Post by Jessica Reed on Dec 16, 2018 17:19:31 GMT
{ Our scene opens up inside the log cabin of Jessica Reed, deep in the woods of the Verona estate. Raid trickles down the windows as the door swings open to reveal a drenched Hannah Reed who frantically searches for a light switch before shaking her head, dispersing raindrops around the room. Hannah looks around the main room which is strewn with litter as she closes the door behind her. }
Hannah Reed: This place is a pig sty…
{ Hannah picks up some cans and tosses them into a basket. She walks towards Jessica, who is curled up under a layer of blankets on her sofa, grabbing a nearby gaming magazine which she rolls up and uses to slap her sister on the side firmly. }
Hannah Reed: Jessica!
{ Jess suddenly jolts up, her eyes wide open as she tries to catch her bearings. Rubbing her eyes she looks over at her sister. }
Hannah Reed: Nice of you to join us.
Jessica Reed: I was just taking a nap, sheesh. What time is it?
Hannah Reed: It’s 6 o’clock.
Jessica Reed: In the morning?
Hannah Reed: In the afternoon.
{ Hannah sighs. }
Hannah Reed: You’ve been staying in bed again, haven’t you? Jess we’ve spoke about this, you can’t…
Jessica Reed: I know, I know…
Hannah Reed: You’ve got to work with me here, even since Roberto…
{ Jess closes her eyes. }
Jessica Reed: Don’t…
Hannah Reed: Ever since Roberto went missing I’ve been alone, I can’t lose you too. Not after you made so much effort to get your life back on track.
Jessica Reed: You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be fine.
{ Hannah sighs. }
Hannah Reed: That’s what you always say, Jess.
Jessica Reed: Perhaps, but I mean it this time.
{ Hannah shakes her head. }
Hannah Reed: Where have I heard that before? Listen, I need you to clean this place up.
Jessica Reed: Why?
Hannah Reed: Well, for one thing, you live in a cabin in the woods, you keep attracting wildlife.
{ Jess throws her arms in the air. }
Jessica Reed: Oh come on, it was one bear, one time!
Hannah Reed: An several racoons… regardless, Roberto’s lawyers who handle his estate will be visiting tomorrow.
Jessica Reed: Why?
{ Jess says sharply. }
Hannah Reed: They’re coming to evaluate his assets, Simon de Montfort…
{ Jess scowls. }
Hannah Reed: Simon has been keeping IWF afloat in his absence, but since he brought the company back into private ownership and he isn’t here to sign off on any further lending they need to ensure that there’s saleable assets in the event of him not returning by the time our deals run out.
Jessica Reed: Could you repeat that in English?
Hannah Reed: Jesus… they’re coming to work out how much the house and grounds are worth, ok!?
Jessica Reed: Wait… are they going to sell everything?
{ Hannah sighs and holds her head to her forehead. }
Hannah Reed: Just… tidy up, please, you’ll be doing me a favour.
{ Hannah turns and walks out of the door, leaving Jess sat up on her sofa. }
Jessica Reed: They can’t… I can’t…
Hannah Reed: This place is a pig sty…
{ Hannah picks up some cans and tosses them into a basket. She walks towards Jessica, who is curled up under a layer of blankets on her sofa, grabbing a nearby gaming magazine which she rolls up and uses to slap her sister on the side firmly. }
Hannah Reed: Jessica!
{ Jess suddenly jolts up, her eyes wide open as she tries to catch her bearings. Rubbing her eyes she looks over at her sister. }
Hannah Reed: Nice of you to join us.
Jessica Reed: I was just taking a nap, sheesh. What time is it?
Hannah Reed: It’s 6 o’clock.
Jessica Reed: In the morning?
Hannah Reed: In the afternoon.
{ Hannah sighs. }
Hannah Reed: You’ve been staying in bed again, haven’t you? Jess we’ve spoke about this, you can’t…
Jessica Reed: I know, I know…
Hannah Reed: You’ve got to work with me here, even since Roberto…
{ Jess closes her eyes. }
Jessica Reed: Don’t…
Hannah Reed: Ever since Roberto went missing I’ve been alone, I can’t lose you too. Not after you made so much effort to get your life back on track.
Jessica Reed: You don’t need to worry about me, I’ll be fine.
{ Hannah sighs. }
Hannah Reed: That’s what you always say, Jess.
Jessica Reed: Perhaps, but I mean it this time.
{ Hannah shakes her head. }
Hannah Reed: Where have I heard that before? Listen, I need you to clean this place up.
Jessica Reed: Why?
Hannah Reed: Well, for one thing, you live in a cabin in the woods, you keep attracting wildlife.
{ Jess throws her arms in the air. }
Jessica Reed: Oh come on, it was one bear, one time!
Hannah Reed: An several racoons… regardless, Roberto’s lawyers who handle his estate will be visiting tomorrow.
Jessica Reed: Why?
{ Jess says sharply. }
Hannah Reed: They’re coming to evaluate his assets, Simon de Montfort…
{ Jess scowls. }
Hannah Reed: Simon has been keeping IWF afloat in his absence, but since he brought the company back into private ownership and he isn’t here to sign off on any further lending they need to ensure that there’s saleable assets in the event of him not returning by the time our deals run out.
Jessica Reed: Could you repeat that in English?
Hannah Reed: Jesus… they’re coming to work out how much the house and grounds are worth, ok!?
Jessica Reed: Wait… are they going to sell everything?
{ Hannah sighs and holds her head to her forehead. }
Hannah Reed: Just… tidy up, please, you’ll be doing me a favour.
{ Hannah turns and walks out of the door, leaving Jess sat up on her sofa. }
Jessica Reed: They can’t… I can’t…
I’ve had a lot of time to reflect these last few weeks, there’s something about coming so close only to see it all snatched away that really hammers it home.
Not once, but twice.
Failure really is the most potent tonic for self-reflection, it’s easy to coast along in third gear when you’re successful, sometimes you forget that fighting for your beliefs isn’t simple after all.
He always told me that if I stood for what I thought was right that they would hate me, it was an inevitability. It’s one thing to hear it, I mean, it always made sense when I thought about it, but it’s quite another to experience it. To feel the venom in somebody’s words, to see the spite in their eyes…
To be the object of unbridled hatred… for merely wanting a safe working environment and quite honestly, just existing…
It makes you question everything.
When I see somebody stand in front of a camera and tell me I don’t belong here… you know what? It’s makes me angry. Wow, huh? Who’d have thought it, the stupid blonde bimbo has feelings and a range of emotions beyond puppy dog eyes and boundless hyperactivity. Yet, it’s true, I’d go as far as to say it makes me furious.
Believe it or not, I’m only human.
I could just hang up my boots, bow out and kiss goodbye to my dreams, after all it’d be so incredibly easy, right? I’ve got all the excuses in the book after all. I’ve accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this business, I’ve given my body to it to the point of breaking… heck, you could even say that I’ve earned enough money in royalties to last me a life time.
Taking the easy route would be a breeze.
I don’t have to be here, I don’t have to risk my health or subject myself to various methods of abuse on a weekly basis. I could just walk away and leave every single girl who has spat on me to the vengeance of the Pack… I mean, that’s what anybody else would do, right? They’d kick up their feet, lay back and watch those who cast their stones fall on their own swords… they’d smile as each and every one of them reaped what they had sown…
{ Jess pauses, shaking her head. }
I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it wasn’t tempting.
{ Jess snorts, her lip curling with amusement as she chuckles sardonically. }
Yet, that’s what separates me and many of you. It’s what makes me the person I truly am, whilst many of you choose to feed the monster within, I make a conscious decision to let it starve.
I could never sit comfortably and watch as those who called me a washed up has been get slowly dissected by Rowan. I could never find any sense of fulfilment in seeing those who accused me of stealing a spot on the roster left lying in a pool of their own blood. Where you may find satisfaction, I’d find…
Emptiness.
That’s why I can’t just quit and turn my back on the commitment I made to myself and this company and yeah… even to all of you who just wish I’d crawl back to where I came from. There is not comfort in walking away and leaving this place to the wolves, even if that means I’m going to have to continue to take your spite. This was always going to be the price I had to pay for sticking to my principles and doing the right thing, even when people don’t think they need my help.
I’m not asking for your praise, truth is, I don’t want it. I’ve never wanted it.
What I am asking is this: who has to die next for you all to wake up and take a stand? We all like to go through life thinking that all of the worst experiences of the human condition could never possibly happen to us, it’s like a safety blanket we all wrap around ourselves to fool our subconscious enough to let us get through the day. Trust me, I’m kind of an expert on hiding behind fantasies as a coping mechanism…
Yet, not matter how much we choose to ignore it, there’s always somebody who ends up on the scaffolds.
Deluding yourselves into believing that you’re untouchable won’t save you from the noose forever, no matter how much of a bad ass you think you are. You can be as tough as nails as much as you like, it doesn’t matter when you’re in the target hairs of a group willing to set you on fire or choke you to death to make a point. Sooner or later, if you’re determined to make a name for yourself, you’ll put yourself in the firing line and when you do…
You’ll wish there was somebody willing to stand by your side and say enough is enough before you face the executioner.
Even if that somebody is a stupid blonde air head like me.
{ Jess taps the side of her head with her index finger. }
Mercifully, for myself at least, this week I can rely on somebody to stand by my side, somebody with their own stakes in all of this, Pandora Freeman. Considering everything that happened this past week for that, I am grateful. If you all thought the Pack were dangerous before, after what Rowan did to Angel Blake, then we’re all going to learn soon enough.
Which is why there isn’t any better time than the present to plant my flag in the ground once more and take a stand.
Pandora… I meant everything that I said before, it was an honour to share a ring with you on a stage as grand as an Heiress to the Throne final and although the both of us ended up walking out of that ring without the crown I can say, with a hand on my heart, that I still left respecting you as an athlete and a competitor.
I’m proud to have you as my partner.
Whatever it is that is motivating you to stand by my side and stare into the abyss this week… I thank you. I guess we could call this leading by example. And what better way to do that than by walking straight into the wolves’ den and staring them in the eye?
I’m under no illusions as to the threat you both pose. I felt first hand just how dangerous each of you are at Survival of the Fittest where I was taught a harsh lesson not once, but twice. As much as it sickens me… Rowan, you are the rightful Heiress to the Throne and whatever I may think of you, Brooklyn, you’re every bit as much the rightful Queen. Side by side you have every right to stake your claims to the title of most dominant woman in IWF.
Yet… only one of you can be the alpha.
Only one of you can truly rule at the head of this company, this isn’t a duopoly. Yeah, that’s right, I’ve been in the thesaurus again.
I guess it’s a little ironic, isn’t it? After all these months battling the Age of God, in the moment of victory, when all your foes are vanquished, and you stand tall… you’re going to be forced to tear one another apart. I mean, I suppose it’s appropriate, when the pack goes hungry through lack of prey they soon turn on one another. At Diamonds are Forever we’ll all find out just how close your bond truly is.
I have to admit it’s a small consolation to know that in my own failure Rowan is going to have to lash out at the one she loves more than herself.
And this week me and Pandora will do everything in our power to sow the seeds of discontent ourselves, it may only be a small blow in the grand scheme of things, but I haven’t fooled myself into believing that this will be easy. I know, Rowan, that if I want to see you fall I’ve got to be in this for the long haul, this week is only another chapter in our story. If all I can be for the time being is a thorn in your side where as Brooklyn is the knife in your chest then so be it.
But make no mistake, this week isn’t just some minor scuffle.
I intend to make the most of this opportunity to stand face to face with the pair of you and remind you that just because you maybe have vanquished a God, the resistance to your rule is far from over. You’ll soon learn that winning the war was the easiest part but ruling over what is left is another thing entirely… whoever it is that emerges with the crown.
This isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning.
Me, Pandora and the rest of the roster may only be flickering flames in the darkness, but you’ll soon learn that as much you may spend the next few months desperately trying to stamp us out all it takes is for one of us to light the powder keg beneath you for the throne you sit on to become far less comfortable.
Win or lose, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you begin to feel the heat this week. Remember, no matter how big the Death Star there’s always an exhaust pipe somewhere. You just need to find a scruffy enough nerf herder to send a missile down it.
Who said watching movies was a waste of time?
Then, at Diamonds are Forever I’ll take everybody’s advice. I’ll sit back, put up my feet and watch as your tear one another apart and for once, maybe… just maybe…
I’ll smile.
Not out of malice. Not out of spite. Not out of hate.
But out of hope… hope that this week me and Pandora can play our part in landing the first blows in a resistance to everything the Pack stands for, to do enough to help drive a wedge, however small, between the alpha and the Queen. To light a fire that will soon spread beyond your control and then… when the dust is settled and the crown is perched on top of either of your heads.
I’ll dust myself down, get on a plane, sing Auld Lang Syne and repeat the same thing I told myself when I was staring up at the rafters two weeks ago.
There’s always next year.
Not once, but twice.
Failure really is the most potent tonic for self-reflection, it’s easy to coast along in third gear when you’re successful, sometimes you forget that fighting for your beliefs isn’t simple after all.
He always told me that if I stood for what I thought was right that they would hate me, it was an inevitability. It’s one thing to hear it, I mean, it always made sense when I thought about it, but it’s quite another to experience it. To feel the venom in somebody’s words, to see the spite in their eyes…
To be the object of unbridled hatred… for merely wanting a safe working environment and quite honestly, just existing…
It makes you question everything.
When I see somebody stand in front of a camera and tell me I don’t belong here… you know what? It’s makes me angry. Wow, huh? Who’d have thought it, the stupid blonde bimbo has feelings and a range of emotions beyond puppy dog eyes and boundless hyperactivity. Yet, it’s true, I’d go as far as to say it makes me furious.
Believe it or not, I’m only human.
I could just hang up my boots, bow out and kiss goodbye to my dreams, after all it’d be so incredibly easy, right? I’ve got all the excuses in the book after all. I’ve accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this business, I’ve given my body to it to the point of breaking… heck, you could even say that I’ve earned enough money in royalties to last me a life time.
Taking the easy route would be a breeze.
I don’t have to be here, I don’t have to risk my health or subject myself to various methods of abuse on a weekly basis. I could just walk away and leave every single girl who has spat on me to the vengeance of the Pack… I mean, that’s what anybody else would do, right? They’d kick up their feet, lay back and watch those who cast their stones fall on their own swords… they’d smile as each and every one of them reaped what they had sown…
{ Jess pauses, shaking her head. }
I’d be a liar if I didn’t say it wasn’t tempting.
{ Jess snorts, her lip curling with amusement as she chuckles sardonically. }
Yet, that’s what separates me and many of you. It’s what makes me the person I truly am, whilst many of you choose to feed the monster within, I make a conscious decision to let it starve.
I could never sit comfortably and watch as those who called me a washed up has been get slowly dissected by Rowan. I could never find any sense of fulfilment in seeing those who accused me of stealing a spot on the roster left lying in a pool of their own blood. Where you may find satisfaction, I’d find…
Emptiness.
That’s why I can’t just quit and turn my back on the commitment I made to myself and this company and yeah… even to all of you who just wish I’d crawl back to where I came from. There is not comfort in walking away and leaving this place to the wolves, even if that means I’m going to have to continue to take your spite. This was always going to be the price I had to pay for sticking to my principles and doing the right thing, even when people don’t think they need my help.
I’m not asking for your praise, truth is, I don’t want it. I’ve never wanted it.
What I am asking is this: who has to die next for you all to wake up and take a stand? We all like to go through life thinking that all of the worst experiences of the human condition could never possibly happen to us, it’s like a safety blanket we all wrap around ourselves to fool our subconscious enough to let us get through the day. Trust me, I’m kind of an expert on hiding behind fantasies as a coping mechanism…
Yet, not matter how much we choose to ignore it, there’s always somebody who ends up on the scaffolds.
Deluding yourselves into believing that you’re untouchable won’t save you from the noose forever, no matter how much of a bad ass you think you are. You can be as tough as nails as much as you like, it doesn’t matter when you’re in the target hairs of a group willing to set you on fire or choke you to death to make a point. Sooner or later, if you’re determined to make a name for yourself, you’ll put yourself in the firing line and when you do…
You’ll wish there was somebody willing to stand by your side and say enough is enough before you face the executioner.
Even if that somebody is a stupid blonde air head like me.
{ Jess taps the side of her head with her index finger. }
Mercifully, for myself at least, this week I can rely on somebody to stand by my side, somebody with their own stakes in all of this, Pandora Freeman. Considering everything that happened this past week for that, I am grateful. If you all thought the Pack were dangerous before, after what Rowan did to Angel Blake, then we’re all going to learn soon enough.
Which is why there isn’t any better time than the present to plant my flag in the ground once more and take a stand.
Pandora… I meant everything that I said before, it was an honour to share a ring with you on a stage as grand as an Heiress to the Throne final and although the both of us ended up walking out of that ring without the crown I can say, with a hand on my heart, that I still left respecting you as an athlete and a competitor.
I’m proud to have you as my partner.
Whatever it is that is motivating you to stand by my side and stare into the abyss this week… I thank you. I guess we could call this leading by example. And what better way to do that than by walking straight into the wolves’ den and staring them in the eye?
I’m under no illusions as to the threat you both pose. I felt first hand just how dangerous each of you are at Survival of the Fittest where I was taught a harsh lesson not once, but twice. As much as it sickens me… Rowan, you are the rightful Heiress to the Throne and whatever I may think of you, Brooklyn, you’re every bit as much the rightful Queen. Side by side you have every right to stake your claims to the title of most dominant woman in IWF.
Yet… only one of you can be the alpha.
Only one of you can truly rule at the head of this company, this isn’t a duopoly. Yeah, that’s right, I’ve been in the thesaurus again.
I guess it’s a little ironic, isn’t it? After all these months battling the Age of God, in the moment of victory, when all your foes are vanquished, and you stand tall… you’re going to be forced to tear one another apart. I mean, I suppose it’s appropriate, when the pack goes hungry through lack of prey they soon turn on one another. At Diamonds are Forever we’ll all find out just how close your bond truly is.
I have to admit it’s a small consolation to know that in my own failure Rowan is going to have to lash out at the one she loves more than herself.
And this week me and Pandora will do everything in our power to sow the seeds of discontent ourselves, it may only be a small blow in the grand scheme of things, but I haven’t fooled myself into believing that this will be easy. I know, Rowan, that if I want to see you fall I’ve got to be in this for the long haul, this week is only another chapter in our story. If all I can be for the time being is a thorn in your side where as Brooklyn is the knife in your chest then so be it.
But make no mistake, this week isn’t just some minor scuffle.
I intend to make the most of this opportunity to stand face to face with the pair of you and remind you that just because you maybe have vanquished a God, the resistance to your rule is far from over. You’ll soon learn that winning the war was the easiest part but ruling over what is left is another thing entirely… whoever it is that emerges with the crown.
This isn’t the end, it’s just the beginning.
Me, Pandora and the rest of the roster may only be flickering flames in the darkness, but you’ll soon learn that as much you may spend the next few months desperately trying to stamp us out all it takes is for one of us to light the powder keg beneath you for the throne you sit on to become far less comfortable.
Win or lose, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you begin to feel the heat this week. Remember, no matter how big the Death Star there’s always an exhaust pipe somewhere. You just need to find a scruffy enough nerf herder to send a missile down it.
Who said watching movies was a waste of time?
Then, at Diamonds are Forever I’ll take everybody’s advice. I’ll sit back, put up my feet and watch as your tear one another apart and for once, maybe… just maybe…
I’ll smile.
Not out of malice. Not out of spite. Not out of hate.
But out of hope… hope that this week me and Pandora can play our part in landing the first blows in a resistance to everything the Pack stands for, to do enough to help drive a wedge, however small, between the alpha and the Queen. To light a fire that will soon spread beyond your control and then… when the dust is settled and the crown is perched on top of either of your heads.
I’ll dust myself down, get on a plane, sing Auld Lang Syne and repeat the same thing I told myself when I was staring up at the rafters two weeks ago.
There’s always next year.