9: Gladiator Ring

Alexa I stood face-to-face with a girl named Jo on top of the square ring. A black iron fence surrounded us like a tight cage. It was clear they wouldn't let either of us leave freely. The choices were to leave on a stretcher or walk out with the mark of victory. My heart pounded in rapid beats, and my breathing grew heavier. After a few minutes of warm-up in the locker room earlier, I might still have a chance to win. Jo couldn’t possibly be any stronger after her fight against the big guy earlier, right? Both of my fists rose in the air. They trembled after last week's training session, which didn’t end up well for me. Bruises on my body healed in just a day, but that didn’t make me a better fighter. Always the same weak Alexa. “Fight!” Our eyes locked with unwavering determination. I moved my feet with small jumps. The ring turned out to be soft, allowing me to move easily. Jo threw some punches at me, but I dodged. Her punch aimed at my right cheek, so I evaded to the left. The sam