The Prodigal Son

[Buck Spencer]

{The shaky footage of the Spencer Brothers throwing a football around outside their RV can be seen, from a cell phone that rests on the knees of Buck Spencer. Buck is sat at the back of the RV itself, lord knows where, and lord knows when as his beard is longer than we remember it being.}

Spencer: Catch the dang ball ya idjit!

{We see big Spencer throw the ball through the air and Jeb Spencer flail as he attempts to catch it, but the ball smacks him right in the face. The three other brothers laugh out loud as Jeb drops to the floor in a ball of dust, still scrambling for the ball. As this happens Buck chuckles in real time, and the phone shakes a bit.}

Jeb: Ah’d be able to, if ya didn’t throw like a fuckin’ truck!

{Big ‘ol Spencer laughs out loud as Jeb steps forwards and throws the football right into the groin of Spencer. The three other brothers all stand dead still as Spencers eyes grow wide while his hands cup his balls, he drops to a knee and Jeb’s hands slowly go into the air.}

Ricky: Awww shit.

Jeb: Ah didn’t mean it Biggie, ah swear!

{Ricky bends down and picks the ball up and steps away from Spencer who staggers back to his feet. Spencer growls wildly as he takes off running towards Jeb.}

Jeb: AAAAHHHH!!!!

Buck: Aww man, he’s gonna maul his ass…

{Buck steps closer to Ricky, who extends his left arm and moves it around a little. He holds the ball up, and moves it around as he almost seems to be calculating something in his head. Then without saying a word, he steps forwards and hefts the ball up into the air, and both he and Buck look up and watch the ball fly through the air and dip at the last second and land on the head of Spencer Spencer. The big man flops forwards and lands right in front of Jeb Spencer.}

Buck: Holy shit!

{Jeb drops backwards and clutches at his stomach as he laughs wildly at Spencer. Ricky turns and smiles at Buck.}

Ricky: When he wakes up? He ain’t gonna be happy, so….you didn’t see shit….

{As Buck in real time chuckles once more the video jumps around again before it stops, and then Buck leans forwards and puts the phone down. It’s only now that through the window of the RV we can see the house that the Spencer Family have been staying at, and the lake in the background.}

Buck: ...right….it’s time.

{Buck stands up in the RV and fixes himself as he heads to the door. He looks up to the house, and his smile is now gone, his happy demeanor replaced with one of just deep sadness.}

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Ah don’t know what ah done to get a reward like dis, but ah ain’t gonna look a gift horse in tha mouth, y’know? So many people have held that there gold, an’ then gone on to do even bigger things in this company. Now, don’t be thinkin’ that ah’m talkin’ down, or disrespectin’ the gold you’re holdin’ there Mr Pooler, far from it.

Ah just know you’re better than that.

See ‘fore ah got in this game, ah wuz a fan. Ah used ta go ta tha shows with mah brothers. We’d be the ones hurlin’ abuse at those we didn’t like, even if it was the ones we’d suppose ta be cheerin’ for, like that Johnny Gillmen guy, or that borin’ sumbitch Nighthawk, but when you had someone who wuz really cool, like? Someone who was a total douchebag, but for some reason ya just kinda liked him, so ya’d cheer for him anyway?

That was you ta us Bobby.

Ya had that somethin’ that people just gravitated t’ward’s, y’know?

But somethin’ happened to you Bob, somethin’ big man. I mean, you used ta be the one that walked to that ring and didn’t give a shit what people wuz thinkin’ of you. Ya didn’t care what the entire world thought. You had a swagger about ya man, you had bravado man….and boy, could you go in that ring - now, ah’m not sayin’ that you can’t, because that’d just be straight up fuckin’ stupid. Some people might say…..

You’ve lost your smile.

You’ve lost what made you…..you, Bob.

You care too much about what everyone thinks, about what the “boys in the back” think, and about what every match means….when, at the end of it all….YOU’RE THE FREAKIN’ INVICTUS CHAMPION! Y’know Bob….ah’ve been watchin’ some of your episodes...some of them, umm watchamacallems….streams...and….

When the fuck did you get so full of yourself?

Ah’m so sick of you feelin’ so sorry for yourself man. You’re an IWF superstar! You’re a champion! You’re livin’ a life that most people only dream of, that some of these guys work their whole gorram lives working ta get here…..and you sit and mope? What in the fuck dude? You got people like Hawk showin’ the world what it takes ta be a superstar, ya got people like Jayson Matthews - the kid who never stops - showin’ the lengths he’ll go to get better, and you get people like Lord Dominicus tryin’ ta entertain people (ah emphasise try) an’ what do you do? Oh...hey guys, ah’m just wastin’ mah time playin’ some fuckin’ vidja gaymes….guess ah better talk some shit about the eye double ya eff roster for five minutes while ah try an get these fuckers ta pay your damn bills.

Damn…..

Damn, ah’m sorry man.

Ah like you Bob, ah do. An’ it pisses me off ta see you like this, it pisses me off ta see you wallowin’ in self pity, wastin’ away, but you know what? They gave me this shot, they gave me this chance ta become a champion, an’ ah ain’t gonna let it go to waste. Ah ain’t gonna turn mah nose up, especially with how things have been goin’ in mah own life, y’know? Ah’m sure you’ve seen how things have been with mah boys since Abby showed up. She sent me away, an’ ah knew she would, an’ ah’ve had to watch her drive mah brothers into the dirt. Ah’ve had ta watch as she delivers fuckin’ punishment after punishment when they fail in the ring….so believe me when ah tell you this Bob…

Ah have to win.

Ah have to show her, that mah way works.

Y’know?

Ah have to show her, that there’s another way.