A Puppet or the Master?...
May 17, 2014 16:11:47 GMT -5
Terry Roberts, Chase Michaels, and 6 more like this
Post by Chelsea Armstrong on May 17, 2014 16:11:47 GMT -5
**Scene One**
I keep reading his message over and over as my stomach falls into a deeper and deeper state of nothingness and nausea. “Chelsea... call me. This is a problem. If I don't hear from you by tonight, I will be coming to see you.” Why did I have to talk to ICE…I knew…I knew better than to defy Scott but even now I was doing just that. My fingers kept hitting his name in the contact section of my phone but I couldn’t get myself to hit that bright green call button…I didn’t want to face him…I couldn’t. Little did I know I was taking too long though as I was pacing back and forth in the confines of my small locker room at the arena. I didn’t know where to go…I couldn’t stay at the hotel, the gym sure as hell wasn’t safe…maybe he wouldn’t think of coming here. It’d been hours since he sent me that and I knew the longer I waited to call him the angrier he’d be but I couldn’t find the courage to call him…what had I gotten myself into.
“I’m going to be ok…I could be anywhere in town…he won’t pick here first…or will he? He knew I was in that alleyway a few weeks ago…god why did I choose this place; he’s going to find me like a mouse in a trap. Wait…wait if it looks like no one’s here maybe he’ll just pass it up and continue looking…yes, yes that’s it..”
Rushing over in the thoughts that Scott could show up at any moment I rush over hitting the light switch before making sure the door is locked for added safety, to even add to it I run to the bathroom located in the room and close that door as well, I knew how he was last week….and this time I’d intentionally went against him…I knew it wasn’t going to be good and I didn’t want to face him if I could get out of it. Just as I sit down against the wall and feel the cold tile against the bare skin not covered by my thin shirt a loud knock sounds through to me as I cower in the corner seemingly holding my breath. His voice booms through the walls making me jump as I cover my face with my arms.
“Chelsea, I know you are in there.”
Not moving and letting out very slow soft breaths I keep my voice down to as low as possible as my heart nearly stops at the sound of the door handle being messed with….his voice sounded through once again this time slightly calmer.
“Chelsea, open up. I’m not angry; I just want to talk to you.”
I know I have to face him at some point as I stand up and make my way out of the bathroom, moving toward the door as slowly as possible I take a deep breath before letting my fingers wrap around the cold golden lock and turning it. I open the door only a small bit to see his face but as soon as the door unlatches it gets thrown open allowing Scott to burst through. I don’t have time to react as he shoves me hard against the wall, a grimace of pure rage is shown on his face as he pins me back. Tears sting my eyes as I try to avoid his gaze while his sentences come out in growls.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?!”
Trying to shake my head I feel his weight against me as tears start to fall, I look at the ground not wanting to look at him as I try to choke out my words.
“I’m….I’m sorry...”
“Sorry?! You think sorry is going to make up for what you've done?! First you go running off, endangering yourself like an idiot, then you start socializing with the enemy! You have about three seconds to convince me that you didn't lose that match because you're friends with ICE all of a sudden!”
“I…I don’t know. I didn’t mean for it to happen, I tried my best in that match…I got away from him, I knew not to let him get to me…I don’t know why I talked to him after….I’m sorry….it was stupid I know…I don’t know why I did it…I…I don’t know!”
Scott’s mouth contorts as he pulls his hand back and slams his fist against the wall right next to my head, leaving a hole in the plaster. He then takes his finger, and then presses it to the bottom of my chin forcing my gaze to meet his cold eyes.
“You listen to me. I recruited you because I wanted a remorseless killing machine. I wanted the best version of Chelsea Black Armstrong and you are not giving it to me. After all I've done for you... I am insulted. Here is the bottom line. I had better get one hundred and fifteen percent out of you from now on, do you understand me?”
“Yes…yes I understand…I’ll…do my best.”
“You had better. No more slip ups, and I don't want you talking to ICE anymore. He can only bring bad things. I need a cohesive team if we are to take over WCF. If you weaken, the entire chain weakens. You have seen what we do to weak links in S-PAC. You're not better than Benjy. We will do the exact same thing to you, understand?”
Thinking back to what happened to Benjamin my eyes start to water more as I try to take a deep breath and move but it’s no use as I’m stuck against the wall, I knew I messed up and this is what I had been trying to avoid. Why did it hurt when he said I couldn’t talk to ICE? Why was it so hard to follow those instructions?...
“Yes…I’ll straighten up, I’ll….I’ll leave ICE….ICE….alone. Just one more chance…”
“One more. You are too good to be throwing your career away like this. Let me help you Chelsea. I cannot make you better if you refuse to let me. You do want to get better, don't you?”
“I do…but…never mind. I just need to clear my mind…”
“Well you had better do it quickly. I want you in Macon Georgia in two days. From now on, you don't leave my sight. Not until you prove you can be trusted again.”
“What? But….but Scott…you can trust me this time. I promise”
“Clearly I can't. This is not a point I am willing to argue. You will be with me every minute of every day. There will be no running off, there will be no talking to ICE, there will be no more losing.”
For some strange reason I feel a part of me deflate at his words as I avoid his gaze once again leaving only a single nod to return in response as I give in and just lean against the wall…what was I going to do now? But even more…why did I care? Why was I upset over this…I know I need it…but part of me wanted to fight him…all that would get is me hurt though…no, now was not the time…
“Ok…”
“Good, now start packing. You'll want to bring quite a bit. We'll be in Macon for a while. Now I have to keep an eye on you AND Waylon. Either way, go on.”
Backing off he lets me move from the wall as I grab what items I had brought with me to the arena, throwing the bag over my shoulder I put my cellphone in my pocket before walking in front of him and heading toward the door to exit into the hallway. Stopping me he holds out his hand as my heart falls to my chest, knowing what he wants I put my hand on my pocket.
“Phone, now.”
“But…but Scott. What about Seifer? He’s going to wonder where I am…”
“Don’t worry about him, I’ll let you call him with my supervision, but you are not keeping that by yourself.”
“Scott…”
“Phone, now.”
Sighing I pull it out of my pocket feeling tears sting my eyes as I look at it before passing it to him as he puts it in his jacket pocket. Motioning for me to walk I move down the hall feeling like my legs weight a ton as I still have no idea what I’m in for this week…and right now I don’t even want to think about it.
**Scene Two**
“What am I supposed to be doing here?”
“Work out, train, think about your match, anything that you would do to normally prepare for a match.”
“If it’s just like normal then why can’t I go back to my hotel?”
“Because you can’t be trusted to be by yourself right now, from what I heard you were talking to the enemy and that’s a big no-no around here.”
Letting out a deep sigh I looked around the room that had been transformed into a gym for the time being, figuring there was no use in moping around all day I moved over to one of the machines and started working out while not being able to help feeling a set of eyes burn into my skin.
“You know, when Scott told you to keep an eye on me I don’t think he meant it in a twenty four seven sense. I’m not going to do anything.”
"Why not?...Why not try something? Does it not piss you off? Does it not strike against your instinctual existence?"
He chuckles as he sits on the floor with his legs crossed, staring with cold baggy eyes as if he has been awake way too long. I’d seen that face enough the past few months but it was clear we weren’t exactly friends which made even more confusion in my mind as in why he had been the one assigned to keep watch after me.
“Why are you doing this Gable? Other than to add to the torture of being here, it’s clear you need sleep anyway. “
Closing my eyes I try my best to pretend I’m at a normal gym by myself but even as I work out on the machine his breaths come to my ears in loud irritating spurts making me stop and drop all that I’m doing. Taking a long breath I run my fingers through my hair before putting my head in my palms trying to regain my composure while not wanting to give him the show I’m sure he’s waiting for
"...I think you misunderstand who I am. Now, answer the question..."
He got to his feet, staying in a crouched position while resting his arms on his knees.
"...Why...not?"
Looking into his eyes I stare for a minute before shaking my head and putting my hands back down from my face.
“I don’t know ok, I guess there’s no harm in it. This whole situation is just confusing, I don’t want to be here to begin with, then I find out Scott picked you to watch me…sorry if I wasn’t exactly enthused about this pairing seeing as how our past encounters have went.”
"Pfft."
Gable laughed standing up as he rubbed one of his eyes.
"You pay too much attention to the past. The present is much scarier...always going by second by second. You are forced to abandon those seconds for the jealously of a 'leader'...I honestly don't want to be here, you don't want to be here...why not do something?..."
“Like what? I’m already on thin ice, it’s been made clear one more mess up and I’m out. That doesn’t sound like much room to do something to me, face it, I’m stuck here.”
"...you're not listening. That is your problem, you don't listen! Scott need performers...We don't require Scott and he knows that. You don't know how much room you have to bargain with. We keep in line out of respect. But there comes time when we lose respect and give him a hard time...We're all animals after all. If you wanted to try to do something, he'll learn to forget about it..."
“I…I don’t know Gable. Just turning against Scott, disrespecting…that feels like a step I’m not sure if I want to take. Listen you’ve been with this guy for quite a while, he knows how you are and you guys have a different relationship…I’ve been with him for only a matter of months. I just don’t think the rules are the same for both of us here…I mean come on; he tracks me down, tells me to stop talking to that certain person, even took my phone…he doesn’t trust me right now and acting against him if going to get me hurt. He threated to do to me what we did to Benjamin! My career can’t handle that Gable, maybe I’m still not understanding what you mean but I can’t have him as an enemy…no matter how much I want to defy him right now…”
Gable's eye twitched before continuing with a shout.
"He does all of this because you let him! He is treating you like shit because he doesn't respect. You cower in fear at his ominous figure and he will at the end of the day crush you!...You need to make him respect you..."
Standing up from the machine I look into his gaze returning my voice with the same intensity as his before going on.
“Then tell me how to do that!”
"Why should I?! You want to talk to who you want, then do that! You don't want to stay here and watch Waylon? Then leave. The door is right there"
Gable motioned to the door causing my gaze to be redirected, staring at its wooden surface my feet stay glued to the floor as I sigh yet again and look to the floor.
“I can’t…I can’t deal with him like you can. I can’t take the abuse and the shouting like you can. I want to talk to ICE but I can’t go against Scott to make that happen…not right now. I do that and I might as well sign my own death certificate.”
"You are dead right now! Stop refusing to live! You are going to disappear because you never demanded respect and no one will ever care because your memory will be the most dangerous talent in the WCF without a back bone!...You only have to do one little, simple thing..."
“That’s easy for you to say! You ran away for months to do your stupid movies, you come back and it’s like you never left this group. I swear if Scott wasn’t afraid of me showing you guys up I would have been gone as soon as your feet stepped back into that locker room! You know what? I am sick and tired of people like you walking backstage and thinking I should act like everyone else, do everything that you do and forget any reservations I have in my mind! I can’t do that! It’s not that easy for me John! I can’t go up to Scott and tell him to leave me alone and let me talk to ICE, to give me back my phone and my life and get a grip on himself…I can’t do that! He wanted this big monster to come out of me and that has not happened, I know it hasn’t and I can’t help that! I’m not as strong as you are, I can’t do things in a blink of an eye and not think twice about it….I’m not like you guys, I can’t stand up to him!”
Gable sighed deeply as he kept his icy gaze.
"Why...not?"
“Honestly, I don’t know.”
"Then why the fuck am I here?!? Obviously you are too whipped to betray Scott. I am here for a fucking reason...Wake up! You think Scott wants a dog? He could go out and buy a dog tomorrow and fire you. Give him something he can't buy..."
He sat back down and crossed his legs before closing his eyes, taking deep breaths causing the only sound to be his breath once again as I take my seat back down on the machine.
“I know you’re right, I’m not trying to be stubborn…I’m just wanting to get my footing right. I thought I was finding that with ICE but then apparently I was wrong.”
“Why, because Scott told you it was? Chelsea you’re ignoring everything I’m saying! You can’t let him push you around and make your decisions for you!”
“I know…”
“Do you? Do you Chelsea? How long has it been since you made a big decision by yourself? Since you joined here all I’ve been seeing is you taking orders from someone else in this federation; Seifer, Stacy, Scott….maybe you need to break that cycle, do something for yourself for once. Make Scott take notice that you won’t be pushed around like a rag doll! What about your match this week? Are you going to go out there and let those idiots push you around and win the match?”
“No…no they won’t get the win…they don’t stand a chance…”
“Why do you say that? Because they have a stupid gimmick, because they aren’t as talented as you? We’ve made this clear that everyone has a lucky night, everyone has a bad night…do you want them to be the one loss you regret for the rest of your life?”
“They won’t win! Seifer and I can take them I know it, we will get this win!”
“You better; if you don’t then maybe Scott was right about you all along.”
Standing up he starts toward the door to leave the room before he stops by the exit and turns looking into my eyes.
“You better make this worth it…or I promise I will take you out myself.”
His gaze tells me his serious as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out my cellphone, taking one more glance at me he puts the phone on the table by the door before walking through the glass doors and into the hallway out of eye shot. Looking at the phone I sit there debating…trying to figure out what I want to do, I need to do what’s best for me, what will make him see I won’t be pushed around anymore.
Standing up from the machine I look around the room making sure I am alone but even there I know Scott could be watching at any moment…Gable could have set me up for sure but at this moment I didn’t care. Racing over to the door I grabbed my phone and make my way back to the machine, all past text have been deleted it looks like so I have no clue who has been trying to reach me but I know what I need to do. Pulling up a blank message my fingers start moving quick, I allow nothing around me to see the subjects of my message as another blank screen comes up and I do the same with it before hitting send and letting both of them travel through the miles and miles of cyberspace leaving nothing to be stopped now…I know I’ve done the right thing…for now.
