Post by zombie on Oct 27, 2019 9:26:55 GMT -5
Slumber, oh slumber, how I miss it.
Who has awoken us?
It was her! It was that girl again. She plays her games without realizing what she is messing with.
How shall we get back to our dreadful bliss?
Not until she is done with us.
What are we, toys?
No, but look. She has brought someone for us to play with this time.
Is this hide and seek? She is following that man so quietly. Truly, she is one of us. Oh, she laughs just like my granddaughter.
“Who was that? Who is there…. Ok, Smokey Mayfield. You’re talking to yourself because you ain’t afraid of nothing! You are golden. Just find the damn light switch.”
What a vulgar man. What is that commotion outside. I bet he caused it.
Look at his skin. I saw some of those in the war. They were-
Do not get started about the war. I don’t want to see any of the other veterans.
She has a flashlight. Why isn’t she helping him?
Let her play her games and watch. Look she is about to reveal herself.
“Hi, Mr. Mayfiled.”
Silly girl. He almost jumped out of his skin.
“Fuck! Why are you sneaking up on me like that? What’s with your face?”
“My paint? This is what makes me comfortable. Haven’t you seen it before?”
“No. I skipped right to my boy, Cosmo Cooper’s, matches. You people are crazy! Look at yourself sneaking around in the dark. With that teddybear. A little demon is what you are. Quit playing with me. I ain’t the one.”
“It was a gift.”
“You like scary movies, don’t you? Look. Your crazy ass sister is up on the roof so I need to get out of here. I’ve done fallen four times already trying to find a light switch because this place is a dump. Got all this shit everywhere. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I need to get the hell out of this town. I’ll get you whatever you want if you lead me out.”
“It’s ok I can do this. I can see that you are agitated, but don’t worry. That is just your amygdala telling your brain that you are in danger. Your fear is manifesting in the sweat and goosebumps on your skin. You are out of breath, but your body is fueling you with adrenaline because the unknown lurks in this darkness. The isolation heightens this effect along with the pain from the first few falls you suffered. The sudden movements from the rats and myself are causing your eyes to play tricks on you. Don’t worry, I know where the stairs and elevator shaft are so you won’t be falling and incapacitating yourself to be left here forever. So in a way, this fear is a good thing. Also, we are not alone! Just follow us.”
That is why she calls on us, you know. She gets lonely.
I wish she would find common ground with her kind and let us sleep.
Hopefully not with that dreadful man. What can she possibly have in common with that sort?
“Hey, I think I know why Siberia likes you so much. You are a man of guidance. You shape the careers of champions, right?”
“She said that? I guess you could say I am the brains behind the muscle. Right now, though, I need you to guide me the hell up outta here. Got me stepping into cobwebs and shit… What did you mean by ‘us?’”
“This place used to be a hospice.”
Oh right, that’s what I was doing. Look they are passing my room. Hi!
“What are you waving at?”
“Nothing.”
Not I, I have been on these lands for cen-
We know, Mr. Bigshot Samurai-san. Well, your family declined in power so it is ours now. I want to hear more about this man. Have they started settling here?
“How long are you staying with us?”
“I am on my way to the airport as soon as you get me out of here and I get past all your cronies. How big is this place?”
My lands used to be vast.
“It is not so big anymore. The stairs are just around this corner. May I ask you something?”
“You just did. Ah! What is that? Is it a bat?! I’m putting my jacket over my head.”
He doesn’t even have hair.
Those people are strange. Good fighters, but brutes. Silly Americans.
“Those are butterflies…”
How did they get in here?
“I think it is a message from the universe.”
“Why are we stopping for?”
“I said I have a question. What makes a good champion? I have been trying to figure it out. I was a champion for a while and I wonder if I did well with that title. Now with the UnYielding Title shot, I am wondering if I am worthy of the task.”
“Why didn’t you get my number from Siberia and ask me through text or something?”
“I am closer to death here. I need to be in a certain frame of mind for the match at 7 Pillars. Zachariah Krahe almost killed me one time.”
So that is why she summoned us. I can tell her how to be a great warrior.
So she’s a fighter, huh? I can show her how to get back at the guy.
I think she should just forgive him.
“I cannot forgive him. I fear that if he gets to me in the match I will forget the main objective, and focus on getting my revenge. He is different now than when he won the match a year ago. He cares now. It is not about a job or money. He wants redemption. I think the opponents this time around inspire him. Not in a good way. He is in search of meaning now, and regaining this title will help. This will also mean making me pay for what I did to his friend. He is out for blood. From everyone involved”
Witness her feet. They are wet, yet her thighs have scorch marks. Smoke is coming from her hair!
How can he not see it with those big round eyes?
It is like she said, she is more connected to us here than with him.
“What’s that smell?”
“I don’t smell anything, Mr.Mayfield.”
“Forget it. You’re talking about that gauntlet, right? Listen, I wouldn’t worry about him. A champion only obsesses about one thing. That’s the championship. You gotta see it in your dreams, you want it so bad. People like that don’t know what the hell they want. If you get him just bait him in and someone will take him out.”
“What of those that want it as a vehicle to further their own agendas? Indi Ryder and Kaven Drell are big seducers. I think they hope to gain a larger standing in the organization so that the way they view the world spreads to more people. I am open to their ideas, but my mind is pretty occupied.”
I concur.
You see that aura, too?
I am choosing to ignore it. She looks innocent enough with that bear.
“Please, don’t look at me like that, Mr. Mayfield. I mean to say that I do not have the will to fall for any games. I am here to fight and grow as a person. This is my first big test in Valor. They are only distractions speaking with third eyes and forked tongues. I believe that if you follow or not, it will only lead to ruin since you will lose yourself in the process. They want mindless clones, and I fight so hard every day to keep my mind intact. I don’t want to let them in.”
I was in a cult once. I just handed over all my money, but I ditched them after the incident with the trains.
“What are you laughing at? If you don’t want to let them in, or whatever, just focus on the task at hand, as I said. We’re all just people, and people aren’t that smart. They’re just broken people that got too sad and bored and had some dumb epiphany that they try to infect others with. Stay in your lane. Keep your eye on the prize. Can we move now?”
Is that what passes for wisdom in this day and age?
I like it. I guess they’re not so dumb after all.
“I agree. You’re not so bad.”
“You’re stopping again. How long are these stairs?”
“Just one more thing. I don’t know what to make of the others. Miss Katya might have the right obsession that you speak of but it is one born of failure. She might be going headlong into this with the right goal in mind. I admire her will, but the desperation might hurt her. This might also be a determination that I will need to conquer if she survives long enough. I will prepare for this. I will not be like Moxie James. I fear that her heart might not be into this. It is disappointing to lose her single shot and now the odds are even more against her than Miss Katya’s were. Her only saving grace is coming in last. She will be fresh, and she has a lot of faith in her body, but will my experience prove to be the deciding factor if I face her?”
“Experience? How old are you? You look like you should be out trick or treating. Spooky ass.”
“I have been wrestling a lot lately. I know how mentally challenging a setback can be, but I also know what it means to come back from the jaws of defeat. I have fought against my enemies and my best friends. I may look like someone that does not belong in a match like this, but I am ready to give all of myself for this opportunity. Miss Katya and Moxie James may have the desire for this title after weeks of fighting over it and sacrificing for it, but their spirit is far too damaged for this process. I believe I proved myself enough, already. I can be everything they fear. I am the ultimate unknown in this match. My skill will be the thing to give people goosebumps. This gauntlet will not burn, or shine, or be survived. I will plummet everything into the dark where I am strongest.”
“Please don’t tell me that flashlight is going out. Here let me tap it. Okay… so you are facing some megalomaniacs and some losers. Sounds easy so what are you worrying about? Stop thinking about others and believe in yourself. Like Cooper did!”
“He caused all this with his departure, you know. This made people like Rizzo drop the UnYielding title and people like Cross Recoba to believe so highly of themselves that they became downright delusional. I have proven myself to him directly. More importantly, I have proven him wrong. He still underestimates me and believes that I am the sum of my betters. His desperation will be one to keep the shreds of his own inflated identity intact. With this match, I hope to break it at last.”
“So an even bigger loser? You got this, girl… Why are we going down more, I thought this place had only two floors. GAH!”
What is that wailing? Is it you?
No, I’ve just been listening. I thought it was her messing with the man.
It was not me. Those are not the cries of the dead.
“Oh. I forgot to tell you. Sometimes pensioners here commit crimes to get sanctuary in jail. Siberia had me lock a few of them up in the morgue so they can appreciate being alive and free on the outside. Let’s go keep them company.”
“Nope.”
He’s getting away! After him.
Tug on his jacket.
Throw the chairs in his way.
Don’t let him open the exit!
Knock over the bookcase.
“What the hell?!”
“They’re having fun with you!”
He’s headed for the entranceway. Don’t let in the light!
Oh my… That is the most ghoulish laugh I have ever heard.
“Aoki!”
“Ah shit.”
Who has awoken us?
It was her! It was that girl again. She plays her games without realizing what she is messing with.
How shall we get back to our dreadful bliss?
Not until she is done with us.
What are we, toys?
No, but look. She has brought someone for us to play with this time.
Is this hide and seek? She is following that man so quietly. Truly, she is one of us. Oh, she laughs just like my granddaughter.
“Who was that? Who is there…. Ok, Smokey Mayfield. You’re talking to yourself because you ain’t afraid of nothing! You are golden. Just find the damn light switch.”
What a vulgar man. What is that commotion outside. I bet he caused it.
Look at his skin. I saw some of those in the war. They were-
Do not get started about the war. I don’t want to see any of the other veterans.
She has a flashlight. Why isn’t she helping him?
Let her play her games and watch. Look she is about to reveal herself.
“Hi, Mr. Mayfiled.”
Silly girl. He almost jumped out of his skin.
“Fuck! Why are you sneaking up on me like that? What’s with your face?”
“My paint? This is what makes me comfortable. Haven’t you seen it before?”
“No. I skipped right to my boy, Cosmo Cooper’s, matches. You people are crazy! Look at yourself sneaking around in the dark. With that teddybear. A little demon is what you are. Quit playing with me. I ain’t the one.”
“It was a gift.”
“You like scary movies, don’t you? Look. Your crazy ass sister is up on the roof so I need to get out of here. I’ve done fallen four times already trying to find a light switch because this place is a dump. Got all this shit everywhere. I’m tired, I’m hungry, and I need to get the hell out of this town. I’ll get you whatever you want if you lead me out.”
“It’s ok I can do this. I can see that you are agitated, but don’t worry. That is just your amygdala telling your brain that you are in danger. Your fear is manifesting in the sweat and goosebumps on your skin. You are out of breath, but your body is fueling you with adrenaline because the unknown lurks in this darkness. The isolation heightens this effect along with the pain from the first few falls you suffered. The sudden movements from the rats and myself are causing your eyes to play tricks on you. Don’t worry, I know where the stairs and elevator shaft are so you won’t be falling and incapacitating yourself to be left here forever. So in a way, this fear is a good thing. Also, we are not alone! Just follow us.”
That is why she calls on us, you know. She gets lonely.
I wish she would find common ground with her kind and let us sleep.
Hopefully not with that dreadful man. What can she possibly have in common with that sort?
“Hey, I think I know why Siberia likes you so much. You are a man of guidance. You shape the careers of champions, right?”
“She said that? I guess you could say I am the brains behind the muscle. Right now, though, I need you to guide me the hell up outta here. Got me stepping into cobwebs and shit… What did you mean by ‘us?’”
“This place used to be a hospice.”
Oh right, that’s what I was doing. Look they are passing my room. Hi!
“What are you waving at?”
“Nothing.”
Not I, I have been on these lands for cen-
We know, Mr. Bigshot Samurai-san. Well, your family declined in power so it is ours now. I want to hear more about this man. Have they started settling here?
“How long are you staying with us?”
“I am on my way to the airport as soon as you get me out of here and I get past all your cronies. How big is this place?”
My lands used to be vast.
“It is not so big anymore. The stairs are just around this corner. May I ask you something?”
“You just did. Ah! What is that? Is it a bat?! I’m putting my jacket over my head.”
He doesn’t even have hair.
Those people are strange. Good fighters, but brutes. Silly Americans.
“Those are butterflies…”
How did they get in here?
“I think it is a message from the universe.”
“Why are we stopping for?”
“I said I have a question. What makes a good champion? I have been trying to figure it out. I was a champion for a while and I wonder if I did well with that title. Now with the UnYielding Title shot, I am wondering if I am worthy of the task.”
“Why didn’t you get my number from Siberia and ask me through text or something?”
“I am closer to death here. I need to be in a certain frame of mind for the match at 7 Pillars. Zachariah Krahe almost killed me one time.”
So that is why she summoned us. I can tell her how to be a great warrior.
So she’s a fighter, huh? I can show her how to get back at the guy.
I think she should just forgive him.
“I cannot forgive him. I fear that if he gets to me in the match I will forget the main objective, and focus on getting my revenge. He is different now than when he won the match a year ago. He cares now. It is not about a job or money. He wants redemption. I think the opponents this time around inspire him. Not in a good way. He is in search of meaning now, and regaining this title will help. This will also mean making me pay for what I did to his friend. He is out for blood. From everyone involved”
Witness her feet. They are wet, yet her thighs have scorch marks. Smoke is coming from her hair!
How can he not see it with those big round eyes?
It is like she said, she is more connected to us here than with him.
“What’s that smell?”
“I don’t smell anything, Mr.Mayfield.”
“Forget it. You’re talking about that gauntlet, right? Listen, I wouldn’t worry about him. A champion only obsesses about one thing. That’s the championship. You gotta see it in your dreams, you want it so bad. People like that don’t know what the hell they want. If you get him just bait him in and someone will take him out.”
“What of those that want it as a vehicle to further their own agendas? Indi Ryder and Kaven Drell are big seducers. I think they hope to gain a larger standing in the organization so that the way they view the world spreads to more people. I am open to their ideas, but my mind is pretty occupied.”
I concur.
You see that aura, too?
I am choosing to ignore it. She looks innocent enough with that bear.
“Please, don’t look at me like that, Mr. Mayfield. I mean to say that I do not have the will to fall for any games. I am here to fight and grow as a person. This is my first big test in Valor. They are only distractions speaking with third eyes and forked tongues. I believe that if you follow or not, it will only lead to ruin since you will lose yourself in the process. They want mindless clones, and I fight so hard every day to keep my mind intact. I don’t want to let them in.”
I was in a cult once. I just handed over all my money, but I ditched them after the incident with the trains.
“What are you laughing at? If you don’t want to let them in, or whatever, just focus on the task at hand, as I said. We’re all just people, and people aren’t that smart. They’re just broken people that got too sad and bored and had some dumb epiphany that they try to infect others with. Stay in your lane. Keep your eye on the prize. Can we move now?”
Is that what passes for wisdom in this day and age?
I like it. I guess they’re not so dumb after all.
“I agree. You’re not so bad.”
“You’re stopping again. How long are these stairs?”
“Just one more thing. I don’t know what to make of the others. Miss Katya might have the right obsession that you speak of but it is one born of failure. She might be going headlong into this with the right goal in mind. I admire her will, but the desperation might hurt her. This might also be a determination that I will need to conquer if she survives long enough. I will prepare for this. I will not be like Moxie James. I fear that her heart might not be into this. It is disappointing to lose her single shot and now the odds are even more against her than Miss Katya’s were. Her only saving grace is coming in last. She will be fresh, and she has a lot of faith in her body, but will my experience prove to be the deciding factor if I face her?”
“Experience? How old are you? You look like you should be out trick or treating. Spooky ass.”
“I have been wrestling a lot lately. I know how mentally challenging a setback can be, but I also know what it means to come back from the jaws of defeat. I have fought against my enemies and my best friends. I may look like someone that does not belong in a match like this, but I am ready to give all of myself for this opportunity. Miss Katya and Moxie James may have the desire for this title after weeks of fighting over it and sacrificing for it, but their spirit is far too damaged for this process. I believe I proved myself enough, already. I can be everything they fear. I am the ultimate unknown in this match. My skill will be the thing to give people goosebumps. This gauntlet will not burn, or shine, or be survived. I will plummet everything into the dark where I am strongest.”
“Please don’t tell me that flashlight is going out. Here let me tap it. Okay… so you are facing some megalomaniacs and some losers. Sounds easy so what are you worrying about? Stop thinking about others and believe in yourself. Like Cooper did!”
“He caused all this with his departure, you know. This made people like Rizzo drop the UnYielding title and people like Cross Recoba to believe so highly of themselves that they became downright delusional. I have proven myself to him directly. More importantly, I have proven him wrong. He still underestimates me and believes that I am the sum of my betters. His desperation will be one to keep the shreds of his own inflated identity intact. With this match, I hope to break it at last.”
“So an even bigger loser? You got this, girl… Why are we going down more, I thought this place had only two floors. GAH!”
What is that wailing? Is it you?
No, I’ve just been listening. I thought it was her messing with the man.
It was not me. Those are not the cries of the dead.
“Oh. I forgot to tell you. Sometimes pensioners here commit crimes to get sanctuary in jail. Siberia had me lock a few of them up in the morgue so they can appreciate being alive and free on the outside. Let’s go keep them company.”
“Nope.”
He’s getting away! After him.
Tug on his jacket.
Throw the chairs in his way.
Don’t let him open the exit!
Knock over the bookcase.
“What the hell?!”
“They’re having fun with you!”
He’s headed for the entranceway. Don’t let in the light!
Oh my… That is the most ghoulish laugh I have ever heard.
“Aoki!”
“Ah shit.”