Post by featherman on Oct 31, 2022 18:34:18 GMT -5
3am on the dot. Isaac was up and awake again. He’d never been a heavy sleeper often retreating to a late night cinema or the television to kill the time. He couldn’t ever kill the insomnia. He hadn’t slept well since his time on D block. The night was always there as a painful reminder of a time that he would much rather forget.
The usual routine always began with Isaac dragging himself down to the kitchen. A hot coffee began the day.
Isaac boiled the kettle, he picked up the milk carton and gave it the obligatory sniff. This time it acted like smelling salts, rotten! “Eurgh rank. Glad i didn’t pour that. Black coffee it is.” Isaac said aloud to himself.
“Better make that two then.”
Isaac was taken completely by surprise and turned quickly to the doorway of the kitchen. Stepping through the darkness and into the moonlit room was a familiar face. A face Isaac hadn’t seen for about a year.
“David.” Isaac smiled
“Isaac. Good to see you.” David walked toward the table and sat down.
“Not that it’s good to see you David but how did you get in here and why 3am?” Isaac stirred the instant coffee before turning and placing the hot mug on the table. Isaac then leaned back against the countertop.
“I know you Isaac. I knew you’d be awake now. It was important for me to come and see you. It’s been too long.” David replied.
“And the fact Drake told me he’d seen you makes no difference?” Isaac looked at David awaiting the telling response.
“Yes I saw him. It’s been a while since then. I gave him some advice and guidance. Me being here has nothing to do with that.”
Isaac could see the old man wasn’t lying. He was here for a purpose, with David there was always a purpose.
“Isaac when you first came to me you were a mess.”
“I know. You saved me but I’m passed that now. Thanks to you.”
“Yes well. When you came to me you had just attacked your….step mother. You may not remember the ramblings during the withdrawal but a few names always stuck out. You used to say then over and over. Helen. Stocky. Pan. Hogg and mother.”
“I don’t remember.” Isaac looked down. His inner shame prevented him from looking at David. He took a drink of his coffee.
David placed a vhs tape on the table and slid it to the other side. He took his drink of coffee, got up and turned towards the door.
“When you’re ready. Come and see me.” The old man placed his hands in his jacked pockets and walked back into the darkness.
Isaac picked up the tape and sat down in the living room. Light had begun to pour in from the windows as early morning broke. He looked at the tape and then to the old VCR, then back to the tape.
———————————————————————
“Isaac would you like to share anything this week?”
“No.”
“Isaac I really think it would help you if you just….spoke to us here. We are one big family here.”
“I said no.”
“Isaac it’s important for your rehabilitation. Maybe in a little bit.”
“Sure.”
———————————————————————
Isaac settled in as the tape began to play. The old VHS made a low squeaking noise.
The picture was as you’d expect for a near 50 year old VHS player. White lines flickered across the screen until the picture appeared.
Isaacs eyes squinted. Although the date was very recent in the bottom corner the picture was still terrible. The vhs clicked. The tale had finished. Isaac sat there, confused by what he had just seen.
He picked up the remote and rewound the tape. Clicked play and sat back and watched it again. This time he was ready for the start. Three figures. No four.
“Fuck sakes.” The tape had finished again. He saw one of the figures on the floor. He picked up the remote again, rewound and started again.
On the third run Isaac could again make out the 4 figures.
“Is that?” He again spoke to himself, squinting at the screen. His eyes widened as he realised what he was watching. He bolted up to his feet.
“Those mother….”
“I said come and see me but figured I’d hang on.” David interrupted.
“Is that. IS THAT?” Isaac pointed at the screen.
“It’s Helen. Yes, and stock, and Hogg”
“And pan. Is this date correct David? IS IT CORRECT?”
“Yes. They beat her 3 days ago.”
“WHERE did you get this tape David?”
“I have….acquaintances across many industries. This happened upon my desk yesterday. I thought it was something of interest to you.”
“You’re damn right. I’m going to kick their fucking asses!” Isaac punched the television, shattering the screen and made a move towards the door.
David stepped into the man beasts way “Deep breaths Isaac. Patience. Hold onto the anger, Use it.”
Isaac stopped dead on his tracks.
“What’s the play here David?”
The old man stepped aside. Behind him the bruised and battered Helen.
“I’ll leave you two.”
———————————————————————
“I’m an angry person. I never used to be you know. It’s why I wrestle now.”
“Isaac it’s always good to talk things through.”
“It’s a release. I hurt people for a living. November 1st is the next time I ply my trade. The Slamsylvania match, a new match one never seen before. I’m not there alone. My brother Lawrence is there. My job is to help him climb the mountain, clear the decks of all challengers. If however there’s an opportunity to ascend to the top and grab victory for myself, then believe me I’ll take it.”
The usual routine always began with Isaac dragging himself down to the kitchen. A hot coffee began the day.
Isaac boiled the kettle, he picked up the milk carton and gave it the obligatory sniff. This time it acted like smelling salts, rotten! “Eurgh rank. Glad i didn’t pour that. Black coffee it is.” Isaac said aloud to himself.
“Better make that two then.”
Isaac was taken completely by surprise and turned quickly to the doorway of the kitchen. Stepping through the darkness and into the moonlit room was a familiar face. A face Isaac hadn’t seen for about a year.
“David.” Isaac smiled
“Isaac. Good to see you.” David walked toward the table and sat down.
“Not that it’s good to see you David but how did you get in here and why 3am?” Isaac stirred the instant coffee before turning and placing the hot mug on the table. Isaac then leaned back against the countertop.
“I know you Isaac. I knew you’d be awake now. It was important for me to come and see you. It’s been too long.” David replied.
“And the fact Drake told me he’d seen you makes no difference?” Isaac looked at David awaiting the telling response.
“Yes I saw him. It’s been a while since then. I gave him some advice and guidance. Me being here has nothing to do with that.”
Isaac could see the old man wasn’t lying. He was here for a purpose, with David there was always a purpose.
“Isaac when you first came to me you were a mess.”
“I know. You saved me but I’m passed that now. Thanks to you.”
“Yes well. When you came to me you had just attacked your….step mother. You may not remember the ramblings during the withdrawal but a few names always stuck out. You used to say then over and over. Helen. Stocky. Pan. Hogg and mother.”
“I don’t remember.” Isaac looked down. His inner shame prevented him from looking at David. He took a drink of his coffee.
David placed a vhs tape on the table and slid it to the other side. He took his drink of coffee, got up and turned towards the door.
“When you’re ready. Come and see me.” The old man placed his hands in his jacked pockets and walked back into the darkness.
Isaac picked up the tape and sat down in the living room. Light had begun to pour in from the windows as early morning broke. He looked at the tape and then to the old VCR, then back to the tape.
———————————————————————
“Isaac would you like to share anything this week?”
“No.”
“Isaac I really think it would help you if you just….spoke to us here. We are one big family here.”
“I said no.”
“Isaac it’s important for your rehabilitation. Maybe in a little bit.”
“Sure.”
———————————————————————
Isaac settled in as the tape began to play. The old VHS made a low squeaking noise.
The picture was as you’d expect for a near 50 year old VHS player. White lines flickered across the screen until the picture appeared.
Isaacs eyes squinted. Although the date was very recent in the bottom corner the picture was still terrible. The vhs clicked. The tale had finished. Isaac sat there, confused by what he had just seen.
He picked up the remote and rewound the tape. Clicked play and sat back and watched it again. This time he was ready for the start. Three figures. No four.
“Fuck sakes.” The tape had finished again. He saw one of the figures on the floor. He picked up the remote again, rewound and started again.
On the third run Isaac could again make out the 4 figures.
“Is that?” He again spoke to himself, squinting at the screen. His eyes widened as he realised what he was watching. He bolted up to his feet.
“Those mother….”
“I said come and see me but figured I’d hang on.” David interrupted.
“Is that. IS THAT?” Isaac pointed at the screen.
“It’s Helen. Yes, and stock, and Hogg”
“And pan. Is this date correct David? IS IT CORRECT?”
“Yes. They beat her 3 days ago.”
“WHERE did you get this tape David?”
“I have….acquaintances across many industries. This happened upon my desk yesterday. I thought it was something of interest to you.”
“You’re damn right. I’m going to kick their fucking asses!” Isaac punched the television, shattering the screen and made a move towards the door.
David stepped into the man beasts way “Deep breaths Isaac. Patience. Hold onto the anger, Use it.”
Isaac stopped dead on his tracks.
“What’s the play here David?”
The old man stepped aside. Behind him the bruised and battered Helen.
“I’ll leave you two.”
———————————————————————
“I’m an angry person. I never used to be you know. It’s why I wrestle now.”
“Isaac it’s always good to talk things through.”
“It’s a release. I hurt people for a living. November 1st is the next time I ply my trade. The Slamsylvania match, a new match one never seen before. I’m not there alone. My brother Lawrence is there. My job is to help him climb the mountain, clear the decks of all challengers. If however there’s an opportunity to ascend to the top and grab victory for myself, then believe me I’ll take it.”
