Post by oldprydeaccountdoesnotwork on Feb 25, 2014 15:07:52 GMT -5
“The Reaper is close, save a spot
A matter of time, can’t deny
I won’t try to run, run, run
This destiny’s mine.”
Resurrection. Coming back to life. That’s what happened this past weekend. OCW back on pay per view, making history as it comes back from the ashes. But it’s not just about resurrection for Dean. It’s about returning to greatness after years of being a wrestling joke, something that just makes people shake their heads. It’s about finding your way back to the top once you’ve sat at the bottom. It’s about redemption.
That’s what I want. Redemption.
Once upon a time I was a champion. Some reigns lasted longer than others but each reign was thought of as another step on the way to the top. That was long ago. The ladder’s rungs ran out. I fell into darkness. I fell into the realm of the unknown.
For years I have spent time in the worst wrestling places imaginable. I have lived on bread and peanut butter, fuck, I have lived on far less at times, to continue my dream. There were times I would kill for bread and peanut butter. Or just bread.
I was also starved for success. I wanted to restore my name and stop being just a trivia question answer in wrestling history. But the past has a grip like super glue; it clings to you, holds on tightly, and drags you down every time you think you made a step up. People couldn’t forget what I’ve done in the past, no matter what I did to change my present. No one could forget, especially not me.
I thought about ending it. Just putting a gun in my mouth and eating that bullet, getting a sweet release. Three things kept me from doing this. I know suicide is a sin. I know I might fuck it up, and damn, that would hurt. And I know what my obituary would read if I did it. How little respect would be given to me, despite what I’ve been able to do. I can’t leave things that way. I just can’t.
The return of OCW is my lifeline. Dean took a chance on me, even knowing my past. Maybe it’s because he was desperate for talent. Maybe he believes I can do something here. Maybe I was too cheap in what I asked for. But I don’t care why he hired me. All that matters is that he did. He gave me a shot at my own personal redemption.
And I will seize it.
~The sky is a dusty gray today with no hint of the sun breaking through. It’s the end of February so this isn’t a surprise. The shot shows a desert with blowing dust swirling around. Walking in the dust and cursing is Skytz. Gunshots are heard nearby. He is trying to follow a path but his cursing says that it is not going well~
Skytz: Fucking Dean sending me out here. Just because he didn’t tell me about the new masked freak he hired. How was I supposed to know? I’ve seen lots of fans wearing better-looking masks. Where the hell is this place? If I die out here I’m suing the company.
~Skytz trips and falls. He gets up with more cursing shaking sand out of his pants~
Skytz: Fuck! That chafes!
~Skytz walks around a mound and sees a building up ahead~
Skytz: Thank you fucking Christ.
~Skytz heads to the building which has a sign out front saying it is the Far Out Gun Range. The gunshots are coming from here. Skytz stops at the front door and looks back seeing the cars parked in the lot. He curses again now that he knows he could have driven here. He goes inside and a man walks up to him~
Man: You Skytz? The Pimp?
Skytz: You the asshole who told me I needed to park a mile away to come here?
Man: It’s safer for your car not to have it in the parking lot. Half the people here are thieves and murderers.
Skytz: Nobody would steal my ride. You just did it because I pissed Pryde off about not knowing him before.
~The man grins but does not confirm this~
Skytz: So what do I call you, and where’s Pryde?
Man: You can call me Grant, and my boy’s out back doing some target practice.
~They go out to the range where a few people are shooting. One is the masked man Pryde who is aiming a .44 revolver down at a target. He fires several shots~
Skytz: Damn, add another gun-toting maniac to the list of people who are pissed at me.
Grant: Don’t worry, Pryde’s a terrible shot. He’s better without the mask but he knew you were coming.
~Pryde gets his target and wads it up unhappy with it. He sees Grant and Skytz and walks over~
Skytz: Hello, Pryde! Just again, sorry about the fuck up last weekend at the show. No hard feelings?
~Pryde is quiet as ever, just standing there breathing. Skytz feels like he’s having deja vu~
Skytz: Shit. Does he not talk at all? I was sent here to interview him about his first match and how I am supposed to do that? Through you? Are you his interpreter or something?
Grant: No, just his brother in law.
Skytz: Okay, what the hell then? I can’t interview a damn mute!
~Skytz turns to storm off, but Pryde grabs him on the shoulder~
Pryde: Just because I’m quiet does not make me a mute. ‘The less you say, the more weight your words will carry.’
~Pryde’s voice is muffled but he can be understood easily. Skytz realizes he made another assumption~
Skytz: Are you a Buddhist or something?
~Grant laughs but Pryde just shakes his head no~
Skytz: So you got any good quotes about the Power Couple? Your first match is against Jeremy Santos this week.
Pryde: ‘Nobody is as powerful as they make themselves out to be’. 'True power lies within'.
Skytz: … what the hell does that mean?
Pryde: Jeremy and Tiami believe they are a power couple but true power lies in knowing yourself and what you can do. From what I have seen of Jeremy, he knows nothing at this point.
Skytz: That’s right, you watched the battle royal Sunday.
Pryde: I saw what I needed to see.
Grant: You can bet my brother-in-law is going to fuck Santos up. I can guarantee it. I already put some money down on it.
~Pryde looks at Grant and shakes his head~
Grant: What? At least I'm betting on you this time.
~Skytz finishes recording and turns it off~
Skytz: I guess that is enough footage to make my boss happy. Either of you give me a ride back to my car?
~Grant and Pryde walk back to the range, leaving Skytz behind~
Skytz: ... fuckers.
~Skytz leaves to go back to his car through the desert. Pryde sets up a new target, this one with the Power Couple on it~
Grant: What’s with all the quotes? You were reading that book again, weren’t you? Trying to sound smarter?
Pryde: Leave it alone, Grant.
Grant: I still don’t see why you can’t just wrestle as yourself…
~Pryde cocks the gun and fires one round. It goes right through the center of the target a much better shot then last time~
Pryde: That time has passed.
~Pryde walks away as Grant looks at the hole in the target that went through Jeremy Santos’ eye. Fade~
My new home. My last chance. To turn things around in my life and not be remembered for who I was, but for who I am.
Redemption. It will be sweet.
