Heaven in Hell

WHAT'S NEXT?

UNKNOWN LOCATION

AGENT PRESCOTT

I thought I was free to go. After all, he owns me when he starts training my men. Just as I got up, Chief Darhk kicked me in the shins, hard. "Who the fuck gave you permission to stop pushing and stand up?"

Dropping immediately, I curse inwardly, but start pushing and say, "Sorry, Chief".

Thankfully, the dumbells are no longer on my back. Before I could rejoice that fact, I'm hit on my knuckles with a wooden scale. Instinctively, I pull the hand away. Shit, Mistake No. 2.

"Did I say one armed push-ups?"

"Negative, Chief"

Just as I was about to put my hand back, he said, "No, you took it up, you suffer for it. They are one-armed now. Keep the other arm straight ahead palm open."

How in the hell was I supposed to do that? One armed push-ups are freaking difficult as it is. He wants me to keep my other arm like super-man, with palm open and for each push-up, one of my hand's knuckles are hit. He really wants to butcher me.

After I was done with 2 sets of 62 each, where I ate more sand than my lunch, Chief spoke, "Sit-ups now"

Jumping up and then shifting back down on my ass, I start sit-ups in sets of 62. The sand lodged perfectly in places I can't say is making everything chaff. And to make matters worse, each sit-up is followed by ab punches. After 7 or 8 sets, I lost count in between of his particularly harsh hits, he orders, "Up"

Before I was even fully up, he says, "Oh, I forgot. You said 'Chief' two times. Not my name. So, get up on the pull-up bar. I'll let you pick position. Hanging with your legs from a rope or you will use the back of your knees to hang by your legs?"

Shit. Thinking, I say, hanging by my legs. At least, I would not have to expand energy for holding on. The ties from the rope would bruise though.

"Great decision. You will be doing sit-ups hanging by your legs."

Damn! The sway would not let me do one right, let alone sets of them. I hang myself by the bar and wait for him to tighten the ropes.

What follows next is hands-down the toughest exercise I have done. The constant winds sway my body. I have no grip on any solid surface. If I try to bend, my whole body moves forward, effectively preventing me from doing anything.

Smartly, this time, Chief Darhk has decided to hit each second I'm 'supposed' to do a sit-up and not when I actually do one. The man has bruised my knuckles, chest and back. The hit to my shins is definitely leaving a bruise too. Well, if I go home, I'm going home black, that is for sure.

After struggling insanely, I manage to pull my ankles to my tippy-toes at a weird angle and lodge them behind the bar. Using that, I bend my body in half and manage to do 20 sit-ups before having to re-do my grip. I have lost counts of Chief Darhk's hits. But he is no longer 'sweat-free'. I hope he rests soon.

Barely had I done 1 set, when he said, "Too damn slow. I don't have all day to wait on you. Get the hell down"

My legs feel like jello and my head spins, but I manage to hold on and get down safely, waiting for his next command.

"What was your last time for a 5 mile( 8kms.) run here, Prescott?"

Like I would remember that. It has been 4 fucking years! Taking a guess, I say, "30 minutes, Chief"

"Pathetic. STOP LYING AND GUESSING. Let's see you make it in 20 minutes AND WE WILL DISCUSS THE REST LATER."

Once on the path, I start pushing my legs at the maximum I can. Knowing that the worst is waiting for me if I don't. Half-way through, the burn of muscles makes it impossible to keep going. Knowing Chief is watching and waiting for me to make it an uneven paced mile, I force myself to keep pushing.

When I cross the finish line, I am out of breath and on my knees. Shit if I did complete in 20 minutes and double shit if I didn't. Either ways, I'm paying up. One just delays it.

"Barely made it in 20. You were a second away from digging your grave. Now, WHAT THE FUCK MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD LIE TO ME?"

"No excuses, Chief Darhk"

"Damn right, no excuses. It seems that you have forgotten everything I taught you here. You better remember them before I start with you. Right now, shall we start with crawls? Classic crawl, bear crawl, commando crawl, crab crawl and rolling crawl. Each 1 mile. Start now"

Any other day I would have done a classic crawl without even waking up from my sleep. Right now though, crawling on my hands and knees where I take one knee and opposite hand forward and alternate till I reach the destination also seems like a task. Bear crawl is going to be just as hard.

But, I'm dreading the commando crawl. They will kill my elbows. And since it limits the distance I can go forward in, I'm going to be killing them for a long time.

If I survived that, I'm definitely dying at crab crawl. The welts on my front are ripping open because I have to use only my hands to pull me forward while the rest of me drags behind.

And if by chance, I survived that, there is the rolling crawl. I'm sure he is going to find a stone filled area for that. The stones are going to split not only my back and front, but also my elbows that I would have cut open.

Great start, Chief!

After I'm done with the crawls, as expected, I'm dead. Well, atleast that is what I'm supposed to be wishing. But Chief has a long way to go for me to regret that deal.

Forcing myself up, I say, "Hoo-yah, Chief Darhk. What's next?" See, like I said, I'm dead. My brain has stopped working.

Throwing a bottle at me, he says, "Drink up first. Whole bottle."

Desperate for water, I try and chug as much as I can. Unfortunately, it is only half. I take a second before continuing to force some more. When I feel ready to puke, I put the bottle down.

"Did I stutter?"

"Negative, Chief Darhk. I can't drink anymore."

"Great then. That is next, drink that up and this one too." He says throwing the next bottle.

Holding the urge to puke, I force myself to drink some more. When I take a second's break, he says, "Drink up fast, otherwise I'll keep adding the bottles"

Knowing he will follow through, I chug as fast as can, uncaring whether I'll throw up or not. Besides, might as well fill myself up for dinner.

After those 2 bottles, I feel 10 times heavier. I'm tempted to hunch a little or just lie down for some time.

"Sit-ups. Sets of 25"

Jumping on my bottom, I start the sit-ups. The water threatens to make a come-back but I keep pushing, knowing that any stopping will only add more.