| Ronnie | Date: Thursday, 2011/06/30, 11:00 PM | Message # 1 |
 Development
Group: EWA Roster
Messages: 6
Status: Offline
| A soft music sounds from a dimly lit kitchen in a generic apartment building, the music a genre unheard by radio stations...a genre which represents everyday life. The music starts off with the gentle flowing of water into a metallic sink, the impact of the water creating a soft-impact sound which cannot be duplicated by other objects or combinations.
Following this warm introduction comes the clattering of dishes under the water, as skilled hands softly run a sponge across left-over food stuck to the surface of one of the glass plates. A few scrubs and the dish is clean, or at least clean enough to be transferred from sink to dishwasher, where machine makes the burden of man easier once again.
Soon thereafter, the chorus of freely flowing water down the faucet begins, accompanied by the soft vocals of the dishes as they make their way carefully into the open-doored dishwasher. The door shuts just as the water slows to a trickle, and is replaced by the soft sigh of an angelic figure towering over the countertop which houses the sink and stops alongside the dishwasher. Her long black hair falls just past her shoulder blades, and as she turns her attention to the dishwasher dial, her eyes soften and her lips curve into a slight smile. The song grows silent as the gentle ticking of the dial sounds when she turns it, before picking up once more as the dishwasher kicks on and begins its work on that which is housed within it.
She takes hold of a nearby towel and gently wipes the moisture off her hands, before placing the towel back to its former resting place and tilting her head towards an open door, a door which leads to a room in which she sleeps every night, dreaming dreams of better times.
Her name is Lyntoria Evans.
Another sigh escapes her lips as memories invade her mind, pushing aside short-term thoughts and allowing them to be displayed beneath her closed eyelids, bringing forth scenes that take her back to when the problems began in the middle of a world which seemed so perfect for her.
Life has a funny way of changing things around on people...and the person involved in her own change would know it best.
For the past several months this particular person had been going through stressful times, though no-where near as stressful as the times he'd went through during his late teenaged years. However, this stress was directly linked to something from his childhood, a dream in which he'd had ever since then. It was also linked to a playful promise made to a girl he'd loved long ago, whom died the night the promise was made in a car accident that had left both in a coma, only to have him make it out alive.
Sometimes, Lyntoria Evans thought the love he held for that girl back then never quite went away. If this were indeed the case, however, she would understand why...and be able to accept it.
All he'd ever wanted to be was a hero...all he'd ever wanted to do was get the people to love him, to be able to give something to them and maybe even bring something new into their lives. For the longest time he'd felt he was doing just that, until one night brought upon thoughts of the people betraying him. Soon, the hero entered a bout of self-doubt and sadness--a sadness which was soon turned to anger and a thirst for vengeance on those who'd shattered the child's dream.
All thanks to one night which, at the time, seemed happy to the both of them...Toya's life had changed alongside of a man whom she cared for deeply. It was an incident which had plagued the both of them to this very day and, in Toya's eyes, was far from changing still.
For the place in which the incident had spawned was closed...the Hardcore Wrestling Alliance was no more. A place which was considered home for the man she loved was no longer in business, and now that anger and vengeance has been replaced with a profound guilt over everything which had occurred.
For Ronnie McNeil...it felt as though the world around him had began to crumble.
The obnoxious voice of a used car salesman cut through Toya thoughts with a blade oddly shaped in the form of a Jaguar XXL, on sale for only $2,500 monthly for a year, the price brought down due to their special Summer Clearance Sale. Her eyes snapped open as she heard another voice sound from the room--Ronnie's. It was his annoyed mutterings towards the used car salesman, as he abruptly cut the salesman off in mid-sentence by changing the channel to the next one over, replacing the advertisement with a sports report on the current world of football.
Much like the movements of a machine, Toya's legs slowly stretch and begin a slow move towards the room. Soon, her stride takes the more 'human-esque' form of a tired stagger, straying away from the robotic form they'd held before.
Passing through the doorframe, Toya reaches her hand over to gently flick her finger across the ON-OFF switch, the lights in the apartment shutting off and leaving everything in darkness, the only source of light coming from the television in the room.
Ronnie moves his head softly in her direction, giving her a small smile which she returns with one of her own, followed by a yawn that gently floats through the room and in Ronnie's general direction. The seconds following this action capture the struggle to withhold a yawn of his own, only to fail miserably. A giggle escapes Toya's lips as she moves towards the bed and takes hold of the covers, pulling them back and slipping under them alongside of Ronnie. Ronnie rolls over and draws Toya close to him, hugging her gently and sighing.
"Don't worry...I'll know where to go soon enough, Toya. We won't have to stay here for much longer...just because the CZW is gone, doesn't--"
"It's not that, Ron."
This brief exchange of conversation between the two is halted quickly, as Toya stares deeply into Ronnie's eyes and sadly lowers her gaze from them, speaking in a hushed voice which seems to come naturally to her during the late hours of the night.
"I...I like spending more time with you. I don't care whether or not we have the money coming in from wrestling so long as we're still able to live comfortably together. The CZW paid you more than well enough, and you were smart to keep all of the money saved and only rent this apartment long enough for our home to be finished. You still have things you want to accomplish...you're not ready to settle down and retire, I understand Ronnie. I understand, okay?"
A silence ensues as she brings her gaze back up to meet his eyes where they were before, only to notice that his head is now turned away, his gaze staring blankly at the sheets beneath them. Moments pass without words before Ronnie finally musters up the will to reply, and his reply comes short, but sweet.
"...okay."
On the inside, Toya is slightly relieved...and on the outside it shows through with a soft smile that Ronnie lifts his head back up to see, causing him to smile once again as well. She leans forward and places a soft kiss on his lips, staring into his eyes as she tiredly whispers to him.
"Goodnight, Ron...sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Toya. You too, I love you."
"Love you too..."
The silence soon returns, and Lyntoria Evans soon finds herself in her own peaceful dream world. Her world is that of past memories, her world is that of better times. Ronnie McNeil’s world, however, is much different...and he soon will find himself confronting something he'd never thought he'd have to. However, after all of the events that have led up to now, and after all of the trials he has put himself through, it's about time that it finally happened.
Second chances don't come all too often; Ronnie McNeil is one to know this, and if he truly wishes to accomplish his boyhood dream...it's high time for him to reach out and touch faith.
A symphony of light floods Ronnie's eyes, blinding him momentarily and forcing him to shield his eyes. The sensation of movement overwhelms his body, as he experiences something similar to a rollercoaster ride, minus the screaming and spirals. The ride soon comes to a halt, however, and the light fades much as the dreams of those lost souls who never took a chance at life.
Ronnie himself was eventually to become one of those lost souls, if he would not act on the second chance life was handing him once again.
"What is this...?"
Ronnie slowly opens his eyes and finds himself in a dusty attic, his eyes widening in realization that this is, in fact, the attic of his old home. Warily, Ronnie takes a step forward while his unbelieving eyes cast glances about the attic. The dust kicked up from the ground, a plume of it lit up by the sunlight filtered through the cobweb window, as specks danced about like fireflies as they intermingled with one another on their constant rise to the heavens. The sound of a footstep echoed throughout the seemingly abandoned attic, a lonely sound with none in which to accompany it. No cockroaches to skitter about the floorboards, no rats to squeak at the intruder. Seemingly abandoned, seemingly...lifeless.
"But how...how could this be?" Ronnie's whisper cut through the air, adding to the sound waves which now mingled in the room. His eyes, retelling the memories of a life that once was, scanned about the room at the various boxes that adorned the ground before them. Another step forward, the euphonious outbreak of sound from the fall of his boot echoing off the attic walls once again. Sound was to be welcomed in this seemingly barren, silent world. A world in which everything had meaning to him.
The dusty attic's temperature had steadily risen throughout the day, causing it to be quite warm thanks to the sun's persistent battering. A single droplet of sweat rolled down Ronnie's forehead, whose eyes blinked open once more. His feet, moving forward once again to allow yet another orchestra of sound radiate throughout the room.
"It's sad...isn't it?"
A voice cut through the air sharper then Ronnie's whisper had before, the dust seemingly vibrating as the sound waves passed through them. He recognized the voice and at the same time was frightened by it, his body jolting as he turned slowly, a small child standing before him.
"Don't be afraid." the child whispered.
For Ronnie McNeil it was hard, however, to not be afraid...for that child was him. His younger self, sadly looking about the attic. Months ago Ronnie remembered this exact scene, minus the child, as his uncle and aunt had invited him to come and take what was his; for they were selling the house and didn't want him to lose memories of his past. Surely this had to be a dream of deja vu, with a hint of schizophrenia. This would explain the manifestation of his childhood self, right?
"Why did you do it?" the child whispered once again, tilting his head with a curiosity very familiar to Ronnie--after all, that curiosity was his own, "Why did you stop being a hero?"
The burning lump within Ronnie's throat was almost too much for him to bear speaking through, but with a strained voice he responded to his childhood apparition's question.
"I didn't mean to...I just, the people...I thought they'd given up on me. I thought...that they wanted to see me fall, even after all that I'd done for them."
"That's silly; don't you know the first thing about being a hero?"
This reply stunned Ronnie, as he looked on at his childhood self with a partial sense of annoyance and regret.
"What are you saying?"
"Those people did love you...but in wrestling everyone loves to see the hero fall. They love it because they believe in the hero to fight back, to survive and give them something to believe in. Those people were sad because they expected you to prove to them you could still do it, but when you proved to them you could after...they kept on believing. They never betrayed you...you were punishing them for looking up to you as a hero, just because their views were different."
Ronnie slowly sank to his knees, staring at the dusty ground in thought as one of the strongest senses of guilt he'd ever felt swept through his body, sending chills trickling down his spine and causing tears to glisten in his eyes. It was a dose of reality that he had been waiting to receive, a realization that had been waiting to be made ever since the misunderstanding began. Finally, after all of this time...Ronnie knew the truth--he had the answers in his hand, and for once? Denial wasn't a river running through his mind.
"You...you know..." Ronnie chuckled softly, choking the words out in a whisper as he lifted his head to look at the child, "You're pretty smart for a little kid..."
Ronnie's younger self laughed and shook his head, looking at him as though he had a dunce cap firmly placed over his head and a "Kick Me" sign taped onto his back.
"Of course I am...I'm you, aren't I?"
It's an interesting paradox, that's for certain.
With a slight chuckle, Ronnie lowered his head and stared at the ground, thoughts running through his mind like the gentle yet rapid flow of a stream. Moments passed on in silence, the dust beginning to settle around them as the remaining specks began to finish their performance in the sunlight, dancing down towards the ground. Soon, however, the younger Ronnie's voice would float into his stream of thought, disrupting the current and drawing him from his mind.
"Ronnie?"
"Yes?"
"Ronnie...? Wake up, honey."
"..."
If a word could be used to describe Ronnie's thoughts towards his younger self, at this moment in time, it would be "strange". Ronnie's eyebrow rose as his younger self stepped forward and brushed his hand against his cheek.
"Hey...come on, wake up sweetie."
'...this, this is strange...' he thought to himself. However, with the gentle shake of his shoulder by his younger self, the world around him began fading. It was, of course, on this note that Ronnie realized that his dream was coming to an end and that it was time to wake up.
The offer for a second chance had been given to him, along with the realization that he still had a chance to fulfill his boyhood dream--to be the hero he'd always wanted to be. A simple dream ending with a strange twist...and all of the questions he wanted answered were taken care of.
It was time to start over...and make things right again.
Do you know what this trunk has inside? It contains everything from the period in my life when I was on my own, my parents were dead, and the only way I was able to live was to rely on martial arts training and compete in street fights before I went into the Army. Do you know what it's like to live your life, knowing that you could very well die the next time you head into a fight? Do you know what that thought can do to a man, how it can warp their minds? When you get into a fight and it's you or them, you learn to do whatever it takes to make damn sure that it's them, and not you. Only a few people know what I am talking about here, from leading young men on the front lines of battle as a First Sergeant to being in death matches in Hong Kong, they know what it's like to have that being the only thought in his head, and he knows what it can do to a man. Alexander on the other hand, has no clue what I am talking about. Why am I talking about this? What does it have to do with Shatterpoint and my match? It's simple, walking into this match, with everything that doing so encompasses, you have to be thinking that it's you or them. I have never quit in my 15 years in this business, and I don't plan on starting now.
Ronnie slowly opens up the trunk, and pulls out a very old looking belt. The belt is nothing like what you would come to expect, it's very simple, with just one plate on it. And all that plate has on it is one word, CHAMPION. Ronnie closes the trunk and sets the belt down on top of the trunk and continues.
This trunk is up here, by itself, for one reason and one reason only. I don't like the person that I became when I was placed in that atmosphere, placed in that mental state. I don't want to expose my family to that, nor do I want to expose that extreme attitude to any of my future opponents, for I fear what would happen to them by my actions. But for this week, and for this match, that fear no longer exists, because the one thing you learn when you are dealt a raw deal and have to find your own to make it in life. You will do whatever it takes to make sure you survive, that you walk out a winner. Michael, come Shatterpoint, it's me or you, and you can bet your ass that I am going to be the one surviving that night, so if I have to go back to this part of my life to ensure that, so be it. Michael, this is your first, last, and only warning, from here on in, the beating you suffer and the injuries you sustain are your fault and your fault alone, I will not be held responsible for them.
Ronnie looks down at the belt, as it sits on top of the dusty trunk, the word Champion staring him right in the face. We can see the intensity in the eyes of Ronnie form right in front of us. He looks back up into the camera, almost as if he is staring directly into the eyes of Mike King.
I've said that I am the best in the business today because I go out there week in, week out, and prove it each and every time. Well that fact has come into question considering the time off I've had, but make no mistakes about it, that doesn't change anything, I am still the best in the game today, and at Shatterpoint, I will once again prove it to the world, and show you what a true wrestling icon looks like. You may think you know what lies ahead of you at Shatterpoint, but as you will find out, there is a big difference between knowing the path, and walking the path. You can have all the skill, all the heart, the talent, and the determination, but they will do nothing for you inside the ropes, because no matter what you bring to this match, I will have its trump card. At Shatterpoint, you step into the ring with the man himself. And Michael, every moniker that has been given to me over the years, Franchise, Angelic Enigma, Living Legend…is just another link in the chain from wrestling’s storied past to its future with me....and that is what makes me better than you.
Somewhere in a city of heroes, an old face was ready to come on home. This is where our story has brought us, and it's not quite time for the story to end, either.
The hero has been reborn, and on July 5thth, 2011...a familiar face will come to EWA. His name?
Ronnie McNeil.
Your Angelic Enigma, Franchise, and Living Legend.
Message edited by Ronnie - Thursday, 2011/06/30, 11:01 PM |
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