06-05-2020, 02:29 PM
Quote:** DISCLAIMER: This CD does get graphic. A little disturbing. It hit me while writing, considering what is currently going on, to be on the safe side of things, I am adding the disclaimer. Remember, you've been warned. **
May 19th, 2020
Hotel
Doncaster
It was an hour after EMERGE 39. The pull apart brawl between Melissa Killgraves and Annabelle Burchard was fresh on her mind as she sat at the head of the bed. No face paint required. The war paint was only for the shows. Would be awkward to walk among the general public with face paint. Not that she cared all that much these days about how she was perceived, though she was surprised she got a largely positive reaction from the crowd. She chalked that up to facing Sierra Swann and being engulfed in a never ending war of attrition with Melissa Killgraves.
Melissa drove her into the corner turnbuckle. Annabelle fought off the powerhouse. Earned a moment of reprieve by dropping kicking Melissa through the ropes. Annabelle shots through the middle rope, taking down Killgraves at the expense of her own well being. She smiles remembering how she tried to blast Killgraves with a wrench, it was a shame Killgraves thwarted a potential career ending predicament. Melissa slamming Annabelle into the apron wasn’t a pleasant experience, no pain no gain. She couldn’t let Melissa have the last laugh, whatever she was trying to accomplish dragging her up the ramp Annabelle managed to free herself connecting a stunner. Before Annabelle and Melissa knew it, security came out. Dani, the new GM, came out to announce a Four Corners Bullrope Match. All that consumed Annabelle in the moment was all the “pleasant” things she would be able to do to Killgraves knowing the bull rope could keep her and Melissa stuck with each other.
With Annabelle lost in the ecstasy of the evening's events, she didn’t notice Benjamin Flynn pacing the floor.
His relentless pacing finally snaps Annabelle out of the euphoric trance she was in.
“Ben… can you please stop?” Annabelle asked nicely.
Benjamin does as Annabelle requests. With a sheepish smile on his face he responds. “Sorry. I do my best thinking when pacing.”
Annabelle blinks twice. “Ok.”
“This might run contrary to what we spoke about earlier. Here me out. Just spitballing here. Feel free to say no.” Ben said.
Annabelle nods, giving Benjamin permission to speak his mind. She looks down at the floor.
Ben pushes through with his pitch. “We should consider the big picture here. Your bull rope match with Melissa is great and all. This is the statement match you need to put the entire EMERGE roster on notice. We can also use this contest as a means to a bigger end. Regardless of the actual result of this match, the Unforgiven will still be your enemy. It is only a matter of time Dani will place you in a situation where you are going to fight, Willow. Cindy has already asserted herself physically with Wasley. The mentality of a tribe will always be US against THEM, at least you accepted who you truly are. You, well, WE are still not one of them. We’ll always be targets. Doubt Ms. Todd forgot how I stood up to her as the Faux General Manager.”
Ben breathes a sigh of relief The Unforgiven didn’t lay a hand on him. Doubts luck will be on his side now that he’s back in a managerial role. “So, what I am proposing is this. Do what you need to do against Melissa. No holding back. But we should consider forming a partnership with Ms. Todd. Before you say anything, her trustworthiness could come into question. And the perception you would be seen as another pawn in her grand design. Wrestling has always been a game of tribalism and politics. What do you say?”
Annabelle didn’t raise her head the entire time Ben was speaking. She was lost in the confines of her own thoughts. The battle with Melissa kept replaying in her mind over and over again on loop. The more she replayed the earlier nights events along with punting Melissa in the head a month ago, the adrenaline surged through her body. She lifted her head. Stood up. Walked the short distance separating her and Ben. She grabbed his suit jacket. Pulling him closer…
Ben said. “Um Annabelle, what do you think of my pitch?”
The only response Benjamin received was Annabelle slowly kissing him. He didn’t react initially. She was too lost in her own thoughts to care. Annabelle kept on. Then Benjamin gave him. Started kissing her back. She guided him towards the bed. Pulling Ben on top of her they continued kissing. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Things were going well until… he pulled back.
“Anna! Did you hear a word I said?” Ben asked.
Annabelle shook her head. “No. Shut up and kiss me, Ben.”
“We can’t do this!” Ben said forcibly.
She lets him go.
Benjamin rose to his feet.
Annabelle sighs. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Benjamin tries to say in the most reassuring voice possible. “Sounds cliché, but it’s not you. This is on me.”
Annabelle looks down at the floor again. “Leave. I fucked up. Sorry.”
“Can I explain? This time, listen to me, please?” Ben asks.
Annabelle looks up at him. “Alright.”
Ben sits down on the bed next to Annabelle. He places his hand on her knee. “I am what a psychologist would call a sexual sadist. My sexual arousal comes from the pain and humiliation of other people. If there was a way to shut off this quirk I would. Abigail [Lindsay] would tell you how far I used to go to satisfy my desire to feel any sexual gratification. I used to abduct women. Take them to an undisclosed location. Have my fun. Fortunately I never got caught. Being a public figure now I can’t go under the radar like that anymore.”
Annabelle tilts her head to the side. “Was your father the same way? Your mother?”
Ben shakes his head. “Mom? No. She was a saint. My father on the other hand--” Ben’s voice trails off. “Don’t know who he is. There is a likely possibility my father or someone on my father’s side was this way. Being speculative isn’t going to help. Long story short Annabelle, your attempt at seduction was admirable. Hot kissing, groping does not get me in the mood. See. Not you, Ana.”
Ben squeezes her knee. Annabelle smiles. Ben’s words healed her almost damaged pride.
Ben rose to his feet again. He walks towards the door. Confused, Annabelle calls out. “Wait!”
Ben stops. He turns around. “I’ll be back, promise. I need some fresh air.”
Annabelle breathes a sigh of relief. “Ok. See you later.”
She watches as Benjamin leaves her hotel room. Annabelle lays back.
What better time than now to get some sleep?
.
.
.
Annabelle’s eyes flutter open. She doesn’t know how long she has been out. The first thing she became aware of was a very distinct smell of perfume? Why would the scent of a woman’s perfume assault her senses. Turning to the left she was awakened to a white woman who appeared to be in her twenties laying next to her. Annabelle rolls out of bed. The unidentified woman is asleep. How? Why? Was this a dream? She couldn’t have left the hotel to pick up a random woman. Benjamin walked out the bathroom still wearing his khaki pants, minus the suit shirt-jacket-shoes and socks. She storms over to him.
Point at the unidentified woman she screams “What the hell?”
Ben rested his hand on Annabelle’s shoulder. “Calm down.”
“Why is there a woman laying next to me, Ben?” Annabelle demanded to know.
“I felt bad about turning you down earlier. Let me rephrase that. I noticed the disappointment on your face. Since we are partners in crime now, I figure it is the right thing to do to give you exactly what you require. So I went to a questionable part of Dorcaster. Found this lovely lady. And before you jump the gun I didn’t kidnap, Peaches. No foul play involved. I explained to her my situation. My specific quirks. For a handsome price she agreed to be of service.”
Annabelle looks at the woman. Then back at Ben. “She’s knocked out.”
“Only temporary. She’ll wake up soon, then the fun can begin. What is going to happen is I am going to torture her. I’ll be in the mood necessary for us to have relations. Win-win.” Benjamin smirks.
Annabelle raises her eyebrow in horror. One thing to listen to Benjamin talk about how depraved he is. To actually see him go to these lengths to give her what was denied? She turns her back to him. Walks over to the unconscious woman. Her heart sank. Annabelle looks at Benjamin. She shakes her head.
“No Ben! Not like this. I can’t let anyone else become collateral damage because of me.” Annabelle says firmly.
Ben looks confused. “She took the money already. Peaches agreed to the terms. No crime is being committed.”
“Other than solicitation?” Annabelle fired back.
“Is it solicitation if I don’t have sex with her?” Ben shrugs.
“Regardless Benjamin, not like this.” Annabelle stood firm in her assertion.
“I’m confused. I was under the assumption this is the life you wanted to live.”
Annabelle sighs. She walks over to Benjamin. She grabs his hand. Looking softly into his eyes. “Do I share some of the tendencies my father has? Yes. There is a difference between me and my Father. I need to have a set of rules in order not to become a complete monster. People like Melissa are fair game. This woman--” she points to Peaches. “is likely a lost soul. Her only crime is selling herself to the highest bidder. Not enough to torture her. Far as I’m concerned she’s innocent. That’s where I draw the line, no innocents. Her pain won’t be on my hands. However--” Annabelle grabs Benjamin’s belt. She unbuckles it. Removing the belt from his pants, she wraps the belt around her neck. “Punish me.”
Shocked by this, Benjamin tilts his head to the side. “Are you sure?
Annabelle nods. “Yes. Five years ago I made a promise to never don the face paint again. I swore never to become the monster my Father is. I may have certain rules, Ben. I am not going to be one of those people who believe only targeting innocents makes me better than those who choose to hurt those regardless of what crime they committed. I deserve to suffer for turning my back on the redemption path. Go ahead, Ben. Don’t deny yourself who you are. I’m giving you permission to be my executioner.”
Benjamin grabs hold of the belt. He tightens the grip around Annabelle’s neck lightly at first. She squirms.
He releases his grip around her neck. “We don’t have to--”
“Punish me!!” Annabelle hisses.
With free reign, Benjamin tightens the grip around Annabelle’s neck. He applies just enough pressure so she can at least breath enough to avoid passing out. Despite the reprieve, enough of her strength has been zapped. Her legs are getting weak. She can’t stand. Ben, recognizing this, gently guides her down so she is resting on her knees. Then Annabelle feels the back of his boot planted on her back. Closing her eyes she braces for the inevitable.
Oxygen is cut off.
Blood flow has stopped.
She is close to fading completely…
And then Benjamin lets go. Annabelle falls to the floor face first. She clutches her neck struggling to breath.
Benjamin positions Annabelle on her back.
She continues to struggle for breath.
Looking into Benjamin’s eyes did distract her from the pain she is feeling. In her short time knowing him, she had never seen him so animated. In a strange way that brought a smile to her face. Though she was more focused on her own struggle than anything else, bringing a smile to someones face does feel good. She didn’t feel the need to say anything to him. She had a feeling he knew what to do.
This is who he is.
This is who she is.
With one kiss from Ben, the world made sense to her for the first time in ages…
–
<< PROMO TIME >>
The scene cuts into a small room. The only lights within the small space are the candles that form a circle around Annabelle Burchard. Her legs are folded. Hands resting on her knees. On this day she is not wearing her face paint.
“Is Dani under the impression that forcing the two of us to be joined at the hip by a bull rope will settle this dispute between us once and for all?” Annabelle chuckles. “Our General Manager is deftly naive.”
“As long as The Unforgiven exist, there will never be an end. Not for me. I don’t stand on the side of The Resistance. I am not friendly with any of their contingent. None of them care about me. They are obsessed with their lives intertwined within the bubble they are so comfortable existing in.”
“I don’t wave the same flag as Willow, Cindy and Melissa either. Going out of my way to burn this company down to rebuild it in Ms. Todd’s image feels a bit extreme. In that respect, I will always be a target. Especially when I indulge in every dark fantasy I’ve had over the past three weeks. I plan on wrapping the bull rope Dani believes will solve matters around Melissa’s neck. Choking her out, hearing the sound of my sister gasping for every, single, precious… breath that she can. Music to my ears. I can’t imagine Ms. Todd being a fan of me sending Melissa back to her a far more broken woman than she was when you accepted Melissa into the family.”
“You see, I have a solution to all of this.”
Annabelle takes a deep breath before continuing. “Ms. Todd, here is the offer I am extending. Should I be the one to touch all four corners in my match against your chosen, you let me be. No retaliation. You send no one else from your vast amount of resources to bother me. If Dani schedules a match between me and Willow, so be it. Under no circumstance are you to actively send anyone to cause me disturbance. I wasn’t thinking about your Unforgiven when this first started. All I wanted to do was compete. Walk down my path of redemption. Simply exist. Thanks to you, Melissa, Aiken… I haven’t been able to enjoy a moment of peace. I want to earn my freedom, Ms. Todd. So, when I end this with Melissa, you forget I exist.”
“BUT--” Annabelle pauses. There is a slight hesitation before she extends her counter offer. “--if your chosen beats me, I’ll become your ally. Not your hired gun. Not a dog on a leash. I am not another Willow or Melissa or Sundown. My soul does not belong to you. Quite simple. I am only interested in punishing the guilty. Those who deserve to be hurt in the name of God’s Wrath. Being the embodiment of God’s Vengeance isn’t a cute moniker only found in a comic book, I am one hundred percent committed to my path, as you of yours. Doesn’t matter what side of the party line we are on, there is bound to be a guilty party, no one is pure. The benefit of having me on your side in all this? I look the other way when it comes to whatever The Unforgiven decides to do. That I am the lone judge, jury and executioner, If I don’t agree with who you believe is guilty, I have the power to say no.”
“You love power, don’t you? Willow was EMERGE champion without you. Like a lost little puppy she ran back. Melissa, my sister, is a former RUSH Champion. Accomplished that feat without you, questionable circumstances be damned. She still bent the knee. Sundown, a mountain of a man who could crush the entire roster if he chose, pledged his existence to your cause. For months since that fateful day you made an example out of Mrs. Sky, you have the rest of the roster scurrying, banding together, all in the hope of driving The Unforgiven out. Who needs the EMERGE Championship or any championship with the fear you inspire?”
“Have you ever taken into account what I want?”
“I doubt that.”
Annabelle sighs. “Allow me to spell this out for you, Ms. Todd. I want this to end. One way or another we reach our final impass. You let me be OR I become an ally. If you are so confident in Melissa’s abilities, if you believe in the monster you molded, accept my conditions.”
“You don’t strike me as a woman who fears anything. What do you have to lose?”
“You're on the clock, Ms. Todd. I patiently await your answer…”
Annabelle blows out the candles. Scene fades to darkness.