Trigger.

[James Joseph Page.]

Prologue: Coward. 

I remember a long time ago, when I came to FGA, that if I wanted to get ahead I had to fight my way to the top. And I did, and I did it in my first year. All of the accolades, the awards, the FGA World Championship, all of it validated me to a point. People looked at me, I had some self worth. Be even then, my paranoia caught up with me. You always hear lingering voices telling you these things. And I let those voices get the better of me and I ended up losing my FGA World Championship to an invertebrate. Chandler Scott sat at the top of my throne with the smugness of GOD himself. And what did he do with his power, he didn't invoke change, he didn't take on every challenger--you and I both know that.





No, what he did was get fat, what he did was get lazy. What he did was solidify the mere fact that when the tough gets going, CHANDLER SCOTT gets gone! Zero McHannon, the man that I beat won the FGA World Championship from his grasps. And Zero, being the weak piece of trash he is, lost that belt to another piece of trash in Cindy Parker. And so because of this, Chandler Scott has created a trickle down effect here in FGA. Where the mediocre THRIVE in a place without any wolves in it. No challenges, no threats, no bloodlust, just COWARDS! And Chandler Scott is the KING of the COWARDS. Chandler Scott would rather tweet when I'm not looking than accept my challenges.



Chandler Scott 's got a chicken heart, he's yellow, he's which the peak of his career, and now it's falling apart. And you can try and defend his legacy here in FGA all you want. I'm not going to stop the fans who occupy the locker room--WRESTLERS in this company--from defending him. He's everything the good guys want to be, and everything the bad guys strive to become. But the fact of the matter is, he is nothing more than a craven vulture. And I'm going to expose that truth. But until then I have to get pass an annoyance in order to meet my goals.

Salem Cartier. 

Like any other annoying pest, she keeps coming back for more. Never mind the last two times we face off, the matches didn't end. Somewhere, the ignorant side of me, thought that she would've decided she's bitten off more than she can chew. Part of me thought she was just an idiot. But now I see she's just a glutton for punishment just like the others. She'll keep banging her head against a concrete wall, and once it finally cracks, she'll claim it as nothing. Well Salem...THIS ISN'T A WALL YOU CAN BREAK DOWN!!! And I'd love it if you stop tryin' to. Because at this stage of my life, I can tolerate so much.

I'm on the edge at this point right now. I could care less about your need for attestation. The only thing you've proven to me is that you don't care about your future. You want to throw it away, you don't WANT it anymore. Well, I'll be your harbinger is that's what you fuckin' want Cartier. If that fall that split your skull open back in HKW last year didn't somehow given you some sort of insight on your career choice; Then maybe I can make it even clearer for you. You will never be on my level, you are SCRAPS compared to what I've faced against. The mere fact that they want to make this a trilogy like they did with Riley Owens--another goldbricker who doesn't deserve the MENTION--insults me. You aren't worth this much exposure. You just aren't worth it. So if I were you, I'd through my deepest of hearts and reconsider my position Cartier. 

Don't Make This Harder Than It Should Be.

---

Flint: The poisoned wasteland of cars and dirty water. It use to be bad in the day, murders, the homeless, prostitution. Now in 2016, we have to worry about getting kids clean drinking water. We ration it out to them, make sure they carry it with them to school. This is what's great about America? Yeah, make it great again, like it was already great to begin with. The money I had now could've gotten me out of this place. I could move wherever I wanted to. But it's like a magnetic pull, it keeps bringing me back. It's bittersweet, there are some good things that keep me here, but the bad always outweighs it. Not to mention all of the money I did save up I gave back the shelters. What can I say, some people have it worse. 


They wanted to give me on local television. Honestly I don't need any attention for a good fuckin' deed. I'm not that much of a shill where I want recognition for giving money away to the community because they can't drink the water from the pipes. The money's being used for something good, I like to tell myself. Maybe I am doing this for myself and it's just delusion of grandeur.  Anything to get me out of this depression. When was the last time I smiled? When was the last time the blood in my veins didn't feel frigid? When was the last time, a kid looked up at me and found some aspiration to be something better? Goddamn am I a selfish prick. 


Flint, my home, my hell; My limbo I'll never be able to escape for the rest of my life. I've traveled across the U.S.A. and I've been to so many places. And yet it all comes full circle here. Either I'm addicted to the black smog that's hovering over the city, or I love the melodrama. I contemplated that over at Kristoff's bar down the street. I sat in a booth alone, having drank six beers by myself I just stared off into space. Am I drunk yet? No, I needed a few more to really start to feel like a sludgy pile of garbage. I told my therapist I was going to go to AA meetings, told her I was going to try and clean myself up. I'm a pretty good liar. She says that alcohol works as a depressant more than anything. 

I down another beer. 


Kristoff's been looking at me. He's known me since I first drank my first beer at 20 years old. I use to get to come in with some of the guys I use to peddle dope for. He couldn't say anything, but he use to talk to me. Somewhere he knew I was a good kid. He didn't need to say it, saw it in his eyes. There was empathy that shun brightly in those hues. It still does, every time I come back to Flint, I see his sign on the door. A little bit happiness is inside of me knowing he was still around. I quietly drank in my lonesome, no friends, no one to talk to...just me. Kristoff came over, and handed me two more. I had to give him a nice tip, he doesn't like that I give him so much, but honestly if I could pay for his retirement I would. Works too hard at 60. 

KRISTOFF: Well, can't say I'm happy you're drinkin' me dry; But s'good to see you back in town, kiddo.

JIMMY PAGE: Well, I can't drink the water, so why not drink my liver to death, am I right?

KRISTOFF: I hear ya, place is goin' to shit. Makes you wonder if our lovely politicians and senators have a dick in their ear. 

JIMMY PAGE: Flint's been like that forever Kris...

KRISTOFF: Well that don't mean it can't change. Been here since I was a kid myself, I've seen factories shut down, I've seen friends leave because they couldn't afford the houses, and now we can't even drink the water. This is a shitshow.

JIMMY PAGE: And you and me got front row seats...

Kristoff stifles a chuckle, he looks me over for a moment. Leaning on the booth he sighs, he looked conflicted...

KRISTOFF: ...How you doin' kid...?


JIMMY PAGE: As well as I'm gonna get. Why are you kickin' me out?


KRISTOFF: No, no, no...you just seem kind of out of  it. You've been starin' for God knows how long. You still thinking about Samantha...?

JIMMY PAGE: ...That was taken care of a long time ago Kris; YEARS even. She's gone, I've come to terms with that. This? This is just something deep rooted I can't shake and I'm just in a place right now where...

I pause, looking for to the side, then looks back at Kristoff with a sheepish smirk.

JIMMY PAGE: I just...need to find the answers on my own.

KRISTOFF: Well, you're always welcomed here. I'm not goin' anywhere anyway, you keep givin' me business! 

JIMMY PAGE: ...How much do I owe you Kris?

KRISTOFF: Anything smaller than a fifty dollar bill. You keep givin' me these large bills kid, they all can't fit in the tip jar.

Kristoff smirks and winks at me. I put the money down on the table, but leave a little extra for him whether he wanted it or not. We say our goodbyes, and I leave the bar. Each step felt like I was on the moon. I felt like I was floating away somewhere far. I could hear my heartbeat, which echoed through my ears. Walking around might kill this buzz. I just wanted to go home and sleep before I went back on the road again. The streets were quiet for the evening, no loud sound systems booming down the streets, no honking horns, no couples arguing in the middle of the street; No, just me and my footsteps...and...humming. 

...hmmm hmmm...hmhmhmmmm...

I stopped in my tracks and looks behind me, no one was there. I started to walk again, I forgot...I'm drunk. It kept getting louder though, and closer. I felt this sense of panic, a feeling as if I was being stalked. Maybe it was  a smuggler. Fine, if that was the game the fucker wanted to play then we could play. I slowly make my way down a corner, take another right, then another. I turn into an alleyway, and stop. I free up my hands and turn around sharply. They kept humming that stupid song. This fucker wasn't going to--

...No one was there. That doesn't make any sense, but then I realized the humming stopped. I felt this chill down my spine. I slowly turned around...and met the eyes of a female. She was petite, black hair, dressed in a white pintuck blouse, black slacks, and didn't have shoes on. But her eyes, they were piercing brown. She didn't say anything to me...she stood there, almost docile. I didn't know what to make of it. Was she homeless? Yeah, maybe this was her home. 

JIMMY PAGE: Sorry...I...I thought I was uh...being followed. 

She was quiet, she looked at me curiously. In my buzzed stupor, I rummaged through my pockets. I took out fifty bucks, and look to hand it to her.

JIMMY PAGE: Here, take it.

She just kept staring at me, as if looking through me. She walked towards me, holding her hand out. Thinking she was gonna take the cash, I walk towards her. Instead her hand went towards my face. I backed away and glanced at her. I scoff and then place the money down on the ground.

JIMMY PAGE: Uh, listen, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'll, uh...I-I'll just be going. 

I walked away, thinking to myself how fucking strange that lady was. Was it drugs? 

...hmmm hmmm...hmhmhmmmm...hmmm hmmm...hmhmhmmm...

The humming kept going. My heart began to beat sharply, what the hell was this feeling. The humming got stronger, and stronger, I started to walk faster. I kept looking behind me and she kept standing there...her face a content expression. Was she following me? No, she was so far away, where was the humming coming from...?! I started to walk even faster, bumping into people, feeling as if I was being hunted. This humming wouldn't stop. It kept getting louder. Everything was spinning, the world felt like it was eating me. I ran across the street, almost eating the front of a SUV who screeched to a halt. I couldn't hear the driver yell I should watch there the fuck I was going. I scrambled to my apartment. The keys, find the keys, where are the keys...?!?! Keys, keys, keys, wher--


The humming felt like it was right behind me...and there she stood...quiet. I drop my keys, scared for my life.


Someone...anyone...


Please help me.


....

...hmmm hmmm...hmhmhmmmm...hmmm hmmm...hmhmhmmm...

---

I sat quietly in my apartment, in front of my camera. I rested my hands on top of my chair I sat backwards in. My eyes glossed over, almost as if I had left my body. The camera did a good job in covering the bruises on my body from my escapades in HKW. However it didn't cover the busted lip, which was my own doing after I bit a chunk out of it. I part my lips...

JIMMY PAGE: Salem. There's apart of me...that sits here...and thinks that this match is a lost cause. As I sit in this chair, in my loneliness...I contemplate the manner ways I want to destroy you. This isn't a pleasure thing, this isn't something to get my rocks off with. I'm doing it out of a necessity. This is a necessary action, and the reason why it is so...is because I feel like you truly don't understand the role you're in. See Salem, this isn't HKW, you had your chance there. When you came here, you came here to prove something. I don't know what....I don't know why...but you came to my domain. See you keep poking...and you keep prodding, and for the third time you keep asking for something you don't want.


You don't want me to give you my all. Because my all is bathed in such a malicious venom it would leave you NUMB. This? This is a different animal, thumbtacks, barbed wired...? That's CHILD'S PLAY and I'm not into playing GAMES!!! I've been through it all. I've destroyed my body countless times, I've gotten so many concussions I've lost count. Doctor's tell me I should slow down and I crank the insanity level past 100!!! And that's what you want?! You want the blood crazed me?! The hungry wolf?! You want it all because those last two times when you couldn't pull the trigger!! Now the third time's the charm. People are going to be lookin' at you in Salem, Virginia, wondering if you really are cut out for this shit.


Because believe me Cartier...I don't think you have what it takes to finish me off. You don't get the opportunity to do that. I'm going to stay alive, and I'm going to get my revenge against Chandler Scott whether he'll accept it or not. You are a freckle in the way of my grand scheme. You are a mere obstacle in my odyssey. Saturday night, I'm going to show you the difference between you and I. Because here? This is MY kingdom and I'm not going to let some COMMONER beat me. No, no I'm not going to let that happen. If you want my advice Cartier...? Here's some...

I stand up and walk in front of the camera, eyes piercing through the lens. I cock my head to the side with a scowl.

JIMMY PAGE: You shoulda just kept taking checks playing "HARDCORE" in Hard Knox.

I turn the camera off, and then suddenly...

END.