The Gym

by B. P. Kasik

  “You’re gonna destroy every town.”

  “We have aggressive expansion plans, yes. But I assure you, those plans don’t involve destruction. They involve helping!”

  “It’s a nightmare downstairs. A house of horrors, everywhere.”

  “Oh, please. Let’s walk and talk. Aaron Sorkin style!”

  Chapter 43

  Deane took Jerry downstairs and it was peaceful and quiet all through the Gym.

  There was still some blood on the walls and carpets and floors, but everyone was gone.

  “How? Where is everybody?”

  The rep pat him on the back. “They all went home. We can turn folks on and off. Like a switch.”

  They passed through the calm exercise room, then down the empty stairs, and through the clear but very red-stained squash and racquetball courts.

  The rep led Jerry down the basement stairs.

  Upon arrival, the rep pulled a large bag out of his pocket and dumped the contents on the floor.

  It was a thick pile of fat.

  The worm slithered down and started slopping up the pile of fat like a pig at a trough.

  “So pleased to properly introduce you to The Gym’s mascot!”

  “Mascot?”

  “He wasn’t always this fat. He fit through the sewers when he crawled in here. Since eating the fat of your land, he’s put on some pounds. He won’t be crawling back out! I normally wouldn’t approve of such weight gain, but for our mascot—I’ll make an exception.”

  “‘He’?”

  “Oh yeah, he’s a boy. Got one of his brothers in every Gym in America.”

  “He’s...”

  “Eating us, yes! They all are! But you weren’t using that weight, anyway. Better in him than on you, we always say. It’s all for his health!”

  “So he only...?”

  “Careful what you say there. Harrisonburg is listening. But to answer your question—no, not only fat. He drinks all the other bodily fluids, as well. But fat is the food that sustains him. He’s a lipid man.”

  Jerry moved closer and closer to the giant spiky worm. The creature’s stench was unbearable, though the smell of the fat reminded him of fast food French fries.

  Then something else grabbed his attention—the grenade was still on the ground down there.

  The rep was caught up in his own rambling about the creature’s diet and history. And the worm was distracted with its food.

  Jerry grabbed the opportunity. He squat down, straining his left ankle, and reached over and pocketed the grenade.

  The rep stopped talking. “Oh, I’m sorry, Jerry. Are you falling down again? Let me help you up.”

  Jerry pretended to be more out of it than he was as the rep lifted him to his feet and then up the stairs.

  Jerry stopped near the open squash court door.

  “So what do you say, Jerry? Would you like to join our happy Gym family?”

  Jerry bent forward, reached into his pocket and pulled out the grenade. He yanked the pin and swung his grenade-filled fist into the rep’s face, planting the grenade right in his mouth, smashing his teeth in around it.

  Jerry shoved the rep back into the squash court, slammed shut the door, and dove for cover, hands over his ears.

  The explosion left his head ringing and the sounds of meat chunks slapping against the glass was almost as loud as the blast.

  Jerry opened his eyes and beheld the carnage.

  The glass court was littered with body parts and organs of all shapes and sizes.

  Jerry felt hope for the first time.

  The worm may be indestructible, but the Gym rep was still human.

  The main man behind this place and his henchman—the personal trainer—were both down. Now Jerry could finally repair some of the damage. Awaken people. And destroy that orange sign that was hypnotizing people to violence.

  He walked toward the front door and saw that there was no longer a line of ragged people blocking the way. He was free. He could save people now.

  He opened the door and felt a cool evening breeze blow across his face.

  He stepped outside, then stopped at the sound coming from the Gym.

  “Jerry, could you please come back in here? Let’s stop this foolishness now.”

  Chapter 44

  The Gym rep stood before him. His skin showed seams where the parts reconnected.

  Jerry shook his head. “You’re not here.”

  Deane smiled. “I told you we have advanced healthcare techniques here. One of the many benefits of Gym employment!”

  Jerry let the door swing shut behind him as he walked back in. He looked down and noticed that the grenade’s pin was still dangling from his pointer finger. The pin was about as useful a weapon as the grenade itself against the Gym rep.

  He didn’t make eye contact. “Are you gonna kill me now?”

  “Oh, you and all your killing. We’re here to help, not hurt! And I like your initiative.”

  Jerry’s eyes watered. “I just want to go home.”

  The rep smiled. “What home?”

  “I…” Jerry couldn’t remember anymore. Had he lived in a house at some point? Or was it an apartment? It all felt like it happened to someone else.

  “You don’t remember the row of houses that once stood where we stand, do you?”

  “Huh?”

  “The Gym wasn’t always here, silly! Our little patch of real estate was a row of houses just like yours! And we knocked them down one by one. You helped!”

  Jerry’s head was spinning. “What?”

  “You were a great worker. You did most of our interior work here. Until you fell off that ladder when you were constructing the entryway to the eternity pool.”

  “You’re lying. I didn’t…”

  The rep drilled his eyes into Jerry’s. “Oh? Can you tell me the story of how you broke your leg?”

  “I was...I was reaching for…” It was a blank. It had always been a blank.

  The rep waved a dismissive hand. “You were clumsy and fell off a ladder. Accidents happen. Really ugly break, that was. Foot dangling loose off your ankle. Hideous. We would have pulped you for fat and fluids with the worm downstairs, but he hadn’t arrived yet. So it amused us to send you on your way.”

  Jerry shook his head.

  “It doesn’t matter if you believe. Just know that you were always a part of the Gym. You’re connected. Your blood was in our construction materials. You’re meant to be a part of us.”

  A handful of memories came flooding back. Jerry remembered he’d been foreman of the crew that built the Gym. He’d looked at the blueprints with Werner and found them bizarre. Nothing about the place made sense, but he did his job. He was a team player.

  But that doesn’t mean I have to work for them.

  “I just want to leave this room. Now.”

  “You’re free to leave whenever you like!”

  Jerry backed away.

  “But are you sure you want to? Do you have a job waiting for you anymore? Do you even have disability?”

  “Let me guess—you pulled some strings and saw to it that both of those ended.”

  “Don’t be silly. And even so—you’re not ready to go back to work on that leg. And we can find a good job for you here. A ‘Personal Trainer’ position just opened up.”

  “I can’t…”

  “Of course you can! Our employee health care is second to none. We’ll fix that leg good as new if you work for us!”

  “I...have to go get my kids.”

  “Where will you take them? We’re everywhere! And as soon as there’s a Gym in every town in America, we’re looking at global expansion plans.”

  “Global…”

  “Relax! The fourth floor we’ll be constructing here has several luxurious living suites for our employees. You could live and work here. Hey, maybe you could change our culture!” He laughed. “Wouldn’t that be something? And you could maybe win your wife back...”

  “Can
I talk to her?”

  “Of course!” He handed Jerry a phone. “Goodness, we’re not keeping her in a fridge or anything.”

  Jerry put the phone to his ear. Becky was already on the line.

  “Hello, Jerry.”

  “Beck.”

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, Beck. Are the kids alright?”

  “They’re gonna be fine, Jerry. I think that depends on you, though.”

  “Are you being threatened?”

  “No. But I’m out of options. I know what they do there, Jerry. They’re never gonna stop.”

  “What can I do?”

  “You have to decide that, Jerry. But we’re trapped here.”

  “How can I help?”

  “I don’t know. But I know there’s nothing you can do if you run.”

  “If I…?”

  “You can come get us. But where will we go?”

  Jerry had no response.

  “And if you stay, maybe we can try again. Maybe we can be together.”

  Jerry’s heart sank. He knew Becky was under the Gym’s control when she said that. None of what she was doing was real or genuine. She’d never say that. It was all a trick.

  But is that so bad?

  He was planning to get on Tinder and meet random strangers in the hopes of making a connection and finding someone. Why do that when he already had a connection right in front of him?

  Jerry hung up and handed the phone back to the rep.

  The rep smiled gently.

  Jerry went out on the balcony. The view was spectacular. The mountain range went all the way across the distant horizon, with three nearby towns visible in the valley.

  Each of them had a deep orange glow rising up from the middle.

  Jerry looked down at the pin from the grenade, still wrapped around his finger, then dropped it. It clinked against the ruby-tiled floor, then tumbled into the eternity pool.

  Jerry had to admit...even in the darkness, it was a beautiful pool.

  He thought about the personal trainer position.

  He flexed a muscle in his right arm as he did so.

  It looked bigger already.

  Maybe the Gym isn’t so bad, after all.

  The orange glows emanating from all the nearby Gyms started flashing. Jerry knew that they were tapping out a rhythm just for him. And he smiled.

  In Morse code, the warm lights conveyed a kind, caring message.

  “IT’S ALL FOR YOUR HEALTH.”

  AFTER WORDS

  The Gym is not a true story, nor is it based on any of my personal experiences. Except for the broken leg stuff. I went through that. I would have rather just imagined that. I advise you to avoid breaking your leg, if possible.

  A horror-loving friend of mine mentioned that “Gym Horror” is a pretty obscure subgenre. Never saw Killer Workout, but I vaguely remember catching Death Spa decades ago. And The Toxic Avenger had some horrific stuff go down in a gym. So did Demons 2. And one of those Final Destination films had a dude’s head gets smooshed by equipment in a weight room.

  But for the most part—gym horror is fertile, untilled soil.

  I had a plethora of horrific ideas and concepts for this tale, but I pride myself on keeping my books short and punchy, so they all got deleted. If this sells more than three copies, I might use these ooky literary notions in a sequel.

  But, then again—maybe I’ll never write anything like this again.

  Or maybe I will.

  For now—if you want something else like The Gym, I recommend the two biggest influences on this book: Franz Kafka’s The Trial and Bentley Little’s The Store (or The Association or The Resort or The Policy).

  See you next time. Drink plenty of fluids.

  And get plenty of exercise.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  B.P. Kasik is the author of dozens of humor, horror, YA, mystery, fantasy, and/or science fiction books. Has a wife and kids. Is on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and a blog somewhere. Also known as “Phony McFakename.” Thinks about you every now and then. Hopes you’re doing well.