Post by Shadow on Aug 5, 2012 19:07:56 GMT -4
[glow=silver,9,200]THEN...[/glow]
On June 24th 2008 Dita Morgan and her old partner in crime Kat Westwood stayed at the Hilton Hotel. Westwood jumps as the door to the room opens and Dita, walks in wearing jeans, a vest top, flip flops and a rather large Shadow sized white shirt, she throws her bag down and looks over at Kat who has a slightly guilty look on her face.
“So we go our separate ways.”
“Looks like it.”
Back on the 20th of July, Shadow walked away from Slade Craven. He stepped off into the darkness, leaving his friend there at the gas station, in the middle of nowhere. Shadow could hear Slade vent his rage behind him, still Shadow kept walking. He couldn’t trust Slade anymore, he couldn’t trust anyone. Everyone who ever shook his hand put him at risk. Shadow had to watch out for himself now. The night air enveloped him as he strolled deeper and deeper into the darkness.
Shadow knew what this meant. He would go away, live as a wrestler. Screw hunting, screw that life. If he threw himself back into the game 100%, if he left this life behind he could skyrocket to the top. Shadow knew nothing would stand in his way if he just let loose. Like a thick blanket, the black night wrapped itself around him. Shadow remembered how he felt when Dita let, how he felt when he had to leave two years ago and now, that cold dark feeling crept inside him as he walked away from the last friend he had. Shadow was alone.
San Diego, California
July 31st 2012
Shadow stood with Caleb, handing the keys to the Camaro over to the bald, white male wearing a blue vest. Caleb shook his head as Shadow just nodded. They both knew this wasn’t a good idea. Still, Shadow dropped the keys into the other man’s hand. Then the big man headed back to his car one last time. He reached through the driver side window and came put with his gear, both duffle bags, in hand. As Shadow set them down on the ground he patted his car on the roof for old time’s sake. Caleb was going to store her for a while. Shadow was going AWOL. Shadow reached down and grabbed his duffle bags and hoists them up.
Several days later, Shadow steps out of a taxi at The Larkspur Motel in Marin City at sunrise. He makes his way to the trunk of the cab and lifts it up. After a moment, Shadow pulls his duffle bag and a backpack from within. After slinging both over his shoulders, the big man heads towards the entrance. He pulls it open and walks inside.
Later that day, Shadow entered a bar that had a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. The name of the bar was never shown. Shadow sets down a bussing tray. He wears a white apron over his flannel shirt and jeans. His pony tail is pulled back and tucked into his shirt. A young brunette in the background suddenly comes into focus as Shadow walks away. Her eyes follow him as he grabs an empty tray to go clean some more tables. Shadow walks from behind the bar. As he heads off someone goes to the front door and flips around the “Help Wanted” sign.
Shadow cuts into some lemons on the bar. He focuses completely on his work. The brunette watches him from off to the side. She polishes a mug in her hand. Shadow does not look back at her. The blade glistens as it slides across the bar, scooting the lemons into their bowl. Shadow sets the bowl on the counter and walks through the door to the back.
[glow=silver,9,200]NOW...[/glow]
August 4th, 2012
Marin City
Dark clouds roll across the night sky. A storm is brewing above; but below, on the desolate California shoreline everyone is staying still. They are sleeping. The blue sign of the Motel looks black in the evening air. Paint peels from the cream colored exterior concrete walls. Several red roof tiles are missing, ripped away by the weather. The “No Vacancy” sign fights the urge to die, as the Larkspur Motel rots off Shoreline Highway. Shadow sleeps inside, another cheap motel in a bad part of town, alone where no one will find him.
Slade was right, Shadow was hiding. He spent the past three weeks at convents and missions. He was becoming a recluse and where did that get him? Nowhere and it got him there fast. Shadow needed to step away from the game awhile, reevaluate what was going on around him. He had to figure out what was going on inside. Deep down, Shadow knew it wasn’t over, not by a long shot. It’s been a month; there haven’t been any signs, omens or anything that could point him toward what the hell the Blue Eyed man was. Tired of fishing without any bait, Shadow decided the best course of action was to hang his own neck out there: the perfect martyr.
Outside, the lights around the four brick posts beneath the motels’ namesake sign flicker. Inside Shadow slept. To say he slept peacefully is a lie. Shadow dreamt dreams no mortal dared to dream before. Every night, when Shadow closed his eyes the rabbit hole opened and he tumbled right on down. It is for this reason that Shadow barely slept. Crushed cans fill his motel trash can, the energy drink emblems barely visible in the darkness. An empty can of Donkey Punch lay on its side, the residue drips onto the small table in the motel room. On the other side of the room, beneath the creepy deer head, is a king size bed. Shadow sleeps there, shirtless.
As he sleeps the room grows slightly darker. The red bed sheets turn crimson, almost bloody as Shadow’s blond hair rises and falls. Against the dark colors his hair looks gold. Shadow’s eyes flutter, he continues to dream. There is an analog clock on the wall, ticking slowly, ever so faintly. Even the dust saturated carpet fibers sway. The curtains are drawn keeping the shadows outside. Inside though, one shadow seems to move along the walls. Suddenly the big man’s eyes snap open.
“Hello Shadow,” Dita voice says.
He sits up and looks to his left. Dita is sitting in bed next to him. He hasn’t seen her wearing that outfit in years. The young, supple Megastar sits there wearing an old, a really old, oversized, white “Shadow” T Shirt. The XXL tall shirt is huge on her much smaller frame. The neck hem of the shirt is wide, it hangs down her shoulder, Dita’s black bra strap is visible against her pale skin. Her legs are covered by the blood colored sheets. Beneath her slightly disheveled hair, a smile curves across her lips as she bats her beautiful brown eyes. Shadow doesn’t understand.
“What are you doing here?” he asks confused.
Shadow’s eyes dart around the hotel room. Something does not feel right. Shadow’s muscles rise and fall in the darkness. Dita looks calm, collected even. Her eyes stay fixed on Shadow’s even as he takes in his surroundings. She is half concealed by the blood red bed sheet. Nevertheless, Dita is as beautiful as ever.
“I’ve missed you.”
“You can’t be here,” Shadow realizes. “I’m dreaming.”
“Maybe,” Dita says. For a split second, she looks away from him almost ashamed. Then she gazes back. “Maybe not. What difference does it make?”
“It makes all the difference,” Shadow says somberly.
His eyes fall to the bloody bed sheets. Shadow feels the fabric soaking the color up as is rests on his cool skin.
“You’re not real,” Shadow admits.
Without a sound, Dita moves closer to him, “I feel real don’t I?” She puts her hand on his shoulder, a faint warmth beneath her fingertips.
The big man faces her, looking right into her eyes. “You’re with Benny now, anyway.”
“You see? I told you it didn’t matter, didn’t I?”
Dita leans her head on Shadow’s chest as she embraces him. He feels every strand of beautiful brown hair against his skin and they feel like razorblades. Shadow shakes her off. His stomach sinks.
“Then what does all this mean?”
She gets quiet for a moment. A smile slowly spreads across her lips. That pit in Shadow’s stomach drops further. In his mind, he wretches, but he doesn’t really move.
“What do you think it means?” Dita finally replies. Her lukewarm hand presses against his cheek.
“Stop asking me questions.” Shadow’s voice is brash, he feels angry all of a sudden, like he’s being lied to.
Shadow brushes her hand away and swings his legs over the side of the bed, putting his feet on the floor. The carpet is ice cold. It sends a chill up his spine. Shadow lowers his head. His golden blonde hair hangs down over his face, shrouding him from her. Her voice sounds slightly different.
“You’re running away,” Dita confesses. “You think you can run but you can’t. No matter how long you flee, how far away you go. You can’t outrun your destiny.”
“What’s my destiny then?” Shadow asks raising his head. He still does not look back at her. The bed is freezing and still, the room grows colder. Shadow could swear there was a faint odor in the air. Something wasn’t right.
“It’s not my place to tell you.” Dita says off screen. There is a harmony hidden in her voice.
“Then why are you here?”
“To set your straight silly,” she giggles. “You’re strong Shadow, stronger than everyone else. No one is holding you back anymore, Shadow. You’re free, free to destroy everyone and everything in your path. You’ll leave a canyon in your wake when your wrath is wrought upon this world. That’s your road, and it is deeper and darker than anything you've’ experienced before. There is no reason to be afraid. All you have to do is let go, let go of fear. Embrace, embrace your dar-
Shadow abruptly spins and her voice stops. As he turns around he finds the bed, as well as the rest of the motel room, utterly empty. The sky blue sheets are ruffled, barely covering Shadow’s lower body as he sits on the side of the bed. Shadow’s pillow is pressed, the other looks almost new. No one else was there. As Shadow glides his hand across the mattress top, he feels the coolness of the fabric. It was all a dream, every moment of it. The sheets are slightly damp. As Shadow grips the fabric he realizes he was sweating, yet the room is freezing cold. Shadow puts his hand to his head check for a fever, but gets inconclusive results. His forehead feels warm, but his palms are clammy.
“That,” Shadow starts to finally say to the empty room, “was really, really weird.”
“You’re telling me.”
Shadow’s blonde hair whips through the air as he abruptly turns his head with surprise just as his heart jumps into his throat. There is Dita, sitting against the headboard, same outfit as before, legs tucked under the blood red sheets, with that smile snaked across her face. Shadow’s jaw drops as he gazes into her eyes. She speaks like nothing is wrong. Only Shadow knows, everything really is. Her smile is ghostly white. Shadow smells the faint aroma of rotten eggs. Her eyes never leave his as Shadow’s heart pounds in his chest. An explosion is heard beneath his ribs every time it beats. All the while, Dita just smiles at him with those dull pale blue irises.
“What’s wrong Shadow?”
Dante, I’m only going to say this once, last week was not a fluke. You beat me, “fair and square.” Now let’s discuss why you beat me, because I’m certain you think it’s because of you “Rope-a-doped” me. Nope, I didn’t get tired; I got sick, sick of looking at that super Special Ed student crayon drawing you call a make-up job. Looking at it made me want to hit something. So I did, I kept hitting you, over and over. I won’t let that happen again. Next time I see that Rorschach test face of yours, I’ll be sure to end it first chance I get.
I should also admit I accepted your challenge last week too. I wanted to see what your “record time” would be. Nearly seven minutes. Hah! That’s pretty funny, because that means: you broke in six. For six minutes I wailed on you like the elementary school bitch you are, until you finally couldn’t take it. You threw in the eye rake; you cheated to gain the advantage. And you knew, that because me, I’m such a swell guy, I wouldn’t stoop to that level.
Try again son. You want to fight dirty, I will fight dirty. I am not one of your sick, sparkling, sociopathic sissies. I’m a man, Dante. You know, that gender you realized you weren’t a long time ago. The past couple of months, I’ve torn through ninety percent of Meltdown’s roster. I’ve ripped through them like tissue paper and the one time I stop and smell the roses, you up and screw me, alright; I’ll put an end your career like I did those other chumps.
There is another chump in this match: John Combe. John, you won your first match on APW, that’s nice. Mr. Dangerous is a notch on your belt I’m sure. Hah, how did it feel to be Punk’d for your debut match, how about being fed to my hungry ass this week? You’re cannon fodder, like every other loser Lowlander out there. No offense to my fans in Scotland, I know you guys kick ass, but John Combe does not.
I kick ass, and I do it rather well too. John you get to experience this first hand. I hope you’re ready to take notes boy; you’re going to experience true enlightenment tonight. You beat some kid with a fake name last week, and don’t go thinking my name’s fake. Just cause I go by Shadow doesn’t mean I’m a joke. I earned this name: forged in darkness and I reap vengeance. For ten years I’ve wrought havoc and destruction to anyone standing in my way. John Combe, you sir are in my way.
Straight out of the frying pan and right into my abyss, I will consume your career like a black hole. Others, those who deserve it, burst forth shining like a beacon. Dante is not one of those people. Tonight I plan to snuff you both out as fast as possible. When this match is over you’ll know what it takes to survive in this business. I don’t think either of you will make it. Dante pissed me off. Poor, poor John Combe, he gets to share the punishment!
Benny Horrowitz, your bills come due. I did not forget about you. All this time you’ve been gone, Dita’s been gone, you think we wouldn’t notice? Last time I saw you, Yarmouth powerbombed you to Hell. That’s quaint, because when I cause an Eclipse, no angel will protect you. Benny you may think this is a personal issue, it isn’t. No this ass kicking is all professional.
I’m all business tonight, Benny. I want you to understand that. You never had a problem with Cameron Wolves, you’ve have a problem with me. And you’ve avoided it for far too long. I’m going to get my hands on you. You can hide behind the rookies all you want, but I’m coming for you. I’ll chew those other two up like cheap gum. You’re a liar Benny.
You’re the Sidewinder, not the Celestial Samurai. Sidewinders strike when people least expect it. Offer the olive branch all you want, Mr. Horrowitz, you will never bite me. I will make you try though. I’ll preach the truth until I prove you’re a liar, Benny. I’m not doing this to win Dita back. I understand she needs to be free, just like me. I’m free Benny, and I wish I could say I was happy, but I’m not. No, people, hypocrites like John Combe, Dante and you still tarnish this business. I won’t be happy until the fans get to see this company shine like the lighthouse it is.
APW is a symbol of hope, that in the darkest times, we will rise above and vanquish the evil that stands before us. Come one, our Undisputed champion is Kurt Noble! Last time I was in APW, Level One held that belt. The people cowered and watched the heroes get laid to waste. Now APW is something more, the people are inspired. It’s led to legends like me, manifesting as reality; bringing me back and turning me loose.
That’s right boy. I know why I’ve been holding back. I’ve been afraid, afraid I would hurt ya’ll. However, now I know, it doesn’t matter if I do. All of you are bad men, you’ve each earned this and Johnny Diamond knows it. That’s why he sicced the big dog on you three. Tonight everything that stands in my way will fall. Do I care which one of you I pin to do it, no. Benny, John or Dante it makes absolutely no difference. One body, or all three, just like my last rookie rumble. I won’t stop, not because I want the gold, no it’s because people like you three don’t deserve it. And I will stop you, all of you no matter what it takes. It’s the tidal wave boys; it will eclipse the sun and will crush everything below. I’m that tidal wave. I am that darkness. I will always be Shadow. And this match, unlike that long seven minutes of heaven I rained down on Dante last week, will be quick and painful.
