Originals, Edits, and Expansions

"One Minute Resolution" 120 words over

I'm tired of everyone thinking I'm weak, thought Amber. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I'm helpless or naive, or all that other crap the boys were spewing. Her first New Year resolution was to clean and press 200 lbs for reps in one minute. She envisioned herself completing multiple reps, wiping the smirks from all those smug faces. She gripped the 200 lb axle wheel and mentally prepared herself to complete one clean and press. She could do this, she had done a 200 lb dead lift easily just yesterday. How hard could it be?

She planted her feet, bent her knees, and steadied her 150 lb frame in the perfect lifting position and pulled. The lift to her chest was easy. She puffed a few times and managed a stable split jerk, pushing the weight above her head, one leg lunged forward while the other sailed backward. Now came the hard part, she had to bring her feet together for the rep to count.

She should have just stopped there, she had pressed it easy enough, though not cleanly. She was alone at the moment and didn't have a spotter. Fear of failure and pride allowing her to make such a poor decision. She just wanted to make sure she could do it before attempting it with the guys around. No point quitting now, she told herself resolutely.

Slowly she began to inch her front foot back and her back foot forward. Arms shaking, her feet were nearly lined up when her twitching upper limbs jerked back a fraction. It was enough to slowly throw her off balance. She felt her eyes widen in horror as the weight deliberately pulled her back in what felt like painstakingly slow motion. The 200 lb wait crashed into the gym owners RV parked in the garage where the guys did StrongMan stunts like this. Another reason spotters were a good idea...and in some cases a necessity.

Amber managed to drop the weight after the damage was done. Fear and misguided hope alive in her mind. Maybe there was no damage. That dream died as her eyes surveyed the two large dents spaced apart at the exact length of the axle bar. Terror sounded in her ears so loud she didn't even recognize Mike, the lifting coach and one of her best friends, until today; before he was 6 inches from her face. His crystal blue eyes bore into her almond brown ones. "You have one minute to explain this".

Word count: 420
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Original Entry: "One Minute Resolution" 
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Original Prompts: I used two - "Winner for 1/9 and prompt for 1/10"   "You have one minute to explain this"
and "Invalid Item" 
For January [2013] tell me about the most memorable New Year resolution you made. I want to know why you made it, how it came about, the feelings that came with it and of course, whether you pulled it off!