Riddle Me This, Riddle Me That

[Petty]

“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
Bruce Lee
​

Life is what you make it. My life has been a turbulent one, full of surprises that seemed to be magnified due to my celebrity inside the ring and outside the ring. I mean I have been active for fifteen years, ten of those years with no break. Two hundred and eighty days in various arenas, airports and hotel lobbies. The last five years I’ve focused on my life outside the ring and much of it has been publicized in a way that I have been very fortunate it hasn’t affected my means of living. At Least, when it comes to the checks I cash. However, people try to hide the dark side of their life from the public image and, I would be lying if I didn’t admit to being guilty of this until I penned the two autobiographies of my life. I touched on plenty of subjects save for the ones who recently in the last two years didn’t make it into the last book partly due to the events transpiring afterward. If I had made an amended version I could have added it in. We see Edward Beatty sitting in an office on this chair, and there is this young woman, petite in size, but her attire of that long suit dress that accentuates her assets, which let Steve didn’t mind and for sure taken notice. She sat there with her legs crossed as her reading glasses sat on her nose adding to the mysterious nature of her, the suit being brown with matching flats and whatnot. Her eyes a seductive brown. Meanwhile, I’m in my workout clothes, a white tank top and some white jogging pants with some cross trainers sponsored by Nike.


“We been at this now a good year in a half. I have seen some progress but, I only clearly you for active wrestling because I felt mentally you were more prepared to handle what made you leave the business, Edward. The celebrity coupled with your personal life had made you mentally unstable for a time. It would appear you're in the clear? So, tell me what’s new with you? I mean I know the betrayals in life that experience can make personal relationships and business relationships more difficult for you to handle. I believe you haven’t been entirely truthful with me lately and that just is a disservice to yourself and your fans.”

The annoyed look that etched upon his face was obvious, his lips curled down in a frown as his hands begin to rub the mesh texture of his jogging pants, certainly a nervous reaction that often times we as human beings forget that we have ticks that people pick up on that give away our various emotions and thoughts without us even knowing, thinking we are doing a good job of being non-conspicuous. When in reality to a trained eye or someone who KNOWS you can see right through it and bring light to a darkness that we may be afraid to confront, such is normal. But, the compound issues that are like weights on someone’s psyche who has to maintain a public image because, it can dictate the potential for impacting income and with, the world’s love of social media it’s easy to become a victim of these circumstances.

“I believe I been very truthful to you. I don’t know why you would think-”

“No, you may have been truthful to me. Maybe to others. But, you're not being truthful to yourself. Have you ever sat back and listened to yourself speak. Like, let’s say you were to run into Cecil Ingle personally right now. See, the reaction I see when I merely just mention his name is a clear indicator you have not gotten over that.”

She was right. His eyes begin to see red, the normally cool and calm, collected nature of this man was rattled. His eyes looked desolate as his mind traveled to that news. His fingers tightened around his mesh of his jogging pants as you can see his anger rising. It began in his eyes, traveled to his expressions painted across his features which harbored many different ones. One right after another. Hatred. Emptiness. Despair. Defeat. The Chosen One closed his eyes, trying to find his center but, it can’t be found.

“Gotten over it? It’s kind of hard to do that when it’s not the first time the hand that feeds gets bitten. It’s harder to believe not one, but two of my best friends done so. I mean, I helped put food on their table. I brought them into this business. Gave them a chance to grow, make money and have a better future how can you-”

“But, you always had something they both didn’t. That was a spotlight that shined on you and left them in your shadows. I mean, who wouldn’t have wanted to be you. These people may have been your friends and rightfully so should be grateful. But, let’s face facts. You wouldn’t share the spotlight with them willingly. You were selfish in a lot of ways. Even your wives were victims. Look at yourself. I mean have you looked in a mirror, and not an actual mirror. But, when have you actually stepped outside your persona that you have to live, looking at you. Those two and even the two wives, they didn’t see what everyone else saw. They missed you. Not the fusion of personalities made complex from the life you live. What choice did they have? You don’t realize that you had what they both wanted. Why would you not share, more importantly, the question should be for yourself: Why?”


“Why what? I mean you are bouncing around this like this is just some sort of shaming game on me. Why is it that I have to share something I worked my ass off for. It wasn’t handed to me. I earned it. So, why would I have to share with them it? They could have earned it. I left the blueprint.”

“See, your still not getting it. They wanted to be you. You just wouldn’t let them in to be you. You closed off yourself emotionally after the events of the first death. You never forgave yourself for it being used against you not only in a professional matter but, also a personal matter. Your life has been impacted by constant betrayals. Noticeable and unnoticeable. So, let’s talk about where you stand at? I can see you're in tip top physical condition but, what about mentally? I know you are very good at hiding yourself from everyone. But, I been your counselor for two years now. And, I promise you this Edward. I am in contact with Dash Carlisle to keep a monitor on your mental health. The business side of things has in the past often times caused you massive amounts of stress. Are You sleeping well? I don’t see any bags. What’s been up with you since our last meeting?”


He shifted in the chair, sitting up. Clearly you can see some slight annoyance on the man known as The Franchise’s face, it was his eyes. He always had this glare that was unnerving even to the most solid person. The glare caused uneasy emotions, heighten emotions depending on who it was all the way up to avoidance of eye contact. The man closed his left palm around his right set of knuckles closing his fist making his knuckles make this cracking sound almost with no effort whatsoever. As the cracking stopped he answered her questions.


“They could be me. But, they could have been me without throwing away our friendship. Fifteen years? You willing to throw that away for this chump change I am making? I would have given them the money. I can’t give them the spotlight. They had to earn that. I have forgiven myself for the first so called death. Even though it turned out to be false. I understand that the promoters, her and that spineless bastard turned my darkest hour into a money grab. How could I not forgive because I have learned to cope with it? But, that doesn’t excuse my friend and what he did. I have been good. I stepped away for a reason. But, I can’t forgive him and I believe what happen to him was righteous.”

His mind drifted off, it appeared to be a flashback of some sorts. They were friends, even longer than him and Kevin Putteet.

Wakki Jackie soaks down into her bath water. The bubbles in her bath relaxing to the mind body and soul. She tries to close her eyes but can’t relax. As she still feels someone is watching her. She looks around. The only sound that is heard is Steve talking in the hotel room. His voice comforts her. She feels relaxed knowing her husband is in the next room. She begins to think out loud. It’s her way of dealing with figuring something out.


“What did he mean by She Loved Him...He Loved Her...but we took their sunshine away. Forever.”


Wakki looks through the crack in the door. She can see Sanders is being tormented within. It’s all over his eyes. She sees him slowly slipping away. She looks at him with concern. But sees him straighten up. His emotions deep down are always wound so tight. He’s unable to fully open himself up to anyone. Wakki eyes burst open!


“Cause he abandoned me for his career!”

Wakki looks down at the water. She's supposed to be relaxing but can’t relax. She is trying to figure this out. Who the hell did he abandon for his career? She bites on a fingernail wondering. She looks back at Sanders who comes in on her before she can straighten up her facial features, she has been busted in deep thought! Shit! He can read her like a book but she can’t even break his facial meaning.


Steve: What you in here pondering about? I thought you were supposed to be relaxing?


Wakki smiles that smile but she looks at him, the worry in her eyes. She is searching in his eyes for the answer. She can’t find it. He’s looking in her eyes and he can’t find her meaning. She just stares at him.


“Baby, who have you abandoned for your career?”


Sanders sits on the corner of the tub taken back by her question. He looks down at the title on the floor. And then back at her. He has a look of anger in his eyes. She realizes she struck a nerve that she didn’t know was there.


Sanders: I have abandoned no one. They left me when I got something going for myself. They left me when I told them I don’t have the money to buy them their dreams anymore. That I have to look after me. I see it was if you didn’t starve with me then you are not dining with me when I get to eat. What is this all about?


Wakki realizing she didn’t think this all the way through notices something in the corner of the bathroom. The red light is a solid color. It’s just a wire with a light hanging down. She points to it and Sanders looks up and sees it.


“Is that a camera?”


Sanders gets up close to it as we switch to Cecil Ingle looking at the camera cursing out loud. He quickly gets up to turn off his room lights, and he turns down the bright light from his screen as he watches intently on what the so-called Chosen One will do. Granted he isn’t picking up audio. The feed goes bad. The screen shows an image of black with the words Video Output Disabled. Cecil slams his laptop closed as he sits in the dark humming a tune. Sanders is seen holding the camera. He drops it on the floor and begins stomping on it.


Sanders: What the hell is ongoing on Jackie! All of this is going on you tell me why did you ask that and how did a camera get in this bathroom?


“Honey, I am just curious. I was reading some of your books and you never went into it. You stopped writing. And I thought you may have put the camera there?”


Sanders grabs the broken pieces off the ground throwing it into the trash. He looks at her annoyed.


Sanders: Why would you read my book without asking me? I didn't abandon anybody. And why would I put the camera in the bathroom? That makes no sense. I am gonna call down to the main desk right now.


He was brought back to reality, she was standing up from her chair, closing her book she was taking notes in. She stared into his eyes for a moment trying to search for something she couldn’t find. She smiled as Steve smiled back. Steve took the cue standing up and reaching his hand out to offer a handshake. Which she did.

“Now, go knock them out and do what you love to do Edward. I will be watching and will be in contact with you for our next meeting to check on how you're holding up. Have a nice day, I know you have a flight to catch.”

“Thank you, Sandy. Tell the husband I said hello.”

He released her hand and turns to exit her offices, the mental images of that day, was so alive. That last couple days would be the start of a whirlwind of a media frenzy he has never before dealt with. It cost him his contract, endorsements, and even some companies wanted to pass on him because of the aftermath. It took him two years to get himself back to his old self. The glue that holds his psyche together is firm, his mind, heart and soul isn’t shattered into a million pieces. He was walking down the hallway, and he stopped in the hallway to admire a picture his counselor had hanging. It was of him. It was a picture of him when fame and fortune weren't a big distractor. When he was hungry. Make no mistake about it, though, he is still hungry. Just, now his mind has the right hunger. He stared at it for a few moments before speaking.


“Riddle me this, where is this little bitch? Riddle me that, he must be scared of The Franchise coming to whoop that ass. I told you last week on twitter to tell me a time, a place, a location. And, I’d gladly come whip your ass. It seemed Dash made it easier cause you been ducking and dodging me for YEARS now. But, the eve of solving that little Riddle is upon us. It’s okay, you aren’t the first person to do this and I am almost certain you won’t be the last. But, let’s call a spade a spade Cyrus. You may in your mind made up a reason to BELIEVE you are the better man. But, from deep within here, my heart Riddle, see I know the truth. It’s burning bright as the torch I carry for this business. This business I love. See, you do this for a paycheck. But, I LIVE, BREATHE, EAT AND SLEEP this business. The last two years of being off killed me inside. I dreamed many nights the day I can come out to hear that crowd. Get between those ropes, hitting them and taking the trash out, week in and week out. I’m not the same man from twenty-twelve when you first met me. No, no, no. This is the epitome of excellence. I had to leave this business to see what I been missing. I had to leave this business to make the world miss me. And, no I didn’t take my ball and go home like you did. I had to go home to come back to my real home. This business. See, I’m not just a visitor here. I am of a dying breed. All of your accomplishments and all of my accomplishments from before are indeed meaningless Riddle. But, today the Riddle won’t be hard to solve. Oh no, see it's simple really. Cause in Charlotte in less than seventy-two hours, history will be written. The books will be etched with no more mysteries and the smarks can stop all the what if’s and dream matches. Because I will leave Octane with enough fuel on my way to that World strap.”


The Franchise can be seen turning on his pivot and those cold set of eyes looking intense and determined looking back at you as he places a closed right fist down onto his open left palm to make emphasis on this point he was trying to drive home.


“Cyrus Riddle. I’m not Drake Styles. I’m not Alex Scott or Walter South. Or those jobbers in Boardwalk. No, I’m a living, breathing Franchise. I’m everything you want to be. Sure, you may be an Archetype Of Excellence to most but, I want this to be clear. I just don’t like you. You walk on god’s green earth as if you are wrestling royalty jack and I’m gonna stop this glorifying of a false god people have. I stepped away to allow you to have the spotlight. But, this year. Today. I’ve come back to put an end to your so called excellence. London’s self-proclaimed bridge is gonna burn down. You are right about one thing. You’re not Jesus. You're a false god to wrestling. And, I plan to wipe my ass with the English flag. At the end of the day, the fire from your torch is slowly burning out. After all, you just been Franchised!”