New Story: Adjustments

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His face contorted by confusion and disorientation as the feeling
washed over me. I knew I should stop, but I couldn't bring myself to.
Adam wasn't a bad guy, I told myself, he hadn't ever hurt me, but I
was obviously hurting him; the waves passing through me felt so
incredible though. It was as though I were on fire, a good kind of
fire, like a hot shower pouring over me. I felt so strong. I felt
invincible. Reflexively, I clenched his wrist more tightly as I
closed my eyes; I heard him gasp again. God, it was so intense. But
the voice in the back of my head told me this was wrong... stop...

I forced my eyes open and let go of his wrist, and the world snapped
back to its normal pace. Adam dropped from his knees to his extended
arms, which immediately gave way to the floor. He lay there, on his
side, cheek against the cool kitchen linoleum, panting slowly, eyes
unfocused. His skin had become pale and he had sweat profusely. I was
terrified. I took a step backwards and watched, paralyzed. Adam, my
23 year old workout buddy, the 220lb amateur bodybuilder, my
inspiration, was a shirtless heap on the floor. He shut his eyes
tightly and groaned as his 19" arm pulled weakly toward his head. He
looked like he was dying.

"Where... what..."

The sound of his voice brought me out of my trance again, and I
panicked. I should have called an ambulance or something, but I
wasn't thinking. I ran out the door and to the stairwell. My legs
weren't carrying me down the stairs quickly enough. I needed to get
away from the dorm, I needed to think, needed to keep running. At the
bottom of the stairwell I barreled through the door, which smashed
with surprising velocity into the adjacent wall, and dashed out into
the pouring summer rain.

I just kept running. The sky began to darken as the rain clouds
thickened. I didn't know where I was running to, but I maintained a
swift, mechanical pace. Drops pelted against my face and chest. I
ran until my body ached, until I was out of breath. I was drenched.
I slowed to a jog, then to a walk. I turned a circle as I walked,
trying to identify my surroundings. I realized I'd long since left
the campus behind. I also knew I had never been much of a runner.
Chalk it up to adrenaline. I stopped and sat on the curb. There was
a dilapidated playground in a park across the street. This clearly
wasn't the best part of town, but I didn't care. What had happened
back there? I had only touched him.



*** *** ***

Adam had been coaching me at the gym for three weeks now. He was
really amazing. Granted, I am predictably impressed by anyone who can
do something I can't. At 5'10" and 130 pounds, twelve squats with the
bar alone had been a chore for me when we started.

"You're doing good, just get a feel for the motion," Adam would
encourage. With a doubtful nod, I stepped aside while he started
fifteen reps with six plates. He normally didn't work in with me, he
was just coaching. He did his workout in the morning "when
testosterone levels are at their highest." Maybe he had skipped that
day.

"Hey," someone asked me, "how much weight has he got?"

"Uhhm. six forty-fives?... Thirty... two forty... two seventy, I
guess?" The guy made some comment and walked off to finish his
workout, or watch from a distance, or whatever he was going to do.

Adam finished his 15th repetition with a grunt. "Seven times
forty-five, actually: 315, with the bar," he corrected, as he
began unloading the plates for my next set. "How about fives on each
side?"

"If you say so." Three sets later I could barely walk. Whatever,
everyone has to start somewhere, right?

"Next is chest." The flat bench was another humbling experience. I
was thrilled when he would spot me; the intensity of the workout
seemed so much greater than the times I'd tried to work out alone;
without a spotter, I'd normally just get frustrated and quit around
the 6th repetition when the weight seemed to increase. But the
encouragement kept me going. I didn't even pay attention to how much
weight Adam was using for this exercise, my head was still pounding
from exertion.

I hobbled after him to the chest fly machine. He spotted me, guiding
the handles together at the center and apart slowly during the
negative phase. Adam went next. He probably didn't need any spotting
at the end, he was accustomed to working out alone, but I wanted to
make myself seem useful. I lightly held the handles together at the
center for the last few reps, helping him to prolong the maximal
contraction.

It was kind of a weird feeling to be controlling the exercise. Within
reason, it would last as long as I wanted it to; as long as I helped
hold the handles together, his awesome chest would remain flexed. And
as I slowly released the weight, he couldn't resist it, having already
worked to failure. I don't know, it's probably not something people
think about, it just sort of occurred to me.



*** *** ***

I knocked on Adam's dorm room door, "Move it or lose it!" I called in.
As if I would be going anywhere without him.

"Hey," he answered as he opened the door with a grin, "give me five
minutes. You can come on in." He went into his bedroom to change.
With his back to doorway, I could see his wide back as he peeled off
his work polo. His triceps danced as he fished a muscle shirt out of
a pile of clean laundry and slung it over his massive shoulder. I
wished I could look like that, but it wasn't just a question of
effort, was it. I'd never get there.

I realized I was staring, and looked away. Glancing sheepishly around
the room, I saw some photos of his first competition. I had never
asked him how he'd placed. There were a couple tubs of protein powder
on the counter, a pair of 60lb dumbbells in a corner with some old
boxes. Jeez, I couldn't budge 40; I could barely lift 30.

"Ready to go?" Adam's voice startled me.

"Yeah. What do you use these for?"

"Nothing anymore, I do it all at the athletic center."

"Yeah but what _did_ you use them for?"

"Bicep curls. Come on."

"Seriously? How many? Let me see."

"Nah dude, lets go already." It didn't seem fair, him playing it off,
taking for granted something I wanted so badly.

"I won't believe you unless you show me," I said with a smirk.

"Dude..." he said with resignation, as he walked to pick one up. He
sat and quickly did ten concentration curls with one arm, and ten with
the other. The muscle mounded up perfectly each time.

"Let's arm wrestle."

"What's with you today anyway?"

I don't know what was wrong with me. But I desperately wanted, needed
to know what it felt like to be that strong, to experience that power,
compared to mine. Adam started towards the door, I guess I had kind
of lost it, I couldn't take no for an answer. I reached out and
grabbed him by the wrist as he walked away, and that's when it
happened. I felt the most incredible rush. Adam gasped sharply as
his thick, defined legs gave out and he fell to his knees; one heavily
muscled arm hung limply at his side, the other I held over his head in
my grip. His arm felt lighter with each passing moment, though I
suspect I was too delirious to be making very accurate observations.
So, I didn't know what had happened just then. I had let go, and he
had collapsed, totally winded, eyes bulging. I had panicked and
ditched like a bat out of hell, so there I was, sitting in a park,
in the middle of nowhere, sopping wet.

And that's how it happened the first time.

[Xyggurat]

Oh, evil. You definitely need to post more than just one chapter!

-X-

P.S. Yes, I know... finish "The Roommate." Bleah.

[arpeejay]

Excellent start, very welll-written! You've got me hooked (and impressed!)

xoxo

Richard

[will88nh]

Very nice.... love the mystery. Anxious for part 2 ;-)

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Thanks guys, I will try to continue soon.

[Rowan]

Wow, great story, man. The descriptions, the emotion of your main character-- excellent. Absolutely can't wait to see what happens next.

-- Rowan

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C'mon, 2000 hits....

Thanks Rowan, I will try to continue soon. Nice avatar.

[theseventhwave]

[COLOR=Yellow]Bump![/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red]Ummmmmmm.....I'd like to order up a second helping of "Adjustments"...Please?[/COLOR]

[jsmith2300]

skumbum,

Just read Adjustments... and LOVED it. Can't wait to see what happens next.

I second theseventhwave - PLEASE post more soon!!

--JSmith

P.S. It's over 3000 views now. You can't argue with that - give the people what they want!!

[skumbum]

Hi.

So, if anyone has any plausible plot suggestions, I'd be happy to consider stealing them -- PM me if you do.
Dunno what I can offer in return... you can be in the story

Thanks to those who have already...

-sb

P.S. Even if I don't get any suggestions, this shameless bump should at least attract a few more hits.

[Xyggurat]

Mump.

That is all.