Post by Skyler Striker on May 19, 2007 7:50:48 GMT -5
The mind is easily distracted. Most people know this, it’s why procrastination is so popular. Teenagers get distracted from homework, adults get distracted from work, sportspeople get distracted from competing. Wrestlers get distracted from wrestling. Maybe if we didn’t have all these distractions, we’d be a little more inclined to do a better job of our work. Maybe the world would spin a little more in line than it usually does. There are always going to be exceptions, distractions. However, every now and then, most people try to get rid of those earthly distractions – just so they can be a little better off.
Today’s scene begins in the same old abandoned warehouse we saw Skyler Striker in earlier in the week. In the middle of the warehouse stands a wrestling ring. The light of day barely manages to shine through the windows at the walls. The air is musty and quiet except for the sound of very light breathing. In the middle of the ring is Striker, thinking. On the outside of the ring is another Striker, reading a book entitled ‘Bono on Bono’. However, the room is devoid of a male presence – Skyler Striker is not present at this time. The two Strikers inside the warehouse are Jade and Katie Striker. Jade Striker is the girl on the outside, reading famous U2 star Bono’s biography. In the middle of the ring is Katie Striker, who suddenly runs and bounces off the bottom rope playfully to see how elastic it actually is. She grins gleefully on her bouncing back to the centre and lets out a childish giggle.
KS: I still can’t believe our father is a famous athlete!
JS: Don’t let him catch you saying that. He hates the term athlete, dear sister. He prefers wrestler. Or superstar. So egotistical.
KS: It’s still really cool. We get to fly on a plane every week, and I get to have coke from the airplane man!
Jade mutters quietly to herself, something about having ‘a long way to go with this one’.
JS: Have you ever been to a wrestling match, sister?
KS: No. My mom said that wrestling was silly. She says my dad liked it, though.
JS: Wrestling is violent, Katie. I wouldn’t expect someone with your demeanour – namely you – to understand or like the sport or the art that is wrestling.
KS: Or? Are you saying that it can’t be a sport and an art?
JS: I may not have so far to go with you after all, sister.
Katie takes another playful leap at the ropes and laughs as she comes back, lying down on the mat and facing the roof.
KS: Why are we still here? You said dad would be here by now.
JS: He’s probably just taking his time thinking, that’s all. He’s very strange in a lot of ways. Very different to all the other wrestlers.
KS: So why are we here?
JS: We’re here because this is where he comes to train, and he needs to learn a lesson. He’s being bullied around.
KS: By who?
JS: A man called Creeping Death.
KS: That’s not a very nice name.
JS: Yeah, he’s even less nice in person. He’s dad’s opponent for this week-
The two girls are interrupted by the sound of the warehouse door opening. In through the light of day walks Skyler Striker dressed in his training gear – torn maroon pants and his white shirt as per usual. He takes a quick glance into the warehouse and spots his two children, both of whom are now facing him, Jade having finally pulled her nose out of the book and Katie having slid out of the ring. The two look very similar, the same height, but Katie’s blue eyes are very different to Jade’s green ones. Katie’s glance is curious, while Jade’s is almost accusing.
SS: What are you two doing here? You know that if anyone besides me had come in here, I would never have been able to find you! You’re supposed to be at home, Jade, watching Katie!
JS: We need to talk, father.
Jade’s tone is cold and Skyler almost reels back in shock of the complete lack of emotion in his younger daughter’s voice.
JS: You went against your number one rule and you talked back to CD, father. Why? You swore you would never do it.
SS: Because he insulted my beliefs!
JS: And your reply makes you just as bad as him, father! You made a huge mistake in replying twice. He has ammunition against you now, father.
SS: This isn’t a court of law, Jade.
JS: No, but it is effectively a court of wrestling. If he does it, you ignore him.
SS: I don’t care about any of this! I want you two to wait in the car.
KS: Why?
SS: Because I came to get away from you two for a while! You’re both just distractions to me. Creeping Death was right.
JS: Another fatal mistake. You never admit your opponent is right, father. Creeping Death is dead wrong and you know it. You don’t have to ignore your family. You fight for us, it’s a motive for your success. You know that. We’re not trouble, we’re here to help you, father. And now that there’s two of us, you should know that you’ve got twice as much to fight for.
Skyler’s silence indicates that his genius daughter is right as usual. Katie remains standing with a curious look on her face and Jade gets a small smug smile on hers, knowing that she has bested her father in a competition of wits yet again.
KS: Dad, I don’t know a lot of the big words Jade was using, but she says that the man you’re wrestling is bad. I want you to beat him.
Skyler smiles at his little adopted daughter and grins at her, bobbing down so he is at eye level with her. Katie smiles and Skyler holds her hands, looking into her deep blue eyes with his fierce red ones.
SS: I want to beat him as well, Katie. I’m going to beat him. I have to.
Skyler stands and Jade grins at him, the love showing on her face now as well. Skyler turns and faces both of his nine-year old daughters.
SS: Not for my World Title… but because this is my chance to prove that my family are as much a part of Skyler Striker as the World Title and my wrestling skills are. Creeping Death is going to get Skyler Striker as he’s never seen him before. If Creeping Death wants wrestling, then he’s going to get the full blast of Skyler Striker, wrestler. Both of you can stay here, but if I’m going to do this in two days, then I’m going to need some time to train.
KS: The bottom rope is very bouncy, dad. You should be careful of it.
Skyler slides into the ring and pulls the top rope, testing its strength. Jade has already turned back to her autobiography and Katie is staring wide-eyed at her father, the professional wrestler and WCF World Champion Skyler Striker, standing in the ring. Skyler turns to her and grins widely.
SS: Thanks, Katie. I’ll be careful.
Skyler begins a warm-up by running the ropes, and Katie looks on at him with great pride in her eyes as the scene begins to end. Before we depart, however, we catch out of the corner of our view Jade Striker, peering over the top of her book, and also giving a look of great admiration towards her father.
Better off without? Not quite. Each to his own. For some people, family are nothing but a distraction. For others… with your family by your side, you’re much, much better off.
Today’s scene begins in the same old abandoned warehouse we saw Skyler Striker in earlier in the week. In the middle of the warehouse stands a wrestling ring. The light of day barely manages to shine through the windows at the walls. The air is musty and quiet except for the sound of very light breathing. In the middle of the ring is Striker, thinking. On the outside of the ring is another Striker, reading a book entitled ‘Bono on Bono’. However, the room is devoid of a male presence – Skyler Striker is not present at this time. The two Strikers inside the warehouse are Jade and Katie Striker. Jade Striker is the girl on the outside, reading famous U2 star Bono’s biography. In the middle of the ring is Katie Striker, who suddenly runs and bounces off the bottom rope playfully to see how elastic it actually is. She grins gleefully on her bouncing back to the centre and lets out a childish giggle.
KS: I still can’t believe our father is a famous athlete!
JS: Don’t let him catch you saying that. He hates the term athlete, dear sister. He prefers wrestler. Or superstar. So egotistical.
KS: It’s still really cool. We get to fly on a plane every week, and I get to have coke from the airplane man!
Jade mutters quietly to herself, something about having ‘a long way to go with this one’.
JS: Have you ever been to a wrestling match, sister?
KS: No. My mom said that wrestling was silly. She says my dad liked it, though.
JS: Wrestling is violent, Katie. I wouldn’t expect someone with your demeanour – namely you – to understand or like the sport or the art that is wrestling.
KS: Or? Are you saying that it can’t be a sport and an art?
JS: I may not have so far to go with you after all, sister.
Katie takes another playful leap at the ropes and laughs as she comes back, lying down on the mat and facing the roof.
KS: Why are we still here? You said dad would be here by now.
JS: He’s probably just taking his time thinking, that’s all. He’s very strange in a lot of ways. Very different to all the other wrestlers.
KS: So why are we here?
JS: We’re here because this is where he comes to train, and he needs to learn a lesson. He’s being bullied around.
KS: By who?
JS: A man called Creeping Death.
KS: That’s not a very nice name.
JS: Yeah, he’s even less nice in person. He’s dad’s opponent for this week-
The two girls are interrupted by the sound of the warehouse door opening. In through the light of day walks Skyler Striker dressed in his training gear – torn maroon pants and his white shirt as per usual. He takes a quick glance into the warehouse and spots his two children, both of whom are now facing him, Jade having finally pulled her nose out of the book and Katie having slid out of the ring. The two look very similar, the same height, but Katie’s blue eyes are very different to Jade’s green ones. Katie’s glance is curious, while Jade’s is almost accusing.
SS: What are you two doing here? You know that if anyone besides me had come in here, I would never have been able to find you! You’re supposed to be at home, Jade, watching Katie!
JS: We need to talk, father.
Jade’s tone is cold and Skyler almost reels back in shock of the complete lack of emotion in his younger daughter’s voice.
JS: You went against your number one rule and you talked back to CD, father. Why? You swore you would never do it.
SS: Because he insulted my beliefs!
JS: And your reply makes you just as bad as him, father! You made a huge mistake in replying twice. He has ammunition against you now, father.
SS: This isn’t a court of law, Jade.
JS: No, but it is effectively a court of wrestling. If he does it, you ignore him.
SS: I don’t care about any of this! I want you two to wait in the car.
KS: Why?
SS: Because I came to get away from you two for a while! You’re both just distractions to me. Creeping Death was right.
JS: Another fatal mistake. You never admit your opponent is right, father. Creeping Death is dead wrong and you know it. You don’t have to ignore your family. You fight for us, it’s a motive for your success. You know that. We’re not trouble, we’re here to help you, father. And now that there’s two of us, you should know that you’ve got twice as much to fight for.
Skyler’s silence indicates that his genius daughter is right as usual. Katie remains standing with a curious look on her face and Jade gets a small smug smile on hers, knowing that she has bested her father in a competition of wits yet again.
KS: Dad, I don’t know a lot of the big words Jade was using, but she says that the man you’re wrestling is bad. I want you to beat him.
Skyler smiles at his little adopted daughter and grins at her, bobbing down so he is at eye level with her. Katie smiles and Skyler holds her hands, looking into her deep blue eyes with his fierce red ones.
SS: I want to beat him as well, Katie. I’m going to beat him. I have to.
Skyler stands and Jade grins at him, the love showing on her face now as well. Skyler turns and faces both of his nine-year old daughters.
SS: Not for my World Title… but because this is my chance to prove that my family are as much a part of Skyler Striker as the World Title and my wrestling skills are. Creeping Death is going to get Skyler Striker as he’s never seen him before. If Creeping Death wants wrestling, then he’s going to get the full blast of Skyler Striker, wrestler. Both of you can stay here, but if I’m going to do this in two days, then I’m going to need some time to train.
KS: The bottom rope is very bouncy, dad. You should be careful of it.
Skyler slides into the ring and pulls the top rope, testing its strength. Jade has already turned back to her autobiography and Katie is staring wide-eyed at her father, the professional wrestler and WCF World Champion Skyler Striker, standing in the ring. Skyler turns to her and grins widely.
SS: Thanks, Katie. I’ll be careful.
Skyler begins a warm-up by running the ropes, and Katie looks on at him with great pride in her eyes as the scene begins to end. Before we depart, however, we catch out of the corner of our view Jade Striker, peering over the top of her book, and also giving a look of great admiration towards her father.
Better off without? Not quite. Each to his own. For some people, family are nothing but a distraction. For others… with your family by your side, you’re much, much better off.
