A Life Changing Night
May 25, 2021 21:28:13 GMT -5
Hollywood Horror, CJ Phoenix, and 10 more like this
Post by Lochlyn Cade on May 25, 2021 21:28:13 GMT -5
OOC: Graphic and potential trigger warning. LV
He slowly paced down the quiet suburban street without prying eyes watching him. It was nearly one in the morning and this was the kind of neighborhood where people go to bed at respectable times. A rowdy weeknight consist of one to many glasses of wine while laying in bed watching television.
It was the kind of place he despised.
They paid their property association dues, they scooped up their dogs’ shit into little plastic baggies not to offend their neighbors, and their kids play sports not just in school but private leagues as well.
The world was their oyster.
They feel safe. Sure they lock their doors and set their alarms, but in the end, they feel safe.
It’s in those moments that the door burst open; him a large man who lurks in those places that most don’t dare. Standing in the threshold staring mysteriously into the distance behind me. That’s when I here a second looming voice.
“The skin is the best part!”
The worst thought in the world would be to be eaten alive… My thoughts cease and for the first time my tears begin…
They told me that they had missed a turn and where just checking their directions. Oddly enough they were headed the same direction but I knew the area better. I helped them out and saw them off on their journey. Getting back into my car I attempted to start the engine but nothing.
“Great.”
I reached for my phone but it was dead. Apparently everything is going to die on me today.
Kelly, Kells as I often called her, is really gonna kill me over this. I get out and check the engine again but lets me honest, I know nothing about engines or how these things even begin to operate. I slam the hood and look around but I’m literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s no houses and no other vehicles passing by. I should have stayed on the main road but I didn’t.
I decide I’ve got a match coming up that nobody knows I’m entering. The extra cardio can only do me some good so I begin jogging towards the main road.
It’s in these moments that my thoughts begin wondering towards Action Wrestling and that of Havoc. I’ve been in matches like this before and I’ve done rather well in them. The difference in this match is the competition and the lengths that some of these guys will go too attain that elusive victory. My first thoughts are of the guy called Der Metzger as he’s caught my attention in the few weeks before my signing.
The mere thought of his name brings forth even more names; Sara Pettis, Void, Max Daemon, and Sam Kidsgrove. Their all intermingle in the story of Der Metzger and Doctor Reginald Royce. Regardless if their friend or foe doesn’t matter much.
Devils Gate set a tone in Jackson, Mississippi with a count out victory and with it the momentum that they need going into Havoc. I’ve got an amount of respect for those guys for how they conduct business. On any other given day I might even find myself standing with them instead of against them. Though, Pettis and Void have a little something that my brother in arms Eli Hix and I want. This of course depends on how Havoc plays out.
There was nothing but woods all around. It was just getting dark and that’s all I could see. I decided to stop running after about a mile. I might as well enjoy the scenery as the sun begins to set; no reason to rush home into an argument. Kells often tells me that I need to keep my phone charged but I never do. It’s one of her pet peeves and one of my least lovable qualities. Well, that and my chair she hates so much but never says anything about.
I decided to walk off the road a bit to take a piss; natures call. I found a spot under an old hickory tree that was nothing but rocks and dirt. I did that thing guys do and spritzed all over the place fortunately I didn’t piss on myself. You could call it a lazy man’s pee as it just gets everywhere like you find in a public restroom. I glance down and noticed that the piss pattern looks a lot like Spencer Adams name. That’s what I call a piss.
Walking back up the embankment I notice a car that's beginning to drive towards me. I wave out towards the driver hoping they will stop. Without even slowing down they speed past as my gaze follows the car. I’ll never forget the license plate number as it started with FPV; freakin douche bag.
I finally make it back too the main road and fortunately the traffic is greater. It took about six cars before someone finally pulls over and rolls their window down.
“Lochlyn Cade!”
It was a kid about seventeen or so and you could tell he was running late for curfew but he stopped anyway. Out of every wrestling shirt he could be wearing it was that of my cousin, J.C. Keeton, and he made sure to point it out.
“Hey, check it out I’ve got your cousin’s shirt on!”
I don’t know how much time has passed but I hear the sirens and see the swirling red and blue lights. They come into the house as I hold her limp and bloody body with tears streaking down my cheeks. They pull me away from her to block off the scene. The two men are the same who stopped me earlier in the night.
It’s hours later before the coroner pronounces her dead and it’s morning before I’m done answering questions and allowed to take a shower. I wash her blood, her life, from my hands and my thoughts are of a life lost needlessly and how Havoc will be nothing compared to this.
I don’t have anything left but wrestling. I have no other reason to live.
He slowly paced down the quiet suburban street without prying eyes watching him. It was nearly one in the morning and this was the kind of neighborhood where people go to bed at respectable times. A rowdy weeknight consist of one to many glasses of wine while laying in bed watching television.
It was the kind of place he despised.
They paid their property association dues, they scooped up their dogs’ shit into little plastic baggies not to offend their neighbors, and their kids play sports not just in school but private leagues as well.
The world was their oyster.
They feel safe. Sure they lock their doors and set their alarms, but in the end, they feel safe.
It’s a feeling that’s about to change.
All of this of course is just an analogy for Action Wrestling and their resident competitors.
You don’t realize it yet but he’s the statesman who will play a critical role in the events of Havoc and he’ll bring abut the demise of those entering the annual extravaganza. Friedrich Nietzsche once stated that “Man is the cruelest animal.” He wasn’t wrong in his words and that truth isn’t the manifesto nor the mandate of Lochlyn Cade. It’s much simpler than that, dramatically uncomplicated. It’s an idea that many of you could muster on your own but fail in it’s execution. The Lochlyn strategic plan? He’s just going to throw out more competitors than anyone else. Now, that doesn’t sound complicated does it?
While everyone is scheming on how to best approach this situation or locking into the weaknesses of every single competitor; Cade is simplifying the scenario. It will feel casual as if he’s merely painting or swatting away flies.
Of course that’s debatable isn’t it; that strategic plan of his that he spent all of two minutes conjuring up. While many have already lost sleep and paced the lonely floor of their homes during the dull quiet hours of the days and nights. Even after all of that their confidence is questionable. Lochlyn Cade only questions will be which championship he’ll decide to go after once Havoc concludes.
Is it Phoenix and the Hardcore title or Soldado and the Cruiserweight; there’s always The GateCrashers and he already has the perfect partner. Did you think you were safe Sara Pettis and the man they call Void? It could be even grander notions in which he thinks, Ash Blake, perhaps.
One thing is for certain; Lochlyn Cade’s methods are calculating and could even be described as surgical.
You don’t realize it yet but he’s the statesman who will play a critical role in the events of Havoc and he’ll bring abut the demise of those entering the annual extravaganza. Friedrich Nietzsche once stated that “Man is the cruelest animal.” He wasn’t wrong in his words and that truth isn’t the manifesto nor the mandate of Lochlyn Cade. It’s much simpler than that, dramatically uncomplicated. It’s an idea that many of you could muster on your own but fail in it’s execution. The Lochlyn strategic plan? He’s just going to throw out more competitors than anyone else. Now, that doesn’t sound complicated does it?
While everyone is scheming on how to best approach this situation or locking into the weaknesses of every single competitor; Cade is simplifying the scenario. It will feel casual as if he’s merely painting or swatting away flies.
Of course that’s debatable isn’t it; that strategic plan of his that he spent all of two minutes conjuring up. While many have already lost sleep and paced the lonely floor of their homes during the dull quiet hours of the days and nights. Even after all of that their confidence is questionable. Lochlyn Cade only questions will be which championship he’ll decide to go after once Havoc concludes.
Is it Phoenix and the Hardcore title or Soldado and the Cruiserweight; there’s always The GateCrashers and he already has the perfect partner. Did you think you were safe Sara Pettis and the man they call Void? It could be even grander notions in which he thinks, Ash Blake, perhaps.
One thing is for certain; Lochlyn Cade’s methods are calculating and could even be described as surgical.
This is the story about the man who wants to destroy you. I have my doubts, not about the man or about the story, but about you. If I told you this same man walked by your home every day, paused to peer into your window, you wouldn't want to believe me. But you couldn't say for certain that I'm wrong.
I'm not wrong.
I'm not wrong.
He might be very close to you this very minute. He might even be inside of your house. After all, there are so many solid hiding places, aren't there? The back of a closet, behind the shower curtain, or perhaps inside of a cabinet.
Maybe he’s simply standing behind you inside of a wrestling ring.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I promised you a story didn’t I? I guess we still have time for that.
Maybe he’s simply standing behind you inside of a wrestling ring.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I promised you a story didn’t I? I guess we still have time for that.
His eyes are empty, hungry, and his resolve is tightening like a noose.
Him and his opponents are very similar. Something that may not seem interesting or even relevant at the moment. You and him both love words and stories about drama, mystery, and the madness of being alive. That’s what Havoc is all about isn’t it; drama and Mystery?
Isn’t competition and besting others about the madness of feeling alive?
His story is also partly your story, too.
Listen, not to me, but to the sound. Can you hear it? It’s in the back of your mind eating away at your confidence, your sureness of victory. It’s the shallow inhale of breath that isn’t yours. He’s there now inside of your head, your thoughts. You can’t run nor can you call out for help.
Him and his opponents are very similar. Something that may not seem interesting or even relevant at the moment. You and him both love words and stories about drama, mystery, and the madness of being alive. That’s what Havoc is all about isn’t it; drama and Mystery?
Isn’t competition and besting others about the madness of feeling alive?
His story is also partly your story, too.
Listen, not to me, but to the sound. Can you hear it? It’s in the back of your mind eating away at your confidence, your sureness of victory. It’s the shallow inhale of breath that isn’t yours. He’s there now inside of your head, your thoughts. You can’t run nor can you call out for help.
“I’m home.” My voice echoes through our home, shivering through the ventilation and hitting walls, not made of stone, not of brick, not of wood. But of silence.
Here’s what I was expecting: a fireplace, big, flaming, warm, in front of a wooden coffee table on which tea sits, in the mug I gave Lochlyn Cade for his birthday – it says Wrestling Is Kind of My Thing with an Action Wrestling logo on the other side. The tea is for me, of course. He liked making me tea that I would drink when he talked about his upcoming matches. He would sit in a sofa chair made of corduroy. It’s one of the most hideous pieces of furniture I’ve ever seen and the legs wobbling didn’t help much. I hated that chair but Lochlyn loves it, and I love him so there’s no point in arguing about it.
The silence of the house was surprising but not fully unexpected. I walk into the kitchen and set my things on the counter before walking into the den. There is no fire in the hearth, just cold ashes from previous fires. For a moment I stare into the blanket of ashes and the world seems to be black and white. It would be much easier that way but it’s never as easy as that. A person’s idolization of right and wrong is much more complicated than those two colors.
I sit for a second, a minute, an hour. Time passes more quickly than I expected but still there’s no Lochlyn Cade. I keep thinking that he’ll be back shortly and burst through the door with that giddy look and goofy grin.
I found myself on the front porch feeling a wave of irritation, due to the lack of unreturned phone calls and text messages. I turn and walk back inside and towards the kitchen to brew my own tea. My heart beating louder than the sound of my footsteps. I was truly becoming worried.
My father walked out on his family when I was young and it was painful. One day he opened the front door to our modest home and walked through; he closed the door without having looked back at either my mother or me, he never came back through that door. It was years later that my mother had heard he died from a family friend but how he knew that we never asked. My dad was a wrestling legend and he always cared more about what the fans thought than us.
I think that’s why I fell in love with Lochlyn so easily; he doesn’t care about the fans. Honestly, he doesn’t really care about anyone in this business. I’ve seen him do some pretty horrible and ruthless things like it was nothing; like it was easy.
In this moment I can only question if one of those things finally caught up to him. Maybe someone from Action Wrestling is feeling threatened and did something about it. You can’t put something like that past a guy like James Nightingale. He doesn’t even care about his own wife. I try to shake the feeling from my thoughts but something worse invades them; Corey Black or even Walter.
Lochlyn signed for CruiserClash but this is Havoc and everybody is a threat. Walter hasn’t been seen or heard from and whether or not he’s entering Havoc nobody knows. ‘The King’ Corey Black is a conundrum and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was taking people out beforehand. For victory or death as he says. My hand trembles at the thought as I try to grasp the tea kettle full of water.
It’s in that moment that I see it or rather them. A pair of eyes staring into the house with a face pressed against the window screen. I shriek dropping both the mug and kettle onto the floor in a loud thunderous crash. I instantly skip over the water as I race for the door narrowly locking it as a hand from the other side attempts to turn the knob. A loud thud from outside of the house bangs against the door; as if someone using all of their weight against it.
I quickly turn back towards the counter looking for my phone before realizing that I was standing on the porch earlier. I had attempted to call Lochlyn from outside as I impatiently watched the driveway. I must have left my phone on the porch. My heart racing I look back towards the backdoor before turning and rushing towards the front. I stop dead in my tracks as I reach the door. The masked man outside holds it while waving it back and forth thru the window.
“Did you forget something?”
The deep and unfamiliar voice creeps into the house. The strange thing is, I don’t panic or run, but rather just stand there observing him. I’m so unprepared for this event that my mind doesn’t really know how to react – so I sorta just stand there. Staring.
After 10 seconds of standing still and doing nothing, I feel a wave of panic wash over me and I retreat into the living room. I breath in and out a few times and look around for a weapon. I first look at a vase sitting on a side table but this guy is big, enormous; like Corey Bull kind of huge. Jill Park and Jenna Bauer are crazy if they think they could beat a guy like this at Havoc.
So here I am frantically trying to form a plan as I begin to muster my own inner Lissie Hope. In my quasi-panicked state I realized that if this invader made his way into the house, it wouldn’t end well for me. The idea of standing face to face with a knife staring down this lunatic menacingly just didn’t feel viable, so in my head, the only option I had was to dissuade him from entering the property. Bare in mind that as I am thinking about this, this guy is still picking away at my door; you can imagine my mental state.
“Sometimes, the things you see in the shadows are more than just shadows.”
I tried to ignore his words and not allow them to frighten me but it didn’t work as I heard his next few words.
“My hope has always been that one day I will be able to say, I've killed.”
I wish that I could say that I was merely scared but that isn’t the case; it was much much worse. I cannot think clearly and do not know what to do, you could say that I’m panic-stricken.
This can’t be the likes of Max Daemon, even with such a name, he’s not nearly as scary and doesn’t convey a presence of such menacing behavior. He’s a pussy cat compared to my current circumstances.
Here’s what I was expecting: a fireplace, big, flaming, warm, in front of a wooden coffee table on which tea sits, in the mug I gave Lochlyn Cade for his birthday – it says Wrestling Is Kind of My Thing with an Action Wrestling logo on the other side. The tea is for me, of course. He liked making me tea that I would drink when he talked about his upcoming matches. He would sit in a sofa chair made of corduroy. It’s one of the most hideous pieces of furniture I’ve ever seen and the legs wobbling didn’t help much. I hated that chair but Lochlyn loves it, and I love him so there’s no point in arguing about it.
The silence of the house was surprising but not fully unexpected. I walk into the kitchen and set my things on the counter before walking into the den. There is no fire in the hearth, just cold ashes from previous fires. For a moment I stare into the blanket of ashes and the world seems to be black and white. It would be much easier that way but it’s never as easy as that. A person’s idolization of right and wrong is much more complicated than those two colors.
I sit for a second, a minute, an hour. Time passes more quickly than I expected but still there’s no Lochlyn Cade. I keep thinking that he’ll be back shortly and burst through the door with that giddy look and goofy grin.
I found myself on the front porch feeling a wave of irritation, due to the lack of unreturned phone calls and text messages. I turn and walk back inside and towards the kitchen to brew my own tea. My heart beating louder than the sound of my footsteps. I was truly becoming worried.
My father walked out on his family when I was young and it was painful. One day he opened the front door to our modest home and walked through; he closed the door without having looked back at either my mother or me, he never came back through that door. It was years later that my mother had heard he died from a family friend but how he knew that we never asked. My dad was a wrestling legend and he always cared more about what the fans thought than us.
I think that’s why I fell in love with Lochlyn so easily; he doesn’t care about the fans. Honestly, he doesn’t really care about anyone in this business. I’ve seen him do some pretty horrible and ruthless things like it was nothing; like it was easy.
In this moment I can only question if one of those things finally caught up to him. Maybe someone from Action Wrestling is feeling threatened and did something about it. You can’t put something like that past a guy like James Nightingale. He doesn’t even care about his own wife. I try to shake the feeling from my thoughts but something worse invades them; Corey Black or even Walter.
Lochlyn signed for CruiserClash but this is Havoc and everybody is a threat. Walter hasn’t been seen or heard from and whether or not he’s entering Havoc nobody knows. ‘The King’ Corey Black is a conundrum and it wouldn’t surprise me if he was taking people out beforehand. For victory or death as he says. My hand trembles at the thought as I try to grasp the tea kettle full of water.
It’s in that moment that I see it or rather them. A pair of eyes staring into the house with a face pressed against the window screen. I shriek dropping both the mug and kettle onto the floor in a loud thunderous crash. I instantly skip over the water as I race for the door narrowly locking it as a hand from the other side attempts to turn the knob. A loud thud from outside of the house bangs against the door; as if someone using all of their weight against it.
I quickly turn back towards the counter looking for my phone before realizing that I was standing on the porch earlier. I had attempted to call Lochlyn from outside as I impatiently watched the driveway. I must have left my phone on the porch. My heart racing I look back towards the backdoor before turning and rushing towards the front. I stop dead in my tracks as I reach the door. The masked man outside holds it while waving it back and forth thru the window.
“Did you forget something?”
The deep and unfamiliar voice creeps into the house. The strange thing is, I don’t panic or run, but rather just stand there observing him. I’m so unprepared for this event that my mind doesn’t really know how to react – so I sorta just stand there. Staring.
After 10 seconds of standing still and doing nothing, I feel a wave of panic wash over me and I retreat into the living room. I breath in and out a few times and look around for a weapon. I first look at a vase sitting on a side table but this guy is big, enormous; like Corey Bull kind of huge. Jill Park and Jenna Bauer are crazy if they think they could beat a guy like this at Havoc.
So here I am frantically trying to form a plan as I begin to muster my own inner Lissie Hope. In my quasi-panicked state I realized that if this invader made his way into the house, it wouldn’t end well for me. The idea of standing face to face with a knife staring down this lunatic menacingly just didn’t feel viable, so in my head, the only option I had was to dissuade him from entering the property. Bare in mind that as I am thinking about this, this guy is still picking away at my door; you can imagine my mental state.
“Sometimes, the things you see in the shadows are more than just shadows.”
I tried to ignore his words and not allow them to frighten me but it didn’t work as I heard his next few words.
“My hope has always been that one day I will be able to say, I've killed.”
I wish that I could say that I was merely scared but that isn’t the case; it was much much worse. I cannot think clearly and do not know what to do, you could say that I’m panic-stricken.
This can’t be the likes of Max Daemon, even with such a name, he’s not nearly as scary and doesn’t convey a presence of such menacing behavior. He’s a pussy cat compared to my current circumstances.
Then again even a baby can be dangerous when given a sharp scalpel. ~ Unknown
Nightmares will come pouring out of Hell when the Devil gets desperate. ~ Unknown
It’s in those moments that the door burst open; him a large man who lurks in those places that most don’t dare. Standing in the threshold staring mysteriously into the distance behind me. That’s when I here a second looming voice.
“The skin is the best part!”
The worst thought in the world would be to be eaten alive… My thoughts cease and for the first time my tears begin…
Kelly Quinn is gonna kill me when I finally get home. She’s probably making her own tea at this very moment; wondering where the hell is Lochlyn. I had pulled over on the side of the road when the car started making a weird sound. I got out and checked the engine but couldn’t find anything I saw as a problem. I closed the hood. I figured it could wait until after I got home to deal with.
A car pulled up beside me and told me that there had been a wreck over the next hill and traffic was stopped. They suggested that I take a side road that detours the wreck. I thanked them and they left.
I decided to take the suggested road cause I’m from all over the country and didn’t worry about getting lost. I’m use to driving roads I didn’t know. I’ve always had a great sense of direction. As I drove by the “detour” road, I looked over and saw the two men who had stopped and given me the directions. I opted too pullover and repay the kindness.
A car pulled up beside me and told me that there had been a wreck over the next hill and traffic was stopped. They suggested that I take a side road that detours the wreck. I thanked them and they left.
I decided to take the suggested road cause I’m from all over the country and didn’t worry about getting lost. I’m use to driving roads I didn’t know. I’ve always had a great sense of direction. As I drove by the “detour” road, I looked over and saw the two men who had stopped and given me the directions. I opted too pullover and repay the kindness.
They told me that they had missed a turn and where just checking their directions. Oddly enough they were headed the same direction but I knew the area better. I helped them out and saw them off on their journey. Getting back into my car I attempted to start the engine but nothing.
“Great.”
I reached for my phone but it was dead. Apparently everything is going to die on me today.
Kelly, Kells as I often called her, is really gonna kill me over this. I get out and check the engine again but lets me honest, I know nothing about engines or how these things even begin to operate. I slam the hood and look around but I’m literally in the middle of nowhere. There’s no houses and no other vehicles passing by. I should have stayed on the main road but I didn’t.
I decide I’ve got a match coming up that nobody knows I’m entering. The extra cardio can only do me some good so I begin jogging towards the main road.
It’s in these moments that my thoughts begin wondering towards Action Wrestling and that of Havoc. I’ve been in matches like this before and I’ve done rather well in them. The difference in this match is the competition and the lengths that some of these guys will go too attain that elusive victory. My first thoughts are of the guy called Der Metzger as he’s caught my attention in the few weeks before my signing.
The mere thought of his name brings forth even more names; Sara Pettis, Void, Max Daemon, and Sam Kidsgrove. Their all intermingle in the story of Der Metzger and Doctor Reginald Royce. Regardless if their friend or foe doesn’t matter much.
Devils Gate set a tone in Jackson, Mississippi with a count out victory and with it the momentum that they need going into Havoc. I’ve got an amount of respect for those guys for how they conduct business. On any other given day I might even find myself standing with them instead of against them. Though, Pettis and Void have a little something that my brother in arms Eli Hix and I want. This of course depends on how Havoc plays out.
There was nothing but woods all around. It was just getting dark and that’s all I could see. I decided to stop running after about a mile. I might as well enjoy the scenery as the sun begins to set; no reason to rush home into an argument. Kells often tells me that I need to keep my phone charged but I never do. It’s one of her pet peeves and one of my least lovable qualities. Well, that and my chair she hates so much but never says anything about.
I decided to walk off the road a bit to take a piss; natures call. I found a spot under an old hickory tree that was nothing but rocks and dirt. I did that thing guys do and spritzed all over the place fortunately I didn’t piss on myself. You could call it a lazy man’s pee as it just gets everywhere like you find in a public restroom. I glance down and noticed that the piss pattern looks a lot like Spencer Adams name. That’s what I call a piss.
Walking back up the embankment I notice a car that's beginning to drive towards me. I wave out towards the driver hoping they will stop. Without even slowing down they speed past as my gaze follows the car. I’ll never forget the license plate number as it started with FPV; freakin douche bag.
I finally make it back too the main road and fortunately the traffic is greater. It took about six cars before someone finally pulls over and rolls their window down.
“Lochlyn Cade!”
It was a kid about seventeen or so and you could tell he was running late for curfew but he stopped anyway. Out of every wrestling shirt he could be wearing it was that of my cousin, J.C. Keeton, and he made sure to point it out.
“Hey, check it out I’ve got your cousin’s shirt on!”
Not many in this business know this trivial factoid so he must be a die hard wrestling fan. Spending his nights on the internet searching for any tidbits of news and trivia he can stump his fellow pimpled faced friends with. Thinking to myself; I use to be that kid.
He’s somewhat cautious asking for my ID but it was obvious it was more to scope my address that my identity. It’s in that moment that I realize for the first time that I’ve lost my wallet. I remember having it with me earlier. I guess I had left it back in my car on the side of the road. The kid gives me a ride anyway.
I’m instantly bombarded with questions about wrestling and my recent signing with AW and the upcoming Havoc event. I do my best to avoid whether I’ll be included in the event or not. I think the surprise will give him some credit with his pals though so I cave and give him the full story.
He’s somewhat cautious asking for my ID but it was obvious it was more to scope my address that my identity. It’s in that moment that I realize for the first time that I’ve lost my wallet. I remember having it with me earlier. I guess I had left it back in my car on the side of the road. The kid gives me a ride anyway.
I’m instantly bombarded with questions about wrestling and my recent signing with AW and the upcoming Havoc event. I do my best to avoid whether I’ll be included in the event or not. I think the surprise will give him some credit with his pals though so I cave and give him the full story.
“Yeah, I’ll be at Havoc. We can’t have something like this without the Serpentis Redd entering, right!?”
“That’s so dope man. I can’t wait to see you in Havoc. My moms old man… my step dad got us tickets. I know he’s just trying to look good for her but it works out for me though, right?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I would have killed for something like that when I was a kid.”
“What? You’re dad was a wrestler you had to be at all of the big events.”
That stung a bit initially and I don’t know why I lied to this kid to protect “my” dad but I did.
“Oh yeah, he took me to every event you could imagine. I even went to ones that he wasn’t even booked to wrestle on.”
This wasn’t the first lie I’d ever told about my old man. I’ve told a lot. I guess I’ve always felt embarrassed that I he never took me to any shows; not one… ever.
“I bet he’ll be at Havoc cheering you on. I wish I had a dad like that.”
“Yeah, it’s great.”
I thought to myself that I should have walked which is when I noticed that there isn’t a wreck on this road and no backed up traffic. Those guys probably saw me on the side of the road and figured they could break into my car if I really broke down. What’s the chances of that happening… and I left my wallet…
“Oh man. You’re gonna be in the ring with Lissie Hope! That girl is so freakin hot. I’ve got her pictures all over my wall. My mom hates it and thinks she’s a bad influence but secretly my step dad likes her too.
Are you going to wrestle as Lochlyn or Kermes Vermilio? My friends and I like it better when you wrestle with the Vermilio persona. Your gear looks crazy cool.”
This is the longest ride of my life but I know a few wrestlers that will be thinking the same thing come Chicago. I, however, will not be one of them. That’s a ride I’m looking forward too. I plan on being there at the end with Spencer Adams and that last entrant spot he won. He however will not be walking out of Havoc as the winner.
I realize that my thoughts kept me from answering the kids question.
“I think I’m going into this one as myself. I don’t think Action Wrestling is ready for the Vermilio version of Lochlyn Cade yet. Plus, I need to make a name for myself without the mask first don’t you think?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I get ya you want Lissie to see you without the mask, huh? Will you tell her that I love her and I’m her favorite fan!?”
“Sure kid.”
“That’s so dope man. I can’t wait to see you in Havoc. My moms old man… my step dad got us tickets. I know he’s just trying to look good for her but it works out for me though, right?”
“Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I would have killed for something like that when I was a kid.”
“What? You’re dad was a wrestler you had to be at all of the big events.”
That stung a bit initially and I don’t know why I lied to this kid to protect “my” dad but I did.
“Oh yeah, he took me to every event you could imagine. I even went to ones that he wasn’t even booked to wrestle on.”
This wasn’t the first lie I’d ever told about my old man. I’ve told a lot. I guess I’ve always felt embarrassed that I he never took me to any shows; not one… ever.
“I bet he’ll be at Havoc cheering you on. I wish I had a dad like that.”
“Yeah, it’s great.”
I thought to myself that I should have walked which is when I noticed that there isn’t a wreck on this road and no backed up traffic. Those guys probably saw me on the side of the road and figured they could break into my car if I really broke down. What’s the chances of that happening… and I left my wallet…
“Oh man. You’re gonna be in the ring with Lissie Hope! That girl is so freakin hot. I’ve got her pictures all over my wall. My mom hates it and thinks she’s a bad influence but secretly my step dad likes her too.
Are you going to wrestle as Lochlyn or Kermes Vermilio? My friends and I like it better when you wrestle with the Vermilio persona. Your gear looks crazy cool.”
This is the longest ride of my life but I know a few wrestlers that will be thinking the same thing come Chicago. I, however, will not be one of them. That’s a ride I’m looking forward too. I plan on being there at the end with Spencer Adams and that last entrant spot he won. He however will not be walking out of Havoc as the winner.
I realize that my thoughts kept me from answering the kids question.
“I think I’m going into this one as myself. I don’t think Action Wrestling is ready for the Vermilio version of Lochlyn Cade yet. Plus, I need to make a name for myself without the mask first don’t you think?”
“Yeah. Yeah. I get ya you want Lissie to see you without the mask, huh? Will you tell her that I love her and I’m her favorite fan!?”
“Sure kid.”
He pulls up outside of my house but ask for a photo with me before he drives off. I oblige his request since he went out of his way to give me a ride. I watch as his taillights disappear around the corner. I notice that two of the street lights are out making it darker than normal in front of the house. It’s pretty late well after 1am and the lights are out. Kells is probably sleeping.
The front light is out and as I step onto the porch I can swear that I heard a man’s voice inside of the house. I grasp the doorknob finding it unlocked and as I begin to push it open I realize that it’s been busted. It that moment I’m kicked in the chest which sends me backwards stumbling and falling onto the ground back first.
The air in my lungs burst from my chest from the force of the kick and the hard cement walkway I landed on. A huge overbearing man that reminds me of Odin Balfore steps out from the door. He has a large hunting knife in his right hand and he’s lunging for me looking to bring the blade down into my chest.
This isn’t Havoc but I’ll do anything to protect my house both here and when between the ropes.
I narrowly escape the blade as it hits concrete and I kick out towards the man’s face as I again roll from his grasp. I bloody his lip but it doesn’t deter him any. The arm bar and snapping of his elbow does as he yells out in pure agony. It’s in this moment that another man, smaller than the first, comes from within the house. My fear is for Kelly as I grab the knife and plunge it into the larger man’s chest. His breath gurgling from the wound that surely punctured his lung.
I hear my neighbor who burst from his house hearing the commotion. The smaller man sees the blade in my hand and his partner bleeding from his mouth as he attempts to breath. He flees for the safety of escape and I rush into the house looking for Kelly.
I find her in the den of the house half naked and lifeless.
The front light is out and as I step onto the porch I can swear that I heard a man’s voice inside of the house. I grasp the doorknob finding it unlocked and as I begin to push it open I realize that it’s been busted. It that moment I’m kicked in the chest which sends me backwards stumbling and falling onto the ground back first.
The air in my lungs burst from my chest from the force of the kick and the hard cement walkway I landed on. A huge overbearing man that reminds me of Odin Balfore steps out from the door. He has a large hunting knife in his right hand and he’s lunging for me looking to bring the blade down into my chest.
This isn’t Havoc but I’ll do anything to protect my house both here and when between the ropes.
I narrowly escape the blade as it hits concrete and I kick out towards the man’s face as I again roll from his grasp. I bloody his lip but it doesn’t deter him any. The arm bar and snapping of his elbow does as he yells out in pure agony. It’s in this moment that another man, smaller than the first, comes from within the house. My fear is for Kelly as I grab the knife and plunge it into the larger man’s chest. His breath gurgling from the wound that surely punctured his lung.
I hear my neighbor who burst from his house hearing the commotion. The smaller man sees the blade in my hand and his partner bleeding from his mouth as he attempts to breath. He flees for the safety of escape and I rush into the house looking for Kelly.
I find her in the den of the house half naked and lifeless.
I don’t know how much time has passed but I hear the sirens and see the swirling red and blue lights. They come into the house as I hold her limp and bloody body with tears streaking down my cheeks. They pull me away from her to block off the scene. The two men are the same who stopped me earlier in the night.
It’s hours later before the coroner pronounces her dead and it’s morning before I’m done answering questions and allowed to take a shower. I wash her blood, her life, from my hands and my thoughts are of a life lost needlessly and how Havoc will be nothing compared to this.
I don’t have anything left but wrestling. I have no other reason to live.
