Scene One

June 22, 2004

There was a time long ago when the perception of justice seemed to be something of the supernatural.  Criminals whom were guilty of murder, rape, theft and other such offenses were stricken by the hand of God, the proverbial lightning bolt from the sky.  Deviants were found horribly maimed, slowly dying from disease, dead  under mysterious circumstances, and even disappearing altogether.

Today, it would be Ryan Cain's turn to know the darker side of justice of which no one speaks.  All through the distant past, the unfortunate criminals who suffered from what seemed to be a mystical avenger, turned out to be extremely unlucky or turned into victims themselves of vigilantes.  The irony was not lost upon me.

His crime, the violation of the only person I have ever truly loved.  For which, in all my hours of contemplation, I could not devise a punishment severe enough to suit him.  Would would follow for the next few hours would have to suffice.  How carefree, arrogant he seemed.  The egotism dripped from him as if perspiration, bathing him in its aura.  Fucking college kids, if I had known that Mel was going to be surrounded by older, perverted dickheads like this, the events of last week would never have occurred.

This level of the parking garage was barren of every other soul other then the two of us.  The information on his usual schedule was easy enough to obtain anonymously and he a habit of taking a lunch at the adjoining student center at this time of day.  I came prepared, wrapping my palm around the steel hand grip protruding from the back waist of my pants.

The keys in his hands jangled and clanged together, his fingers sorting through them to find the correct one for the car he stopped before.  I rounded the stone support column I had hidden behind and reached to rear bumper of his car before stopping.

Xavier Michaels
Ryan Cain.  How nice to make your acquaintance.

He looked up for a second with a look of puzzlement at being addressed in such a way before my right fist crashed into the side of his face.  He was stunned momentarily, reaching back and trying to fight back with his own.  I blocked it, held his arm straight out with my other arm coming behind his head from his right side grabbing a handful of hair.  With a sudden jerk, I yanked his head downward and into the back window, numberless cubes of shattered glass scattering across the ground below.

I pulled his head from the enclave that was the back of the car and threw him against the side of my car which I parked next to his in anticipation for this.  The momentum and sudden impact against his back forced his arms to spread out for a second, long enough to pull the gun from the back of my pants and slam the butt of it against his nose.  Blood spewed in a spurt from his nose before staying a steady flow to drip on the ground.  He bent forward to the right, completely beaten and unaware of his surroundings now as I gripped the gun by its barrel and brought it the butt of it down to the back of his head in a swinging motion.

He collapsed in a heap of a lifeless, fleshy mass, not showing any signs of movement as I stepped over him.  I opened the trunk of my car next to his and pulled out the large, thick plastic sheet I had bought at a Home Depot early this morning.  I rolled it spread out on the ground before me and returned my attention to the unconscious "man" feet away from me.  I took both his arms by the wrists and dragged him on top of the sheet, making sure it completely surrounded him.  After enfolding and wrapping the plastic around him, I took the roll of duct tape sitting in the trunk and wrapped it at spaced intervals around the mass encased within the synthetic material.

He was easier to lift up into the trunk then I had originally expected, sliding inside with ease.  He started to stir, lifting his head up only to have the underside of the trunk lid slam into his head, once again knocking him out.

Xavier Michaels
How the fuck do you like it.

I climbed in behind the steering wheel of my car and keyed the ignition to start.  The Pine Barrens would be the perfect place to finish this, the feeling of isolation of the forests would consume him and allow us the privacy I wanted.  Let alone the fact that out there, no one would ever find the body.

---

Scene Two

Night surrounded us, the darkness of the air created the walls of our world for this chapter of the adventure.  He sat there in the folding chair, its legs digging and burying themselves into the soiled earth, staring at me obviously terrified out of his mind.  I sat in front of him, straddling a chair of the same design, arms resting on the back support.  The smile could not bear itself to stay hidden.

Ryan Cain
Who the fuck are you?

Xavier Michaels
Now, now, Ryan.  What happened to small talk before hostilities?

The twelve-once can of Pepsi popped open with a hiss, the tab pulled back.  I held it out to him but he was hesitant at any movements or offerings that I made towards him.  Only after my non-verbal motioning insistence that he accept it did he allow the muscles in his palm and fingers to grip it.

I motioned for him to take it Come on now, let's talk about hobbies, movies, music, think you like to do when just shooting the shit.  How about the types of parties you go to, girls you pick up and shit, you know.

Xavier Michaels
Now let's just shoot the shit for a bit.  Movies, music, girls at parties, all that good shit.

He examined the top of the can be for taking a swing of the contents.  I knew his throat had been parched to say the least.  After the hours of nothing, the thirst he felt must have been unbearable.  All was I wanted it to be, however.  Offer him a temporary relief before it was to be ripped away shortly.

Ryan Cain
You know how it is, some cunt gets all flirty, it's obvious what she wants.  Some times they just need a little lightening up, something to get them loose and into things.

Xavier Michaels
You have to do any of this at a party, say last week?

Ryan Cain
You know, there was this one girl, all over me.  You know the type, flirty as hell but when it comes time to do the deed, they get all uptight and shit.  Really pisses a guy off when a bitch pulls that shit so a guy has to do what a guy has to do if you catch my meaning.  But man I tell you, once I got this one where I wanted, one of the best lays I ever had.

I pulled the gun from behind me, letting his eyes fall upon it while I took out the magazine, just for show and provide the theatrics.  The safety clicked in the off position, body pulled back pushing a round into the chamber.  He looked at it as the light from the kerosene lantern sitting on the foldable stool, light glinting on the silver steel.  He was horrified, so much so that the fear paralyzed him.

Xavier Michaels
That girl, the one that you fucked, she's fifteen you dirty fuck.

Ryan Cain
What?!  Wait hold on.  The fuck are you talking about?  Yeah, I fucked her but I swear, she came onto me.  She led me on all the way to the end and chickened out.  What did you expect me to do?

I nodded my head, showing feigned acceptance of what he said, motioning to the can.

Xavier Michaels
You like that?  Can't stand the shit.

He looked down at the can, trying to gain some kind of understanding, the point the the question.

Ryan Cain
Yeah, it's OK.

Xavier Michaels
That's good, because that's the last motherfucker you'll ever have.

Standing up now, I cast the chair aside a few feet away.  The gun lifted up, level with his chest.  He raised his hands up in front of him, as if the organic barrier would stop the hot, flying steel.

Ryan Cain
Wait, hold on man!  Oh please God, no, wa--

The trigger pulled, the report of the small blast was almost deafening and the small cloud of smoke in front of me.  Blood spewed from where his right thumb had been, a small chimney in his chest puffing out a small stream of smoke.  He looked down at the hole in his shirt in shock, surprised that it was actually happening.  The sound of his breath was a hoarse roar as he sucked in a huge breath trying to fill the punctured lung that would only allow the air to pass through the searing hole in itself.

The trigger pulled again and again, sending near molten pieces into his chest chasing after the first.  Two more stacks of smoke from his chest and the momentum of the force of the impacts pushed him backwards, toppling him backwards.  When I walked the few feet between us, myself and his fallen body, he looked up at me with an empty, vacant stare.  He was almost dead, yet I would not allow him to go so peacefully.  More rounds filled his chest, I did not keep track of the number, only realizing that no more after when only a simple clicking followed the trigger pulls.  Not done, not yet.  The barrel in my hand, the butt brought down on his head in a swinging motion again, crashed down into his mouth.  Most of his teeth dislodged from their homes in his jaw.

Taking off the leather gloves I had been wearing, I put the gun away again, and tossed the gloves on top of the bullet riddled body.  My car was nearby, only a few yards where I changed clothes and left them in a pile on the ground next to him.  The emptied gun sat on the driver's side seat, a Phillips-head screwdriver still embedded in the barrel.  Along with the clothes that I knew had the gun powder residue was covering them from the shots, a five gallon red container filled with unleaded gasoline in my right hand.

The smell of the gasoline was intoxicating as it spilled out of the small tank onto his pock marked chest and face and my clothes.  My chair and stool now overturned on top of him.  The lantern dropped down on him, the glass shattering, the flame within licking the liquid drenching him.  I stood by and watched the flames consume him, the body and rubble became a wick illuminating the once again quiet night sky.

---

Scene Three

Why is that I have to be such an asshole sometimes with the wrong people.  Correct, most if not all are deserving of such treatment, but at certain points, I went to far and carried the public face into my private life.  No matter how angry I could become, she should never have been on the receiving end of my temper.  My head rested on the molding outside the door frame, a saddened sigh escaped my lungs.  I wrapped my knuckles lightly on the door, not wanting to frighten her anymore then I already have.

Xavier Michaels
Mel?  Can we talk?  Just without the yelling and cursing this time.

She did not respond, the faint sound of crying still coming from inside.  My hand lain on the knob and turned it to find that she had not locked the door.  It eased open with a slight push and letting me step inside.  On the bed, she was positioned as I had expected, face buried in the fabric of a pillow.  Her legs were halfway curled up into her chest in a somewhat fetal position.  I laid my hand down on her leg and rubbed her thigh lightly, reassuring her that I was there and not angry anymore.  She did not shrink away from my touch which was a good sign and kneel down next to the bed, hand now on her side.

Xavier Michaels
Mel, I'm sorry.  You know how I can be when it comes to protecting you.  I guess I just went too far this time.  I'm not angry with you and I wasn't a few minutes ago either, it's just that I didn't expect this.  I just thought you could do a lot better then this, but it's your choice and I should have understood that.

She moved her face from the pillow and turned to face me, whipping a smear of tear from her eyes.

Melissa Michaels
You mean that?  Not just some full of crap excuse to make me feel better?

Xavier Michaels
No, I mean it.  Just wish you would have talked to me first so I didn't flip out like this.

Melissa Michaels
I've been trying to, dropping little hints here and there.  You never were the brightest in the family.

Xavier Michaels
Shut up, now I got just another thing to worry about with you there.  Going to have to show you everything and train you, make sure you don't end up hurting yourself with some of that crazy shit.

Melissa Michaels
You'd do that for me?  Actually going that far to get me into this?

Xavier Michaels
Well, I can't let you try this without help now can I?  It'd be like when we were kids and roll around playing, except you'll be getting paid for using what you learn.

I stood up from the kneeling position next to her and grabbed her legs, swinging them around to the edge.  She sat up with a confused look, trying to figure out what I was doing.

Xavier Michaels
Now you better hurry and get back.  We got a plane to catch for your first event as a GEW wrestler.

She beamed a smile and leap up from the bed, jumping up on me with her legs wrapped around my body and arms tightly around my neck.  Something of a hoarse gasp sounded from me.

Xavier Michaels
Um, Mel, you mind easing up on the grip?  You're kind of chocking me.

---

Scene Four

Over the past couple weeks, her presence was something of a reassurance, a luxury that was not required.  Our needs and purposes created a symbiotic relationship, we complimented each other.  She wanted desperately to experience that which was not her usual world of existence while I wished to end the long loneliness created by the constant traveling.  Now, however, the relationship has changed dramatically.  We could be considered equal now, the reason we both were in the same place at the same time was for professional reason, we were now working for the same company together.

I opened the door and held it open, allowing her to enter first.  I walked in behind her, watching as she looked around taking in the surroundings.  It was as if she were seeing the set up for the first time, although she had been with me going to these events for a couple weeks now.  The difference between then and now was that she was a spectator, now she would be a participant, partake an active role in what would happen out in the arena in front of the crowd.

She had much to learn and it was going to be my responsibility to teach her everything she should possibly know before getting into a wrestling ring for real for the first time. Out there, there would be no time-outs, no do-overs or retakes of a move because it was not pulled off properly and if the mistake turned to be bad enough, life changing.  That had to be my biggest fear by far, her getting injured either intentionally or by accident.

She turned around back to me smiling, her arms raised and spread out for a moment in a shrug as if unsure as to what to do now.  She was not booked for this show and would not be for quite some time until she was truly ready for what would come so for the time being, all she had to do was be there in the event she would be needed for the creation any kind of promotional material.

Melissa Michaels
I guess this is all I do until I can work in a match then?  Just wait around for stuff?

Xavier Michaels
Well yeah, that's basically it.  As far as tonight goes, just think you had to go see the IT nerds that work on the GEW.com site and their photographer to take some promo shots.

Melissa Michaels
Great, who knows how many perverts out there are going to be jerking off to my picture.

Xavier Michaels
Well this what you wanted isn't?  To be around all the weirdoes of the world, except me of course.  I'm not that bad.

She gave me this sarcastic smile that always came before some kind of smart ass comeback, but surprisingly, she held her tongue and came in closer to me.  Her hands rested their palms against my chest and she looked up at me with those eyes that would crumble a stone wall.

Melissa Michaels
Thanks for this, I don't think I would went through with this alone, without you.

Her head titled downward and to the side as she rested it on my chest and her arms wrapped around me.  I held her close, not wanting to let her go out that door unsupervised around these people for the first time, but it had to be done.

Xavier Michaels
I love you, Mel.  Even when I when sound angry with you, remember that.  Now you better go and let the nerds take care of all that technical stuff.  Can't keep the perverts waiting now can you?  Besides, I have to get changed and wouldn't be right with you here.

She broke away from me, parting our bodies and walked towards the door behind me.

Melissa Michaels
No fair, you walked in on me changing before.

Xavier Michaels
Perv, and that was an accident.

Melissa Michaels
Sure, sure, keep telling yourself that.  If you're gone before I get back, good luck tonight, I'll be watching.

Xavier Michaels
Hey, it's going to take more then just a couple Gothy freaks that use graveyards like they're Seven-Elevens and just hand out in them all night to take me down.

She laughed at the last joke before opening the door and closing it behind her, leaving me alone by myself here.  It was not myself that I was concerned about however, but her out there adrift in the sea of those whom I despised and did not trust.