The Quest (Displacement Story)

 

The 4:00am alarm sounded and awakened Nate from a semi-sleepy state of mind.  Wrapped in sheets he brought from home he begins his day completely out of the ordinary from his usual routine.  Normally, his day would begin with a hearty breakfast of twelve egg whites, one cup of oatmeal along with eight total ounces of water and a protein shake.  His morning routine would not be complete without consuming every bite of his breakfast in order for him to perform his religiously verbatim weight lifting program.  After consuming his breakfast he would normally head off to the bathroom where he would inject himself with human growth hormone and testosterone, all better known as steroids.  Being the biggest, strongest, most handsome man in the gym was without a doubt who he was!  Nate Walker was "diced and ripped".
                                                                                                                                                                                             

Today is the competition for Mr. Olympia, one of the most prestigious body building championships in the world.  Nate has spent his entire life preparing for this day.  He is the youngest man to ever compete for the title of Mr. Olympia.  Body building has been the only thing that mattered in his life, and everything he did in his life revolved around it.  He was on a hunt for the ultimate title of Mr. "O". For him, pursuing physical perfection had become a fixation.  He had become so infatuated with himself that he had lost track of just how many steroids he was actually taking and what they were doing to his health and well being.  

As he prepares for the day, Nate thinks back on the past few years and the sacrifices he has made to attain the image he so desires.  There have been many painful moments both psychologically, physically and emotionally.  While other young men have pursued careers and relationships, he has had only one single-minded goal, the title of Mr. Olympia.  Shutting out people had become second nature to him, not even the beautiful young women who longed for just a slight noticeable glimpse from his eyes at the gym where he trained so vigorously.  Other men would even drop their weights to watch him.  His presence was so arousing that it created distractions in the gym unparallelled to any other person.  It was as if time itself was paralyzed as he would begin his daily workout routine.

 

 

The time had come, the day he had been preparing for for so long, had finally arrived.  His body had been completely shaven and waxed clean.  The night before, he had his appointment with the Sun Gods where they sprayed every nook and cranny of his naked flesh with dark tanning spray so that every muscle striation and vein shone like gleaming bronze under the lights of the auditorium.  The white sheets he had wrapped himself in were brown from the excess spray and he wadded them up and put them in a large black trash bag to be thrown away.  Totally focused, Nate dresses himself in his comfortable Nike sweat pants and zip up hoody, and heads to the auditorium only a block away from his hotel room.  Entering through the back stage he can hear the music and the announcer's sound checks.  Only two hours left to go before he steps on stage.  

                                                                                                                                                                                           

Unknowingly, in the shadows he was being watched.  People were everywhere and there were conversations occurring simultaneously all around him, and many of them "about" him.  One particular young lady had been following his progress over the years and was there as a competitor herself.  In fact, it was because of him that she had spent the last year perfecting her own skills and body for the Figure Class.  She had witnessed the discipline which he displayed and he had unknowingly been the greatest influence in her decision to finally begin competing.  Emma spoke of him as if they were close friends when actually they had never even spoken a word to each other face to face.  Emma had decided that today was the day that she was going to finally reveal her love for him.  She thought Nate was drop dead beautiful, but she really had no idea who he was on the inside.


Feeling all alone as she walked across the stage in front of the judges, all Emma could think of was Nate. As she stepped foot on stage, feeling the adrenalin flowing through her veins, Emma knew she was beautiful in her purple bikini covered in hundreds of rhinestones that glittered in the light, showing her perfectly beautiful long legs and shapely fit body, her long auburn hair hanging in soft ringlets down her back to her waist.  If only Nate were there watching, noticing her, but he was not.  When the judges called the top five in her class, Emma sadly placed fifth.  Walking across the wooden floor of the stage, Emma felt more alone than ever.  The show is now over for Emma, but not for Nate.  Much to the disbelief of many, Nate wins the title of Mr. Olympia and sets a world record for his age.  When the show was over, Emma approached Nate backstage with a hopeful heart only to be completely ignored and rejected.  In fact, her presence wasn't even acknowledged with his body language. Emma then slips silently away into the night with nothing more than a faded memory and a shiny crumpled pink ribbon that showed her Fifth Place. 

 

As Nate returns to his upscale hotel in downtown L.A. he enters his room and turns to the mirror over the lavatory.  He stares at the man staring back at him in the mirror and he is pleased with his accomplishments. He fills the sink with lukewarm water, leans over and scoops the water into his hands and splashes his face.  Then he backs up and looks at himself again in the mirror.  He had really done it.  Now the whole world knows that Nate Walker is Mr. Olympia.  No man ever as young as he is has won this title.  He steps back, admiring his physique, a smirky smile on his face, when suddenly without warning he grabs his chest and falls with a loud crash to the floor.  Nate Walker is dead.