Spotted

By Ian Willey

I was in the basement, gloves gripping the bar. Dad had just gone out. With no one spotting me, I knew this was stupid, but I could do it!

‘The Final Countdown’ was playing. I pushed up, exhaled, as two hundred pounds slammed down. One. Two. No three. I was spent. The bar pressed down on my chest like the thumb of God. I couldn’t breathe. It’s the final countdown. What a dumb way to die.

Then I heard the door open, felt the weight rise. Dad looked down at me. “I forgot something,” he said. “Looks like you did too.”