Flex Johnson [vs] Blyss Lockhart

Family Matters: A Prelude to the “Lost Years” Series

Scene One
“So, your aunt Patricia wants you to talk to her son?”

“Yeah,” said Flex. He shifted his iPhone to his right hand so that he could sit a bag of food onto the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and took a seat. “His name is Chase, Chase Johnson. He’s my cousin, but I haven’t seen the boy in years; I was really small the last time I saw him.”

“How old is he?” asked Mya.

“Hmm—I want to say he is 27 if my math is correct.”

“Wow, that’s really young.”

“Yeah. Aunt Pat didn’t get married until she was about 36 or 37. She didn’t feel it was safe to have kids. So, when she turned 40, and her husband decided to adopt a child.”

“Oh ok,” said Mya. “That’s pretty cool. I meant to ask, why haven’t I ever met, or even heard of your aunt? I’ve met just about everyone else.”

“It’s hard to explain babe,” said Flex. He let out a big sigh. “I’ll do my best to though.

“I was young, so I lot of this story comes from talking to family members. Anyway, Aunt Pat was a little wild and loose as a teen and young adult. Some even referred to her as ‘A Lady of the Night.’”

“Oh wow.”

“Yeah. Later on she cleaned up her act; she stopped sleeping around, she got a good job, and began to progress in her career path.

“But the family still had interesting feelings towards her.

“Eventually, she ended up getting…excommunicated, for lack of a better word.”

Mya was silent for a few seconds.

“That’s crazy!

“What did she do?”

“Remember I told you she got married,” said Flex. “Well, she got married to a white man. I believe his name was John. He was a cool dude from what I remember, but the elders of my family had an issue with the marriage. Basically, they stopped talking to her.

“She and John moved to Florida.

“My mom still and a few others still kept in contact with her. But, for the most part, she had been laying low. Some of the older members of my family still don’t care for her.”

“Man, that’s crazy.”

“Yeah,” said Flex. “Just a little bit.”

“So what time is he flight in today?”

“His plane is supposed to land in about 30 minutes. I sent Manabu over there to pick him up.”

“Haha.”

“Do you get in late tonight?”

“I’ll be home around 6 p.m. or so. Are you making diner?”

“No, I was thinking of going tonight. You, me, Manabu, Chase, etc.”

“Can I bring a couple of friends?”

“Of course babe—bring anyone you want.”

“Yay!”

Outside, a car had pulled into the driveway. Flex heard the car and looked at the window. He saw a gold-color Volkswagen.

“Manabu just pulled up,” Flex said. “Well, I think. I must have bought a new car.”

Manabu hopped out of the driver’s side.

“Yeah, it’s him. I’m going to go outside and meet them.”

“Ok. I’ll see you in a few hours. Love you.”

“Love you too.”

Flex dropped his iPhone into his back pocket. He walked out the door and walked to the car. Manabu saw Flex and went over.

“Sup man.”

“Not too much.” Manabu and Flex slapped hands. “How you feeling?”

“A little sore from MMA training, but I’m cool.”

A second later, a tallish black man opened the passenger’s side door. Manabu hit his remote; the trunk opened. The man grabbed a small gym bag. He then walked over to Flex and Manabu.

“Uncle Flex?”

“Yes sir. How you doing Chase.” said Flex with a laugh. “You don’t have to call me ‘uncle’ if you don’t want to; Flex is ok, whatever you prefer.”

“Thank you sir.” Chase held out his hand; Flex and Chase shook hands. “My mom has told me a lot about you; it’s an honor to finally talk to you.”

…

The three had made their way inside the house. Manabu had went to the kitchen and tried to find something to eat. Meanwhile, Flex and Chase took seats in the living room.

“So my man, I spoke with your mom last week. She said you getting into the business.”

“Yes sir. Everyone knows about the work you and uncle Koji have done. I kind just wanted to talk to you, get some advice.”

“No problem man,” said Flex. “So Chase, I guess the first thing I got to ask is why you want to become a wrestler?”

“Well, I grew up watching wrestling. It always seemed so cool you know. I thought to myself ‘made I could do that one day.’ Once I got old enough, I started weight-lifting; I didn’t want to get too bulky, but I wanted to be in shape.

“To balance out the lifting, I ran track. I also wrestled my junior and senior year of high school.

“When I was 18, I told my mom about me wrestling. I kind of thought she would be pissed; but, she was really receptive. She gave me her blessing and told me I could give it a shot, under two conditions.”

Flex laughed.

“Let me guess—the first one was going to college.”

“Yes,” said Chase with a laugh.

“My mom said the same thing. So, what was the other?”

“The other condition was that I go to work for a couple of years. And, if I didn’t like it, then I could give wrestling a try.”

Flex nodded his head.

“Well, I graduated; I had a degree in Business. I got picked up by this watch company located in Washington. I really did want to go out to the west coast; but, it was a job that I really couldn’t pass up. I guess technically, I would have been considered a ‘representative.’ I was sent out to across the country; I spoke at conferences, I held press conferences, I controlled the company’s social media, etc.

“I made a lot of money—I should have been happy.

“But I wasn’t. So, I made a decision—to become a wrestler.

“I know it sounds a bit crazy Uncle, but, I felt it was something I needed to do. I didn’t want to go on dreaming about ‘what could have been’ you know?”

“Oh trust me, I understand,” said Flex. “What did your company say?”

“The owner was very supportive as well. He told me that if things didn’t work out, then I could come back.”

Flex shook his head.

“Wow, that’s awesome.”

“And, I was able to buy a lot of stock while I worked there. So every quarter I get a large sum of money.”

Flex laughed.

“Man, you really have got it all planned out. You are craftier than I was. I just dropped everything. But you, no—you had a calculated plan.”

Flex nodded his head.

“So, what school did you end up signing with?”

“Well, there are a bunch of indy companies around my area. I talked to a number of them, but eventually I ended up choosing a place called South Beach Wrestling. The company actually seemed like they cared about turning students into proficient wrestlers.

“I did a tryout for them; the officials were amazed by my speed. So, they have this interesting program. So, I fly out to Hawaii tomorrow; we will spend three weeks there. After the three weeks, they fly us out to Japan to train for four months.”

Flex shook his head.

“Man, that’s really awesome. Ha, I wish my first wrestling school did that.”

“I’m really excited about it.”

“You should be man. Going to Japan is a great honor; not a lot of people get to do it. Take the opportunity seriously; really learn what they have to teach you. Japanese wrestling is a lot more intense than it is here in the states.

“But remember Chase, be confident. They are bringing you in because they see something in you; so, think about that when times get tough.”

“Yes sir,” said Chase. He got up and stretched a little bit. “So Uncle, how often do you train?”

“Well, I hit the gym five days a week; Monday through Friday,” said Flex. “I do two to three hours of lifting, running, etc. Then, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I do about two hour’s worth of ring work. Then, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I do one and a half hours of mix-martial arts.

“That’s my minimum. It I have a larger match, or if I feel like I need to put in some more time, then I’ll work out a few hours more.

“Yeah, it’s a lot. But, you kind of get used to it. And, after you to it for so many years, it just becomes a part of you—you won’t even think about it.”

Chase nodded his head.

“Uncle, if you don’t mind me asking, how did you develop your style? I mean, you firs trained in NY, so I know the Japanese style isn’t what you originally learned.”

“Ha, that’s a good question,” said Flex. “Well, your wrestling school is going to teach you their style. Each school and company has a certain style that it teaches and employs. Stick with that style until you graduate; regardless of what style the school is using, the trainers will still be teaching you the basics.

“Once you learn the basics, and once you all comfortable enough in the ring, you can then begin to develop your own individual style.”

“Hmm,” said Flex. “You haven’t wrestled a match yet, so I can’t really tell you which style to pick. But, a lot of speedy guys tend to be high-flyers.”

“But high-flyers don’t get very far in the business right?”

“You’re right, pure high-flyers don’t,” said Flex. “The thing about pure flyers is, ALL they tend to do is jump around. Most of the time, they throw the basics out of the window. If all you do is jump of the top rope, you aren’t a real wrestler; a real wrestler dabbles in a little bit of everything ya know.

“I hate to sound like an old dude; but, it all starts with the basics. Whichever style you decide to pick, just don’t forget to incorporate the basics.”

“Yes sir,” said Chase. “Can I ask another question?”

“You can ask as many as you need,” said Flex with a laugh.

“How do you deal with the pain? I mean, I’m sure taking all those bumps wears down the body.”

“No, you are right,” said Flex. “The body isn’t really made for wrestling, so the pain after a big match can be intense sometimes.

“Personally, I don’t like to take anything for the pain; the best medicine for me is proper booking and rest.”

“So, just suck it up?”

“Yeah man. You don’t want to get messed up with drugs and pain pills and stuff—that’s the down fall of a lot of wrestlers.”

“Ok.

“What about the politics?

“Hmm,” said Flex. “Politics can be tricky; they can also be a pain. Now, for the most part, you probably won’t have to deal with the political side of the business, at least not directly. Sure, it might indirectly effect you, but you would never know.

“Every once in a while though, it might get a little rough. Sometimes you might get held back; it might be because someone doesn’t like you, or it might be because they are trying to push someone else.

“It’s best not to worry about it too much. For the first couple of years there won’t be too much you can do about it.”

“Ok, yes sir.”

Flex stood up.

“You’re a cool dude my man,” said Flex. “I’m not like the others in our family. If you need me, give me a call alright? I’ll call back; or I might even fly out and see you if need be.

“I’ve built up the name ‘Johnson.’ I’ve always wondered if anyone would take over my legacy when I’m too old to work. You seem to have a love for the business, and you’ve got a plan.

“When the time comes—you will be the one to take over this legacy.”

A few seconds later, Manabu walked into the living room; he held a glass of juice. He took a long sip.

“Hey Flex, how about we take Chase out and do a bit of ring work? It couldn’t hurt to teach him a little bit; it might give him a bit of an advantage when he goes overseas.”

Flex turned to Chase.

“You up for it?”

“Of course!” Chase held up a finger first. “Let me use the rest room first.”

“It’s upstairs,” said Flex with a laugh.

Chase made his way upstairs. Meanwhile, Manabu turned to Flex.

“How’d the talk go?”

“It went well.”

“Think he’s up for it?”

“Yeah,” said Flex. “I believe so. He reminds me a lot Koji when was about to get into the business. He’s eager and hungry.

“He’ll do well.”


Scene Two
Power…

What is true power?

Caesar was a man with power. When Rome was crumbling, faced with termoral, faced with war, Caesar stepped in. He restored the country; and then lifted back up into prosperity. Genghis Khan was a man with power. Whether you agree with his violent measures of not, he single-handily united his entire clan. And then there was Alexander the Great. Alexander was 32 when he passed; but before that he conquered most of the known world at the time.

What is true power?

Most people would consider me powerful man, at least in the profession of professional wrestling. Some would say I’ve done my fair share of conquering. I’ve built up companies; my work has allowed many companies to flourish.

I’ve won matches; I’ve won titles. I’ve won awards; I’ve been inducted into Hall of Fames. I’ve done just about everything imaginable.

But, you know where most of my power steams from?

My power steams from my words and my actions.

With one sentence, I can have the fans, the entire world, praising my name.

OR, with one joke I can make them despise me!

Blyss Lockhart…

…Oh, trust me, I’ve been waiting for this match for a very long time; this match is a long time in the making!

You see, when I entered IWF, there were a number of people on the top of the list. Your “boyfriend” or “boy-toy” Gordon was on the list; Alexander Remington was on the list. Parker and Steel Angel were also up there. And then there was you Blyss.

Look at the landscape of IWF now!

Gordon just became champion, so there isn’t much to say about him.

Steel Angel is retired; God only knows what he is doing with his life. Parker gave an amazing speech a few weeks ago. However, Parker he basically fallen off the face of the earth; NO ONE is checking for that kid anymore. Remington can’t find or keep a contract to save it pitiful life.

And then there is you Blyss!

You see, you are the worst of them all because you had so far to fall!

Blyss, you used to be the darling of IWF—or, at least that’s what you wanted everyone to think. You captured IWF’s women’s title. Forgive me; I forget the title’s old name. Regardless, you held what we now call the Rising Phoenix Championship for record time!

People used to say that you were one of the most dominate champions in IWF history. People used to believe that you could beat anyone on any given night.

But it wasn’t just that; it wasn’t just your ring skills that drew people in—it was your personality as well.

You tried to portray yourself as the sweet, innocent girl next door type. And, since you are surrounded by a locker room of meat-head guys, of course they were attracted by that persona. You were “Miss Perfect” in their eyes weren’t you?
And then it all went to Hell.

Eventually, people began to realize that you weren’t little “Miss Perfect;” the peasants began to realize that their god had flaws.

People began to see your true colors!

I first saw it with Gordon Fury. You see, before you two hooked-up, Gordon was a different man. He was focused 24/7; he rarely had an off-night. Like you, it seemed like he could beat anyone on any given night.

And, he was less of a douche to be honest.

And then you entered the picture.

Suddenly, Gordon is losing matches left and right. He lost the High Impact title to Tim, then won it back, then lost it to me, then won it back only to lose it to me again. Not to mention, he was getting beat down every week by Brandon McDonald. And then his personality changed; he became unpleasant to be around.

But you see, the only thing that changed in Gordon’s life, was the addition of your presence. Sure, he won the world title last week—that’s great. But the fact of the matter is, your presence held that man back. If you hadn’t entered his life, Gordon probably would have obtained that title months ago.

And you know it’s true.

Oh, but let’s not forget Tiffani Michaels, Ruby, and Jaci Sovereign. At one point in time, you were great friends with each of these women. Well, maybe not great friends; but you did develop sometime of relationship with each. They took honor and pride in calling you their peer, in calling you their friend.

And what did you do?

You burned each and every one of those relationships!

I don’t know about your personal life Blyss; I don’t really care to know either. But I do know you pushed each and every one of those women away. You pushed them all away to the point where they hated your guts!

Just like the Gordon situation, you know it’s true.

You see Blyss, that’s the thing about personas—when you a vicious, vindictive person, eventually those traits are going to break through; they are going to come forward.

But, I understand Blyss, really I do. I put on a mask during my first year of the business, I created this persona for myself. They used to say “Flex is cool” and “Flex is blue-chipper.” I thought if I acted like a good old boy, then it would help me out; I thought it would help me progress. But I was wrong! Creating that persona only brought me trouble. People thought I was easily influenced, they thought I was naive.

The boys in the back, the management—they all thought that they could just lie in my face!

And then one day I just said “fuck it,” and it tossed that persona aside. That’s when I became the Flex Johnson you see today; that’s when I became a true star in this business!

Hmm—that was six years ago.

Blyss, the other night you made some telling accusations. And honesty, I’m surprised; I’m shocked and appealed.

I was shocked because you never struck me as a fool!

You accused me of being fake you accused me of being a coward. Hmm, reminds me a lot of Sheyanne; you remember her don’t ya? She said very similar things. But, all her accusations were proven to be false; and furthermore, she was proven to be a hypocrite.

You aren’t a hypocrite, you are Blyss?

Or, was it some other girl who turned on her friends and family? Maybe it was some other woman who jacked Tiffani up, and had Griffin fuming at the mouth?

Perhaps it was another girl who lied to all her fans, to everyone in this company!?

You see that’s the difference between you and I Blyss. You can call me a lot of things. You can say I’m misguided, you can say I’m delusional. But there are two that I am not: fake and a coward.

I tossed away my persona in 2008, never to pick it up again. Since my first day here in IWF I’ve been honest. I told everyone that I was coming back to prove that I still had what it took to compete; I told everyone that I still had the heart of a warrior, the heart of a champion. Even you, with your jaded views, can’t deny that I’ve proven every single one of those statements.

Oh, yes Blyss, I’ve been more than honest—I’m an open fucking book!

I didn’t join the company, this business, to make friends. I’ve I don’t like someone, then I let that person know. If I think that the person I trash, then I tell them. I’m not here to play “house” like you and your “brother” Tim.

I’m here to fucking wrestle!

I’m here to fucking win!

I’ve never been a saint Blyss—I’ve never claimed to be one. I’ve been to jail, I’ve cheated to win. I’ve ambushed people in the ring. But you know what; I’m honest about it! I don’t try to cover up my past; I let it all hang out.

That’s why the fans know that you are trying to deceive them when it comes to calling me “fake.”

And trust me, they don’t respond well to manipulation love.

You know, early on here in IWF, I was having a horrible time. Sure, I was winning pretty consistently, but I was miserable. Every week I was in a three-way or four-way match; every week I worked my ass off, but didn’t get so much as a thank you.

I don’t know if I ever mention it on air, but I seriously thought about quitting this company. How bad was it? You don’t even know how close I was to stepping out. Other companies were sending me very handsome contracts. Hell, it was to the point where I had begun preliminary talks with Code Red Wrestling.

But you know what? I decide that I wouldn’t quit; I came here with a goal, and I told myself I couldn’t leave until I accomplished that goal.  

If I would have tucked my head and ran away, that would have made me a coward Blyss. If I would have quit because a few people in the back didn’t care for me, then you would have free-range to whatever you wanted about me. But that didn’t happen! I’ve faced EVERY single challenge that has been thrown my way in this company! Hollywood’s Fucking Finest, Tim Patrick, Steel Angel, Parker, Corey Bull, Sheyanne, James Shark.

Those names would make most people shake in their boots.

But, I stood toe to in the ring with each and every one of them. And not only did I face them, I whooped many of them as well!

You see I don’t need to butter you up Blyss; I don’t need you to take it easy on my. I’ve faced people here in IWF that are better than you, and I’ve defeated them!

…

It must feel like shit Blyss…

…You were once on top of the world, and now are lower than the pigs.

But, you knew it wouldn’t last though right? I mean, come on Blyss, you are toxic. I mean, just look at Tiffani, just look at Jaci and Gordon.

Oh, and look at Storming Raven.

Hmm, Storming Raven—you remember him don’t you? He was another man that called you “brother” wasn’t he? He looked up to you and Tim. Hell, not only did he look up to you two, but he NEEDED you two to survive here in IWF.

Storming Raven is weak—he has always needed someone to play off of.

But, at least you and Tim were sort of a positive influence. But, then he got messed up with Thor and Frank. And little by little he started to change. Little by little he lost his morals, his character diminished.

And after about a month, he turned to the dark-side.

Tim pleaded with Storming, tried to get him to see the error of his ways. But, what did you do love?

Absolutely nothing!

You watched your “brother” struggle with and issue. You stood by and watched him self-implode; and, you didn’t even lift a finger to try and help him. You too busy playing around with to be bothered right? You were too focused on yourself to be bothered with helping your “brother.”

Look at him now—a moody, sniveling piece of shit!

And it’s your fault!

How do you live with yourself love?

Ha—but, maybe you were Storming’s “sister.” Just like him, you have started to travel down a dangerous path. You have pushed away those around you who love you. You’ve started acting moody, irrational. And, your emotions have spilled over into your career.

You’ve become sloppy in the ring; you’ve become complacent.

Aries didn’t beat you for the Rising Phoenix Championship Blyss, you gave it away to him.

Take a little advice from a seasoned veteran; there are downsides to become “on top” for so long. You see when you are in the middle of the pack you are hungry, and you want to do is make it to top. But when you are on the top, and you haven’t face any stiff competition—you tend to get laxed. While it’s true that you had a long title reign, it’s also true that were given a pass. You didn’t have to face the greatest in the company night in and night out. And then when really competition stepped up, Aries, you got caught by surprise.

Oh, but my time here hasn’t been like yours Blyss. I was hungry when I walked through the door. I rose through the ranks and I won the High Impact title. But, I never had time to sit back and cruise like you did. Ever since I’ve won this belt, I’ve been faced with challenge after challenge, week after week.

But you know what, each week I welcome the challenge; I thrive out challenges. Face Shark, facing Frank, facing all these “unstoppable” foes—it’s made me made confident!

It’s made me strong!

When you face the best every night, you feel…powerful, ha. Right now I feel like I can defeat Brandon McDonald, I feel like I could knock off Gordon.

And I damn sure feel like I can defeat you Blyss!

Unlike you—I’m focused. We just talked about the hungry and complacent right? Guess which category I fall into. Even I may be on top, even though EVERYONE is gunning for me, I’m STILL hungry. This gold, it’s nice; I appreciate it. But it doesn’t make me who I am.

I’m hungry for more competition!

I’m hungry because I want to be the best! Not the best in the company, not the best in the U.S. I feel like I’m close to being the best in the world!

That’s why I fight so hard!

…

Dreams, love…

…That’s what this entire business is about. Very few people just hope into professional wrestling. Some sadistic fuckers seeing wrestling as a way to beat people legally, but not most. For most, professional wrestling is about living a dream!
The other day I had the honor of talking to a younger cousin of mine. Due to some family issues, I’ve haven’t hadn’t a lot of time to talk to him. But, he flew out to my house, and we had a talk.

You see, he has a dream too.

It was the same one I had.

We sat for a while, talking about the business. He asked for some advice; I gave him my thoughts. But I have to admit, while we were talking, my mind was wandering. You see this kid had all the right answers. He had a step-by-step plan to reach his goal. He had sub-goals. And, he had a backup plan just in case.

He was humble—he was hungry.

He was so respectful, and showed a great admiration towards me. But, you know what, it’s people like him at inspire me. He had such a will, such a drive.

It’s things like that; those things kick-start MY drive. When I see someone eager and hungry, when I someone who just wants to learn and be the best—hell that makes me want to be the best.

Blyss, you used to have that same drive. It was people like you who pushed me to perform better. Because of people like you, I strive to be at the top of my game every night.

What happened Blyss?

What happened to your fucking drive!?

…

True Power…

…What is true power Blyss?

Manipulation isn’t true power Blyss, neither is deceptiveness. But, those are qualities, that you seem to specialize in.
The fact of the matter is Blyss, you will never have true power, not in life and not in this business—until you throw away this goodie-two-shoes persona that you have built up. Power steams from the inner man, the inner woman; it’s based on you conduct, your words, your actions.

That’s a little something I learned a long time ago.

I know you’re in anguish right now; I know you have been losing. I know you probably feel like your life, personal and professional, is in turmoil right now. And, for what it’s worth to you, I’m sorry that I have to cause you just a little bit more pain, a little bit more turmoil. But, I didn’t get into the business to play around. Wrestling isn’t a joke to. Wrestling is my job; wrestling is a part of my life. Each and every night I strive to be the best in the ring. I don’t care WHO my opponent may be.

This week you are going to walk to the ring; and you’re going to be headed right into a war-zone.

I’m no Storming Raven, I don’t fight to injure others. I’m going to try to end your career. But, I like to go 200 percent in that ring. You think you are the best in IWF? You think you’ve faced the best?

Hmm—you’re in for a rude surprised then.


Scene Three
Flex took a seat; he grabbed his laptop. He took a look at Yahoo News, just to check the daily headlines. He then glanced over his emails. He had a great dealer spam. He then clicked on the fan email folder.

From: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
To: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Hello Flex,

My name is Sami Love. I’m a fan of yours. I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your work; you are doing big things in IWF.

I know you don’t always have a lot of time; I’m sure that you are super busy. But, I did have a question for you.
You didn’t become a wrestler until you turned 35, if I’m not mistaken. And, you obtained a Master’s degree at the age of 26. I don’t know if you have ever covered or touched upon this, but what did you do in other nine years?

I was just curious.

Thank you very much for your time sir.

“That’s interesting,” said Flex. He scratched his head. “I don’t think anyone has ever asked me about my post-graduation days.”

Flex hit the reply button and began to type up a response.

END.

Monday - After Heroes Also Die PPV
Location: Hotel room in Indianapolis, ID

Invisible.

Blyss stands in front of the mirror, about to brush her teeth before going to bed. Her whole body aches and one would expect that her pride would hurt the most after losing the Rising Phoenix championship title but...


She raises the toothbrush to her mouth and looks up. She can barely see the reflection that stares back at her. Gray eyes with a dull emerald tint on too pale a face, tiny pressed lips and limp dirty blonde hair. She brushes her teeth, still examining herself in the mirror. Nothing seems to breathe with life and her voice comes out a soft whisper. She spits into the sink and wipes her mouth.


Reaching closer, she presses one hand on the glass surface as if holding onto it for support. Her knees feel weak suddenly and her breath now ragged.


Good? Maybe. But it wasn’t enough and you know that. You failed what you set out to do. What you promised to yourself. When’s the last time you won a match? Hmm... Pathetic.

She looks back up into the mirror, meeting the gaze of dead eyes. Those aren’t hers. Deep down inside, she knows this isn’t her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

It is you. I’M you. For how long are you going to deny that? For how long are you going to... ignore?

She opens her eyes again and glares into the ones in the mirror that aren’t truly reflecting her own. She grits her teeth.


Her hands push up against the glass, her fingernails raking the surface.


No. You lost that match yourself. I already told you at Ragnarok that you’d be on your own. What did you do? You walked out on me so what happened tonight was again your own doing.

Then suddenly the voice changes to that so similar to Aries’, the man whom she just lost the Rising Phoenix title to.

IT’S YOUR OWN GODDAMN FAULT! I TOLD YOU, BITCH! HAHAHA!!!

Her hands clench into fists, slamming hard on the mirror. Her face twists into a grimace but before she can speak, another voice is heard. This time, it sounds like Gordon.

I’VE NEVER REALLY LOVED YOU, MEL. OOPS!

Then it changes again, now a female voice. Kenzie.

YOU’VE ALWAYS BEEN SUCH A BURDEN, BABY SIS! GLAD I DON’T HAVE TO CARRY YOU AROUND ANYMORE!

She covers her ears as if that can block out the voices in her head.


Why, Melyssa? Why should I stop? It’s true, isn’t it? They’re all your thoughts. Well okay maybe I did twist them around a little bit... Hahaha!!!

She slaps at the mirror again, pursing her lips together.

You are weakness, Melyssa, and I am strength. You need me so accept it. Accept me.


You trusted those people, didn’t you? The ones who walked out on you...

She spits it in the face in the mirror then her eyes trail down to a small box on the sink. It’s hair dye that she bought a few days.


So you’re gonna stand up and be your own person again and all that other nonsense?


The reflected eyes seem to narrow at her angrily. Silence ensues for a long moment. Eventually, she can see color returning to those eyes. Soon, the reflection looks clearer and alive. A smile spreads across her lips. She takes the box and removes the hair dye. Sometimes when your life is about to change in a major way, you mark that significant moment as a reminder and a sign of hope.

And it’s always fun for a woman to have a new look...

I scraped my knees while I was praying
And found a demon in my safest haven

Saturday
Location: Tim Patrick’s apartment in Philadelphia, PA

Blyss has been in a weird mood for the past week. It seems like she’s been floating aimlessly from day to day, place to place. Not wanting to be stuck at home, she’s made plans with a few friends to hang out. Her mind constantly runs with thoughts about the recent events, all the what-if’s and the let’s-forget-this-and-move-on’s. And worse, she doesn’t feel anything. No remorse for being late, distracted or moody. There isn’t even self pity anymore and when she tries to smile, the most she can do is a tiny smirk. And don’t even talk about the little sleep she’s been having for the past couple of weeks.

Tim had called her about meeting up before Battlegrounds and here she is outside his door. She has no idea what he wants to tell her but it doesn’t matter. As long as it’s somewhere to go and be. She gives a couple of knocks and waits.

She hears footsteps on the other side of the door, followed by the unlocking of several locks. Tim opens the door and smiles. The apartment looks different. He has pretty much trashed it after Cody died but he was able to fix it up a little bit for Blyss' visit. Blyss walks in and Tim leans in and gives her a long hug.



She looks around the place and raises her eyebrows before turning back to him.


She takes a seat on the couch and leans back, feeling slightly tired from the drive. He sits down next to her and sighs.


She watches him with slightly furrowed eyebrows as he shakes his head.


A look of panic flashes across her face as she sits up straight.



Tim puts his hand on Blyss' shoulder.


There's now an extremely troubled expression on her face as she tries to gather her thoughts after the shock from the news. She sighs and leans back in the couch, shutting her eyes for a second.


She takes a deep breath from talking so fast and turns to him.


She sighs again and shakes her head.


Tim frowns and moves closer and puts his arm around Blyss' shoulders on the couch.

 

Tim sighs.



She shrugs.


There’s bitterness in her tone but she also sounds exhausted.



A tear rolls down her cheek and she wipes it away quickly.


She hugs him and then wipes off more tears from her face.


Tim, still hugging Blyss, kisses her forehead and wipes a tear off her face.


Tim tassels Blyss' hair and smiles.


She shrugs.


Tim shakes his head.


She forces a chuckle.



A tiny smile appears on her face as she thinks to herself for a moment. Then she looks at him, an eyebrow slightly raised.



Tim takes a deep breath, nervous looking.  


Tim smiles, trying to assure Blyss that there is nothing to worry about.


She narrows her eyes at him suspiciously and at the same time there's an amused look on her face.


She chuckles nervously. A giant grin comes across his face.


Hearing this, she chuckles once more.



She pretends to think before making a decision.


Her face breaks into a smile.



Tim bursts out laughing. She grins.


She laughs and leans back in the couch, once again feeling exhausted. She stifles a yawn.


Tim gets up and walks to his closet and pulls out a big fluffy blanket and walks over and tucks Blyss in on his couch. Playfully, he gives her side a little tickle poke with his finger.



Within seconds, she falls right into a deep restful sleep for the first time since a few weeks ago on that couch and doesn’t wake till hours later.

And the worst part is
Before it gets any better
We're headed for a cliff
And in the free fall I will realize
I'm better off when I hit the bottom

Monday
Location: Hotel room in Cleveland, OH

Buzz... buzz...

Blyss is gathering her things to leave for breakfast with Tim when her cell phone vibrates on top of the desk. Shaking her head, she zips up her purse and slips on her shoes.

Buzz... buzz...

Buzz...

She knows exactly who it is and wishes she hadn’t said other than a thank-you. On a morning like today when she has a match later tonight, she wants at least some peace of mind. And just like that, her mood dips once again. Just because Gordon decided to send her a good luck message on Twitter. And she just had to say something to spark off an argument but she quickly tried to put it out by telling him to forget her sarcastic comments.

She knows she needs to stop being all bitter and offend people she talks to but it’s difficult when that’s basically what she feels because it’s better than feeling nothing at all. A part of her wants to spread that bitterness so that the whole world would be as bitter as her and she won’t feel out of place and alone. But it’s wrong, she knows that. However, trying to take it back only made him prompt it more out of her which in turn annoyed her. He was always demanding her to tell him what’s on her mind when something is clearly bothering her but when it’s the other way around, he would refuse and change the subject, insisting that she stop asking and that everything’s fine. Anger is so easy and it did feel good telling him how unfair he is being.

Buzz...

Sighing, she walks over to the desk and picks up her cell phone. And once again, just like that, her heart sinks and she feels guilty for being so harsh as she reads his apology. So confused now and she’s so tempted to throw her phone at the wall.

Heh.


Nothing is ever going to be easy and though she feels like she’s been knocked out to the bottom from a great height, she’ll take full advantage of it and welcome a new beginning for herself. People like Griffin and Flex can make all the jokes they want, call her whatever names they want and accuse her for all they want. Even people like Zane and Lea, she doesn’t care who. They say something, she’ll hit right back. Being misunderstood now is no different than last time and this time, she can take it. She has bigger and better things to worry about. New gold around her waist. That’s what she needs to focus on. And she’s learned to realize that maybe sometimes one unsanctioned fight is just never enough. There can always be more...

She grabs her cell phone and strides out the door.

Seems like it's getting harder to believe in anything
Then just to get lost in all my selfish thoughts

Monday
Location: The Quicken Loans arena in Cleveland, OH

The camera opens to Blyss taping up her hands in preparation for her match. She’s already dressed in her new all-black wrestling attire, sports bralette and shorts and mid-calf wrestling boots. The only color on her gear is her striking red-taped fists. Looks aren’t everything but psychologically, they can mean something. The new attire now goes hand in hand with her recently-dyed brown hair. How does that saying go again? If you look good, you feel good. It’s a concept that she doesn’t live by but there’s no harm in trying and it brings about positive mental attitude which is the concept she works towards everyday.

Raising her eyes to the camera, she stands and sets up one leg on the bench. She leans over her knee and crosses her hands over it while keeping a straight face. A tiny smirk forms on her lips.


She glances away for a second before returning her gaze at the camera which zooms in nearer to her face for a medium close-up shot.


There’s a look of resignation on her face as she looks away towards the floor.


Placing her leg back down on the floor, she stands straight and ties up her hair. Her facial expression reads confident and there’s a smile slowly spreading across her lips.


She crosses her arms on her chest.


She pauses for a moment, staring right into the camera. Then she speaks again in a lighter tone this time.


She points to herself as she leans closer to the camera and whispers.


The corners of her mouth twitch but she refuses to smile. Instead, she just continues to stare at the camera with a serious expression on her face and the scene fades to black.

I wanna know what it'd be like
To find perfection in my pride
To see nothing in the light
In all my spite
I'll turn it off