Friday 24 June 2011

Rebound


She’d dropped one – how totally embarrassing. The fact that it was a rare occasion failed to make any impression in her thoughts as emotions raged. The session had been pretty brutal, but after all these years the reality that she could still drop one like that cut deep. Despite all the training, the practise and experience, it proved she was human, not quite a woman but certainly human. It was scary. In her world you couldn’t afford to be seen like that.
And the bastard had the temerity to mock her. He’d seen it fall and his eyes said it all. He knew what it meant. He didn’t say anything, but his thoughts were immediately evident. They laughed, they taunted, they bred. Smelling victory. Visions of glory and honour. And in her mind, the rage took over, only later would it feed on all the consequences. In that instant she knew what she had to do. She had to totally crush him. To leave him in no doubt that she wasn’t like that. The ferocity of her response had to be so quick, so terrifying, so fast, that the anonymous watchers wouldn’t notice what she’d done. Hidden behind their cameras, noting the pace, sensing the energy, They may not have seen it fall, and now she had to make sure that if they had, they quickly forgot, overwhelmed by the speed of her brutality.
The corners of his mouth were still betraying thoughts as she moved to capitalise on his growing complacency. She caught the bar before it struck the ground and was already in motion, moving forward with fluidly. The hard steel of the pipe felt good as she started the swing, fingers gripping tighter, adding more power and building speed. She noticed his thoughts change as he realised his error. The eyes reflecting to potency of what was bearing down on him. His reflexes snapped but it was too late, she was faster. Much faster and his face showed defeat. That look didn’t last long.
The pipe didn’t really hit his cheek.  It should have given its two inch diameter, but such was the force of her move that it sliced into the side of his face. It disappeared inside as the gore flew. Absorbed its cold embrace. And then it was free. Out the other side having half decapitated him, opening up a savage rent which immediately began to bubble with bile and blood. If she noticed the severity of the wound nobody could tell. Automatically she was rebalancing for the next part of her manoeuvre. Leaving no room for error. As her head swept round ahead of her body, the bar maintaining full speed, she realised he’d gone. Sinking backwards, his game over. Had she gone too far? She froze and looked up at the panel of lights, knowing that they would soon give the answer. Ignorant of the body beside her, she slowed, calmed and stood erect, arms by her sides, waiting for the verdict. Resisting the impulse to wipe away the tear she’d dropped, even now still mocking on her cheek.

1 comment:

  1. Wow. That was intense! I was captured right away.

    ReplyDelete