Post by Evan De Parker on Nov 18, 2012 11:40:35 GMT -4
"You still stand watch, O human star, burning without a flicker, perfect flame, bright and resourceful spirit. Each of your rays a great idea - O torch which passes from hand to hand, from age to age, world without end..."
In an uncharacteristic, cinematic-style camera view, we wake up alongside Evan Envi in a dark, white room... It only takes a few seconds for the man to swing his legs out from under the sheets and touch naked soles down on polished hardwood. He makes his way toward the window and with the tug of a string, throws back the blackout drapes and illuminates the room with yellowed light from a sun that’s not much more awake than himself.
Evan Envi is not Evan Envi.
While the man we are looking back looks very much like Evan Envi-- and very well could be-- he is far too old to be. This man may be thirty-five or so, but his head is shaved to a military-approved buzz. He sports a beard, though it’s got hints of gray throughout, and his eyes look much more tired and much more dark than our beloved MegaMegaStar, Mr. Evan N. Harrison.
When we pan down to his torso, we notice a few things... The first is that he has maintained his athletic build. Evan in middle-age, signs of good nutrition and exercise are evident in his physique. It is when Evan turns that we notice something else-- a faint, pink scar running from the very center of his back, down toward his lower back.
We only catch a glimpse, as he pulls a black back-brace on and secures it just moments later.
The house isn’t a familiar one. It’s a relatively modest one in size from what we can tell... Evan’s master bedroom is about half the size of the ones we’re used to.
Within seconds, he pulls a black thermal shirt on over his torso and makes his way out into the living room of his house... Where he’s immediately greeted by a young man that bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Evan Harrison during his professional wrestling debut in 2007, at the ripe age of eighteen.
”Sup, Dad?”
”Jonah...”
Evan smiles fondly at the young man, but angles his head and sighs.
”Damn, you’re getting old.”
”Pahah! Me? Check yourself out. You’re getting gray hair.”
”Hm. Is anyone making any damn breakfast? What the hell kind of Friday morning is this...”
”Hm. Maybe you should get a girlfriend. Or a woman-friend. Whichever.”
Evan sighs, stung by the comment. He knows it’s true. At the apparent age of thirty-six, a drastic twelve years in the future, time is theoretically running out.
Upon an extended view, we see that the house is much more modest in size than Envi’s previous estates. The kitchen is combined with the front entrance of the house, and leads directly into the living room, which shares space with a dining room... Which leads to a narrow hallway, and a staircase. Even Evan seems a bit dismayed when he glances up from his son.
”Too much time at work, I guess.”
”And every woman you meet thinks you’re a dick, eh?”
Evan, who was about two steps away from the kitchen, pivots and shoots Jonah a glare.
”I’m just joking. You’re a fuckin’ stud... How’s your back?”
Evan moves his hands to his sides, feeling the brace.
”Better these past few weeks.”
”Good.”
Jonah grabs a pair of keys sporting the Audi logo from the kitchen counter.
”And Dad...”
”Yup?”
”Michelle called. Before you got back from... Ahem, Al’s.”
Evan rolls his eyes and retrieves a carton of orange juice from the fridge, beginning a new trek toward the cupboard.
“Al’s” was the name of the local bar, located about one mile south of the Harrison home here in eastern Los Angeles. Close enough to be walking distance. Jonah says it with an air of spite, opting for the straightedge lifestyle as opposed to Evan’s near-alcoholic one.
Seconds go by and Evan doesn’t acknowledge the mention of his ex... So Jonah carries on. He nods toward the orange juice that Evan is pouring into a glass.
”Makin’ screwdrivers? I’ll take two.”
”Hah! Go to school, kid.”
”Yeah, yeah, go to work, old man. Don’t you get to mindfuck your numero-uno fan today?”
”Ugh. Something like that.”
”That’s what being a shrink's all about, right? Hahaha, have fun!”
***
Fun is not to be had.
Evan Harrison’s “numero-uno” fan is a young, well-dressed man named Juan. Juan Castellon.
He sits on a couch across from Evan inside Evan’s office, dressed in a white button shirt beneath a gray vest, complemented by gray slacks and black loafers. His fingers are interlocked and he watches Evan with a consistent half-smile.
As Jonah Harrison so aptly described, Evan is a “shrink.” He is a psychiatric doctor, and dietician, but how interesting could that be? working in Los Angeles with the mentally unwell. He looks up at Juan after writing several things down in a notebook and narrows his eyes.
”How’s your job been going?”
”I know why you quit. I figured it out.”
Evan groans and rubs his eyes.
”Juan, I thought we agreed on something. Alright? We agreed that we had an understanding... That all of these sessions are about you. Just you.”
”It’s because you were focused on a woman.”
”This is about you.”
”You were so focused on Aubrey J. Parker that you couldn’t even beat William D. Williams. You couldn’t even beat a rookie. You got embarrassed-- and you left! It was soon after that you decided that you had to leave APW, right?”
”Juan, I’m having difficulty understanding why you’re avoiding the topic--”
”Williams went onto become something, and you jumped ship from company to company until you got blacklisted by the Experts. You lost focus and you fucked yourself. So you went back to school and you got your Master’s Degree, and now I’m supposed to take you seriously, right? I’m supposed-- to-- to take advice for my life from you when you’re more fucked up than I am! I may have tried... Tried to kill a guy, but you already... Like, died.”
Juan snickers a bit at his last words and gives Evan a dismissive wave.
”You can say whatever you need to, but why don’t you give me an opinion about something in my life? Give me an opinion about something that’s been on my mind.”
Future Evan does his best to refrain from addressing his client with a bitter tone.
”Of course.”
Juan smiles at him behind a challenging gaze before finally reaching for his backpack on the floor. He retrieves an issue of Experts’ Magazine, something that has apparently been in production for years by this point. Juan shows Evan the cover, which features the APW logo as well as several current stars-- one of them being William D. Williams Jr.
Though Evan doesn’t falter or react to the cover, Juan smirks in his face and flips to a bookmarked page.
”How do you feel knowing that Aubrey went onto win the World Title several times after you left the company?
"How do you feel knowing Williams is still with them after all these years, and he’s won every title they have on Overdrive? He’s their posterboy for success. And do you know-- do you know what he says his first ‘big moment’ was?
“Of course you do, but I’ll tell you anyway!
"He says it’s when he beat you and nearly broke your fucking back on an episode of Meltdown in 2012. He broke you-- and made it so you were never the same wrestler again. All because you couldn’t stay focused on your own career.
“While you could’ve been an Undisputed Champion, you were dicking around on Meltdown with your ex and you thought one of her boytoys was a pushover.
"You got distracted... You got hurt... And then what happened? You still wanted her, and your then-girlfriend left you. You lost everything... Got too hurt to continue wrestling, so you went back to school, and you hid it pretty well, I guess, but you became an alcoholic. An addict, like me--”
”Stop.”
”One of your sons has to live with you just so you don’t keel over one day. Your other son won’t even talk to you!”
”It’s time to calm down now.”
”You got hurt because you forgot why you were doing what you were in love with, right? You forgot why you were wrestling-- and got injured. You lost your girl because you, again, forgot why you were doing what you were in love with. Who’s to say you’re still in love with this career, Mr. Harrison? How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you won’t just get scared and run?!”
”Stop it!”
”HOW DO I KNOW?!”
***
”...Scene.”
The lights in Evan Envi’s Los Angeles home theater fade back in. Evan Envi, his regular, studly twenty-four year old self sits with his mouth slightly agape.
From the shadows steps a beautiful young girl, who couldn’t possibly be more than a couple of years removed from high school. She sports blonde hair and fair skin. She’s dressed casually, but Evan can tell from her demeanor that she comes from a social class akin to his.
She isn’t alone though-- she is joined by a short, frail young man with curly black hair and glasses that struggles to carry the several folders that the duo brought to the Envi household with them.
The girl rolls her eyes and walks toward Evan who has just pushed himself to his feet.
”How’d you like it?”
”That was...”
”A work of cinematic excellence, I knowwww. We’re spending a fortune on you, baby, so we need you-- need, need, need, need you to wipe the floor with William D. Williams this week, okay?”
Evan looks at her as if she’s crazy.
”After this week, it’ll become habit. I have my own reasons for thinking-- for knowing that it’s important to beat Williams.”
”And they involve Aubrey J. Parker.”
Evan sighs and shakes his head, slowly.
”No. It involves him thinking that he has what it takes to carry my torch. Aubrey’s good, and I’ve always known she was-- so it stings a little bit when I see her downgrading, talking to lowlife scum like TJ or Williams.
“I get that Williams is good... I saw it last week.
"I’m not expecting this to be a cakewalk and I know I’ll probably have to take a shot or two to the face before I can prove my point. I’ve accepted that...
“What I don’t accept is this idea that Williams has-- this idea that says he’s anywhere near the best.
"I don’t think Williams would look good with the North American Championship around his waist, and damnit, nobody can ever compare to the original. I’ll give you the fact that he’s a good wrestler, but I don’t think Williams deserves a match with me. I don’t think he’s earned it! Damnit, I have an eight-man tag team match to prepare for on Thanksgiving, Jenny!”
”I know. I know. Soon, we’ll be able to make sure they don’t pull any of that shit again. I don’t know who Duvall thinks he is, bookng this... But whether you think he’s earned it or not, he got the match, and you’d better win. Right, Jeremy?”
The frightened-looking young man nods quickly.
”Y-yeah. Better win.”
Evan rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to Jenny. His expression goes from serious to a bit softened in a matter of seconds.
”So are we gonna make movies like that every time I have a match?!”
”...Not if you keep losing them.”
”Hey. Envikado is in the semi-finals for the Tag Team Tournament. Doesn’t that count for anything?”
”You beat Williams in a tag team match, but that’s all you’ve been winning in lately, isn’t it? Come on, Evan. I’ve done my research. I’m not gonna just let you... Completely fuck your career up. Let’s get it together. You lost to Watson at One Night in Hell. You lost to Biggs on Thursday. I mean, when’s the last time you’ve won a one-on-one match? September?”
Evan sighs. He hadn’t really thought about it, and it shows as he legitimately ponders this while Jenny motions for Jeremy to begin packing up their belongings.
”You need to understand that Williams isn’t just going out there to wrestle a match tomorrow night. You already took away his chance to be a Tag Team Champion. You made him look stupid in front of the girl he’s fawning over. And you’re a big name-- you’re the first big name to ever come from Monday Night Meltdown. The first North American Champion. Right, Jeremy?”
”Y-yeah. Not just a match. This is the match.”
”That’s right. For Williams, this is the match. He needs to beat you, so he’s gonna go out there and he’s gonna try to hurt you. For him, Parker’s a motivation. For you? It’s only a distraction. You have nothing to gain from toying with them. They’re not on your level... And we need to get you past this. And through this.
“Because if last week is any indication, Williams can hurt you. It’s just a matter of him catching you.”
The words send chills down Evan’s spine. Jenny looks toward Jeremy as he puts the film into a case and slides it into the duffel bag they brought. Evan speaks in a low tone.
”I’ll beat him.”
”I hope.”
Jenny turns and smiles, giving Evan a tight hug before breaking away. Jeremy steps forward to shake Evan’s hand-- but doesn’t seem too discouraged when Evan fails to even look at him.
”We’ll see you tomorrow night. You’ll love what we’ve got planned for Overdrive.”
Jenny winks and the two turn, walking out of the home-theater and showing themselves out of the house through the upstairs entrance. Evan stands in the theater and smirks, knowingly turning toward the camera.
”See that, Williams? Filmmakers. Writers. Hollywood agents and wrestling aficionados. While they can write drastic scenarios for outcomes throughout my career, only I can... Write my own destiny, as they say.
“And YOU find yourself in an odd position. A valuable one, if you’re appreciative of the opportunity, because I feel the need to... I dunno... Prove a point, with you. To make an example out of you, and it’s not because I’m playing the role of the wise veteran that wants to make you better.
"I don’t.
“I want it to be known that YOU aren’t as good as me. I specifically have a problem with YOU. And maybe it is because you’re a creepy old dude moving in on my ex, so sue me for being human. But I think a larger part of it is that you think you can take Meltdown to the heights that I took it and I say you can’t.
“I saw in your eyes last week that you wanted to hurt me and-- and that is how you treat the man that gave people like you a chance?! People that would be eaten alive if they went to Overdrive and had to fight the former Undisputed and World Champions that I’m forced to do battle with EVERY SINGLE WEEK!
“I felt in the ring last week that you were better than Mannie and a lot of the other guys on Meltdown, but I’ll be utterly shocked if you’re not another hack that comes in here for a few months, realizes that the workload is too much for them, and then makes their way out the door without so much as a ‘fuck you, I’m out.’
“THOSE are the people that have been coming onto the show I built, into the company that I am helping bring into the forefront of mainstream media. I’m gonna beat you half to death out there tomorrow night, Williams, and if you don’t get your ass back up and wrestle a match next week, I’ll know what to think of you, and what to expect.
“I’m gonna beat you so bad that you wanna quit, because just like your friend Mannie, you’re gonna have a scary look into the future. A look at reality. A look at the other side of the line, on Overdrive.”
Evan laughs a bit to himself.
“What happened in that little movie won’t be a reality. You won’t be on the cover of any magazines, and you won’t be an Undisputed Champion, and I’ll be shocked if your old ass survives a whole decade in APW. You’ll be shaken by reality after I drop you this week, and you’ll be heralded by those in the locker room for your valiant effort... For your resiliency... For your will to win.
“But you know what? Tough shit. Because like a wise man told me JUST a fucking week ago, it’s not your time.
“But at least you can put up a fight. Y’know? At least we can say you looked good on the way down.
“What I’m telling you, Williams, is that on the other side, you can give a five-star performance every single night of your life, and sometimes it’s...”
Evan sighs and narrows his eyes, looking away from the camera for a moment.
”Sometimes even a five-star performance isn’t enough. Sometimes doing everything right isn’t enough.
"There’s always someone that’s gonna be steps above you, laughing, stepping on your fingers every time you try to get over that little hump.
“It’s not easy on the other side, Williams. So find solace in the fact that the only thing on the line this week is your pride. There are no championships and no stipulations... Just two men fighting for pride. And believe me, Williams.
“If it were anything more, I’d kill you.”
We cut to darkness as Evan gives us a weary, clouded smile.
