Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Add Reply
Gamble of a lifetime; RP vs. Brooks
Topic Started: Feb 26 2011, 05:25 PM (62 Views)
Jay Wildman
In a retirement home
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
"You're kidding me, right? There's snow on the beach out in California? The next thing you're going to tell me is there is a chance GrimFamos wins the world title by beating me with his pinky toe. Look, when you want to actually try and pull the wool over my eyes by lying to me, let me know so I can at least act a little more shocked, ok?"

I didn't know what to believe as I hung up the cell phone and placed it on the driver's console, letting the rain soothe my frazzled mind. It has been a hell of a week so far, with a lot of promises which never came through, a lot of desires which never got accomplished and a lot of lies which almost turned out to be truths. In other words, it was like any other day in Las Vegas except there were no circus midgets wrestling with hookers on the street corner for casino chips.

Ah, the things Bobby Dean will pay for to get his entertainment.

However, there were more important things to worry about tonight. I had to make sure I made it back to my house before the worst of the storm blew through the area. Las Vegas might be considered a very dry area but when it rained, it was biblical in every form of the word. From the sparrows looking to find shelter in anything they could find to the dogs in the area burrowing deep into the houses to find the best warm and dry spot, everyone was ready for disaster.

I threw the car into first gear and merged back onto the road from the shoulder, angling to get back to my home as fast as I could. I wanted to get home with the warm blankets and the hot tea to soothe my nerves. I knew Zyrah wouldn't be in either, she decided to head out east to Florida to visit her dying grandmother. I felt bad for the woman. She spent most of her life raising Zy and her brothers on her own so she was more of a mother than a grandmother to my assistant. I could only send her along with accommodations and some extra money and even at this point it seemed somewhat hollow.

My mind had been on other things, all sorts of developments and issues I couldn't adjust to and cope with. My injury lingered a bit more than I had let on, brought on by a ruthless young pup who still wanted my body on a pike. The injury healed partially but still was aggravated when I had my match against the always able Rosario. He was no slouch. They rated him higher on every projection chart and said he would be the one to lead the newest generation of sVo wrestlers.

The only thing is I have more desire, paying for this title with my own blood and sweat.

And now it's time to pay the piper for the third time as Brooks is my current opponent, a man who overcame the odds to shed his Nightmare problem. He might even hold the claim for greatest upset victory of the year, even surpassing BBD and Shame's "man movie" leaking out over the internet. This kid had the talent and desire to make a statement. The question lingered, could I give him the answer he looked for?

As my mind wondered a bit, my eyes glimpsed a man trying to wave people down for assistance. If it were anywhere else, he might have found fifteen Good Samaritans pulled over and chomping at the bit to help. Vegas treated people a little different, we all knew it.

Going against my better instincts, I pulled over and opened the door to my car, feeling the moist wind gusts raging against my face. The sprinkles meant a massive storm would be on the way; this poor sod would be stuck out here until he drowns. I motioned for his attention and whistled, hoping he could hear me over the roar of the traffic driving by.

"Hey, you need some help?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks! For some reason this piece of junk decided to conk out, god damned rentals anyway!" He swore.

"It happens in this town. Where you headed?"

"Have to get to the strip, have a meeting tomorrow morning with some important people. I'm not sure I'm gonna make it in this weather."

"Come on, hop in my car and I'll take you into town."

"I don't know... I hate leaving this here."

"It's a rental; no one's going to touch it. You can call the rental company from my cell while I drive."

The man nodded once and bolted to his car, acting as if I were some sort of mirage brought on by the glittering lights of Nevada. I chuckled a little, watching him as he grabbed at his bags like a man possessed, slinging them over his shoulder so hard it managed to twist his body around and nearly knock him to the ground. He growled in ager as he kept his balance, grabbing a few things out from the driver's side door slot and then bolted over to my car as fast as he could to try and keep dry.

I ducked into the car, popped the trunk and unlocked the passenger side door for him as he waddled with his luggage laden body to the back of my car and started dumping his baggage into the open maw of my vehicle. The trunk slammed shut with a loud thump and I heard the sound of footfalls on the gravel next to the door. The man jumped into the car much like a circus lion might jump through a flaming hoop and slammed the door behind him with a sheepish smile, revealing he might have been a little too forceful.

"No worries. This thing is build to last. Hold on, we need to make up some lost time." I commented.

The man clicked his seat belt just in time for me to slam my foot on the gas pedal, causing his body to lurch a bit as the car adjusted to the increase in speed. I offered a wan smile his direction and stumped for a topic of conversation before hitting on something I could talk about.

"What brings you to Las Vegas, friend? It can't be for the meeting, there are far too many of those going around these days."

"I'm meeting with a few businessmen. I'm hoping our conversation will be good enough to allow a career change." he replied.

I raised my eyebrow as I kept my eyes on the road. I could feel the doubt creeping out from his words like tendrils, poking deep into my brain as I picked up on the fact someone either didn't tell him everything about the proposition or he just didn't believe in his chances.

"Sounds like you're not too convinced about your odds, my friend."

"To be honest, I'm terrified. This is a huge step in my life. I don't have much to lose but what I have is far too precious to let go of my life without a fight. This leaves me wide open to failure, being disgraced as a man and will put me back a few years if it doesn't pan out."

I let the words die in the car as we passed the highway markers which guided us back to Vegas. I thought about what he said and how he said it, a man clearly obsessed with making sure everything was perfect. I knew there would be no such outcome and I believed he knew it as well.

"What makes you think this will work? I mean, this seems to be almost too much for you to do. Don't you want to go back to...?"

"Minnesota."

"Right, back to Minnesota and collect whatever pieces you can find so you can reassemble them into something with meaning?"

The man thought about it as we drove past the 93-95 interchange, the last turn off before hitting Vegas proper. This section of the state was quite lovely, almost rivaling wasteland areas like Pahrump and Reno. The dull glow of the Sin City tempting each traveler into her cold clutches, using the bait of dreams fulfilled to gain another victim in her twisted trap. I almost felt sorry for the guy. After a few silent minutes he chimed in, his voice full of conviction and determination.

"I decided to walk along this path a long time ago to see where it turns out. I'm not about to back out now when it gets a little unstable. This is where I need to be and this is where things will change, whether it is for the better or for worse. All I know is, change is coming and I must adjust to it." He said.

"You have a very Zen outlook on life, my friend. I don't know of many people who would go out and take a chance like this to change their lives, most people would play it safe in hopes something lands on their lap. It takes a lot more courage to risk it all and lose it than to play it safe." I replied.

I let my mind wrestle with the implication of risking it all for something I thought would change my life, even if it weren't for the best. I could think about many times I pulled back in fear and terror because I didn't want to risk it all. There were many times the challenge was thrown at my feet and I let it go because I didn't want to risk it all. I could see the fire and determination in the man's face and the spark of energy in his eyes and for the first time in ages, I was almost jealous of his ability to cope.

"Is there anyone else here you are meeting with, friend? You have any family or friends who will take care of you in case something goes wrong?" I asked.

"No, this is my journey. Some might call it insane to walk over a pit of fire without a net but I have to do this alone." He replied.

"Well, Vegas doesn't care about nets or ropes, solitary individuals or large groups. She tends to chew everyone up and spit them out once she's done with them. I'll give you my card. If something goes wrong, I can at least pull a few of my own strings and let you stay at my place for a few days."

"Oh no, I couldn't impose. You are far too kind already by giving me this lift."

"Don't worry about it, all you have to do is do your best, the rest of the cards will fall into place. It doesn't mean you can't have two bullets in your back pocket."

"Bullets...?" he asked, his face blanching slightly.

I pulled over and pointed out at the strip, each casino blasting light in our eyes and tempting each soul wondering on the streets nearby with false promises of success and dreams come true. Each person wondered around with the same glitter in their eye, the same look of determination my passenger in the car had which made me sick. No one ever knew what they were getting into when they came here. They just hoped it would all end well for them because they thought positive.

"It's a poker term, my friend. Two aces are called bullets. I see you have a lot to learn about this den of vipers you're wondering into. Tell you what, come to my house and we'll get you a real meal and a soft bed to sleep in. You don't have to feel like you're at too much of a disadvantage. Besides, this storm is going to get pretty bad so your meeting might be delayed anyway."

"But..."

"I won't take no for an answer, not tonight. You didn't pay for a room, right?"

"No, I didn't. I took the last bit of my savings to rent a room for one night."

"Right, I'm going to save you from yourself on this one. Let's go home, friend. I'll teach you everything I know about this virtual wasteland."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Free Forums with no limits on posts or members.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · sVo Showdown RP Archive · Next Topic »
Add Reply

threesixty by tiptopolive of the Zetaboards Theme Zone