Post by Nathan Turner on Mar 2, 2019 15:50:56 GMT -5
I’VE SEEN ALL THE TRICKS The Everyman Chronicles Vol. II vs. Karnivall @ L!GHTS OUT #32
“I knew going into Crown of the King Cobra that I would leave feeling high. I would have that rush that each of us wrestlers seeks out; that feeling of true joy coursing through my veins. For the first time in years, I was stepping foot back inside of the ring, in front of ten thousand screaming fans in New Jersey, how could I not feel high? I just didn’t know that when I left the arena, I would have that high, not because I came out victorious, but instead because I had my fucking head rocked and the trainers had to pump me full of morphine just to get me stable.”
“Krieger did what she said she would do, and for that, I give her credit. She truly brought hell with her. When her knee connected to the side of my head, I was there, I was in Hell. I saw the world burning, the arena around me on fire, as my own personal demons descended down on my freshly fallen corpse. Luckily, I was able to pull myself out of that before the sword of Damocles fell on my head for good, but I was left with a ringing skull, a mild concussion, and a knot the size of a baseball.”
“But, this is the life of a wrestler, the life of a modern day gladiator. I have to shake that off, and face the man who calls himself ‘The Oddity’. A man who brought the entirety of the freakshow at Coney Island with him when he made the drive over from New York. The man who took a literal bite out of the face of Drell last week. The freak known as Karnivall.”
--
“What the fuck is wrong with you?! YOU TOOK HIM WITH YOU, NATHAN!”
Nathan Turner cast his gaze downward, his head still pounding from the brutal strike he took to the side of the head at the hands (or knee, as it were) of Krieger. Over him, towering beside of the small dining table in his Boston apartment, stood his ex-wife Jennifer. The look on her face showed the expression of ‘Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’ to be true.
“How could you be so fucking stupid? We’ve been over this hundreds of times, Nathan. At least hundreds. Yet, here we are, again, having this same conversation. AGAIN.”
“Look, Jennifer, I finally got a chance…”
“No. You listen to me, Nathan. There’s no reason that you should be back in the ring. What happened to that job you had at the docks? Did you quit that to pursue this ‘dream’?”
Even though she did not put air quotes around the word ‘dream’, the emphasis on it proved that she didn’t have to. Nathan knew exactly what she meant, how she felt about wrestling in general.
“And on top of that, what did you even get out of it? A meager paycheck and a mild concussion? That’s it? Well, I hope it was worth it. I’m taking Jake home with me.”
For the first time, Nathan turned his gaze up to Jennifer. Nathan, a man slow to anger but one who stands his ground on his principles, had reached the hill on which he would die. No one would take Jake away from him. He had decided that years ago, when the divorce was being finalized. Jennifer would not take Jake away now.
“There’s no way you’re taking Jake with you. We’ve been through this, Jennifer. And not just us, do I need to remind you that the judge ruled I’ve got custody?”
Jennifer scoffed.
“You’re kidding me, right? The judge ruled it? The judge doesn’t know what’s best for MY son. And looking at the current situation, it looks like you don’t know what’s best for my son, either. You drag him up to New Jersey, force him to watch his dad get absolutely humiliated in the ring, and, on top of that, he had to watch some fucking monster bite a man’s face.”
“His name’s Karnivall, and he’s actually the guy that I face this week.”
“YOU FACE THAT MONSTER? YOU’VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME, NATHAN.”
“Mom? What’re you doing here?”
Both Nathan and Jennifer turn to see Jake standing in the doorway, wiping the sleep from his eyes, dragging a Union Battleground belt that he got at Crown of the King Cobra.
“Hey buddy. Your mom is here to just talk about the wrestling match I’ve got coming up.”
“Really?! Is she gonna come?!”
“I don’t think so, buddy. She doesn’t think it’s safe.”
--
“When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was go to the Fair. I remember it rolled in a few times a year, but the biggest was always when the tourists came up to New England to see the leaves turning colors on Route 1 during the Fall. I’d go into the Fair, buy some cotton candy, and check out the rides. Ah, the rides. I think those were my favorite part. Around the fairgrounds there were these old, rusty, carnival rides like the teacups or the one that goes around and around to scramble your stomach. Those were my favorite because you had no idea what you were getting once you stepped on the ride. Would it break down? Would it last through the night? That was part of the adrenaline rush.”
“Seeing you in action last week, Karnivall, reminds me of those rusty coasters. The rides themselves look fun, something children and adults alike could enjoy. But, on closer inspection, it’s obvious that the rides are not what they seem. They’re dilapidated, broken, busted, and hide their true violence from the outside world. Last week, you dipped into your bag of tricks like some demented Santa Claus, grabbing a strongman mallet to try and smash Drell’s head open like some Gallagher watermelon. That one, singular moment showed the world what you’re about. It showed me what to look out for.”
“Union Battleground is just that, a battleground. An arena for us warriors to step into the ring. A club where the referees look the other way while there’s a brawl on the outside, or, in your case, when you take a bite out of a man’s face. It’s up to people like me, Karnivall, to try and pull things back into the ring. It’s up to wrestlers like myself to keep you away from your bag of tricks and to try and force you to actually wrestle inside of the ring. Why, Karnivall? Because I don’t believe that you can actually wrestle. You focus on gimmicks and tricks, you try and employ dastardly tactics like some cheap slasher movie villain. Which means that I’ve got to be the camp counselor that wrangles you under control, pulling down the evil stalker that torments the rest of the camp. I’ve got to stand tall. I’ve got to brave those rusty rollercoasters and show the rest of the world that they’re safe, if not a little worse for wear.”
The sound of loud clicking is heard as the scene fades in on a long forgotten field. The weeds have overgrown and the chain link fence has been taken over by nature. The gate to the chain link fence is open and on the dirt road rests an old Volkswagen Beetle. The bug is rusted and falling apart with the engine sounding like an old lawnmower about to bust. The night is dusk almost night as the light is beginning to fall. The Beetles lights flick on and off, blinding the camera over and over. The engine finally cuts off before the driver side door opens up with a rusted squeak. Karnivall steps out with a smirk on his face. He steps forward and leans against the front of the Bug as he begins to speak.
Karnivall: It's been a struggle for me here in the Battleground. On and off the lights of my career have been flashing. I can't seem to get a foot settled on the ground. And right when I do take that step and seemingly get a grasp of my footing, the banana peel falls beneath my boot and I slip back down on the ground.
Karnivall mimics slipping and falling before continuing.
Karnivall: But that all changes at Lights Out Thirty One! "The Everyman" Nathan Turner takes on yours truly! The Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity Oddity himself... KARNIVALL! Clown versus The Everyman. Much like this beaten, battered, overdriven car Nathan Turner has needed to be put down for some time. He started young and quickly turned old. He might've been in this business playing this game for nearly twenty years now, but he's been out off of his rocker for years. You see, I know all about you Nathan! I know of your state wrestling background. I know of you trying to fit into the crowd as TNT. And I know of your downfall in the deathmatch scene. You have fallen down a black hole Nathan. You once were a student of the game, highly technical and accomplished. But now? Now you're just a "Everyman" trying to hold onto your former glory.
Karnivall pulls a pipe from his pocket as he pops it into his mouth. Instead of lighting it up with a match he begins blowing out bubbles. He stares off in the distance as he continues.
Karnivall: Lights Out I'm coming in to start a ruckus. And if I have to turn the old broken Everyman into junk metal... so be it! Someone has to put you out to pasture. I've been bending metal with my bare hands since I was in diapers. An "Everyman" is the least of my worries!
Karnivall tosses the bubble pipe to the side as he pushes past the camera and walks away. Suddenly, a large wrecking ball drops down on top of the Bug, crushing it to pieces. The laughter of Karnivall can be heard as we fade out on the crushed Beetle, with the license plate reading "EVRYMN" falling off and into the dirt.
Last Edit: Mar 4, 2019 23:58:43 GMT -5 by Squiggly
