Bloom XI: Healing (Epilogue)
Nov 25, 2019 2:02:07 GMT -5
Alex Richards, LA Johnny Stylez, and 1 more like this
Post by Lissie Hope on Nov 25, 2019 2:02:07 GMT -5
I had a dream I got everything I wanted...
18 AUG
LISSIE ALL ALONE ON TOP OF THE LADDER.
SHE REACHES UP.
LISSIE UNHOOKS THE BRIEFCASE.
LISSIE HOPE IS ... ALL-IN.
11 NOV
SHE HITS THE FUCKING PEDIGREE!!
SHE ROLLS HIM OVER AND HOOKS THE LEG!
ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!
Billy: LISSIE WON THE TITLE!! LISSIE WON THE TITLE!! LISSIE WON THE GOD DAMN TITLE!!
She said she could do it.
She said she would do it.
For eight months, she took on all challengers without fear, without hesitation. She had developed valuable, dependable friendships, along with bitter hatred and blood rivals. She was a face in a sisterhood that would propel them to new heights; and although they didn't quite meet their objective, it was the first faction of it's kind in Action Wrestling history. And Lissie would have never achieved her dream if it wasn't for them.
But the Royal Family was no more. Though she squeezed in the middle of lengthy friendships, Lissie still felt like she had to prove herself as an equal. She was brand new to the industry, had a personality and a natural charisma that aided her world-class talent, but lacked behind in experience and name recognition. So Lissie knew, above all else, she had to win.
And she did.
Fifteen times.
Triumphing over Casey Holliday.
[...on top of the world...]
And Ryan Elias.
Over some of the best in the world to win the All-In briefcase.
[...for...]
And a milestone victory over Dandy DiVito to become the first female World Champion in Action Wrestling history.
[...seven...]
At long last, she had fulfilled her champion's destiny.
[...fuckin'...]
Lissie Hope had become the main event.
[...days...]
If I'm being honest it might have been a nightmare...
18 NOV
FRANK SHOOTS OUT OF THE CORNER AS LISSIE GETS UP!
BOOM! HEADSHOT!
ONE!
TWO!
THREE!
Billy: AND JUST LIKE THAT WE HAVE A NEW WORLD CHAMPION!
The crimson-and-gold All-In briefcase sat in a darkened corner of the Las Vegas suite. After Lissie Hope was defeated in the center of the ring by Frank Venable, she was a physical and emotional wreck. Ushered to a training room by referees and staff, she was checked on by medical and muted her phone. Logging into Twitter, she posted a directive: "do not call me. do not text me. do not @ me." After she was cleared, she retreated back to the safety and comfort of the hotel room, but when she arrived, she couldn't bear to look at what remained of her proudest achievements. A familiar numbness enveloped her entire body.
10 SEP
“What the fuck are you on, Lis?”
“Everything,” she whispered, finally releasing a smile.
Robbie watched for what seemed like an eternity as Lissie wiggled around in her chair, processing what seemed like a vast array of thoughts and emotions in her head. Finally, she pulled her knees up and covered herself in a blanket, covering her mouth. Child-like.
“What’s wrong with you?” Robbie pleaded. “Tell me!”
“Everything.”
And she craved it. She had triumphed over the controlling nature of those poisons and toxins once before, but now, she didn't have any desire for anything else. She needed something to cleanse her mind, to have her forget about the failure of losing the championship belt. She had never been more confident in her abilities than she had been in the lead up to squaring off against Frank Venable, but at the end of the day, she had fallen short.
And it fucking crushed her.
I tried to scream but my head was underwater...
[...I'm a fraud...]
Lissie removed all of her clothes and stood bare in front of a full length mirror, naked and revealed and vulnerable. She examined all of the bruising on her legs and elbows, gently peeling off the heatwrap adhered to her strained back. Her skin clung to the sticky bond, tearing away from her body. Moving her face inches from the glass mirror, she moved the messy curls out of her eyes, seeing the stitched up gash on the rim of her forehead. She traced the line with her finger, still seeing the pattern of the blood that poured from her forehead after she was smacked over the head with her own championship belt. Her skin was paler than ever, her mind drained and devoid of feeling, her heart as empty as her waist.
[...A joke...]
She turned the nozzle and heard the water pelting the ceramic tile below. Stepping underneath the stream, she ran her fingers through her hair and closed her eyes, letting the water careen down her body.
[...Choke artist...]
She opened her mouth, letting the water flood her throat until it hurt.
Because right now, everything hurt.
[...I am nothing...]
If they knew what they said...
I had everything I ever wanted.
The world was in the palm of my hands.
I truly thought that I would elevate Action Wrestling to new heights. I truly believed that my destiny in this world was to break the glass ceiling, force history to write me in, be the first and the best ever. I thought my success would spawn a generation of strong young women to follow in my footsteps. I thought I would be a hero to everyone who watches this sport, a champion to emulate, a legend to model themselves after.
Instead?
I'm a fuckin' punchline.
An answer in trivia.
Who held the World Championship for one week, the shortest reign in history?
Who fluked out a win against Dandy DiVito to win the championship, only to lose it a week later?
Who sold the world a vision, only to prove herself a fraud?
Lissie.
Fuckin'
Hope.
It feels like yesterday was a year ago...
I didn't even get a chance to celebrate my achievement.
I won the belt in front of my best friends, listened to the crowd chanting my name, relishing in the glory of becoming the World Champion of Action Wrestling.
And then, it was right back to work.
I already feel so distant from that crowning moment. I feel like it's so far in the rear-view mirror that it's only a matter of days, if not hours, that it's forgotten about. In fact, it might be forgotten already. It might be the title reign that is scratched from the record books because it was so fuckin' inadequate. So inconsequential.
Do I even deserve a place on that list of real champions?
Roy Speede, twice.
Wade Moor. Sydney J. Warwick. Donald DeRuty. Spencer Adams.
These are pillars of Action Wrestling. They are still thought of fondly to this day.
They made an impression on this business, in ways I can never even imagine.
In ways I will never compare.
Ryan Lockhart.
He stood at the summit of the mountain for eight months.
He dominated this industry for eight months.
It took me eight months to rise in this company only to free-fall off the fuckin' cliff.
It took me eight months to build my career.
It took me seven days to fuckin' destroy it.
Dandy DiVito.
He chopped the head off the snake and took his place.
Frank Venable.
He showed the world that I'm a disappointment.
If I knew it all then, would I do it again?...
Lissie Hope walked into the Sapphire Club, the pulsating beat and the strobe lights providing a raw energy that her dead, expressionless eyes couldn't match. She saw a familiar face, walking straight up to Roxy.
"Hey Lissie," she said, the tension cutting thick. She was aware of Lissie's failure to hold onto her World Championship, and could see that this was the beginning of a downward spiral. Lissie didn't say a word - she simply eyed the door of their VIP room and walked straight towards it, with Roxy in pursuit.
"What can I do for you, Lissie?" she asked sincerely. "Do you want me to listen, or do you want me to talk you through this? I know you're devastated and I want to be here for you."
"You don't even know me," Lissie answered coldly.
"I want to," she answered. "That's the point."
"Just take off your clothes," Lissie said sharply, taking a seat on the leather couch.
"So that's the way this is going to be? I'm trying to be your friend here."
"I don't have any friends," Lissie admitted, for probably the first time. "Take your fucking clothes off, bend down and touch the fucking floor."
"Is that what you want?"
"What else could I ever want?"
They called me weak, like I'm not just somebody's daughter...
You think yourself an ICON. - LA Johnny Stylez
Cowardly piece of shit. - Teo Blaze
I know that you're no hero. - Alex Richards
YOU. ARE. A. FUCKING. JOBBER - Gravedigger
You are a miserable person. - Frank Patrick Venable
[...And they were all right...]
Everybody wants something from me now...
(and I don't wanna let 'em down)
(and I don't wanna let 'em down)
I still love you girlie <3 Message me when youre ready <3 - Estrella Luiz
Hey love! Keep your head up! I'll be in Vegas tomorrow... wanna meet up at the gym?? - Amelia Hogan
Can you please respond? I know your devastated, but I could really use a friend right now. - Kennedy Matthews
Lissie. Please call me back. I'm really worried about you. - Robbie Hope
I thought I could fly...
03 NOV
Because I'm free.
My wings have regenerated.
My soul is repaired.
My fight is restored.
And I'm ready to soar.
Ready to take flight.
Ready to walk on the clouds.
Ready to dance with the stars!
Lissie Hope needed to leave Las Vegas.
Though it had become a third home to her, a place where she had thrived and become the best version of herself, it was also a city that saw her at her most vulnerable. It was only a week ago when she realized just how quickly success fades. A bright, meteoric star, free-falling back down to earth. It was soul-crushing, and every time she looked out the window of her suite, she was reminded that everything in Vegas is a luxury. Everything in Vegas is a facade.
Everyone in Vegas uses the city to bury their demons. They use the city to escape their problems. They use the city to feed their addictions.
They blow it all.
Money.
Health.
Relationships.
Integrity.
[...World Championships...]
So she rented a car and just drove, to wherever the road would take her.
Away from Dandy DiVito.
Away from Action Wrestling.
And she ended up in San Francisco, meandering down the long walkway of the Golden Gate Bridge, her briefcase in hand.
The cars raced by, the zoom of the engines piercing her ears. The wind picked up, blowing her wild curls in her face. People lined the bridge, taking pictures overlooking the ocean, watching the small sailboats fight the current. No one seemed to pay any mind as Lissie watched over the crystal clear water, deep in her own thoughts.
[...Dandy wants this briefcase...]
Lissie raised the briefcase up to her chest, holding onto it with all her might. It represented a goal she had set her mind on and finally achieved. It cemented her status as a star in the making, a champion for Action Wrestling to champion. A challenge to carry the company on her back.
But that was a responsibility that Lissie now realized she couldn't carry.
This was a burden that wasn't worth sacrificing herself for.
Not anymore.
[...He can fuckin' have it...]
Lissie launched the briefcase over the bridge, watching it splash in the ocean below. In that moment, she felt a sense of relief, a release of everything that anchored her, a release of everyone that had tormented her.
But nobody on the bridge noticed her.
Or cared.
So she climbed the railing.
She peaked over the edge.
[...I'm ready to soar again...]
The biggest gamble.
The leap of faith.
And headfirst...
She do--
And when I wake up, I see you with me...
Lissie Hope woke up in her Las Vegas suite with the sheets sticking to her sweaty body. Her brain was startled, confused, and her eyes were dripping. She felt her heart racing, and she touched every limb, trying to determine if this was reality. She looked over at the corner of the room.
The All-In briefcase stared back at her.
She grabbed her phone and dialed a number.
"Robbie? Can you come over? I need you."
And you say...
This was the first time Lissie answered his messages or called him back, and he raced over to her suite from his own hotel room. He jiggled the door handle but found it still locked. He banged his knuckles on the door, calling out her name.
"Lissie! Are you okay?"
[...I'm not okay...]
"Can you open the door? I want to see you!"
[...Does he? Isn't he afraid of what he'll find?...]
"Lissie!"
Lissie was standing on the other side of the door but didn't have the courage to unlock it for him. So she backup into the door and slid down to sit on the floor, making enough noise for Robbie to hear what she had done. And he remembered back to when they were kids, when they would do the same thing, talking each other through the door. So he backed up into the door and slid down as well.
"Thank you for coming."
"What's going on, Lissie?"
"You should know the answer to that."
Robbie did know the answer, but he wanted to hear her articulate it. She needed to stop burying everything underneath the surface until it explodes, but that was her method. Always had been. She resisted any sort of therapy and relied solely on working through everything on her own, and it was to her own detriment most of the time. But he knew how to get through to her.
"I'm here, Liss. You don't need to hurt, alone. I won't let you."
...
"I know you're heartbroken. I know you feel like you let everyone down. But you didn't, little sis. You need to realize that you are a gift. Those fans are still behind you. Your friends are still behind you. And I'm still behind you."
...
"Now it's on you. You need to believe in yourself now. You need to get out of this funk and go beat the fuck out of Dandy."
[...He cost me my championship...]
"You need to walk into that arena and really listen to those fans that love you."
[...He cost me my courage...]
"You need to heal, Lissie. You need to let yourself off the hook."
[...He cost me my dignity...]
"I'm not leaving here until you show me that your listening."
[...But I am a champion...]
"I'm not leaving this hallway until I hear that you're okay."
[...And I'm going to prove it...]
"Open the door, Lissie."
A long delay.
But finally, he heard the door unlock.
Finally, she pulled it open and let him in.
"Thank you, Robbie. I love you."
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her face into his chest.
"Knock him dead, little sis."