Scene One

January 22, 2007

The fixtures of the wheels spun around in the air, their counterparts grazing the corners of the steps on their decent.  The technicians were being very cautious in lowering me down, later on I was told of a class action suit for incompetence of drivers.  At the time, however, I was completely unaware of my surroundings.  Everything appeared as though seen through a film of haze with the alternating light of red and blue, voices from those near sounding distant and mumbled.

At the top of the step, in front of the closed wooden door, stood the girl I was in the room with, her right hand held close to her mouth as if trying to hold back an involuntary spew of vomit.  Get used to it sweetheart, your line of work does not permit shelter from the cruelties of reality.  An older woman stood beside her to the left, arms crossed in a very protective gesture as if I had somehow tainted this place.  If the moment were not so serious, it would actually have been funny.  A lot worse scum then me have come and gone here, and I am the one that brought he filth here?

The crack and mumble of indistinct radio chatter from a dispatcher.  The two men swung me around sharply and moved for a few seconds before finally stopping.  The steel double doors were already opened, the entrance to a sterilized and sanitary cubicle with two other men in navy blue jumpsuits waiting for me.  I was pushed forward again, the frame collapsing under me and folding in upon itself and slid across the floor inside.  The doors were shut, my only view to the outside world, the realm outside this marvel of medical transportation, being two vertical rectangular windows, the corners rounded off.

A siren began its never-ending wail and the two pictures on either side of the slit in the door changed, the shapes became distant and new ones were created.  A plastic mask was slipped over my nose and mouth and an elastic coring went past my ears to around my head.  Someone shown light from a flashlight in my eye, then the other while pulling on my eyelid to hold it open.  Through all this, I felt nothing whatsoever.  I could see vaguely what was happening but the meaning of it all was lost to me with the use of my other senses.

One of them reached over to some machine with a rippling line moving across it, beeping each time a new jagged mountain was made.  He pushed a button and said something to the other, what it was I could not tell.  The words "irregular" and "rapid" stuck out more then anything else in the jumble of language.  The beeping from the machine grew faster, only then did I realize that the machine was in sync with the pounding I could feel in my head.  Faster and faster the gong in my mind sounded, so loud and destructive, the small amount of thought I still held onto was obliterated.

My chest started to burn, the feeling pulsing out through the rest of my body with every thunder in my head.  When will this end already?  One of the men held a syringe and held a small bottle of the sharpened end while the other wrapped some strap around my bicep.  It felt as if my chest were about to explode.  The pain I was feeling now grew to be unbearable.  I could feel myself shouting from under the plastic mask, yet I had no control of this now.  They were trying to hold me down but it was no use.  My arm and legs started kicking and jerking from their grip violently, my back arching in the worst spasm of the pain yet.  It felt like it would last an eternity but in reality was probably less then a minute.

My vision went black for a fraction of a second, followed by a bright flash of white light.  Far off in the distance stood a man over an open field; in an instant he was in front of me kneeling down with his arms wrapped around a small bundle.  It was my father, looking at me with a tear in his eye.  His mouth moved but I could hear nothing from him.  An infant was crying, the source of it was the thing in his arms.

Terrance Michaels
Xavier, there's someone you should meet.  This here is your new sister.  Her name's Melissa.

I never had a brother or sister before, let alone knew how to fulfill my role.  A priest stood inside the doorway talking to my mother, man in a black uniform stood beside him, a chest full of medals on the left side of his chest.  She stood warily against the frame of the door silently crying.  He was gone now.  A young child stood beside me and took my hand, looking up at me for some kind of guidance.  I did not know myself, but I was afraid.  A teenage Melissa sat next to me in the car, the door opened as she was about to get out, smiling warmly before kissing me on the cheek.

Melissa Michaels
Love you, big brother.

Scene Two

The field was the picture of peacefulness.  No reminders of the modern world to break the serenity of the slight breeze blowing the high emerald grass to and fro.  All was as it should have been and nothing could possibly disrupt it.  The feeling that filled the air soaked into me enveloped me with its sweetness, becoming me to welcome it with open arms.

With every step I made, I crushed the high stalks under foot only to have them spring back to life when I left it.  My movements caused not a sound, not audibly interacting with any thing.  It was as if I could harm nothing here and life was a continuous flow.  I held the blades against my hand, so soft, softer and finer then the finest silk any craftsmen could ever conjure.  Far off in the distance appeared to be tree covered mountains, rocky snowcaps topping them.  They did not seem to be real however, as if they were a backdrop created by some Hollywood artist and erected miles away.  Though I knew I was impossibly far from such manifestations now.

In the distance stood a shape of a man silhouetted against one of the snow-peaked mountains.  He seemed familiar for some reason, although I could not remember why.  Some sound was being carried across the wind from him.  A whisper, a word.  Xavier.  Dad?

I ran.  I ran as fast as my body would allow, pushing it to what I though were its physical limits.  It did not seem to help much, as if I were going as fast as if I were walking if not slower.  Frustration tore at me, but the whisper said not to rush, only remain calm and it would happen.  What the hell was this?  Now, however, instead of my moving towards him, in a flash of an instant, he was there in front of me.  Gone was the wound in his neck that had bee covered up so there would be an open coffin for the viewing and burial.  He was exactly the way I remember him as a boy on the last day I saw him before he left again.

Xavier Michaels
Dad?

Terrance Michaels
Xavier.

The feeling of seeing him again proved too much.  I felt as if I were about to burst into tears.  Over the years, there was so much I wanted to say, to ask advice, just to have him there.  Now when I actually could, I found myself at a loss.  He raised a hand and waved off my worries, admonition me that I should not think about such thing now.  In a way, I think he heard all those things, and in a way he always replied.

Xavier Michaels
Am I dead

Terrance Michaels
Yes and no.

Xavier Michaels
What's that supposed to mean?  I'm here with you aren't I?

Terrance Michaels
Yes, you did die, but you know you cannot stay here.

The statement stunned me as much as it stung.  It felt as if I was going to be torn away from him again.  It was not fair.  I missed him so much.  And if I am dead but cannot stay here, does that mean my actions will finally catch up to me?

Terrance Michaels
No, even with that, you don't deserve that.  What you did to him was what was meant and no one can pass judgment on you for that.  I would have done the same myself, you know that.  You're needed back there and you know it.  What are they going to do with you gone?  What's she going to do?  You need to be there for her.

Xavier Michaels
Melissa

Terrance Michaels
Yes, soon she'll need you more then over.  Help her, she can't do this alone.

No.  I cannot stand to see her go through any more then what she has.  Life is too cruel, too brutal, for me to just sit by and know her innocence will be further lost to despair.

Xavier Michaels
Will I see you again soon?

Terrance Michaels
No, it'll be years and years from now, trust me.  Consider this a reprieve, a second chance.  They don't come often so use it wisely.

A voice echoed through the air, "Clear!"  If it was here or in my head, I did not distinguish.  A tingling feeling squirming to my fingertips.  A second chance.  I cannot screw it up this time.  As much as I want to stay here, I cannot.  "Clear!"  A bold of lightning ripped across the sky ending in the abyss of azure.  The tingling transformed into a shock, stunning me with its harshness.  He gave me a reassuring smile.  "Clear!"  Another shock and the filed devolved into the cube of white I lay in before.  The technicians appeared relieved at the sight of my eyes ripping open.  God help me.

Scene Three

Certain creations of life prove to be nothing more then an annoyance, buzzing around your head, as an insect would, circling around waiting for the next source to sustain their existence.  "Dirtsheet" writers are only the latest installment of the apprentices; learning from their winged masters the trade of the scavenger.  The acne, glossy red hair almost shining with a florescent glare.  Kid could not a day older then the start of puberty.  And lonely, overweight people sitting at a couple at their tenth hour actually listen to these types?  More desperate for a fantasy of a life then I at first thought.  Someone get me a fly swatter large enough to squish this pest into nothing more then a spot on the floor.

Hugh O'Connell
Mr. Michaels!  Mr.  Michaels!  You've been away for a month, and you putting K. C. McGrath in the hospital your first order of business.  What wrestling fans around the country, no, around the world want to know is why.  Why'd you attack McGrath?  It's doubtful you'd stick your neck out for the Ortons.  Especially not since you also ding Randy Orton in the head with that chair too.

Xavier Michaels
What I did to him is what I do all his types.  Self-pitying son of a bitch deserved what he got.  He's just lucky I didn't finish the job.

Hugh O'Connell
What do you mean by that?  What more could you have possibly done by smashing his head in?

Xavier Michaels
Someone like you wouldn't understand.

And he would not.  What did he know of love, hate, pain or vengeance?  This was someone who was without a doubt still working on a first date, let alone knows anything away from a computer screen.  He would not understand what it means to be in certain circumstances, and what he would do when being surrounded by the truth of what must be done, no matter how terrible.  Such instances are tests of strength, endurance, and an overriding will to see justice in its rawest forms.

Do such things make me bad?  Evil?  I think not and I will not stand to be judge by the likes of this annoying little shit nor anyone else dumb enough to stick their nose in my business.  Let them watch the replay of the end of the Last Man Standing match, let them play it over and over to their hearts content, read the bullshit blog this cunt rag will run off to type as soon as I am out of eye sight, but I will not be judged by those who know nothing.

I pushed the boy to the right against the wall, letting me through to my locker room door and turned the knob without thinking.  It turned easily, only then did I know something was wrong.  Strange, I told her to leave the door locked while I was gone.  The shit stain on the net stood behind me, jumping up and down trying to look over my shoulder.

Hugh O'Connell
Got some chicks in there waiting for you huh?  A little post pay-per-view celebration eh?

With all rights, I should have crumbled his head against the concrete wall holding this place together like a damned soda can.  However, I've spilt enough blood for the night.  Might as well let this one scamper off.

Xavier Michaels
Go drink a Juicy Juice and watch some Pokemon.

He frowned drastically.  Good, I bruised that fragile ego of his.  Now hopefully he will leave this stuff to those of us who can actually see over the barricades at ringside.  I nodded my head to the side and he pointed in the direction, his mouth opened and a looked of recognition now.  Yes, that's right.  Run along now.  He sulked off in the direction I was coming from back towards the ring entrance.  Finally, he left.  With the doorknob still held in my grip, I pushed forward to swing it open with the expected ease to find not one woman as foreseen, but two.

Mel sat on the couch against the left side of the wall, one leg crossed over the other, and the owner of GEW of all people, Stephanie Levensque.  There had been laughter between the two of them but immediately stopped when I entered followed by an awkward silence.  It felt like I was back in high school, a group of some snot nosed kids talking about someone and shutting up when they get close.  Gone from an annoying environment to something almost bizarre.  Wonder if little Hughey has a spare juice box.

Xavier Michaels
Am I interrupting something ladies?

Stephanie Levensque
Girl talk, you wouldn't understand just like every other guy, expect the gay ones.

Xavier Michaels
Not sure if I should be insulted or trying to repair the image of my manhood.

Melissa Michaels
They can do that now?

Stephanie Levensque
You're too young to remember the Bobbit incident a few years ago, but yeah.

Xavier Michaels
Stephanie, boss lady, don't you, you know, have to keep an eye on things out there.  You know, it's your money at work in the ring.

Stephanie Levensque
Yeah, you're probably right.  Well Mel, I should get going and yell at someone.  Remember what we talked about.

Melissa Michaels
I'll think about it.  I'll be around.

Xavier Michaels
You will?

She did not bother responded to that but simply gave me a look, a glare more like it.  Should know better then to try to argue with her.  As much as I have bitch and moaned in arguments over the years, she has always won.  Damn women.  Only after her insisting nonstop over the past month did I finally agree to let her come with me on these shows as long as she agreed to go about her business at the start of the semester.

Stephanie Levensque
I'm sure we'll talk again.  You have my number just in case you make up your mind earlier then next week.

Melissa Michaels
Thanks, Steph.  Appreciate you taking the time to give me some advice.

Xavier Michaels
OK, what are you talking about?  Or do I even want to know.  If it has anything to do with tampons or any of that feminine hygiene crap you can just leave me out of it.

The stand up from the couch at the same time together and Mel follows behind Stephanie going to the door.  Mel has a slight smirk on her face, trying to hide something and mocking me or just wants me to think that and enjoying seeing me angry about being left out of the loop.

Melissa Michaels
That's none of your business.  Girl talk remember.

Stephanie opening the door and Mel held it and close it once she left.  She turned around feigning innocence, almost blushing and brushing her hair back.

Melissa Michaels
What?  You're looking at me like I got a booger hanging out of my nose.

Xavier Michaels
Mel?  Steph?  You two on a shortened first name basis now?  And sharing phone numbers?  Getting a little friendly aren't we?  There something else I should know about other then you making friends?

Melissa Michaels
Nope, not at all.  I was bored, she came in looking for you and we started talking that's all.

Xavier Michaels
OK, I'm going to trust you on that, and besides, I'm too tired to get in an argument with you about this.  It's time we left and went back to the hotel.  We got an early flight back home in the morning.

I moved back and away towards the small storage/dressing area to pick up the bag I brought with me while she retrieved her blue jean jacket and slung it over her left arm.

Melissa Michaels
Eager to get back to that couch aren't we?

Xavier Michaels
Shut up.  Ever going to grow out of this wise ass phase?

She looked up, an eyebrow raised and fingers up to her chin as if actually giving thought to something then looked back to me shaking her head.

Melissa Michaels
Nope, you're stuck with this.

Xavier Michaels
Damn.

I reached around slinging my over her shoulder, her arm underneath to my back as I led her to the door and to leave the arena.

Scene Four

Eight in the morning now.  I called the airline a few hours ago and rescheduled our flight for three later on today.  That damned alarm from my cell phone went off just like I set it to at six audibly slapping me from my sleep.  Convenience.  A true curse of the modern age.  Leaves normal people without any excuses for screwing up like sleeping late.  After trying to shift around, me the sitting up possible without falling flat on my face on the floor, I knew it was not going to happen.  Even the muscles in my back say "Good Morning" with a side of cramps.  We are so booking a two bedroom suite next week.  Thank god she grew out of that doll face years ago, or I'd be waking up with a Barbie shoved in my ass.  Hell of a way to greet the morning.

I shook my head for a couple minutes, something of my morning ritual for waking up in such an uncomfortable position, clearing out any figurative cobwebs.  When opening the door to the bedroom and saw her there still sleeping, I could not do it.  Our flight was in a few hours and as much of a bitch it is to get through all the security checks now, we should be leaving in just a few minutes.  She just laid there snuggle underneath the hotel provided comforter ignorant to everything else outside the dream world of fantasy.  As much as we argue sometimes, for some reason, I cannot bring myself to be a dick towards her.  Sure I could be an asshole and dump her ass out on the floor, but that was not us, it was not me.  As much anger as I turned towards those who I feel to be the causes of such ill and inwards to myself for the mistakes of the past, I will not, cannot direct to her.  Since childhood and beyond, it was her that made me believe there was still some good in this world.  Now, it seems it is all there is.

My phone sitting on the table in front of the couch, aka my bed, beep to life with the screen shining.  I looked at it then back to Mel still peaceful as ever to make sure she was not disturbed by the noise before closing the door as silently as possible.  I walked back to the couch already overjoyed that someone has decided to interrupt a perfectly good morning.  I did not recognize the number but that was not unusual.  Great.

Xavier Michaels
Someone better be dead.

Voice
Coming from you, that's actually funny.

Xavier Michaels
Yeah, well mom always said I missed my calling as a comedian.  Who the hell is this?

Chris Maverick
It's Chris Maverick.  You know, I do color commentary at all GEW's events?  The yin to Joe's yang?

Xavier Michaels
I don't want to know what the hell you do to his cock, but get to the point.

Chris Maverick
OK, yeah, anyway.  The higher ups wanted me to give you a call to see if you want to do a quick meet and get a word with you about what you did last night at Open Season and your match against Tony Wright at Chaos.

Xavier Michaels
You can take that idea and shove it.  I'm in no mood to go traipsing around this god forsaken place.  Where the fuck am I anyway?  Oh yeah.  Atlanta, the Dixie fucking capital of the word.  With my luck, on the way down there I'd end up getting run over by the General fucking Lee.  That'll look great on my obituary.  Thanks but I'll pass.  You want to talk, fine.  But it's going to be right here and now.

Chris Maverick
OK, just give me a minute.  Had a sheet here with what I was supposed to ask you.

Xavier Michaels
You have a prewritten sheet of questions?  The fuck kind of interviewer are you?  And hurry the fuck up, you're running my bill up here.  Yeah, I'm cursing a lot.  I'm a cranky mother fucker in the morning.  Something I didn't grow out of when I was a kid.  Wake up on a couch because of an alarm and twisted my back up all to shit, you'd be a little bitchy too.

Chris Maverick
OK, got it.

Xavier Michaels
About time!  See that?  A whole sentence and not a curse word in the thing.  I'm hitchhiking on the road to fucking recover aren't I?

Chris Maverick
Not so sure about that.

Xavier Michaels
It wasn't a question dumb ass.  I'm from New Jersey remember?  We invented sarcasm.

Chris Maverick
Now, Xavier, you're recently just got back from a month long leave of absence.  Care to give any details about what you did.

Xavier Michaels
That's between me and my family.  What I did and way I left is no business of yours nor anyone else's.  It was personal, done and end of story.

Chris Maverick
No need to get defensive, Xavier.  Never said you had to tell me anything, just asking here.  Are you  away that your wife Riley Frost left the company to pursue "other opportunities?"

Xavier Michaels
Really?  No I didn-- yeah I knew.  Found out a couple weeks ago and I honestly couldn't care less of what she does with her life.  After everything, I was an idiot to think there could be some kind of reconciliation.  She's dead to me as far as I'm concerned.  Why I'm taking that stance when it comes to her is none of your concern.

Chris Maverick
OK, OK, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Xavier Michaels
Couch, dip shit.

Chris Maverick
Excuse me?

Xavier Michaels
Couch, you know.  The fluffy piece of shit furniture in front of a TV in every home in America.  Where ninety-five percent of the country's obese plant their ass in front of a frozen Banquet dinner and prepare to partake in the thrilling duo of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.  They look all nice and comfortable until you actually have to spend a night one then you wake up with a bad fucking pain in the back.  Couch.

Chris Maverick
Moving right along and probably the biggest question that's been posted on every wrestling blog on the internet.  Why did you attack K.C. McGrath.

Xavier Michaels
You know what's wrong with America?  I mean really wrong?  It's the fact that most of the people here expect the other half to feel sorry for them.  They whine, bitch and moan that shit isn't fair and all that boo hoo shit.  You know what I say?  Who care?  I know I don't.  I could care less about how fucked up that loser is or why does the stupid shit that he does.  Stop being such a fucking cry baby and grow the fuck up is all I have to say.  MY problem with him is the fact that he's a dirty mother fucker.  Rapist are the lowest form of life walking this earth.  I saw lock them all up and hold porn just inches from where they could reach.  Perverted sons of bitches.  And to further prove how pathetic he is, he fucked it up.  How sad but it doesn't take away from the fact of what he tried.  He's damn lucky I let him get away with just a nice comfy ride in an ambulance.  And you know what?  An ambulance is kind of like one of those small special needs buses only the door's in the back, it's white and it has flashy lights.  So I'm guessing he was right at home there.  I hate wasting my minutes on such a sorry excuse for a man so just move on.

Chris Maverick
This is the last one I promise.  Did you know that for next week, you've been booked against GEW's former champion Tony Wright?

Xavier Michaels
Yes, I know.  God place the nerdy bastard who invented the internet.  And only one of those book wormy weirdoes would come up with the idea of a computer that closes like a book.  Genius.  As for Wright, honestly it was really the only good news I got all morning.  Finally GEW recognizes what I can do and puts me against the former champ.  True, it's a little insulting that I have to face a former anything instead of the real deal, but I'll do it if this is what it's going to take for me to claim my rightful spot in this company.

He's the self-proclaimed savior of GEW, or so he's been positioning himself to be.  Well guess what?  That's my spot, I never said he was the savior of anything.  So what he beat that freak Vampiro.  Bet he gave himself a big pat on the back then paid another guy to pat him elsewhere.  Whatever floats his boat and I'm happy for him that he got his revenge but my friendliness ends there.  Beating him would put me with in grasp of the top spot in GEW and I'll be damned if I'm going to let a chance like this slip by.  Sure he has these self-delusions of retaking the title from Venom.  All washed up has-beens try to reach out for their old glory only to fall back on their ass.  "Swifty," I don't want to know how he got that name but that's not my point, needs to accept the facts here and that he really has no future at the top any more.  Randy Orton's title is nice and shiny though so why doesn't he go for that.  If he can that is, Orton did outlast him in that triple threat with Venom for his title, regardless of how Vampiro effected the outcome.  Any other dumb questions because talking about all these frauds is getting me in an even worse mood?

Chris Maverick
Nope I think that'll be it then.  I guess I'll see you in Birmingham on Mo--

Click.  Amazing thing with these phones.  Just a click of a button and annoying people shut up.  Well at least I feel a little better now.  Yelled and belittle someone, always a nice way to start the day.  Now I had better get ready to leave for the airport.  I'll be sure to wake up Mel right before we have to go, get a good laugh out of seeing her act like a crazy maniac.  A family trait that just sprung up I guess.