
Austin sullenly let go of his growing goatee. “Now you’re just being petty.”
“ME!?” Maya exclaimed and continued their friendly banter. They survived most of their lectures today and had lunch at the cafeteria. Though Austin raised an eyebrow at Maya's empty tray as he forked his soup.
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“You’re not hungry?” he asked and audibly slurped his soup.
Maya fumbled with her tray and slid it aside. Instead, she pulled out a juice box out of her bag. “I’m not hungry, which is strange. Usually, I feel famished during lunch.”
“True, that is strange for you.”
“Oi.” Maya kicked him under the table. “Zip it. No remarks from the peanut gallery.”
“Oww,” Austin complained with a delay and rubbed his shin. “Your rules. As long as you initiate it—and I keep it cordial—I’m free to banter.”
“Haha,” Maya laughed drily. She slurped loudly on her juice. “Fair enough. I walked into that one.”
Austin wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What changed then?”
“Dunno.” Maya shrugged. “Val cooked breakfast this morning.”
“She always makes breakfast for you. Tell me something I don’t know.” Austin pointed with his fork at Maya. “Have you ever thought about learning to cook, too? Surprise her with some toasts and omelette?”
“I’ll put a note on that.” Maya tapped on the table, contemplating. “I think it’s because I’m more comfortable with her. You know my problem with stress. We had a rocky start, but it’s going well.”
Austin put down his fork. His curious twinkle hid the seriousness on his face. “Did you tell her about the obnoxious gym trainer?”
Maya shook her head. “Not worth my time or effort. I told her I’d prefer we work out by ourselves without anyone’s help. That’s it.”
Austin paused, eyeing Maya tensely. “Did you deal with that guy? At least report him?”
“As I said,” Maya crumbled up her juice box and chewed on the straw, “he’s not worth my time. I dealt with him enough as it is, and prefer to focus on my relationship with Val.”
Austin tapped on his plastic tray, denting it slightly from how furiously he did it. Thankfully, Maya didn’t notice it. His anxiety was off. He sensed there was something off, and things were not over yet.
“Are you going to pick her up from the gym today, too?”
Maya nodded. “For an evening workout. Not that I particularly look forward to it, but if it’s her, I’ll do it happily. If he comes up to us today, we’ll be leaving promptly.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” thought Austin and scratched the bottom of his bole with his fork until he stabbed it, cracking the porcelain. “A very bad feeling.”
—✽—
Right when Maya entered the gym, an eerie silence enveloped her. The artificial lights cast a harsh glare on the luminol floor. Her sneakers squeaked softly through the deserted halls. There wasn't a single gym goer or worker to be found—not even the nice teenager she always chatted with at the reception.
The rows of treadmills blinked and hummed with scattered dumbbells lying abandoned on the mats. Maya jumped at the slow, ominous croak of an old air conditioner—its neglected state just added to the unsettling atmosphere.
“I knew the ghosts of unfulfilled New Year's resolutions like to haunt gyms, but this is something else,” Maya muttered to herself to calm her nerves. “Where is everybody?”
Maya pressed on into the gym to find Val. Despite the oddities she observed, she pushed aside her unease. Yet with all the recent events in her life, Maya couldn’t help but feel on edge that this place was a trap—one which she unwittingly walked into.
“This is the last time I’m visiting a gym,” Maya vowed staunchly, following the distant sound of an operating treadmill. There, working out at a corner, Maya found Val. “There you are!” she exclaimed gladly and walked towards her.
Val dropped her pace and turned her head towards Maya. Her expression was distant and unfocused. It took her a moment to register Maya’s presence and get off the treadmill.
“Woah, you’re steaming!” Maya waved a hand before her face with a crooked smile seeing how Val's gym clothes clung to her. “Like literally. I think you went a bit overboard?”
Val’s head dipped and her body swayed. She could barely walk straight and looked unusually drained today. It looked like she was in agony with each step she took. Maya feared an asthma attack when Val rasped for words.
Concern etched Maya’s face as she touched Val’s arm to steady her. “Val, are you alright?” Val gave Maya the faintest of glimpses. Her skin was icy in retrospect to how she steamed.
Maya touched Val’s face and gently kissed her lips to draw some life back in. “Let’s get you home. You’ve overworked yourself.”
Val nodded and allowed Maya to take her by the hand and to the exit. But Aaron stopped their path. He leaned against the glass door frame with a sickly sweet tone on his lips.
“Leaving already?” He purred with false concern—his voice laced with nothing but poison. “She’s not done with the workout yet.”
Maya narrowed her eyes at Aaron and sneered at him, not missing a beat of how he tried to appear casual but intimidating. She didn’t give him the satisfaction and walked past him, but Aaron grabbed Val's arm.
“What’s your deal, Trullan?” she spat out his last name like a rancid piece of gum.
“I’ll tell you, Miss Tubby,” he retorted, which riled up Maya more than she wanted to let on. “Miss Valorie is far from done. She’s not done with her program yet!” Aaron yelled, unclasping Maya’s hand from Val’s and pulling her girlfriend back into the hall. “Let’s head back for another 100 kilometres (~62 miles) run, shall we? You're done when I say you're done!”
Val’s breathing exacerbated. Her head spun left and right, unable to focus as more steam exponentially escaped her body. Maya put a comforting hand on the Val, recognising the signs of her divinity burning up as it did like last time.
“Val, listen to me,” Maya spoke slowly, ensuring Val could focus on Maya and breathe. “You’ve done more than enough today. Let’s head home. I’m right here for you.”
The Valkyrie regained her focus. Her gaze finally met Maya’s when she heard her soft voice. A smile formed on her dry lips when she recognised her familiar complexion. Her deep glacier-blue eyes, dark lips, and the faintest of dimples were all so familiarly comforting. The unease and weight lifted slowly from her shoulders. "Maya, you're here—"
But before she could speak her girlfriend’s name, Aaron backhanded Val’s face with his cruel fist, sending the Valkyrie and the instruments she crashed against flying.
“Val!?” Maya cried out in shock, her gaze shifting to Aaron’s bloodied knuckle—blood he drew from her girlfriend.
“Ah, ah, ahhhhhhhhhhhh, you made this much more complicated than you had to, Tubby,” Aaron sighed in exasperation. His eyes turned into a bright gold-brown light. He rested his forearm above Maya’s head, pinning her against the wall as he towered before her. “Why did you make me do this, Miss Tubby? Now, I seriously gotta hurt you, too.”