Post by Airborne on Jun 11, 2023 1:32:20 GMT -5
Moral victories no longer had a place in his world.
Too many dark days of trying to survive his rock bottom had scraped away any shine that once had been there.
And that’s just the start of how things would be different this time around...
Too many dark days of trying to survive his rock bottom had scraped away any shine that once had been there.
And that’s just the start of how things would be different this time around...
(Airborne sits on the street curb.)
“For the past two years, this was my spot. From sunrise to sunset, I would stand here and beg. For two fucking years my pride and self-worth took a backseat to hunger...to survival.”
(Airborne makes his way towards a nearby alley.)
“For the past two years, this was my home. Every night I would crawl into the shadows like a cockroach. Escaping reality via my dreams; sleeping was the only time I wasn’t assured a nightmare.”
(He looks over his former bed, a stack of cardboard leaned up against a dumpster.)
“I could stand here now and rank what was worse...the winters, the rats, the cops, the others...but they’d all finish behind...the shame.”
(Airborne looks into the camera.)
“I hated myself. Johnny Beckman stole my dream and I let it happen like an idiot. Just when my wrestling career started to boom, I let that asshole talk me out it. He convinced me, that he was doing me a favor, by taking my dream away from me.”
(Airborne shakes his head.)
“And now I’ve signed another deal with that same damn devil. And this time, I might be bringing a 7-foot, 400-pound good guy down with me. But that’s where you come in Taylor Geisler.”
(The mere mention of her name alters Airborne’s mindset.)
“The talking heads could convince the world we’re very similar. Scrappy back stories, the squared circle being our beacon. Hell, I bet even your uneducated approach could be convinced of such a storyline to our match. But all of them, and especially you, Taylor...could not be more wrong. And the truth can be found in the details."
(Airborne’s words begin to gain altitude.)
“You’ve known happiness, you’ve had days, months, Years of Happiness in your life. I’ve barely sniffed glimpses of happiness. In your darkest moments you found hope, in my darkest moments I didn’t even know hope was a fucking option. You pulled up your bootstraps, you put in the hard work, and why? Because you knew good days were worth it. Yet I never knew that type of motivation, I went to sleep every night, like a beast, knowing it wasn’t about future opportunities but tomorrow’s dinner.”
(He takes a moment to allow Taylor to begin to understand.)
“Let’s talk about Dads. Let’s talk about me first this time, and my dad, now that’s simple...I didn’t have one. Now moving onto your father, the unemployable addict who “kind of” chose pills and coke over you. Pills? Cocaine? That fucker was on the rich housewife's diet. And I am sure there was plenty of spare change leftover for all the Happy Meals you ever craved by the end of the day.”
(Airborne pauses.)
“But hopefully none of that is news to you Taylor. Yet this truth might be...your father taught you failure. You learned how to give a decent effort from him, but even worse, you learned the easy way out from him. And I know what you're thinking, he stuck with you; but that was only because that’s easier than living with all the guilt that comes from completely abandoning people. He did everything he needed to do, in order to peacefully do his drugs. And that includes everything he did for you.”
(He nearly smiles.)
“Taylor, to be honest, you’re all backstory. You see your wrestling contract as your grand prize for a lifetime of hardships. And from what I’ve seen, your career is already stuck in neutral. But for me, and my situation, my hardships are my gift, my tools for success. For while your wounds have scabbed over, mine are still bleeding. And it’s that sort of detail that gives me the edge over you.”
(And with the city wind Airborne exits the scene.)