Post by Speede on Dec 22, 2012 13:03:42 GMT -4
<BEEP!> <BE-BEEP!> <BE-BEEP!> <BE-BEEP!>
<THUD!>
I slapped the alarm clock of that hotel bedroom and rolled over onto my back before sitting up. I looked at the clock; seven in the morning was way too early right now, especially with the doom I knew was fast approaching. I supposed that getting up this early was just so I could make the most of the last few days of life, but little did I realize at the time that all I’d want to do was sleep. It wasn’t exactly the ideal situation, but it was the way things had seemed to go for me more often than not lately.
I got out of the bed and walked over to the table atop of which sat my bag, with a spare change of jeans and a tee shirt that differed only slightly in color and design from what I wore the day before, and after shedding my pajamas, I put on my outfit for the day. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, sighed, washed my face off, and brushed my teeth, and then ran a brush through my hair before turning and walking back toward the bed. I turned on the television to check the weather forecast.
”Today’s forecast for December 20, 2012: New York City, cloudy, high forty-eight degrees...”
My eyes widened, and I turned the television off immediately before rushing to the window of my hotel to look out the window. The streets were already alive at a few minutes after seven, and I knew that if I was going to have to deal with an apocalypse in less than twenty-four hours, I had a lot of work to do, and that included getting the hell out of New York; if I was going to die, I was going to die in my own home, or at least in my own town, and that meant booking a ticket on the next flight to Richmond.
I pulled out a phone book and started flipping through the pages until I found the number I needed to call for my airline of choice, United Airlines; I wouldn’t use anything else. As the phone rang, I drummed my fingers on the desk, waiting as patiently as I realistically could, but seventeen hours and counting before this thing ended wouldn’t be enough for me to get done what I wanted. I had too many people that hated my guts to patch things up with, and I definitely wasn’t ready for this thing to be over with so many grudges left on my plate.
”United Airlines; how may I help you?”
Someone with an accent that sounded strongly Indian, the Asian kind of course, answered the phone, and I didn’t waste a single second.
”Yeah, um, I’d like to buy a ticket on the next flight to Richmond, Virginia, please.”
”Yes sir, United Airlines flight 920 to Richmond leaves the terminal at 4:00 pm. Would you like aisle or window seat please?”
”That much doesn’t matter. Just get me on the flight.”
”Oh, I sorry, sir, the plane is full. We can put you on one that leaves at 9:00 am instead if you would like?”
”Fine, fine, I’ll take it. I’ll be right there. Just don’t leave the airport without me.”
I hung up the phone and rushed to pack my things, and without so much as missing a single step I raced with my bags in my hands down the hall to the elevator. The elevator took forever to get to my floor, and once it finally got there, it was full. A groan of displeasure passed through my lips and I set my bags down against the wall opposite the elevator door, and started cracking my knuckles one by one, trying hard not to punch the wall. I hit the button again, and stepped into the now nearly empty elevator, not making eye contact with the weird old man in a diving suit across from me.
<DING!> <DING!> <DING!>
Finally to the first floor, I rushed out with my bags in hand and out to the street, hailing the first empty cab I could find; I climbed inside, and set my bags on the seat beside me.
”To the airport, please.”
I was trying to be polite but it was damned hard to do in the sense of urgency I felt.
<SLAM!>
I closed the door to the cab loudly and the car moved from its stop, rather slowly, and seemed to take forever to get to the airport. During the time I took out my phone, sent a few text messages to Meghan and Katie, who were both god knows where by now, doing god knows what, and before I could even slide my phone back into my pocket, I got a text back from Meghan; they were both already in Richmond because they were taking a break, and were expecting me. Lovely, I thought quietly.
<SCREEEEEEEECH!>
The cab’s breaks slammed on at the entrance to the airport, and it seemed almost in slow motion for a moment, but I had to put my hands up to avoid smashing my face on the back of the seat in front of me. I threw a twenty dollar bill into the driver’s lap, grabbed my bags, and climbed out of the cab as quickly as I could. I walked inside and up to the United Airlines terminal, waiting in a line of twelve or so other people to get my ticket.
”A ticket on the next flight to Richmond, please. I called earlier.”
”Yes sir; that will be three hundred and twenty-nine dollars. Cash or credit?”
This was not the same woman that helped me earlier. This girl was white and spoke fluent English; damn cute, too.
”Credit.”
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and handed the woman my credit card, and after swiping it four or five times she smiled, nodded, and then offered to take my bags to check. I handed her one of them and put the card back in my wallet before giving her the other.
”Your flight number is six, six, six, and it will be departing from terminal ten at nine fifteen! Thank you!”
I sighed and shook my head; I got flight 666, and where I grew up there was a big conspiracy about that being the sign of the devil or something. But, oh well. It was the way it was. I sat down and pulled out my phone, and after responding to a couple of back-and-forth texts with Meghan, and one or two more with Katie, I turned my phone off and went through the check-in before making my way to the terminal, and boarding my flight. I was lucky enough to have a window seat, as well, and had a miniature video camera with me to record a few final words if this flight didn’t go according to plan.
”Hey, everyone. It’s Thursday, December twentieth, and I’m on a flight from New York back home to Richmond. I just wanted to send out a little message while I still had the chance; first off, I know the apocalypse is tomorrow, and I just want to say that I’m sorry I won’t get the chance to win my first title belt with Action Packed Wrestling like I had been planning to at Christmas Chaos. It’s a shame that I won’t get that opportunity, but with the apocalypse coming up, there’s not much I can really do.
I want to send out a great big ‘thank you’ to my tag team partner, D-Day, for all that he and I have been through together, first on the Indy circuit, then through several grueling tag team matches on Meltdown, and then even through to today in preparation for our tag team match at Madison Square Garden that was supposed to be for the title belts. I wouldn’t have made it this far as a tag team wrestler or as a wrestler in general without you, bro, and you’ve always been a reliable friend in that ring, whether I’ve been for you or against you.
You and I have always been a great duo, and I’m sure, beyond a hint of doubt, we’d have picked up the victory in that tag title tournament this Sunday, and I’m sorry that the apocalypse is going to hit before we get our chance to hoist Action Packed Wrestling gold above our heads. I know that you and I would have won that match, and it would’ve made you a double champion after you beat everyone else for the North American Championship at the Super Show this Saturday.
As for our opponents, I’m going to start by addressing Jair Hopkins and Anthony Bailey, collectively known as The Dying Breed. You two are a legitimate tag team, and I’ll give you credit where credit is due, what with Bailey being a former World Heavyweight Champion and all. It’s a shame I won’t get to face you both, and I know that it would’ve been a match for the ages when I stepped into the ring against the two of you. I really would have enjoyed having the opportunity to fight against the both of you.
I must say, your team’s name is kind of ironic with this end of the world approaching because you both will end up dying; we all will. I hate to say it like that, but with the world drawing to an end, we’re all a dying breed, not just you two, and not just wrestlers, but everybody and I know that it’s a pretty big disappointment that we’re going to die because you two have proven you belong in this company, and D-Day and I were on the fast track to proving we belonged here too, and this match would’ve shown exactly who’s the better team. Now, that will never get the chance to happen.
Then, we have M&M, Aubrey J. Parker and Logan Alexander. Logan, you’re the reigning North American Champion, and you would have been a former North American Champion once the Super Show rolled around, but I’ll give you credit, it takes a lot of work to get that far, and after you beat your own tag team partner to win the belt, it shows something even more impressive for the two of you. Not only can you coexist after having faced each other with high stakes and for a big prize, and work as a team, but you two can compete as a team as well as great singles competitors.
It all comes down to whether or not the two of you have your heads in the game, and it’s my firm belief that you won’t retain your title, Logan. I think you’re going to lose that belt at the Super Show, and that you won’t be able to handle that sort of defeat from a mindset of having to compete again twenty-four hours later and try to prove that your tag team defeat hasn’t gotten to you mentally. While I’d like to believe that you could do that, and every fan in the arena will probably feel the same way, I don’t think you can handle it. It puts you at a great mental disadvantage.
That’s where Logan differs from my boy D-Day. D-Day is my odds-on favorite to win the North American Championship, but in the case that he doesn’t walk out of that match with the title belt, I’m confident it won’t affect his psyche, since he wasn’t the titleholder in the first place. We’ll see how it messes with Logan’s head, because it certainly has changed Aubrey J. Parker quite a bit, now hasn’t it? After all, she’s the one who went from Meltdown to Asylum to have her own shot at a bigger, better show, and how is that working out for her? Not too poorly, but I’m utterly unimpressed with her lately to say the least.
Now, I’m greatly saddened that the world won’t last long enough for this match to take place, but believe me it would’ve brought the entire house down. So I’ll leave you with just a few more words... Can you hear me now?”
I thought so. I turned off the camera, and a few hours later, I was in a taxi on the way to my house; I called up Meghan and let her know I was on my way, and she met me at the door; we walked inside together, and Katie gave me a look of surprise, expecting me to stay in New York, since, you know, that’s where Christmas Chaos would be held if the world weren’t ending. I carried my things inside and went up to my bedroom, since the three of us shared a house after all, and when I came downstairs again, Katie was there to question me.
”What are you doing here, Roy? You’ve got to be in New York for your match Sunday!”
”Look, Katie. I would be there. I really would, but the world is ending? Don’t you know the apocalypse is tomorrow. twelve twenty-one, the Mayans even said it.”
”The Mayans were full of themselves, Roy. If they could predict the future don’t you think they would’ve foreseen their demise at the hands of the Spanish and stopped them?”
”No. They’re not going to screw with prophecy... That they themselves wrote...”
Ohhh boy...
”Exactly. This is a load of bull, Roy. get your head out of your anal cavity and-“
”No. I still don’t think you’re right. I’m going to spend my final moments with those that mean the most to me, and that’s you guys.”
”Awww...”
The rest of the day, and then the next twenty-four hours that were the day of the apocalypse were a blur, mostly filled by sitting around watching Christmas movies, playing cards, and the occasional break for food. By the time midnight on the twenty-second rolled around, I was exhausted, and I went to sleep, rather than hear the ‘I told you so’ that Katie would definitely give me. The next morning I woke up and raced back to the airport, taking the same trip I’d taken earlier in reverse, and when I got onto the plane, I turned on my video camera to send another message while I still could.
”So it looks like the world didn’t end after all, and that can only mean one thing; Christmas Chaos is going to happen as scheduled, and for six of us, that means an elimination match for the Tag Titles that will steal the show and put two teams in their place. Hopkins, Bailey, Parker, Alexander, good luck to each of you, because you’re going to need it; this match is all about two people; this match is about D-Day, and this match is about me, and you two aren’t going to get in our way of victory. We’re going to win. Uh huh, I’m serious; that’s the silver lining in all this. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!?!”
<THUD!>
I slapped the alarm clock of that hotel bedroom and rolled over onto my back before sitting up. I looked at the clock; seven in the morning was way too early right now, especially with the doom I knew was fast approaching. I supposed that getting up this early was just so I could make the most of the last few days of life, but little did I realize at the time that all I’d want to do was sleep. It wasn’t exactly the ideal situation, but it was the way things had seemed to go for me more often than not lately.
I got out of the bed and walked over to the table atop of which sat my bag, with a spare change of jeans and a tee shirt that differed only slightly in color and design from what I wore the day before, and after shedding my pajamas, I put on my outfit for the day. I walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, sighed, washed my face off, and brushed my teeth, and then ran a brush through my hair before turning and walking back toward the bed. I turned on the television to check the weather forecast.
”Today’s forecast for December 20, 2012: New York City, cloudy, high forty-eight degrees...”
My eyes widened, and I turned the television off immediately before rushing to the window of my hotel to look out the window. The streets were already alive at a few minutes after seven, and I knew that if I was going to have to deal with an apocalypse in less than twenty-four hours, I had a lot of work to do, and that included getting the hell out of New York; if I was going to die, I was going to die in my own home, or at least in my own town, and that meant booking a ticket on the next flight to Richmond.
I pulled out a phone book and started flipping through the pages until I found the number I needed to call for my airline of choice, United Airlines; I wouldn’t use anything else. As the phone rang, I drummed my fingers on the desk, waiting as patiently as I realistically could, but seventeen hours and counting before this thing ended wouldn’t be enough for me to get done what I wanted. I had too many people that hated my guts to patch things up with, and I definitely wasn’t ready for this thing to be over with so many grudges left on my plate.
”United Airlines; how may I help you?”
Someone with an accent that sounded strongly Indian, the Asian kind of course, answered the phone, and I didn’t waste a single second.
”Yeah, um, I’d like to buy a ticket on the next flight to Richmond, Virginia, please.”
”Yes sir, United Airlines flight 920 to Richmond leaves the terminal at 4:00 pm. Would you like aisle or window seat please?”
”That much doesn’t matter. Just get me on the flight.”
”Oh, I sorry, sir, the plane is full. We can put you on one that leaves at 9:00 am instead if you would like?”
”Fine, fine, I’ll take it. I’ll be right there. Just don’t leave the airport without me.”
I hung up the phone and rushed to pack my things, and without so much as missing a single step I raced with my bags in my hands down the hall to the elevator. The elevator took forever to get to my floor, and once it finally got there, it was full. A groan of displeasure passed through my lips and I set my bags down against the wall opposite the elevator door, and started cracking my knuckles one by one, trying hard not to punch the wall. I hit the button again, and stepped into the now nearly empty elevator, not making eye contact with the weird old man in a diving suit across from me.
<DING!> <DING!> <DING!>
Finally to the first floor, I rushed out with my bags in hand and out to the street, hailing the first empty cab I could find; I climbed inside, and set my bags on the seat beside me.
”To the airport, please.”
I was trying to be polite but it was damned hard to do in the sense of urgency I felt.
<SLAM!>
I closed the door to the cab loudly and the car moved from its stop, rather slowly, and seemed to take forever to get to the airport. During the time I took out my phone, sent a few text messages to Meghan and Katie, who were both god knows where by now, doing god knows what, and before I could even slide my phone back into my pocket, I got a text back from Meghan; they were both already in Richmond because they were taking a break, and were expecting me. Lovely, I thought quietly.
<SCREEEEEEEECH!>
The cab’s breaks slammed on at the entrance to the airport, and it seemed almost in slow motion for a moment, but I had to put my hands up to avoid smashing my face on the back of the seat in front of me. I threw a twenty dollar bill into the driver’s lap, grabbed my bags, and climbed out of the cab as quickly as I could. I walked inside and up to the United Airlines terminal, waiting in a line of twelve or so other people to get my ticket.
”A ticket on the next flight to Richmond, please. I called earlier.”
”Yes sir; that will be three hundred and twenty-nine dollars. Cash or credit?”
This was not the same woman that helped me earlier. This girl was white and spoke fluent English; damn cute, too.
”Credit.”
I pulled my wallet out of my pocket and handed the woman my credit card, and after swiping it four or five times she smiled, nodded, and then offered to take my bags to check. I handed her one of them and put the card back in my wallet before giving her the other.
”Your flight number is six, six, six, and it will be departing from terminal ten at nine fifteen! Thank you!”
I sighed and shook my head; I got flight 666, and where I grew up there was a big conspiracy about that being the sign of the devil or something. But, oh well. It was the way it was. I sat down and pulled out my phone, and after responding to a couple of back-and-forth texts with Meghan, and one or two more with Katie, I turned my phone off and went through the check-in before making my way to the terminal, and boarding my flight. I was lucky enough to have a window seat, as well, and had a miniature video camera with me to record a few final words if this flight didn’t go according to plan.
”Hey, everyone. It’s Thursday, December twentieth, and I’m on a flight from New York back home to Richmond. I just wanted to send out a little message while I still had the chance; first off, I know the apocalypse is tomorrow, and I just want to say that I’m sorry I won’t get the chance to win my first title belt with Action Packed Wrestling like I had been planning to at Christmas Chaos. It’s a shame that I won’t get that opportunity, but with the apocalypse coming up, there’s not much I can really do.
I want to send out a great big ‘thank you’ to my tag team partner, D-Day, for all that he and I have been through together, first on the Indy circuit, then through several grueling tag team matches on Meltdown, and then even through to today in preparation for our tag team match at Madison Square Garden that was supposed to be for the title belts. I wouldn’t have made it this far as a tag team wrestler or as a wrestler in general without you, bro, and you’ve always been a reliable friend in that ring, whether I’ve been for you or against you.
You and I have always been a great duo, and I’m sure, beyond a hint of doubt, we’d have picked up the victory in that tag title tournament this Sunday, and I’m sorry that the apocalypse is going to hit before we get our chance to hoist Action Packed Wrestling gold above our heads. I know that you and I would have won that match, and it would’ve made you a double champion after you beat everyone else for the North American Championship at the Super Show this Saturday.
As for our opponents, I’m going to start by addressing Jair Hopkins and Anthony Bailey, collectively known as The Dying Breed. You two are a legitimate tag team, and I’ll give you credit where credit is due, what with Bailey being a former World Heavyweight Champion and all. It’s a shame I won’t get to face you both, and I know that it would’ve been a match for the ages when I stepped into the ring against the two of you. I really would have enjoyed having the opportunity to fight against the both of you.
I must say, your team’s name is kind of ironic with this end of the world approaching because you both will end up dying; we all will. I hate to say it like that, but with the world drawing to an end, we’re all a dying breed, not just you two, and not just wrestlers, but everybody and I know that it’s a pretty big disappointment that we’re going to die because you two have proven you belong in this company, and D-Day and I were on the fast track to proving we belonged here too, and this match would’ve shown exactly who’s the better team. Now, that will never get the chance to happen.
Then, we have M&M, Aubrey J. Parker and Logan Alexander. Logan, you’re the reigning North American Champion, and you would have been a former North American Champion once the Super Show rolled around, but I’ll give you credit, it takes a lot of work to get that far, and after you beat your own tag team partner to win the belt, it shows something even more impressive for the two of you. Not only can you coexist after having faced each other with high stakes and for a big prize, and work as a team, but you two can compete as a team as well as great singles competitors.
It all comes down to whether or not the two of you have your heads in the game, and it’s my firm belief that you won’t retain your title, Logan. I think you’re going to lose that belt at the Super Show, and that you won’t be able to handle that sort of defeat from a mindset of having to compete again twenty-four hours later and try to prove that your tag team defeat hasn’t gotten to you mentally. While I’d like to believe that you could do that, and every fan in the arena will probably feel the same way, I don’t think you can handle it. It puts you at a great mental disadvantage.
That’s where Logan differs from my boy D-Day. D-Day is my odds-on favorite to win the North American Championship, but in the case that he doesn’t walk out of that match with the title belt, I’m confident it won’t affect his psyche, since he wasn’t the titleholder in the first place. We’ll see how it messes with Logan’s head, because it certainly has changed Aubrey J. Parker quite a bit, now hasn’t it? After all, she’s the one who went from Meltdown to Asylum to have her own shot at a bigger, better show, and how is that working out for her? Not too poorly, but I’m utterly unimpressed with her lately to say the least.
Now, I’m greatly saddened that the world won’t last long enough for this match to take place, but believe me it would’ve brought the entire house down. So I’ll leave you with just a few more words... Can you hear me now?”
I thought so. I turned off the camera, and a few hours later, I was in a taxi on the way to my house; I called up Meghan and let her know I was on my way, and she met me at the door; we walked inside together, and Katie gave me a look of surprise, expecting me to stay in New York, since, you know, that’s where Christmas Chaos would be held if the world weren’t ending. I carried my things inside and went up to my bedroom, since the three of us shared a house after all, and when I came downstairs again, Katie was there to question me.
”What are you doing here, Roy? You’ve got to be in New York for your match Sunday!”
”Look, Katie. I would be there. I really would, but the world is ending? Don’t you know the apocalypse is tomorrow. twelve twenty-one, the Mayans even said it.”
”The Mayans were full of themselves, Roy. If they could predict the future don’t you think they would’ve foreseen their demise at the hands of the Spanish and stopped them?”
”No. They’re not going to screw with prophecy... That they themselves wrote...”
Ohhh boy...
”Exactly. This is a load of bull, Roy. get your head out of your anal cavity and-“
”No. I still don’t think you’re right. I’m going to spend my final moments with those that mean the most to me, and that’s you guys.”
”Awww...”
The rest of the day, and then the next twenty-four hours that were the day of the apocalypse were a blur, mostly filled by sitting around watching Christmas movies, playing cards, and the occasional break for food. By the time midnight on the twenty-second rolled around, I was exhausted, and I went to sleep, rather than hear the ‘I told you so’ that Katie would definitely give me. The next morning I woke up and raced back to the airport, taking the same trip I’d taken earlier in reverse, and when I got onto the plane, I turned on my video camera to send another message while I still could.
”So it looks like the world didn’t end after all, and that can only mean one thing; Christmas Chaos is going to happen as scheduled, and for six of us, that means an elimination match for the Tag Titles that will steal the show and put two teams in their place. Hopkins, Bailey, Parker, Alexander, good luck to each of you, because you’re going to need it; this match is all about two people; this match is about D-Day, and this match is about me, and you two aren’t going to get in our way of victory. We’re going to win. Uh huh, I’m serious; that’s the silver lining in all this. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW!?!”
