News Story

As a small town newspaper reporter, I looked for inspiration for stories no matter where life took me. Pete's Fillin' Station never disappointed.

I was on my way to work early one morning, when that familiar and expensive ding went off in my truck. Low fuel. Lovely.

I pulled into Pete's, ran in, grabbed a coffee and two donuts and parted with three twenties for premium fuel. Back in my truck, I situated my breakfast then began the fueling.

It was a bit cool out, so I sat in the driver's seat and nursed my coffee while the tank filled. A big dually truck backed in ahead of me. Out of the driver's door pops a tiny man in coveralls with a duck on a leash. What'd I tell ya!

In the next lane over, I spied a young girl drive up in a sedan. She swiped her credit card and began fueling. She pulled out a magazine from the front seat, consulted it and tossed it back in the car.

She wiped the back edge of her trunk with her finger and inspected the dirt. She reeled off a wad of paper towels, wiped off the trunk and tossed the towels in the trash. She positioned herself in the center of the trunk, spread her hands and feet and leaned on the car. To my dismay, she was doing pushups. Well, she was trying to do pushups. After three, she stopped.

She was a bit overweight and she did not appear to have much upper body strength. I continued to watch even after the pump in my truck stopped. She was determined and resumed the trunk pushups. One. Two. Threeee. Fourrrr. She stretched out a bit too far. She lost her footing, fell forward, smacked her head on the bumper and promptly knocked herself out.

I picked up my phone and called 9-1-1. I hopped out of my truck and went to check on her. She was still breathing but the Ford Taurus had won the match. I snapped a few photos of her with my phone. I walked over to her open car door and took a peak at the magazine.

Women's Health and Fitness. 12 Mini Workouts You Can Fit Into Your Day. There was a picture of a woman doing trunk pushups on the front cover.

I had a story.

* * *

Tammie Young was transported to Memorial Hospital after being knocked unconscious while doing trunk pushups at Pete's Fillin' Station on the corner of 12th and Monroe. Witness says around 6:45 Monday morning she was observed doing the exercise on the back of her car while fueling. Apparently she slipped and sustained a slight concussion when her head hit the bumper of her Ford Taurus.

Trunk pushups along with several other workouts were a feature story in this month's edition of Women's Health and Fitness magazine.

Neither Ms. Young nor the magazine could be reached for comment.

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Prompt:
A recent health-motivational magazine advises its readers to do pushups on their car trunk while they're filing up their gas tank.

Write a story or poem that SHOWS your character either performing this procedure or observing someone else doing the exercise.

(Setting: at the local fill-up station.)