GLOBAL WARNING

chapter 4

SAT.

The strength test. One that the government pushed you so hard in, horror stories of people's muscles ripping due to the heavy weight circulated. If Tanya wasn't nervous enough, she was now.

Standing in the rather small gym, just a few weights, running machines and a bar to do pull-ups, the population of soldiers within the room made claustrophobia jump out in anyone. Anxiety was a term used far too often for the likings of Tanya. Anxiety wasn't what she had and never would claim to unless diagnosed. So the feeling the overcrowded room led to fear darkening the thoughts. What if she could barely lift one kg? What if she fell in front of everyone? She was certain that if not being able to lift a weight was bad, not being able to carry your own body was even worse.

"Alright boys and girls, time to lift!" The slimy voice of Jasper sent chills through even the strongest of hearts. The same sickening smile sloped on his face, not even having to try to look creepy.

His eyes scanned the room, stopping to land on the new trio, which made the smile grow wider in resemblance to the joker. Well maybe even penny-wise. That was one of Tanya's favorite books, well favorite as she hadn't read any other books. They were banned by Frost two and a half months into his reign. The novel was kept hidden, stashed away under the secret lifting floorboard next to Tanya's bed. If anything she knew that if one person smile was to appear whilst handing out balloons from a sewer crate, it would be Jasper Frost. I mean the tendencies of the two clowns were similar. Kidnap kids. Check. Use them as your soldiers. Check. Not give a flying fuck if they die. Big check. Let's face it, they are the same person.

The first person to go was a small blonde girl. Nothing much to worry about, so Tanya thought. To the new girl's amazement, the mini Marshall had lifted a whopping sixty kg. Well, it can't get worse than that. Can it? Not everyone will be able to lift that much, they can't all be freaks of nature.

Well. She was wrong. Everyone in the group had reached at least sixty kg, some even reaching a hundred. Just simply crouching down, lifting the bar, and then returning it as if it was just a feather. No struggle at all.

Deshi was now up, smirk wiped all over his face. He was confident. He knew that he could lift lots. It was to Hope and Tanya's surprise that the load peaked at one hundred and thirty kg. The pure strength of Deshi could take out at least three guards at once, making everyone jealous. The strongest man there was hated by everyone, a factor Frost despised. However, nothing could be done so that shall be it for the thoughts of Deshi for now. Yet Tanya couldn't help but have the thought in the back of her mind constantly. This running over and over whilst hope took her turn. Fear heightened when hope made the average cut. Sixty kg. Now it was her time. Tanya's time to take the bar.

At first, there were no weights on it. Just a plain silver bar. Nothing fancy about it. Boring and simple. Reaching down she clutched to it, tightening her grip ever so slightly more with each movement she made. The heaviest thing she could remember carrying were the massive plastic bags full of shopping, back when they were free of charge again due to Jasper's orders, from the wrecked mall to the battered and beaten mini. Cars were still allowed to run back then as Frost didn't care but due to petrol coming from the dirt being an ingredient to making the rubble moister for creating oxygen, the government had no choice to destroy all cars. The biggest landfill you had ever seen.

Anyway back to the present and Tanya kept lifting. Lifting as hard as she could. Lifting with all that she had left. Surely the bar wasn't heavier than those shopping bags. Surely, Tanya was wrong.

The bar got to her mid-thighs when it dropped straight back down to the ground, clashing with every bounce it took. A mix of disappointment and amusement flowed through each person, horrified at how weak the supposed next president was. But she wasn't weak. She wasn't weak-minded or weak-willed yet all that mattered to the audience crumbling in laughter was how weak in strength she was. Nothing could take back the embarrassment of this test.

"Okay soldiers and rabbit." The major's eyes didn't need to meet Tanya's to know he was talking about her pathetic attempt. Ordering them all to leave seemed like a blessing. That was all until Frost called for the three. "At least we know when we do the weighted swim test who will drown and who won't." A chuckle came out with the last words.

A lecture about fitness spouted from the man's mouth obviously rehearsed a bunch of times. Dragging on and on until it finally came to an end. An end that freaked the three out to their wit's end.

"And with more training when it comes to the WST Tanya,

you'll float too."

It's funny how reality can mirror fiction. Only this heroine wasn't prepared for horror.

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Hey guys,

hope you enjoyed this chapter. i think i will be working more on this book generally with less updates on escape world to get them around the same amount of chapters then i can switch in between them both. if you want some more content from me follow me on instagram @winterwritesstuff for more.

lots of love

winter ,<3