Post by featherman on Jul 3, 2022 19:03:42 GMT -5
“Err…Goooood morning ladies and gentlemen this is the er captain speaking.”
Isaacs eyes snapped open. The voice was unfamiliar and too close to the microphone.
“It’s 3:07am, here in Hawaii. On behalf of the crew I am thankful for the patience you have all shown and want to apologise again for the delay you have all had prior to take off. You’ll all be pleased to know that we are er…..beginning our descent into Kahului airport on the island of Maui. The weather is good, little light breeze coming in but everything is expected to be smooth sailing. Seatbelt signs are now alight. Thank you for flying with us today. Oh and happy 4th of July!”
Isaac was a terrible flyer. It was due to his size mostly. It was nothing short of uncomfortable for the big man. This flight was worse though. Delays, the 4th of July traffic and the massive figure of his friend Drake. Upon the call of the captain Isaac instinctively had to look down and check the buckle of the belt was still in place. His security. Once his obsessive checks were satisfied he turned his head back to his right and started to doze off. He didn’t really get the chance to settle back down properly. He was kept awake with a sharp slap from Drake.
The flight Drake and Isaac were on was just over 9 hours directly from Florida to Hawaii.
The two giants had decided to remain in Hawaii after EXP 27. Booking a package deal for their flights and hotel which wasn’t far from Panama City beach.
For Drake it was mostly for some rest and recuperation time. Isaac though was determined to use his time in preparation for the upcoming Skeleton key match.
Since joining the Game Changers he had changed many things about his preparation. He would watch the matches of his opponents over and over again. Analysing the smallest details. Details like the build up to Cortes impressive blaze kick, which she used to qualify for the match.
He had even gone back to the last of us battle royal where the commander had first been crowned Final Boss champion. It was the last time Isaac had been in the ring with the champion.
The flight though had been delayed by 17 hours. Nothing quite like watching the engineers rip half your planes engine to pieces right there at the side of the boarding gate.
Drake : “Time to wake up princess. Beauty sleep is over.”
Isaac : “Just resting my eyes brother.” Isaac spoke without opening his eyes or moving.
Drake : “Damn flight delays. You know by the time we get landed and checked in we will be back out doing that event. Nice early 10am start for us.”
Isaac : “It’s you’re drunken ass fault we have to attend that event anyways.”
Drake giggling a little : “Yeah man about that . Funny thing about that though.”
Isaac : “What….?”
Drake : “Lenny is coming too. Sees it as a good chance to hock some of the LU merch.”
Isaac : “…….”
The event was a small comic con organised by one of the attendees of the recent Game Changers party. Drake had gotten so hammered he had eventually fallen over a table but unfortunately not before he had agreed a deal to get the two monsters to attend.
Isaac wasn’t sure what was worse. Being tired on the eve of the Skeleton Key match - biggest of his career or the fact that he had to spend the day meeting and greeting fans with Lenny Brasco in ear shot.
Isaac hated being told what to do.
———————————————————————
Day 8 :
Today is the 8th consecutive day Captain Lambert has allowed my father to visit me whilst I’m in solitary confinement.
It’s my own fault for being here. Lambert had tried to assert his authority over the general population. He saw me as one of those key battles he had to win. The bastard had overstepped the mark with me and simply didn’t expect me to beat the shit out of him. He deserved it.
His response was to throw me in here. The moment he realised however, that I was quite enjoying the peace. Captain Lambert decided to up the ante by bringing In - in his words - “A religious guide to assist my rehabilitation.”
He knew fine well that the man I hated the most in the world, my father was a man of the clergy. A man who had worked closely with the prison. Thus he had the perfect formula to punish me. Solitary + Dad + religion = A seriously unpleasant time for me.
The first day my father arrived to “save me” I had argued, begged and pleaded with him to just go. The man though stubbornly pushed through and delivered his forgiveness sermon.
The door opened. The monster walked in. Me being chained to the far wall was kept from being able to reach him.
I hated him so much. From the outside looking in he was a great man. A man of god and pillar of the community. He had made friends easily and was well respected.
Behind closed doors he was a narcissist. Controlling and abusive. He always claimed he acted in gods name but I never saw how that could be. To me the logic of god being the person behind striking women and children was so different to the picture he painted in his sermons. It was this confusion that made me come to realise that this behaviour laid squarely in his shoulders. It wasn’t god. Something so omnipotent didn’t behave that way.
I don’t have a problem with peoples beliefs or even the concept of god but I sure had a problem with his use of the word.
Regardless of your beliefs this wasn’t gods work. It was nothing but sheer abuse. I remember when I was about 7 or 8 years old we were sitting having a family meal. Him, his wife, my mother and I. The 4 of us playing happy. Yeah right.
I had left some of my food. The portion was too big and I had tried my best but he saw it as a waste. “God spent his energy giving life to your meal.” He would exclaim. Instead of rationalising and just talking to me he ended up throwing my chair back, my head hitting the floor with a sickening thud. Who does that? Evil does. He does.
It didn’t stop there though, it wasn’t enough. He swiftly backed it up with a half a dozen kicks to the ribs. I was sick in the immediate aftermath. The good Reverend decided that I would now be hungry enough and was made to eat the rest. My mother was then told to clean up and received a similar kick to her ribs too just for the inconvenience of having me. when “covered”. Punches to ribs or belts across the backside. All the while his wife. The good wife. Carried on eating as if nothing was happening.
I hated him. I hated her. I hated the way he met my mother. The way he used her. Took advantage of her vulnerability.
But today on day 8 I sat there and stared him in the eye. He spoke his godly words and I, as I had been for the last week. Remained silent.
———————————————————————
The journey disembarking from the plane and through the airport to the hotel was quite swift all things considered.
It had taken Drake and Isaac about 90 minutes to finally start checking in.
Drake : “How you feeling?”
Isaac : “Tired.”
Drake : “No no. How are you feeling about your match? Skeleton key for the Final boss championship man!”
Isaac took a deep breath in and out again “I’m ready. Well I think I am.” He looked to Drake. “A year ago this chance just…wasn’t there for me. I mean i was….we were following James. He was the man for us. Now….well now I just hope I don’t make a fool of myself. I need to prove that I deserve to be at this level.”
Drake nodded “You do! Regardless man the GC have your back.”
Isaac : “What time is it?”
Drake : “5.25am brother!”
Isaac : “Alarm is set for 10am?”
Drake : “10:30 see you into the morning mate!”
“Yeah!” Isaac replied and crawled straight into bed.
The alarm blaring in his ear felt like he had been asleep for 5 minutes. Isaac looked at the screen on his phone and clicked snooze.
He threw the phone onto his clothes at the bottom of the bed and rolled back over trying to cram as much sleep as he could into the next 9 minutes.
Drake however was already up and proving again to be the thing that prevented Isaac relaxing in that comfort but ultimately pointless exercise of snoozing. Drake had breakfast delivered to the room. Crispy bacon and scrambled eggs in a fresh roll with plenty of strong coffee.
Isaacs alarm went off again. He dragged himself up looked over at the breakfast being delivered by the bell boy and headed straight for the shower.
Isaac took a moment after his shower to look in the mirror. He wiped the condensation away and looked at himself square in the eyes.
“Are you ready Isaac?”
Tomorrows match for him was different to any he had been in before. His first shot at a singles title match. Well he’d competed in the last of us gauntlets in the past and technically that was for a singles title but this was different in his eyes. A ppv main event with much fewer people than he’d faced in the gauntlet. No Faction, No Drake and no Game Changers. This would be just him against 4 others.
His partial day dream was interrupted by 3 solid knocks at the door.
Drake : “Taxi is here brother! It’s come a little early we gotta go!”
Isaac : “He can wait surely?”
“Nah man he’s ready!” Drake replied.
“Ok give me a couple of minutes.”
Running out of the room Isaac threw on a jacket and picked up his coffee and breakfast roll.
The comic con was at the Maehara stadium. The same place as the Super Adventure Island ppv.
It was a hive of activity to the right of the car. There were countless trucks, buses and cars. The level up crew were everywhere. A lot of them Isaac had never seen. Every one of them was busy moving boxes and wires around. There was so many of them working. Isaac had never been to an arena in the build up. Watching the workers reminded him of an ant colony. Everyone had a job. Everyone a purpose.
To the left of the car were the queues of fans, many of which were dressed in various outfits.
We had a variety of marvel characters. A few strangers had banded together to recreate some classic MCU scenes for the cameras.
Star Wars was a common theme. Lightsabers twirling and the Jedi and Sith guys fake squaring off.
There were a huge number of gaming characters too.
Drake and Isaac made their way in through the side entrance reserved for the guests of the event.
The event was slow. Isaac and Drake were sat beside a retro gaming stall and some illustrator from some comic that Isaac hadn’t heard of.
The giants meet and greet queue was moderately busy. They were tasked with signing some pictures, posing occasionally and shaking hands. The rule of thumb was this
1. ask who it’s made out to
2. Don’t lift your head for a photo without payment
3. Don’t spend too much time talking
A member of staff in a hi-vis jacket ushered the queue. Waving people to come and pointing to where people need to leave.
It was excruciating. The guy in the hi-vis clearly was loving life. The “power” was probably not something he was used to.
“Next.” The staff member called out.
Isaac : “Who am I making it out to?”
Fan : “George.”
Isaac : “Ok…To George. Stay strong. Isaac.”
Snap. Photo taken.
“Next.”
Isaac : “Who am I making it out to?”
Isaac took a look at the picture. It was him and his mother.
Fan : “Father…..”
Isaac immediately jumped to his feet.
———————————————————————
Day 43 :
The good Father arrived in the morning. Today though he wasn’t alone. Lambert was with him. The psychopathic head of prison security and the religious nut.
I was chained to my wall again.
There were no words. Captain Lambert walloped me across the head with his nightstick.
———————————————————————
Isaac stood there. It was the first time he had seen his father since he was incarcerated.
Isaac : “Leave!”
Father : “My son. You’ve turned it around. My sermons have worked.”
The anger emanating from Isaac was palatable.
Drake placed a hand across his friends chest.
Isaac looked around. The cameras. The fans. He took a breath.
Isaac : “I told you to leave.”
Father : “The moment the famous Isaac signs my picture.” He held the picture up infront of Isaac.
Isaac snapped it out of his hand and slammed it on the desk. He grabbed his pen holding the lid in his mouth.
Father : “Dear Father. Thank you for your forgiveness. Write it down son. Go on. Get it written. I want a momento for the time you finally turned it around from being a no good dirty criminal junkie to a top star.”
Isaac squeezed his fist around the pen.
Isaac : “I am what you made me.”
Father : “Sign it Isaac. You forget how to?”
Isaac looks down. He decided like prison time that silence was his best option.
Drake thought otherwise. The monster wearing his new trademark stetson hat stood up. Pushed the hat up with his finger and punched the Father right infront of everyone.
The old man stumbled backwards and eventually fell onto his back. With the cameras clicking Isaac elected to get up and leave. Drake following behind.
Isaac : “Jesus man you know what you’ve just done?”
Drake : “Sure do! I Drake…THE MAN. Just decked that guy.”
Isaac : “My father.”
Drake : “Yeah him.” Drake laughed as he said this.
Isaac : “Let’s go. I have to get rest before this match.”
———————————————————————
Day 119 :
Today I took my beating from Lambert early. It’s now twice a week he comes down. Bad day. Get Isaac. It’s any excuse any reason.
The ritual is always the same. The guards knock. I have to step back. I get locked in and wait for the beating or my daily sermon. Torture isn’t the true word for it.
Lambert : “Where’s that fighting spirit big man?” Punch. “No fight huh?” Punch.
Lamberts last punch was a monumental effort. He had literally put everything into it. The contact forced him to take a couple of steps back.
I lifted my head slowly. Making sure not to draw too much attention to the object I had spotted on the floor. I looked squarely back at him. I spat blood into the floor and laughed.
“Untie me and I’ll show you fighting spirit.” I began to climb up to my feet.
Lambert : “Enough for today. Get clean.” He threw a rag at me and walked out. The guards did their usual routine, forcing me back to the wall. Unlocking and escaping as quickly as their little piggy feet would let them.
As soon as the door closed I collapsed down to the ground. It was cold and refreshing. I took a moment to compose myself and crawled over to whatever lambert had dropped.
Holy fuck. Keys. Not just any keys. Guard keys.
Maybe god does exist.
The thought process of an inmate at that time is difficult to describe. You have a chance. A chance to escape. That’ll change everything for you in a moment. I could hand them in. I could sell them. I could…..use them. All of these thoughts had gone through my mind within a split second. Playing out as a series of hypothetical events in my minds eye.
The door knocked.
I was out of time. I made it back to the wall and stood on top of the keys to cover them.
There he was. In all his robed glory. The good father. The bastard.
“I hope you’re well today Isaac. I must say that your lack of conversation has made me think harder about these little sessions but alas by the grace of god I found the extra energy to prey harder in the hole his power. Our lord and savours power will return your speech.”
“Praise be father. It has.” The guards followed in and began their process to lock me up.
“Let us prey my son.” He placed his hands together and knelt on the floor. This was exactly how he started his sermon every day. The guards left.
Now was the chance.
As quietly as I could I began the process of working through each of the keys.
My father opened his eyes. Immediate horror struck his face. The realisation that I was closer than I had ever been to him.
He immediately tried to escape. I grabbed him and pulled him back. After a moment or twos struggling I managed to get him sat onto a chair.
“Let’s pick up where we were when we last spoke father.” I held and squeezed the back of his neck. “Let’s talk about my mother.”
“She was a whore!” He exclaimed
“Yes she was. She was vulnerable. She needed help and you came along to save her. I’ve heard the fucking story. I want to know what you and your bitch wife did to her. Why did she leave?” I pushed my thumb down behind the collar bone.
“Arrrrgh! I saved her. I gave her refuge. God….arrrgghh stop. The pain. Stop son.”
“Oh you want me to stop? What about all the times I begged.”
“Argggh ok ok I’m sorry son I’m sorry.”
“My mother.”
“One thing led to another. She thought my kindness needed repaying. I had a huge problem in the shape of you. I had no choice but to bring you both into my home!”
“What…did you do to make her leave? Why did you treat her the way you did?”
“I PAID HER!! Well more accurately WE paid her! We needed you. We hadn’t been able to conceive!”
“You brought her into your home and beat her daily!”
“Nothing less than she deserved! She was nothing. A whore. A street walker. Argh!”
“SHE WAS MY MOTHER! The ONE person who cared for me!”
“She didn’t care for you! Her bastard offspring. I doubted you were mine for years until the DNA came in. You could have been anyones.”
Isaac let go of his father and stepped back. The Reverend got up and faced his son.
“I see a lot of her In you! A useless waste of life. A down and out. A piece of shit someone stepped in. My wife was right we should have throw you out along with your whore mother!”
Isaac looked his father in the eye “Where did she go?”
The Reverend straightened up his robes and composed “The last I heard she was seen in the local crack den. Hours after she went. What else did you expect.”
Isaac looked down to the floor. His father walked passed him and knocked on the door.
“You know. It’s funny. Half this prison has confessed to me to being with her. I’m sure the other half just haven’t gotten around to admitting it yet.” He spat on the floor.
He knocked on the g door again. Knock. Knock. Knock. THUD.
The good fathers face had been planted into the steel door of the cell. His nose breaking with a sickening crack.
“I will never forgive you. She deserved better than you.” Isaac stepped back.
“She deserved better than you son. The perpetual disappointment. I will make sure Helen and Daniels child is well looking after by the church. He’s the son I truly never had.”
As Isaac began to move towards the priest the door opened. The guards swiftly subduing Isaac.
———————————————————————
It was 2:27am Isaac had been asleep since 8pm. He was struggling to stay awake and decided to go for a walk to clear his head. The unexpected meeting with his father today had clouded his mind.
The walk wasn’t planned but he had ended up in the vicinity of the arena.
He stood outside the main doors and looked up. The huge advertising board had his picture. The skeleton key match.
Level up wrestling presents
Super Adventure Island
July 5, 2022
Maehara Stadium
Wailuku, Hawaii
Main event! Skelton key match
Final boss championship!
Featuring :
'Commander' Duncan Shepard (c) vs. ISAAC vs. Catalina Cortes vs. Jack Sullivan vs. Sloane Taylor
There was a big sold out sign across the middle of it.
Isaac stood on the middle of the front car park and just stared.
A local homeless drunk wheeled a shopping trolley passed. Stopped and looked.
“You not a fan of that crap are you son?”
“Ha! Yeah I am.”
“You need a better hobby. Hey you got a couple of bucks?”
“Sure.” He handed over $10 “thank you kind sir thank you!” The tramp continued walking on.
“You always had a good heart zac.”
He stood there frozen. He turned around and pursed his lips. Helen.
“Hi.”
“Hey”
Isaac : “You shouldn’t be out this late.”
“I we hoped you’d be here.”
“You waited here?”
“I know you better than anyone zac. I knew you’d come.”
“This is the chance of a lifetime Helen. A chance to finally make something of myself.”
“You’ve always been something to me.”
“Thanks. But you know what I mean.”
“I do!…….Look Isaac I’m”
In unison “Sorry”
She smiled and looked down.
“Wanna see if we can get a drink or something?” Isaac held his hand out.
“No you have a match to prepare for.”
“I do. You’re right. Thanks for being here.”
“Are you scared?” Helen asked inquisitively.
“Of them?” Isaac gestured his head to the picture advertising.
Helen nodded
“No. Ive studied them all. They all would make great champions but I’m as ready as I can be. I’ve trained hard. I’ve studied hard. Their all hungry for this.”
“Good luck zac.”
