Post by Sabin / Madjinn on Dec 16, 2023 16:37:56 GMT
The scenery fades in on an old town road leading to a village. A gentle snowfall accompanies the day, and into the evening, as the children are counting down the time that Santa will make his annual trip around the world to hopefully reward them. The snow crunches beneath the hooves and wheels that leave a trail toward the village throughout the day. Soon, though, the sun creeps behind the horizon and the village seems… quiet, and at peace.
Stories are something that we have shared since before written history. Y’see, there was something magical about the stories that we shared– they were a way to capture the minds of those who were listening. There were varying elements necessary to tell a good story… y’see, you always had to have your protagonist. This was someone that the audience could ideally connect with, someone that they could root for. But there is something more to a story. A story should be able to teach. And every story, for those who are really listening, has something to teach.
The candles in each of the windows start to go out one by one, as the village seems to be going to sleep for the evening.
And what better way to teach than to have the monster there to punish you?
A hoof comes front and center with the camera as a chain dangles down and scrapes across the surface of the snow…the monster is heading directly for the small village, and the scenery suddenly goes black.
“A lesson…”
The rasped voice creeps through the audio while the scenery remains enshrouded in absolute darkness.
“People have come many, many, many times over, and every single one of them was under some of– DELUSION– that they were going to be the one to finally bring an end to the monster…” the voice undeniably belongs to the monster known as Wraith, the double champion, and current IWF World Television Champion who would march into the ring to defend the championship.
A short flicker can be heard before a light illuminates in one of Wraith’s hands, as he brings the light close to a wick before lighting a candle. The orange glow from the candlelight illuminates the room rather well, and the monster smirks while parading around the room.
“I am not going to waste my time by going into the history of all of the people who have tried! All of the people who have come– and many of whom have gone– many of whom have broken themselves, and their own spirit with trying to bring an end to me… And I look across at you, Caleb Cannin, and I see someone who is no different. I see someone who is clinging to the thought that you once held– my title…” Wraith says while holding the title up for a brief moment, “You were once able to call yourself the champion, and you even went on to shock the world by acquiring the Joker in the Pack case which guarantees you a shot at the world championship currently held by my brother! But what have you done… since? What have you truly done? What have you truly accomplished?! Because I see someone who just– doesn’t have the conviction to ever win the big thing… I saw a lightning strike, and I saw someone who had no idea what to do with it! I saw– you.” He sneers.
“I saw someone who went into Heir to the Throne and thought you were going to earn yourself another chance at the world title, but where were you? The tournament– exposed you. It showed us, it showed the world that you really are out of your element! You really are out of your league! And now– you stand across from me… with that same delusion, that same thought, that same fantasy that you truly believe you are going to take my title away from me! And all I can say is…” Wraith cocks his head to the side, “Better people have tried.”
A low chuckle escapes from under his breath, and he pivots on his feet to turn his back to a nearby throne decorated for the festivities with a velvety red texture, ornate carvings on the armrests, and around the back of the chair… he holds the candle rather loosely while still continuing.
“The last time that you had my title, you thought that you were going to do the unimaginable! You thought that you were going to become the second person to defend the title enough times to cash in for a shot at the title that is always going to be out of your reach… But you were thwarted. You were defeated by the great NICK DANGER! The same man who had the delusion that his heart was going to be enough to defeat me in Heir to the Throne… and…” He snorts out, chuckling again, “Let me remind you how confident he was. How brash he was! It’s because of him that I am the television champion… It’s because he bit off far more than he could chew, and thought that he really deserved to be in the same ring as me! And he lost– EVERYTHING. But I will give him some credit to say that as many times as you knock him down, he just gets back up! He’s one of those few people that– I would take pleasure in breaking him for the final time… I would take pleasure in ending his career. But you, Caleb…” He snickers.
“I won’t even break a sweat. I won’t even break a sweat by breaking you and sending you spiraling out of control when you realize that everything you’ve worked for in your life, everything that you thought was going to put the food on the table– you are NEVER going to be as good as me! You are NEVER going to be on my level! You are NEVER going to call yourself a champion!”
Wraith chatters his teeth several times allowing the words to sink into the mind of Caleb Cannin, who would be watching from home at this time. The red irises of the monster seemingly glow brighter than before as he becomes more and more excited by the thought of ending another soul.
“You– are not like the rest… Y’see, I’ve been in the ring with my brother. I’ve been in the ring with my family members! And there is one thing that is true about us: we do not hide what we are! We are not ashamed of what we are! Everybody else, though,” he scoffs, “they want to live on this delusion that they are better than they portray themselves! Nick Danger– the boy with so much heart, I saw the hate in his heart! I saw the jealousy! I saw just how ugly he could be! He was not the only one who claimed to be a hero just to try to hide that darkness that’s inside of him… But this is about you, and that’s why I am going to say– while I am not threatened– I am going to recognize that you are very different from a lot of the people I’ve been in the ring with and that’s because you aren’t going to go into that ring under some delusion that you are the hero, and that these people are going to cheer your name. They are going to cheer for the monster. They are going to hope that I break you. That’s a fact.” He says with a sick and twisted smile.
“And the best part about it is that we are going to be surrounded… and there… will be… no escape… for you… You are not going to be able to run to the outside. You are not going to be able to find a sanctuary amongst the audience. You are going to be inside of the ring, and until that bell sounds, you are going to be just another part of the story that teaches the young to be afraid– to be very afraid of the monsters that lurk in the woods… Be very afraid of what is out there lurking for you. You are going to come face to face with me, and every time I strike you, you are going to remember every single time that you have failed. Every time that I strike you, you are going to know that you are getting closer and closer to the inevitable ending… And that ending is going to be quite simple: you… are going to lose. And I… am going to win. The only choice you have is going to be: are you going to get back up? And let’s say you do… Let’s say you get back up… Are you going to be the same?”
The question lingers as Wraith sits back in the chair, rubbing his chin with the same sick smile as the scene fades to a close.
Stories are something that we have shared since before written history. Y’see, there was something magical about the stories that we shared– they were a way to capture the minds of those who were listening. There were varying elements necessary to tell a good story… y’see, you always had to have your protagonist. This was someone that the audience could ideally connect with, someone that they could root for. But there is something more to a story. A story should be able to teach. And every story, for those who are really listening, has something to teach.
The candles in each of the windows start to go out one by one, as the village seems to be going to sleep for the evening.
And what better way to teach than to have the monster there to punish you?
A hoof comes front and center with the camera as a chain dangles down and scrapes across the surface of the snow…the monster is heading directly for the small village, and the scenery suddenly goes black.
“A lesson…”
The rasped voice creeps through the audio while the scenery remains enshrouded in absolute darkness.
“People have come many, many, many times over, and every single one of them was under some of– DELUSION– that they were going to be the one to finally bring an end to the monster…” the voice undeniably belongs to the monster known as Wraith, the double champion, and current IWF World Television Champion who would march into the ring to defend the championship.
A short flicker can be heard before a light illuminates in one of Wraith’s hands, as he brings the light close to a wick before lighting a candle. The orange glow from the candlelight illuminates the room rather well, and the monster smirks while parading around the room.
“I am not going to waste my time by going into the history of all of the people who have tried! All of the people who have come– and many of whom have gone– many of whom have broken themselves, and their own spirit with trying to bring an end to me… And I look across at you, Caleb Cannin, and I see someone who is no different. I see someone who is clinging to the thought that you once held– my title…” Wraith says while holding the title up for a brief moment, “You were once able to call yourself the champion, and you even went on to shock the world by acquiring the Joker in the Pack case which guarantees you a shot at the world championship currently held by my brother! But what have you done… since? What have you truly done? What have you truly accomplished?! Because I see someone who just– doesn’t have the conviction to ever win the big thing… I saw a lightning strike, and I saw someone who had no idea what to do with it! I saw– you.” He sneers.
“I saw someone who went into Heir to the Throne and thought you were going to earn yourself another chance at the world title, but where were you? The tournament– exposed you. It showed us, it showed the world that you really are out of your element! You really are out of your league! And now– you stand across from me… with that same delusion, that same thought, that same fantasy that you truly believe you are going to take my title away from me! And all I can say is…” Wraith cocks his head to the side, “Better people have tried.”
A low chuckle escapes from under his breath, and he pivots on his feet to turn his back to a nearby throne decorated for the festivities with a velvety red texture, ornate carvings on the armrests, and around the back of the chair… he holds the candle rather loosely while still continuing.
“The last time that you had my title, you thought that you were going to do the unimaginable! You thought that you were going to become the second person to defend the title enough times to cash in for a shot at the title that is always going to be out of your reach… But you were thwarted. You were defeated by the great NICK DANGER! The same man who had the delusion that his heart was going to be enough to defeat me in Heir to the Throne… and…” He snorts out, chuckling again, “Let me remind you how confident he was. How brash he was! It’s because of him that I am the television champion… It’s because he bit off far more than he could chew, and thought that he really deserved to be in the same ring as me! And he lost– EVERYTHING. But I will give him some credit to say that as many times as you knock him down, he just gets back up! He’s one of those few people that– I would take pleasure in breaking him for the final time… I would take pleasure in ending his career. But you, Caleb…” He snickers.
“I won’t even break a sweat. I won’t even break a sweat by breaking you and sending you spiraling out of control when you realize that everything you’ve worked for in your life, everything that you thought was going to put the food on the table– you are NEVER going to be as good as me! You are NEVER going to be on my level! You are NEVER going to call yourself a champion!”
Wraith chatters his teeth several times allowing the words to sink into the mind of Caleb Cannin, who would be watching from home at this time. The red irises of the monster seemingly glow brighter than before as he becomes more and more excited by the thought of ending another soul.
“You– are not like the rest… Y’see, I’ve been in the ring with my brother. I’ve been in the ring with my family members! And there is one thing that is true about us: we do not hide what we are! We are not ashamed of what we are! Everybody else, though,” he scoffs, “they want to live on this delusion that they are better than they portray themselves! Nick Danger– the boy with so much heart, I saw the hate in his heart! I saw the jealousy! I saw just how ugly he could be! He was not the only one who claimed to be a hero just to try to hide that darkness that’s inside of him… But this is about you, and that’s why I am going to say– while I am not threatened– I am going to recognize that you are very different from a lot of the people I’ve been in the ring with and that’s because you aren’t going to go into that ring under some delusion that you are the hero, and that these people are going to cheer your name. They are going to cheer for the monster. They are going to hope that I break you. That’s a fact.” He says with a sick and twisted smile.
“And the best part about it is that we are going to be surrounded… and there… will be… no escape… for you… You are not going to be able to run to the outside. You are not going to be able to find a sanctuary amongst the audience. You are going to be inside of the ring, and until that bell sounds, you are going to be just another part of the story that teaches the young to be afraid– to be very afraid of the monsters that lurk in the woods… Be very afraid of what is out there lurking for you. You are going to come face to face with me, and every time I strike you, you are going to remember every single time that you have failed. Every time that I strike you, you are going to know that you are getting closer and closer to the inevitable ending… And that ending is going to be quite simple: you… are going to lose. And I… am going to win. The only choice you have is going to be: are you going to get back up? And let’s say you do… Let’s say you get back up… Are you going to be the same?”
The question lingers as Wraith sits back in the chair, rubbing his chin with the same sick smile as the scene fades to a close.
Well howdy there pardner.