Something Different About This Gym (Patreon)

Personal trainer and Instagram fitness model Alex Crockford made a living out of visiting different gyms in the United Kingdom and beyond. He populated his social media channels with videos of him working out in a number of locations and when NewYu Gym contacted him with an offer to collaborate, he didn't even think twice about agreeing. They offered him a decent sum of money and they seemed to have good facilities so what was the harm in heading into central London to hit up their gym for a few hours and record a new video for his YouTube channel?

Little did Alex know that there was something different about NewYu Gym compared to all the other fitness facilities he had visited. They had state of the art equipment, yes, but every dumbbell and cable machine - every cross trainer and rower - contained the spirit of one of the gym's previous occupants and all of them were desperate to escape their inanimate prisons into the body of whichever clueless fool wandered into the gym next. In agreeing to collaborate with NewYu Gym, Alex had unwittingly opened himself up as a prime target for the hundreds of hungry spirits waiting to reverse their fortunes.

Upon entering the gym and donning the workout gear that proudly repped his #Crockfit brand, Alex approached Grant, the owner of the gym, and shook the man's hand. Grant was considerably older, around his mid-fifties, with greying hair on both his head and decorating his jawline but his body was clearly well looked after. He was taller and burlier than Alex's own lean frame and it was clear that this was a man that took his business seriously, setting an example for all of his employees and the patrons of his gym. 

"Where do you feel like starting off then?" Grant asked him, waving an arm out to the empty gym. Apparently the whole place had been reserved for Alex for the morning so he could film as much as he wanted without anybody else getting in the way. The hospitality was far beyond anything he had experienced at other gyms in the otherwise busy area but he wasn't about to complain about that!

After careful consideration, Alex nodded towards the free weights area. "Let's hit arms. Everybody loves a bit of arms, right?" he replied, flashing a brilliant smile towards the older man. The two continued to converse as they made their way across the gym, with the older man asking about Alex's burgeoning business and the opportunities that were coming his way. Although he did his best not to let the success get to his head, Alex was more than happy to respond in detail, gushing about how the #Crockfit brand was getting bigger every day. He was rubbing shoulders with the very best in the fitness industry and it was more than he could ever have possibly hoped for.

Once his camera was set up and he had warmed up with a few stretches, Alex grabbed a pair of thirty kilogram dumbbells from the weight rack and pushed out a quick ten-rep set of bicep curls in front of the mirror. Grant remained nearby, watching with interest and a small smile lingering on his face. He was all too aware of what would soon be happening to the fitness model, indeed it had been his plan the whole time. 

As Alex prepared for his second set, he stumbled for a moment and a brief frown crossed his lips as he stared at his reflection. For a moment he had felt like somebody was pulling at him but he and Grant were alone at the gym so that simply wasn't possible. Doing his best to dismiss it, he quickly pumped out his second sweat and then dropped the weights to the ground in order to wipe the sweat that was beginning to develop on his brow. That strange pulling sensation struck again, this time prompting a gasp.

"Everything alright?" Grant asked, still smiling politely as he observed the other. Unwilling to cause an issue, Alex merely forced a smile on his face and nodded. Grabbing the weights from the floor, he steeled himself and rose to his feet, ready to complete his third set.

This time the sensation was stronger than ever and the excited howls that began populating his mind made him immediately aware that he wasn't alone in his body. He barely had moments to adjust to the strange sensation of somebody invading his body before he was totally overwhelmed and lost control of his limbs. His body continued to pump out rep after rep, lifting the dumbbell and flexing his biceps in one motion, but Alex was acutely aware of the fact he wasn't in control.

As his body let go of the weights, Alex realized he was falling. The impact with the ground left him dazed and confused until his own body crouched down beside him. He watched as his body stretched out his arms, admiring them with a few quick flexes, and began to mutter under its breath. Panic seized Alex as he did his best to move - to grab at his body - but he remained stationary, unable to shift an inch or even cry out in confusion.

The deep hearty laugh of Grant sent shivers through Alex. He could see the wide smile on the older man's face and knew immediately that he had played some part in whatever had just happened. The man moved forward, clapping Alex's body on the back and lifting him to his feet. "How do you feel, Joshua?" he asked, moving the other around so they were facing the mirror. The real Alex was left on the ground, staring up at the backs of the only two men in the gym.

"Is this really happening?" That was Alex's voice for sure, but not his words. Those were the words of Joshua, the lucky spirit that had been able to switch places with Alex and force his way into control of the fitness model's body. "Is it... am I free now?" Alex couldn't see the expression on his face but he could tell from the intonation of the words that the other was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.

"You're free, kid. Damn lucked out too, this guy's got everything you could possibly want and more," Grant explained, reaching down to smack the other on the ass. "Go on, get your stuff and get out of here. You've spent enough time here as it is." 

Joshua didn't need to be told twice. He turned from the mirror and, after sparing a quick glance down at the 30kg dumbbells that had been his home for the past six months, hurried towards the locker room to grab Alex's equipment. With his body seemingly gone for good, Alex was left to rage in confusion at the betrayal of the man who now picked him up and carried him towards the weight rack.

"It's nothing personal, son. You were just the perfect candidate," Grant explained as he placed Alex down on the rack. "Joshua's a good kid, he'll take care of your body. I wouldn't place any bets on ever getting it back though." Alex's heart sunk. Was his body truly out of his reach now? He wanted to believe there was a way to rectify what had happened but he was playing with forces he didn't truly understand.

As Grant turned away and began making his way back towards the entrance to open up the gym for the public, Alex could swear that he heard the other muttering about inviting fellow British fitness guru Ryan Terry to the gym as well, no doubt to fall victim to the same takeover that Alex had. Now if only he could find a way to take over Ryan's body and escape...