Heaven in Hell

Use your fingers!

OFFICER SIDDHARTH MISHRA:

FLASH BACK:

Agent Prescott's glare shifted from me to Roshesh before he spoke in his low dangerous tone, "Don't try to be a hero where you are not needed. You are dismissed. Either go to the barracks or join Officer Siddharth here. He is taking the entire blame for the third floor either way. We clear?"

Gulping, Roshesh quickly answered, "Yes sir, Officer Siddharth is responsible for the entire third floor" and got out of there as fast as his feet would carry him.

--

After Roshesh left, I could not help the shudder that escaped me from being alone with the Devil himself. With a gesture that meant follow me, he took me on the uncleaned third floor and ordered me to start crawling from one end to another.

Until I was a sweating and shivering mess, Agent Prescott did not utter a word. He stood above me with his heated glare fixed on me. That ensured that my crawling did not stop for even a second nor did my heart slow down one bit.

Once he was satisfied, he used his threatening tone, "You are going to clean this entire floor with your sweat. Go fetch a bucket and get in your PT uniform." What? I thought I just did clean the floor exactly like that!

I ran away when he pointed at his watch and said, "You have 1 minute before it gets worse"

If I were even a second late, I don't think I would be here to tell the tale! Thank God, I made it on time. But there was no time for gratitude right now. The moment I was in the door, Agent Prescott spoke, "You are going to fill that bucket with your sweat and once it is done, use your t-shirt to wipe the entire floor with it. I want your sweat everywhere. How you get sweaty is on you? You are an instructor after all!"

I swear I could hear the sarcasm in his tone!

I start jogging across the room trying to get as sweaty as I can before removing my shirt and wringing it to accumulate the sweat in the bucket. Even after having done it atleast 20 times, the bucket is barely filled to even dip my entire finger in there. Damn!

Agent Prescott looks at the bucket and using that tone again speaks, "Do you fancy wasting your sweat, Officer?" Shit! I stutter out, "N-no sssir" And he shouts, "Then why am I seeing all the sweat wasted on your face and on your arms?"

I reply shakily, "It won't happen again, sssir" The look on his face clearly told me that I would not like what would come if he did find even a drop of sweat wasted.

I start performing burpees hoping to maximise on the heat and this time, before wringing my shirt, I wipe my face, back and arms to ensure that no sweat is wasted. However, my heart is jumping wild terrified for spilling even a drop of sweat mid-burpee!

I have no idea if it is lunch time or way past that. My stomach was protesting the lack of food but Agent Prescott made it quite clear that I'm getting no meals before dinner when he told Roshesh where I would be meeting. I can only hope that meeting at dinner also meant that the day ended for me before dinner.

Thankfully, Agent Prescott handed me a bottle of water and I wasted no time in gulping it down hungrily. I'll have to consider water as food for now.