Post by Henry Spearman on Aug 7, 2016 10:12:45 GMT -5
The Scene opens in a parking lot in a rundown section of town. The door to Henrys Subaru Crosstrek opens and he steps outside onto the pavement. He is wearing blue basketball shorts and a grey tee shirt. He grabs a gym bag off the passenger seat and shuts his door. He looks around the desolate parking lot. There are only two other cars there. A huge Ford Bronco that Henry recognizes as Johns Landsmans and a beat up old Cadillac. The building in front of Henry looks ready to fall down at any moment but Henry shrugs his shoulders and heads towards the front door. There is no sign or anything marking the place as a business. Henry opens the door and walks in
Inside there are two wrestling rings, a few punching bags and some weight benches and power racks. Henry notices John sitting on a couch at the far end of the room watching TV. John looks over and Henry waves. Johns eyes light up and he pops up from the couch.
“Big hoss!! Glad you decided to come on out. I was getting worried you wouldn’t show. You still got my card?”
“Oh, Uhhh yea I think so. I didn’t think you actually meant you only have one”
“Course I only got one. Why would I lie?”
“Well because its super easy to just make more than one. You know, computers and stuff”
“Pfft, fuck computers. Am I right?!”
Henry gives him a confused look
“Umm yea”
John gives Henry a big pat on the back and Henry heads towards the couch. Sitting down he pops a set of ring boots from his bag and begins lacing them up. A man roughly his age walks looks over at him from the ring. He stops tightening the ropes and walks over.
“You Spearman?”
“I am”
“Heard a lot about you”
“Have you?”
“Yep”
“Good things?”
“Great things”
“Well that’s good I guess”
“John thinks you’re the next big thing. Maybe even his big break as a trainer. Thinks you’re gonna make him a pretty rich man”
“Oh really? What do you think?”
“I think if hes right, we all win”
Henry laughs
“Well I suppose that’s true”
The man extends his hand
“Im Jerry. Jerry Doherty”
Henry takes the man’s hand and shakes it. He notices the man’s grip is like a vice.
“Nice to meet you Jerry. Hell of a grip you got there. You a worker?”
“Nah. John trained me and I worked the Indies for a while but it just wasn’t for me. I’m just a fan. Wasn’t really cut out for the life. I’m John’s right hand man now. I set up the rings, clean the place up. A little bit of this and that.”
“And you think John can make me a world champ?”
Jerry shrugs his shoulders and smiles
Henry nods his head and the two get up and walk towards the ring. Henry climbs through the ropes and pulls on them to test them a bit. John walks over and follows him into the ring.
“Now listen here Big Hoss. I was watching some of your shit. Youre big and strong but you got no technique. That’s where I come in. Im gonna teach you all the little nuances that you only learn with 30 years’ experience. After that, youll be golden.”
“Ok, lets do it”
The two begin training a bit and it quickly becomes apparent to Henry that John is not exactly as qualified as he may have led Henry to believe. His movement is slow but its not due so much to his age as it is lack of skill. There may have been talent here at some point but it most likely wasn’t in wrestling. In between drills Henry glances down at Jerry who is painting ring posts outside on the floor. The two make eye contact and Jerry smiles.
The training continues for about a half an hour. Henry easily going through all the various drills John had planned for him. It is mostly basic stuff and henry was glad he didn’t pay for it. Finally John called for an end to the session
“Ok Hoss, go get showered up. Your done for the day. Hell of a job in there. Youll be a champ in no time. Listen, I’m gonna go get a Whopper. Lock this place up when you two are done, will ya Jerry?”
“Sure thing boss”
John heads for the door and kicks it open with his foot. A moment later his bronco can be heard roaring out of the parking lot.
Henry turned to Jerry who was laughing now.
“You knew that didn’t you?”
“Knew what?”
“Don’t play dumb, you knew that guy had zero wrestling ability”
Jerry composes himself and looks at Henry with a twinkle in his eye
“Of course I knew.”
“So why didn’t you warn me?!”
“Funnier not to. Listen, in this business, its better to have your own plan for success. Don’t rely on to many people. Enjoy this place for what it is, but it isn’t going to make you a champ. You need to come up with your own plans. Your own schemes. Follow your own path. Make your own money”
Henry looks curiously at Jerry
“What are you doing here Jerry?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you here? I know you cant be making much money”
“Almost none at all”
“So why do you stay?”
“Well first, John is a riot. Secondly, this does the job until I make my big payday and don’t you mistake it, that payday is coming. I came up with this killer idea to get rich fast. Its in the works”
“Whats the idea?”
“Cant tell you that”
“Why not?”
“Cause I don’t even know you.”
“Well don’t you want an opinion on whether it’s a good idea or not?”
“Don’t need one. It’s a good idea”
“Ok then.”
Jerry smiles and gives Henry a little “You got it” point. Henry heads back to the small couch and starts unlacing his boots. Jerry calls over to him
“So whats on the agenda for this week?”
“At slam? A tag match. I team up with CJ Phoenix to take on Kevin Bishop and Lester Parrish.”
“Easy match?”
“No match is ever easy. Both these guys can go. They came in real hot, made a bit of a splash, captured a couple titles, won a few matches and really made a name for themselves. They came in right about the time there was a big influx of rookies and they stood out as two of the best. Its going to be a tough match. Plus I have no idea how CJ Is in the ring and where his head is at. We’ve never worked together.”
Jerry looked on intently
“Isnt Lester Parrish that lost soul dude?”
“Exactly. Hell he may as well be a throwback Thursday version of myself. I know this guy. I WAS this guy. His downfall will be that I know exactly what goes on inside a head like his. That’s where hi success comes from. Lester Parrish feeds off the head games that he can play with his opponents. His power comes from that uncertainty on the other side of the ring. That bit of fear that every man has but wont admit to. That is the advantage that Lester Parrish has.”
“But Lester doesn’t have that advantage against me. I was inside that head, I lived that hell that he lives in right now and I beat it. I came out on the other side a better man because of it. I came out on the other side better suited to defeat that kind of evil. Lester can play his head games with everybody else but he cant play them with me. That forgotten soul act isn’t going to scare Henry Spearman. Henry Spearman WAS the forgotten soul.”
“And the Plague?”
Henry smiles and lets out a slight laugh
“You mean the gothic cult leader who has a band of followers behind him and just wants to burn the world down? You mean the guy who has big plans for his own vision of the world? You mean the guy who will rise to power and save the world?”
“Yea, I think thats the guy”
“Yea I’m pretty sure his name was The Heavy Metal Machine Logan. Or wait, no, maybe his name was Neforian. Or better yet, maybe he is just one of the SCORES of men who have come through those doors claiming to be the exact same thing. Originality really is a lost art around here isn’t it?”
“You know. There is one thing that all of those names have in common though.”
“Whats that?”
“None of them are here anymore. You see the thing about crazy cult leaders is that eventually people realize they are crazy cult leaders. People get bored of these guys. People realize that everything that comes out of their mouth is bullshit. People realize that the entire act itself is bullshit.”
“You can be as persuasive as you want when you talk about the evils and the pitfalls of the world but eventually people will out you as the crazy psychopath you are. Kevin Bishop is nothing new here. There is nothing new about the claims he makes. Theres nothing new about the warnings he issues and theres nothing new or interesting about him in general. He is no different than every other sociopath that has ever walked through those doors and he will follow in their footsteps once again when he make your exodus from this place.”
“You know, one of the things that took me a while to realize is that people want someone they can get behind because they like, not because they are scared. Guys like The Plague rely on fear to coerce their “followers” into getting behind them. What they fail to realize is that in order for that to work you need to keep those people scared. Once those people open their eyes and realize that people are out there living their lives and surviving without the leadership of a sociopathic psycho that fear begins to dwindle and then what? One by one your followers wake up. They leave. They move on and make something of themselves. Cults are made to fail. By their very nature and design they rely on tactics that are doomed to fail. Kevin Bishop is doomed to fail.”
Jerry nods his head in agreement
“Youre a good man Henry. I’ll be pulling for you”
Jerry pats Henry on the back and the scene fades to black.
Inside there are two wrestling rings, a few punching bags and some weight benches and power racks. Henry notices John sitting on a couch at the far end of the room watching TV. John looks over and Henry waves. Johns eyes light up and he pops up from the couch.
“Big hoss!! Glad you decided to come on out. I was getting worried you wouldn’t show. You still got my card?”
“Oh, Uhhh yea I think so. I didn’t think you actually meant you only have one”
“Course I only got one. Why would I lie?”
“Well because its super easy to just make more than one. You know, computers and stuff”
“Pfft, fuck computers. Am I right?!”
Henry gives him a confused look
“Umm yea”
John gives Henry a big pat on the back and Henry heads towards the couch. Sitting down he pops a set of ring boots from his bag and begins lacing them up. A man roughly his age walks looks over at him from the ring. He stops tightening the ropes and walks over.
“You Spearman?”
“I am”
“Heard a lot about you”
“Have you?”
“Yep”
“Good things?”
“Great things”
“Well that’s good I guess”
“John thinks you’re the next big thing. Maybe even his big break as a trainer. Thinks you’re gonna make him a pretty rich man”
“Oh really? What do you think?”
“I think if hes right, we all win”
Henry laughs
“Well I suppose that’s true”
The man extends his hand
“Im Jerry. Jerry Doherty”
Henry takes the man’s hand and shakes it. He notices the man’s grip is like a vice.
“Nice to meet you Jerry. Hell of a grip you got there. You a worker?”
“Nah. John trained me and I worked the Indies for a while but it just wasn’t for me. I’m just a fan. Wasn’t really cut out for the life. I’m John’s right hand man now. I set up the rings, clean the place up. A little bit of this and that.”
“And you think John can make me a world champ?”
Jerry shrugs his shoulders and smiles
Henry nods his head and the two get up and walk towards the ring. Henry climbs through the ropes and pulls on them to test them a bit. John walks over and follows him into the ring.
“Now listen here Big Hoss. I was watching some of your shit. Youre big and strong but you got no technique. That’s where I come in. Im gonna teach you all the little nuances that you only learn with 30 years’ experience. After that, youll be golden.”
“Ok, lets do it”
The two begin training a bit and it quickly becomes apparent to Henry that John is not exactly as qualified as he may have led Henry to believe. His movement is slow but its not due so much to his age as it is lack of skill. There may have been talent here at some point but it most likely wasn’t in wrestling. In between drills Henry glances down at Jerry who is painting ring posts outside on the floor. The two make eye contact and Jerry smiles.
The training continues for about a half an hour. Henry easily going through all the various drills John had planned for him. It is mostly basic stuff and henry was glad he didn’t pay for it. Finally John called for an end to the session
“Ok Hoss, go get showered up. Your done for the day. Hell of a job in there. Youll be a champ in no time. Listen, I’m gonna go get a Whopper. Lock this place up when you two are done, will ya Jerry?”
“Sure thing boss”
John heads for the door and kicks it open with his foot. A moment later his bronco can be heard roaring out of the parking lot.
Henry turned to Jerry who was laughing now.
“You knew that didn’t you?”
“Knew what?”
“Don’t play dumb, you knew that guy had zero wrestling ability”
Jerry composes himself and looks at Henry with a twinkle in his eye
“Of course I knew.”
“So why didn’t you warn me?!”
“Funnier not to. Listen, in this business, its better to have your own plan for success. Don’t rely on to many people. Enjoy this place for what it is, but it isn’t going to make you a champ. You need to come up with your own plans. Your own schemes. Follow your own path. Make your own money”
Henry looks curiously at Jerry
“What are you doing here Jerry?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you here? I know you cant be making much money”
“Almost none at all”
“So why do you stay?”
“Well first, John is a riot. Secondly, this does the job until I make my big payday and don’t you mistake it, that payday is coming. I came up with this killer idea to get rich fast. Its in the works”
“Whats the idea?”
“Cant tell you that”
“Why not?”
“Cause I don’t even know you.”
“Well don’t you want an opinion on whether it’s a good idea or not?”
“Don’t need one. It’s a good idea”
“Ok then.”
Jerry smiles and gives Henry a little “You got it” point. Henry heads back to the small couch and starts unlacing his boots. Jerry calls over to him
“So whats on the agenda for this week?”
“At slam? A tag match. I team up with CJ Phoenix to take on Kevin Bishop and Lester Parrish.”
“Easy match?”
“No match is ever easy. Both these guys can go. They came in real hot, made a bit of a splash, captured a couple titles, won a few matches and really made a name for themselves. They came in right about the time there was a big influx of rookies and they stood out as two of the best. Its going to be a tough match. Plus I have no idea how CJ Is in the ring and where his head is at. We’ve never worked together.”
Jerry looked on intently
“Isnt Lester Parrish that lost soul dude?”
“Exactly. Hell he may as well be a throwback Thursday version of myself. I know this guy. I WAS this guy. His downfall will be that I know exactly what goes on inside a head like his. That’s where hi success comes from. Lester Parrish feeds off the head games that he can play with his opponents. His power comes from that uncertainty on the other side of the ring. That bit of fear that every man has but wont admit to. That is the advantage that Lester Parrish has.”
“But Lester doesn’t have that advantage against me. I was inside that head, I lived that hell that he lives in right now and I beat it. I came out on the other side a better man because of it. I came out on the other side better suited to defeat that kind of evil. Lester can play his head games with everybody else but he cant play them with me. That forgotten soul act isn’t going to scare Henry Spearman. Henry Spearman WAS the forgotten soul.”
“And the Plague?”
Henry smiles and lets out a slight laugh
“You mean the gothic cult leader who has a band of followers behind him and just wants to burn the world down? You mean the guy who has big plans for his own vision of the world? You mean the guy who will rise to power and save the world?”
“Yea, I think thats the guy”
“Yea I’m pretty sure his name was The Heavy Metal Machine Logan. Or wait, no, maybe his name was Neforian. Or better yet, maybe he is just one of the SCORES of men who have come through those doors claiming to be the exact same thing. Originality really is a lost art around here isn’t it?”
“You know. There is one thing that all of those names have in common though.”
“Whats that?”
“None of them are here anymore. You see the thing about crazy cult leaders is that eventually people realize they are crazy cult leaders. People get bored of these guys. People realize that everything that comes out of their mouth is bullshit. People realize that the entire act itself is bullshit.”
“You can be as persuasive as you want when you talk about the evils and the pitfalls of the world but eventually people will out you as the crazy psychopath you are. Kevin Bishop is nothing new here. There is nothing new about the claims he makes. Theres nothing new about the warnings he issues and theres nothing new or interesting about him in general. He is no different than every other sociopath that has ever walked through those doors and he will follow in their footsteps once again when he make your exodus from this place.”
“You know, one of the things that took me a while to realize is that people want someone they can get behind because they like, not because they are scared. Guys like The Plague rely on fear to coerce their “followers” into getting behind them. What they fail to realize is that in order for that to work you need to keep those people scared. Once those people open their eyes and realize that people are out there living their lives and surviving without the leadership of a sociopathic psycho that fear begins to dwindle and then what? One by one your followers wake up. They leave. They move on and make something of themselves. Cults are made to fail. By their very nature and design they rely on tactics that are doomed to fail. Kevin Bishop is doomed to fail.”
Jerry nods his head in agreement
“Youre a good man Henry. I’ll be pulling for you”
Jerry pats Henry on the back and the scene fades to black.
