Post by Rick Majors on Jul 17, 2017 19:44:15 GMT -5
The scene opens at night. Within the first few seconds, it becomes obvious that we’re at a garbage dump. It’s impossible to tell where this dump is located. Like most garbage dumps, it doesn’t have any memorable landmarks or distinguishing characteristics. It’s a pile of rotting garbage.
Someone is walking among the rancid refuse. A transient person perhaps. Whoever it is, the individual seems to be stumbling over piles of rubbish and limping slightly. What is this person doing here? Looking for a meal? Hoping to find a place to sleep? Running from the law?
The answer to all of those questions is 'no.'
The person struggling to maintain balance while walking through a garbage pile is Gabriel.
He shuffles deeper into the mass of filth before starting to speak. It’s not evident who he is speaking to. There does not appear to be anyone else in this garbage dump. This is likely because, again, it’s a garbage dump in the middle of the night. It’s not exactly a happening place to be.
“We live in a disposable society,” says Gabriel, looking up at the sky. He then turns his attention back to the garbage around him. “All of this. All of this has been thrown away. But it was all once important to someone.”
He bends down and picks up a tattered teddy bear. One of its eyes is missing. The stuffing is falling out of its foot. It appears to be covered in rat feces. Or at least some kind of feces. Most feces looks pretty similar.
“This bear was once most likely once loved by a child. It was hugged tightly. It was carried around everywhere. It was vital to the child being able to sleep at night. This bear may have even heard someone’s deepest and darkest secrets. And now it sits here destroyed, destined to a life of despair, rotting beside a pair of old shoes and a box of vintage pornography.”
Gabriel gently places the bear back down on the pile and he quickly says a little prayer for it.
“What did this bear do to deserve this sort of fate? The child who loved it grew up? Maybe the family moved? Either way, it was tossed aside as if it means nothing. But it does mean something. It once lived a life of great meaning. It was once special to someone. It once mattered. Now it is trash.”
Gabriel continues to plod through the garbage.
“All of this is a representation of our society. We no longer cherish one another. We no longer form lasting bonds. We no longer care. We only want what’s new. We push what truly matters aside in search for the hottest trend or the latest fashion. We sell our souls for flashy baubles and fifteen minutes of internet fame. Why take the time to appreciate the wonders of life when you could be searching for your next high, a cheap lay, or another viral video?
We’ve replaced love with swiping right, and we’ve replaced morals with an ongoing quest to take great Instagram photos.
We’ve lost our way.”
Gabriel pauses and looks up at the sky once more.
“Only the Lord can guide us to salvation. Only He can show us the way. He knows that we have sinned and He forgives us. He loves us. And what have we done to Him? We allowed him to be crucified by a madman.
And the sick sons of bitches watching from the crowd cheered every minute of it.”
Now Gabriel kneels in the garbage.
“I am sorry Lord. I am sorry for how you have been treated. You are honourable and just and kind. You do not deserve what has happened to you. But I know, Lord, that you will not allow this setback to stop you. You will persevere. You will lead us from this hell and grant those who believe in your glory the gift of everlasting life in your Kingdom.
I am your humble servant, Lord. I am here for you whenever you need me. You know that. All you have to do is call.”
Gabriel gets up from his knees and he continues to walk through the garbage.
“The state of our society isn’t all that this garbage accurately represents. It also perfectly reflects something much smaller, but something equally horrible: The Underground Division.
The land that God forgot. Filled with violence and sin, the Underground is a playground for those who lust for blood and crave depravity. I have no desire to refer to myself as ‘The Underground King.’ I would rather wear a crown of thorns. This division deserves mockery. It deserves scorn. It deserves to die. It is a disgrace to everything that is good and holy in this world.
And yet I will be its champion.
When I was saved by the great Seromine himself, I dedicated myself to showcasing his glory. I knew that the best way to display His power to the world was to have success. Unfortunately, I have stumbled. I have not accomplished this goal thus far. But that changes at Trauma. I will compete in the perverse and wicked sideshow that is the Underground Division. I will stand in the same ring as Alexa Black, Non Compos Mentis, and Alexandra Tamora. I will spill blood. I will inflict pain. I will stop at nothing to claim that title. And I will do it because of my love for the Lord. I will do it to show that He has taken a broken man, one who has never held any championships in this company, and He has turned him into a champion. I will do it for the Lord.
I do not care who my opponents are. They are but warm bodies that stand between myself and glory. Non Compos Mentis? I have already defeated you. Doing it once again will be simple. Alexandra Tamora? We have never faced one another before. It does not matter. I hold no ill will towards you, but I will gladly cave in your skull or rip off you arms if it means greater glory for the Lord.
Alexa Black?”
Gabriel pauses.
“I have also never faced Alexa Black. The nonbelievers will claim that Alexa Black and the Darkness attacked me from behind, chained me up in the basement, and tortured me nearly to death. But they are wrong. That was Rick Majors. Rick Majors is gone. He didn’t die that day in that basement, but he is certainly dead now. And Alexa Black is not the one who killed him. I was.
He has not been missed.
I am not in this match for any personal reasons. The only personal vendetta that I will allow myself to have is the one I hold against Nathan Saniti. He tried to take the Lord from us. He has done everything possible to fuel the skeptics and feed the heathens. He is an enemy who will one day be painfully and brutally eliminated. Other than him, everyone I step into the ring against is interchangeable.
When you have the Lord by your side, you cannot focus on petty squabbles and personal feelings. There is no time. There is only time for spreading the Word of the Lord.”
Gabriel slowly starts to climb down from the garbage piles that he has been pacing through for quite some time. It seems to be quite difficult for him to do so, likely due to a combination of his mobility issues and the fact that rotting garbage is quite slippery.
“One day, Seromine will come home. He will return to his rightful position upon his throne. He will look to me forever at his right hand. He will see that I have done everything I possibly can to honour him. And, if he allows me to, I will place the Underground Title at his feet. For all of this is for Him. He is my everything.
PRAISE SEROMINE!
PRAISE THE LORD!”
With that Gabriel limps away from the dump. In the distance, a dog barks and a siren wails. Gabriel shuffles along. And then, silence.
Someone is walking among the rancid refuse. A transient person perhaps. Whoever it is, the individual seems to be stumbling over piles of rubbish and limping slightly. What is this person doing here? Looking for a meal? Hoping to find a place to sleep? Running from the law?
The answer to all of those questions is 'no.'
The person struggling to maintain balance while walking through a garbage pile is Gabriel.
He shuffles deeper into the mass of filth before starting to speak. It’s not evident who he is speaking to. There does not appear to be anyone else in this garbage dump. This is likely because, again, it’s a garbage dump in the middle of the night. It’s not exactly a happening place to be.
“We live in a disposable society,” says Gabriel, looking up at the sky. He then turns his attention back to the garbage around him. “All of this. All of this has been thrown away. But it was all once important to someone.”
He bends down and picks up a tattered teddy bear. One of its eyes is missing. The stuffing is falling out of its foot. It appears to be covered in rat feces. Or at least some kind of feces. Most feces looks pretty similar.
“This bear was once most likely once loved by a child. It was hugged tightly. It was carried around everywhere. It was vital to the child being able to sleep at night. This bear may have even heard someone’s deepest and darkest secrets. And now it sits here destroyed, destined to a life of despair, rotting beside a pair of old shoes and a box of vintage pornography.”
Gabriel gently places the bear back down on the pile and he quickly says a little prayer for it.
“What did this bear do to deserve this sort of fate? The child who loved it grew up? Maybe the family moved? Either way, it was tossed aside as if it means nothing. But it does mean something. It once lived a life of great meaning. It was once special to someone. It once mattered. Now it is trash.”
Gabriel continues to plod through the garbage.
“All of this is a representation of our society. We no longer cherish one another. We no longer form lasting bonds. We no longer care. We only want what’s new. We push what truly matters aside in search for the hottest trend or the latest fashion. We sell our souls for flashy baubles and fifteen minutes of internet fame. Why take the time to appreciate the wonders of life when you could be searching for your next high, a cheap lay, or another viral video?
We’ve replaced love with swiping right, and we’ve replaced morals with an ongoing quest to take great Instagram photos.
We’ve lost our way.”
Gabriel pauses and looks up at the sky once more.
“Only the Lord can guide us to salvation. Only He can show us the way. He knows that we have sinned and He forgives us. He loves us. And what have we done to Him? We allowed him to be crucified by a madman.
And the sick sons of bitches watching from the crowd cheered every minute of it.”
Now Gabriel kneels in the garbage.
“I am sorry Lord. I am sorry for how you have been treated. You are honourable and just and kind. You do not deserve what has happened to you. But I know, Lord, that you will not allow this setback to stop you. You will persevere. You will lead us from this hell and grant those who believe in your glory the gift of everlasting life in your Kingdom.
I am your humble servant, Lord. I am here for you whenever you need me. You know that. All you have to do is call.”
Gabriel gets up from his knees and he continues to walk through the garbage.
“The state of our society isn’t all that this garbage accurately represents. It also perfectly reflects something much smaller, but something equally horrible: The Underground Division.
The land that God forgot. Filled with violence and sin, the Underground is a playground for those who lust for blood and crave depravity. I have no desire to refer to myself as ‘The Underground King.’ I would rather wear a crown of thorns. This division deserves mockery. It deserves scorn. It deserves to die. It is a disgrace to everything that is good and holy in this world.
And yet I will be its champion.
When I was saved by the great Seromine himself, I dedicated myself to showcasing his glory. I knew that the best way to display His power to the world was to have success. Unfortunately, I have stumbled. I have not accomplished this goal thus far. But that changes at Trauma. I will compete in the perverse and wicked sideshow that is the Underground Division. I will stand in the same ring as Alexa Black, Non Compos Mentis, and Alexandra Tamora. I will spill blood. I will inflict pain. I will stop at nothing to claim that title. And I will do it because of my love for the Lord. I will do it to show that He has taken a broken man, one who has never held any championships in this company, and He has turned him into a champion. I will do it for the Lord.
I do not care who my opponents are. They are but warm bodies that stand between myself and glory. Non Compos Mentis? I have already defeated you. Doing it once again will be simple. Alexandra Tamora? We have never faced one another before. It does not matter. I hold no ill will towards you, but I will gladly cave in your skull or rip off you arms if it means greater glory for the Lord.
Alexa Black?”
Gabriel pauses.
“I have also never faced Alexa Black. The nonbelievers will claim that Alexa Black and the Darkness attacked me from behind, chained me up in the basement, and tortured me nearly to death. But they are wrong. That was Rick Majors. Rick Majors is gone. He didn’t die that day in that basement, but he is certainly dead now. And Alexa Black is not the one who killed him. I was.
He has not been missed.
I am not in this match for any personal reasons. The only personal vendetta that I will allow myself to have is the one I hold against Nathan Saniti. He tried to take the Lord from us. He has done everything possible to fuel the skeptics and feed the heathens. He is an enemy who will one day be painfully and brutally eliminated. Other than him, everyone I step into the ring against is interchangeable.
When you have the Lord by your side, you cannot focus on petty squabbles and personal feelings. There is no time. There is only time for spreading the Word of the Lord.”
Gabriel slowly starts to climb down from the garbage piles that he has been pacing through for quite some time. It seems to be quite difficult for him to do so, likely due to a combination of his mobility issues and the fact that rotting garbage is quite slippery.
“One day, Seromine will come home. He will return to his rightful position upon his throne. He will look to me forever at his right hand. He will see that I have done everything I possibly can to honour him. And, if he allows me to, I will place the Underground Title at his feet. For all of this is for Him. He is my everything.
PRAISE SEROMINE!
PRAISE THE LORD!”
With that Gabriel limps away from the dump. In the distance, a dog barks and a siren wails. Gabriel shuffles along. And then, silence.