White Rabbit- A Message

Knoxville, Tennessee
Tuesday, May 10th
2011

I press the gas pedal to the floor and shift the 67 Pontiac GTO Judge into 4th gear, feeling the engine rev as the car suddenly tears off down the straight and deserted road

Jessica Matthews
Easy there speed racer

I sigh and decelerate. I hated driving down these straight away roads…especially only doing the speed limit. I look over at Jess, who is absent mindedly rubbing her ever growing, extremely pregnant stomach. I had spent the last month planning and researching each of the ten subjects that Chuck had provided me with when I had met with him last at Matthews Tower. Each guy was good…hell, each guy was either the top or the second best in his field when it came to the military logistics of war. But I knew that I needed a guy that I could trust to be my right hand man. I knew I needed a guy that had proven himself to be loyal to me and who knew what to do when shit got rough

Which is what brought me down to Tennessee…I was here to recruit Vincent Van Rose.

When Jess had told me that I was heading down to Tennessee though, she had insisted on coming with me. She had told me she wanted to catch up with Chris and see how he and his girlfriend, whose name I could never remember, were doing. I smirk…I knew the real reason why she had come down here with me though. For the past month I had kind of been acting a little…distant. I was still talking to her and still paid attention to what she was talking about and I made sure that her every need was met. But I hadn’t been really…there for her. I had been constantly working on researching each of the candidates, constantly trying to figure out the best ways to approach of the guys that Chuck wanted me to recruit. I had barricaded myself in my small office in our apartment in Boston for hours at a time.

Jess was clearly worried about me and my mental state. So when I had told her I was coming down to Tennessee…she naturally invited herself along under false pretenses. I didn’t mind though.

I wipe some sweat from my forehead, feeling the oppressive heat of a spring day in the south

Corey Casey
It is god awful down here

Jess laughs at me and smiles mischievously. When she speaks, she purposefully uses her heaviest southern accent

Jessica Matthews
Ya’ll Yankees don’t know how ta cope with tha’ sumbitchen heat do ya?

I roll my eyes. God I hated that southern accent…

Corey Casey
Classy babe

Jess laughs lightly and flashes me a playful smile. Despite the fact that she was so big it looked like she was about to pop, I could still see her original beauty and loving personality in her smile. Jess suddenly turns and looks at me, a concerned look on her face

Jessica Matthews
Core, are you…alright?

I knew exactly what she meant by asking me “was I alright.” She wanted to know if I was hallucinating again…she wanted to know if I was beginning to relapse into my old, dark ways again. I smile reassuringly at her

Corey Casey
I’ve never felt better. That lunch we had at that diner an hour ago was fantastic

Jess rolls her eyes. She knew I was avoiding addressing her actual question

Jessica Matthews
You know what I mean smartass

Of course I knew what she meant. She meant to ask me if I was going off my rocker…if I was slowly spiraling back down into the darkest pits of insanity. I shrug my shoulders

Corey Casey
Jess…seriously, I’m fine. I’ve just been working on stuff for your brother and ME while trying to maintain my wrestling career and providing for my loving fiancé. Seriously…you have nothing to worry…

I suddenly slam on the breaks. At the same time my arm shoots out and steadies Jess, stopping her from slamming into the dashboard.

Corey Casey
Holy shit!

I pull myself up straight in my seat and unbuckle. Jess places one hand on her heart and the other hand on her stomach

Jessica Matthews
Heart rate is elevated but normal…babies seem fine. Corey, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!

I shake my head as my heart beats faster, pumping adrenalin throughout my body. I thought I had saw…

Corey Casey
Hold on babe…

I unbuckle my seat belt and slowly climb out of the car. As I walk around the side of the car, I see…

Corey Casey
No way

A medium sized white rabbit stares up at me from the ground in front of my car. The white rabbit has all white eyes and pinkish fur around his paws…the same white rabbit I had seen in the stairwell of Matthews Tower in Chicago a month before.

I rub my eyes as I look down at the rabbit

Corey Casey
You again…

The white rabbit stares at me without blinking. I kneel down and get closer to the rabbit. The rabbit seems to speak to me through his facial expressions

“You need to come with me”

I shake my head

Corey Casey
I can’t

I hear the passenger’s side door slam shut and Jess’ voice call out to me

Jessica Matthews
Corey, what’s going on?

The white rabbit stares at me for a brief moment longer, his eyes staring deeply into mine

“Say nothing…see you soon…”

The white rabbit then bolts off, moving faster than an animal his size should be able to move, and disappears into the undergrowth along the side of the road. Jess rounds the car and looks down at me

Jessica Matthews
Babe, are you ok? Why did you slam on the breaks?

I nod in the general direction that the rabbit had run off

Corey Casey
There was a small rabbit…I didn’t want to hit him

The words seemed to flow out of my mouth so fast that I didn’t even feel like I had truly been saying them. I have to stop myself from quickly asking Jess what the hell I had just said. Jess leans down and kisses me on the top of my head

Jessica Matthews
Aww, that’s sweet of you

I narrow my gaze as I continue to stare at the undergrowth at the edge of the road. I hadn’t seen the white rabbit since that day in Chicago…a whole month earlier. Why was he suddenly showing up now? Why did it seem like he could speak to me? More importantly…

Where did he want me to go?


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A few hours later…

Raccoon Hollow, Tennessee
Tuesday, May 10th
2011

I shake my head as I look around at the small buildings that lined Main Street.

Corey Casey
This place is about as redneck as you can get

As I drive through the small town I steal a glance at the GPS, which is sitting on my dashboard.

Time to destination: 3 minutes

I shrug my shoulders and keep driving. I look over at the empty passenger’s seat and sigh. I had dropped Jess off at her family’s mansion about an hour and a half ago. After I had slammed on the breaks to avoiding hitting and killing the white rabbit, the rest of the trip had been filled with awkward silence. I know that the awkward silence was mostly my fault…my head had been filled with questions. I kept asking myself questions about the white rabbit; was it real, where would it lead me, what did it mean that I kept seeing it everywhere?

Jess had been shooting glances at me the entire trip to her mansion when she thought I wasn’t looking. But I had seen her face when she looked at me…I could see the concern etched deep into her features. I could see the worry in the depths of her eyes, her look almost screamed out

“TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE THINKING!”

What was supposed to say? “Hey baby, I keep wondering about that mysterious white rabbit that apparently only I can see. You saw it though right? What’s that? You didn’t see it? Well then…I guess I’m just going insane, don’t mind me!”

Yeah…right…

My GPS suddenly emits a high pitched trumpeting noise, signaling I had reached my destination. I look at the GPS and then up at the scene before me

Corey Casey
There is no way this is right…

I was parked in front of a large construction site. There were massive dump trucks and long flatbed 18 wheelers hauling large stacks of wooden planks in and out of the construction zone. There was no way that this was the right address. I flip open my cell phone and punch in VVR’s number. After a few rings, I can hear VVR’s voice on the other end of the phone

Vincent Van Rose (VVR)
Hello

I smirk as I hear VVR’s voice…despite my usually hatred of all things southern. VVR had managed to grow on me. The guy was smart, strong…and loyal to a fault. Since I had hired him on to be my bodyguard, VVR had proven himself time and again as a dedicated employee.

Corey Casey
Hey Vinnie

VVR
Corey Fuckin’ Casey…you here yet you sumbitch

“Sumbitch.” I never got the use of that word. It seemed like almost every single southerner I knew used that word pretty much religiously. Jess had tried to explain the phenomena of this utility swear word to me at one point…but I never got it. I guess the southerners were content to use “sumbitch” as some sort of utility obscenity…

Corey Casey
I think I’m lost mate…I’m at some fuckin’ construction site…

I can hear VVR laughing on the other end of the phone. I furrow my brow in confusion

Corey Casey
What’s so funny?

VVR
Oh you’re here mate…just drive on up. Watch out for the dump trucks and shit though

Before I can say anything more, VVR hangs up the phone. I look at my phone and shrug

Corey Casey
Alright then…

I slowly and carefully pull my car up onto the make shift dirt path leading up to the construction zone. I slowly navigate my car past the large cement mixers and dump trucks until I see VVR standing outside of a trailer smoking a cigar. I smirk as I pull my car up in front of the trailer and climb out

Corey Casey
That shit will kill ya one of these days mate

VVR chuckles as he shrugs his shoulders

VVR
Maybe…but a boss has gotta look the part right? And what kinda boss would I be if I weren’t smoking a big, fat cigar while my employees go about their jobs?

I smirk and shake my head. Only in the south would you find someone like VVR...

Corey Casey
You don’t see me smoking a cigar every time you’re around

I climb the steps of the trailer and hold out my hand. VVR takes my hand and shakes it heartily

VVR
That’s cause you’re Corey Fuckin Casey…The Most Hated Man in Professional Wrestling. Everyone already knows you’re the boss

I nod my head in the direction of the workers and dump trucks zipping back and forth

Corey Casey
And you’re Vincent Van Rose…and if those jackasses don’t know they’re working for you, then they clearly aren’t very smart then are they?

VVR laughs and releases my hand

VVR
Good point…but I’m still keepin’ the cigar

VVR nods his head in the direction of the trailer door

VVR
Shall we step inside and talk business then?

I nod my head. VVR takes one last puff of his cigar and then takes out the cigar casing. He carefully puts out the cigar before putting it back into the silver oblong casing. He then turns and walks through the front door of the trailer. I take one last look at my car

Corey Casey
Hey Vinnie…is my car gonna be alright parked where it is?

VVR
You betcher ass. You’ll be just fine parked there…because if anything happens to your car, I’ll just tell whoever fucked it up who the owner of that car is. That poor bastard will haveta deal with both you AND me then hahaha

I smirk as I turn and follow VVR into the trailer, letting the door close behind me. VVR might be a little rough around the edges…but there is no one I’d rather have beside me in a fight than Vinnie. Inside the trailer is a table and a desk with some chairs scattered throughout. Papers and blue prints are scattered throughout the inside of the trailer, the papers mostly strewn across the desk while the blue prints adorn the corkboards on the walls. I walk over to one of the blue prints and inspect it closely

Corey Casey
The Rusty Nail?

VVR walks over to one of the chairs at the table and sits down. VVR kicks his feet up on the table as a smile appears on his face

VVR
Yessir….The Rusty Nail. Since my old club burned down, I decided that it was time I invested my money in somethin’ that I love…a bar

I chuckle softly as I survey the blueprints. The bar looked like it was going to be quite the establishment. Two floors, a dance floor, a small stage, a large deck on the second floor with a secondary outdoor bar. I nod my head as I whistle softly

Corey Casey
You’ve got quite the blueprint mate

I turn around and take a seat on the opposite side of the table. VVR shrugs his shoulders as his smile widens

VVR
Yup…the few I figure it is like this: no matter how shitty the economy is, no matter how fast the entire world is goin’ to hell in a hand basket, people are always gonna want two things: alcohol, and a place to get away from their worries. Luckily…The Rusty Nail is both of those things rolled into one

I laugh as a smile appears on my face. I had to admit, VVR clearly knew his shit

Corey Casey
Haha…sounds legit to me my friend

VVR removes his feet from the table top and leans forward in his chair. A serious look appears on his face as he stares right at me

VVR
Glad you like the idea…but I know you didn’t wing your way on down here from Boston just to check up on the construction

I smirk slightly. VVR definitely was able to tell when people were making small talk…maybe he would be a more valuable asset than I originally anticipated…

Corey Casey
You’re right mate…I didn’t come down here just to check up on The Rusty Nail. I came down here to offer you a chance to work alongside me and the finest security force ever assembled. I came down here to offer you a job with the biggest and most powerful entertainment company in the world. I came down here to see if you’d like to be my right hand man and work alongside me for Matthews Entertainment

VVR leans back in his chair, a thoughtful look appears on his face. I try to smile reassuringly, but inside I feel a little uneasy. The delivery had come across kinda corny and I felt kind of like a tool for making the offer the way that I had. I sigh and shrug my shoulders

Corey Casey
Look mate…that pitch seemed kinda lame and phony to me

VVR chuckles

VVR
Haha…I’m glad you said it and not me bud

Corey Casey
Look…I’m gonna be up front with you. Chuck and I normally don’t get along…at all. Back in the day, the two of us used to hate each other so badly that we couldn’t even be around each other for more than a few hours each week before we would be about ready to tear each other’s throats out

VVR smirks

VVR
Then how is it that you two, along with Brandon, managed to found our humble little IWF organization?

I lean back on my chair and smile slightly

Corey Casey
To be honest mate…I have no idea. Chuck and I were able to work together before for a time…but our egos soon collided and the whole thing fell apart. This time though, I feel like we’re both mentally in a better place. Chuck and I know that we don’t really have anywhere else to go, we both know that it’s either we work together or the both of us will probably never wrestle again. I mean, my history is checkered at best and Chuck is the CEO of a major company…how many people are going to want to bring in either of us knowing that they’d either be getting a part-time wrestler or a nut job?

VVR nods his head in agreement

Corey Casey
This job is a pretty sweet gig Vinnie. You can pretty much do your own thing and keep shit runnin’ down here with The Rusty Nail or whatever else you want to do with your free time. The only thing that you will have to be aware of and agree to is that if I call you up on the phone and tell ya that good ole Chuckles needs us to go out and take care of some business…I expect you to be on the next flight to Chicago

So there it was…the offer was out there for VVR to take or leave. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about what I would do if VVR rejected the offer. I had just kind of assumed that Vinnie would be on board and that all I would have to do to persuade him is just kind of be up front with him. Vinnie was a smart guy…he’d see the logical choice was to join up with this little outfit of Chuck’s. After a moment or two of silence VVR speaks

VVR
How’s the pay?

I smirk…Vinnie was in

Corey Casey
Top notch mate…I can have ME’s Corporate office draw you up a contract and book you a flight for tomorrow morning to Chicago

VVR and I both stand up at the same time. VVR starts talking…but his words seem to fade away. I turn my head slowly and look out the window of the trailer. I can see that the white rabbit is sitting in the passenger’s seat of my car…and that my GPS is sitting on the seat between his front paws. The white rabbit’s paws are darting back and forth across the GPS’ screen, punching in coordinates or a message or something…

VVR’s voice suddenly makes me snap back into the moment

VVR
Hey, Casey…you alright?

I shake my head and smile at VVR

Corey Casey
Yeah I’m fine sorry…this southern heat is really getting to me.

VVR stares at me questioningly for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders

VVR
Alright man…well, anyways…tell Chuck that I’m in.

VVR extends his hand, which I immediately reach out and shake. So far…I was 1-1 in the recruiting department.

Corey Casey
Excellent man, this is great news. I will call Chuck up and let him know that he can start sending the paperwork and shit and to book you a flight.

I quickly look down at my watch, I needed to see what the white rabbit had done to my GPS. Maybe it was a clue as to where he wanted me to go, or maybe it was some sort of sign or hint as to whether he was real or just a figment of my imagination or…

Corey Casey
Alright mate, well, I gotta get goin’. I left Jess up at her family’s mansion in Knoxville and I told her I would have supper with her and her brother

VVR nods his head

VVR
Alright bud

VVR and I walk through the trailer and out the front door. I shake VVR’s hand one more time before turning and heading over to my car. As I try to resist the urge to dive into my car and immediately begin ripping my GPS apart, I hear VVR’s voice call out to me from the front doorway of the trailer

VVR
Hey…Casey

I look up at VVR

Corey Casey
Yeah mate?

VVR
I’ll see ya at Battle Grounds this week mate

I smile and nod my head

Corey Casey
Sounds good!

I unlock my car and immediately climb in. My eyes keep darting to the GPS, which is sitting on the passenger’s seat. I couldn’t look at it now, it would be too obvious if I just suddenly reached out and snatched my GPS up and begin rifling through it. No…I had to control myself…had to remain calm and drive away from the construction site and away from the eyes of people who might recognize me…

I start the car and slowly drive out of the construction zone. I wait until I am just outside of the small town of Raccoon Hollow before pulling over on the side of the road and putting the car in park. I quickly grab the GPS and smile widely when I realize that it’s already turned on. I press the screen…and nothing pops up

Corey Casey
What the fuck…?

I hit a few buttons and try to get the GPS to recall the last destination that it had been set for. After a moment the name flashes up on the screen:

“Raccoon Hollow, Tennessee”

I shake my head and resist the urge to hurl the GPS out of my car

Corey Casey
Seriously?! Nothing?!

All of a sudden, I sense someone or something sitting next to me. I slowly turn my head…and see the white rabbit sitting next to me in the car.

Corey Casey
How did you…how…the GPS…

The white rabbit doesn’t make a sound. He slowly closes his eyes slowly and then stops moving for a few seconds. He then opens his eyes and nods his head at me

Corey Casey
I should…restart it?

I don’t know why I asked the question…I knew damn well that that was EXACTLY what the white rabbit wanted me to do. I quickly turn the GPS off and wait a few moments before turning the GPS back on. Instead of the normal welcome message that usually displays when I turn my GPS on, there is simply a message written in green font. I read the message and then look back at the white rabbit

Corey Casey
How the…

The white rabbit winks at me before leaping out of the open window and speeding off down the lonely open road. The rabbit disappears before I can even start my car. I shake my head as I look back down at the GPS in my hands at the message that the rabbit had programed into my GPS:





TO BE CONTINUED…



+
+
+The Match+
+
+
+Same Old Song and Dance+
+
+

Nick Ridicule [vs.] “The Lord” Corey Casey…

Those two names written up on a marquee somewhere…that will sell out an arena faster than if “Mariah Carey blows you and then pays you $20 after” were written up on the same marquee…

…

…

…ok, maybe not…but you get the idea

Nicky, Nicky, Nicky…we got ourselves some history don’t we? A hatred like ours extends way, way, WAY back…almost until the time that I debuted in NLWF. And since that time Nick…you haven’t changed a single fuckin’ bit. You’re still popping off at the mouth like you just don’t have a single care in the world. You still walk around the streets like you are just God’s Gift to the wrestling game…and you still don’t quite yet understand the fact that everyone is pointing and laughing at you.

Seriously Nick, look at yourself. What the fuck have you done in the last few months? Let’s recap:

-You managed to send a powerful and dominating wrestling federation crashing face first into the ground

-You managed to lose every single one of the superstars in your roster to two guys you hate

-You managed to become a stumbling drunk

-You managed to lose your long time girlfriend/manager/fiancé/whatever the fuck Ashley was to you…and you lost her to CHAD FUCKING MASON

-You managed to crawl on your hands and knees to IWF and beg us for a job

…yeah Nick…you’re a real badass alright…you’ve been doing a whole lot with your life. I mean, all the binge drinking, crying, and losing must’ve been real hard on you…



“Despite all your attempts to stop Nick Ridicule from once again ascending to the very top of things the only way he knows how…”

What way is that Nick…you going to rig more matches? You going to reward yourself more title reigns than anyone in NLWF history? You going to make us sit here week in and week out and listen to you regurgitate complete and utter garbage and then use your power and influence to get yourself booked in Russo-rific title matches? Yeah Nick…sorry about that…I tried to stop you from ETA’ING ALL OVER ANOTHER FED WITH YOUR MISGUIDED, SELF-INFLATING BULLSHIT! I’m such a horrible guy! Goddamn you Corey Casey!

You’re a fucking moron

If Nick Ridicule is one thing…Nick Ridicule is a consistent son of a bitch. You used your power and influence to make damn sure that you were booked on almost every single show in NLWF history…and you showed up and either won or gave a half-assed attempt to entertain yourself before you lost. Week in and week out…and I can give the devil his due. I will say this on record…despite your self-praising booking habits…you showed up for every single show and force fed the audience the same Nick Ridicule bullshit we’ve all grown accustomed to:

“IM THE BEST CHAMPION EVER! I’M THE LONGEST REIGNING CHAMPION (thanks to me sucking off half the people in the corporate office) EVER! I BEAT EVERYONE! I RULE! GO TEAM ME! INGRATE INGRATE INGRATE!”

[Insert more Nick Ridicule jackassery here….]

Hey Nick…if I was defending against Matt Gray every week…I could defend my title every week too. Not to mention this is IWF…this is a new start mate. Look around you…you don’t see title defenses on every show…you don’t see us forcing our champions to defend their title a week after winning it…THERE ARE NO 7 DAY CHAMPIONS HERE NICKY M’BOY…WE APPRECIATE OUR WRESTLERS MORE THAN THAT!

Nick…I don’t “think” I know what you’re capable of. I KNOW GODDAMN WELL WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF. I know goddamn well that you are capable of ratting someone out to the cops and sending said person to the insane asylum…I know that you are capable of putting a man in a body bag and lighting it on fire…I know that you are capable of hitting a man so hard and so many times in the face that you literally snap his jaw off. How do I know all of these things?

I’VE LIVED THEM

I know what you think before you think it…I know EXACTLY what you are planning on Nicky. I’ve fought you so many times that I feel like a goddamn broken record even talking to you. This is the same goddamn song and dance that we’ve been doing for 2 years now…but here we are…you still saying that you’ve changed and that you are going to be more dangerous than ever…me still calling you out on your infinite amount of bullshit…

Same shit
Different fed

Let me guess…next you’re going to call me a failure and then repeat yourself about how you believe that your middle name is fucking…

“I’m Nick Fucking Ridicule.

You’re Corey Failure Casey.”

FUTURISTIC MIND READING ABILITIES FTW!

Nick, why would I censor the insane rantings of a delusional d-bag? I mean there isn’t a single piece of new information that has come out of your mouth. Literally, I bet if I go and dig through the NLWF archives and watch the tapes of the old shows, I could pick a random show, turn it on, and see you ranting and raving ABOUT THE SAME GODDAMN SHIT AS YOU ARE RIGHT NOW YOU INSIGNIFICANT FUCK!

You know what’s hilarious to me Nicky? You know what is the real joke here? You crawling back to IWF like the little bitch that you are. The fact that you were forced to finally, for the first time in your life…wait…I think I’ll quote you here…

“YOU ARE GOING TO BE FORCE FED A SLICE OF HUMBLE PIE!”

GODDAMN DID THAT FEEL GOOD!

I can see why you were such a fucking idiot and screaming about humble pie back in the day. I mean it feels good knowing you’re the only ballgame in town and that if your worst enemy decides that he wants to come slithering on his belly and beg you for a job you have every right to kick him in the stomach. I mean, that’s what I plan on doing to you Nicky m’boy. I plan on showing the world why it is that everyone left NLWF…I plan on showing the world what a self-praising egotistical piece of monkey trash you really are…I plan on showing everyone that you have the integrity of a Goodyear tire on an SUV…

…wait…I got a better one…

I plan on showing everyone that you have the integrity of Brenton Cyrus after he knocks up a chick Ask Alison Williams and Megan O’Day about that one kiddies

Beware ladies and gents! The floodgates are open! Nick Ridicule is going to ETA all over IWF! Hide yo kids, hide yo wives, and hide yo wrestling promotions because Nick Ridicule is going to open the floodgates and ETA on ERRY BODY OUT HUR!

You seriously sound like a fucking idiot right now. “I’m going to open the floodgates and let out my inner light. And then, I’m going to click my heels together three times, sprinkle some magic pixy dust on myself, and then leap out of a 4th story window and yell I CAN FLY!”

Fun Fact Nicky- you can’t fly…and you’re still a delusional fucking moron you can’t tell his ass from his mouth…because both ends seemingly spew endless amounts of shit

Baddest man alive?
Seriously?
If anything, you’re the baddest joke around. You’re the baddest piece of shit to ever come crawling back up the drain after being plunged again and again. You’re the baddest piece of aborted fetus that just won’t fucking die.

Don’t worry Nicky…I will make sure to kill you off right proper this time

I’m not trying to scare you Nick. I’ve moved far beyond that. I know that you don’t fear me…I mean…we know each other so well and have fought so many times that it seems kind of pointless to even have this match. I mean, everyone knows that I am going to just run you the fuck over with a monster truck…everyone knows I’m just going to fucking throw enough fireballs into your face that you’re going to feel like Alison Williams in any given frat house in America on a Friday night. I mean seriously…I know you don’t fear…you don’t fear The Lord…you don’t fear binge drinking, or losing Ashley to Chad Mason, or having every single person except for Jason and Sharky and Brandon and the cum dumpster known as Alison hate you…

but I know what you should fear

You should fear being written off as a has been, or…even worse…a never was. I promise Nick…I am going to drag you through hell and back at Isolation.

This isn’t a threat
This isn’t some scare tactic
This is a promise
It has been written down in fate’s book Nicky…

So it is written…So it shall come to pass…Quoth The Lord…

Burn in Hell