Snippet #2710402

If it was possible that an alarm clock was indestructible, Miranda had it. The amount of abuse she showed that thing each morning just to shut it up was, well, abusive by almost any standards, but still it ended up ticking away and ringing at the same time every morning: Five O' Clock. The days started early and ended late for Miranda, being the person to open up and close the Gym, she needed to be awake. Luckily, her parents also woke up at this ungodly hour, so she smelt the coffee, and licked her lips as she half rolled, half slithered out of bed, throwing on a large nightshirt from an old boyfriend that covered most of her body, going down to her middle-thigh. The dude was an idiotic "Gangsta" kind of guy, but his shirts were nice, so before dumping his ass on the side of the road (literally) she took one of his shirts to wear.

Stumbling out of her room towards the living room, her Sapphire eyes began to clear up as the sleepiness went away. There was an order to things around her house. Father did everything first, followed by Mother, followed by Miranda, followed by anyone else whose there at the time. If Grandpa ever came over, it was him first, followed by the pattern, but Miranda hadn't seen her Grandfather in years, for all she knew, he was dead.

Getting her coffee and breakfast, the family sat down to eat together silently. They were an odd family, they didn't speak very much to each other, though one knew the bond was there, and it was strong. They communicated mainly through gestures and other non-verbal communication methods, a trait passed down through their family for generations. But it was today that something a bit different happened: Her father spoke.

"Miranda, how are your teeth?" She knew what he meant, her canines, longer and sharper than any of theirs or anyone in the family for the last two generations. "Are they uncomfortable in your mouth?"

"No, Father, they feel fine." His eyes darted to her, and she opened her mouth while her lips peeled back a bit to show off the large teeth, which for now were straight. Even the dentists were puzzled as to why her canines, upper and lower, were so large, but they shrugged it off because of how well she took care of her mouth. Brushed every day, flossed every day, mouthwash, decent diet, the works. She closed her mouth and continued to eat, the rest of the meal passed on silently. Once they were done, and the plates were in the sinks, everyone left to get ready. Miranda put on her usual clothes, which was usually something to allow full range of motion without hindrance. A tank-top and leggings, with appropriate undergarments as well. She grabbed her back-pack, filled with paperwork, pens, towels, and other random supplies and slung it over her shoulders. She reached for her pocket-knife, and slipped into the waist-band of her leggings on her right hip.

With that she put on her running shoes, gave a curt nod to her parents, and jogged out towards the gym. She loved to run, to feel the cool breeze running against her body, the damp morning air on her skin, the cool air filling her lungs, the ground beneath her feet, this was one of her great pleasures. It would only be about a half hour of straight jogging until she reached her Family's Gym: Timberland Gym. Named for the town that it was situated in, the Gym was one of the oldest buildings in town, albeit with some modernizations here and there to keep it from falling apart.

The front of the building was completely re-done, as it used to be a house, and now is appropriate for a business, the wooden staircase and railing leading to the large doors were original to the house however, and have been repainted and expanded upon with new, strong wood. However the center of the staircase, and the center railing, were original old Oak, a strong, beautiful wood with a hardy stain that protected it from the elements. The porch likewise was original, the wooden boards running to and fro along the side of the stand along building. Some chairs and a porch swing were set up to make customers feel at home before or after a hard work out. They were adorned with comfortable, simple pillows and cushions that made the place feel warmer during cold months. Unlocking the doors, Miranda pulled them open, the bell ringing, and entered, wiping her feet on the welcome mat before entering. From there on, it a mix of the old, Victorian house, and the newer, Modern Gym. The foyer was original, roomy and warm with a front desk immediately to the right of the entrance; that's where Miranda worked. Plugging in her phone, she clicked on the lights and open sign from the breaker in the corner, and deactivated the alarm system. Setting her bag down, she set up what needed to be set up, and turned on the radio system for the gym, a standard rubber-matted floor with the various stations spread out evenly and in a aesthetically pleasing way, the hardwood floor underneath the mats original to the old house. Load-Bearing walls also bore mirrors, so while the gym wasn't entirely open, it was still functional. A majority of the gym was just that, a work out area, however on the other side of the central load-bearing walls, was a boxing ring and martial arts training area. Upstairs was the track for running, as well as plenty of treadmills, elliptical machines, and more martial arts training areas. On each floor were large bathrooms for male and female patrons, but only the first floor had the large locker room, which also had showers. This was also segregated by male and female.

Miranda took in a deep breath, and frowned. It reeked of sweat in here. Leaving for a few minutes, she returned with some air fresheners. Some to walk around and spray with, some to plug in to the walls, and some to put into the auto-matic sprayers in various areas of the gym. Of course she chose all the same scent, a very light, but effective smell that wafted past the nose and set their minds at ease. She set the sign-in sheet up on the desk, as people who came in needed to sign in so that they could be kept track of/charged accordingly, though they could come in whenever they wanted. She also put up the little bell to get her attention should she be off away from the desk, and readied the sign-up sheets just in case someone fancied a way to get in shape this fine day.

Once that was done, she began to work out, herself. Nothing crazy, a mile long run to start with, then working out on the punching bags, then down stairs to do some dead lifts, pull ups, squats, and then back up stairs for another mile. It was an hour before she was done, making it 7:30, the official open time of the gym. She wiped her face with a towel and quickly showered before changing into some cleaner clothes and assuming her position behind the desk, surfing the internet for a while before customers showed up, then it was to the spread sheets and other matters of business, advertising, no-show calls, etc. etc.

Life was....alright. She couldn't complain, she wasn't allowed to, but she wanted more from life...And that's why she worked hard, to eventually run the gym for herself.