Post by THE MANLIEST MAN ON THE PLANET on Jun 22, 2013 21:01:08 GMT -6
The sky itself was pitch black, barely a star was in sight, not cloud, nor plane, nor any nocturnal creature that may possibly fly by. The only illumination if you looked skyward was the glowing radiance of the full moon, shining an almost pale green in envy at the cool, tame darkness that surrounded it. The moon itself was not only envious of the dark, but jealous of the bright, welcoming lights that shone beneath it. Brilliant oranges, yellows and reds emitting from a million and one light bulbs that were seemingly placed here, there and everywhere. On table top counters, hanging from dull grey tents hosting a multitude of attractions, from dodgem cars, to roller coasters and most impressive of all, a gigantic Ferris wheel that seemingly never stopped turning.
D' you breathe the name of your saviour in your hour of need,
And taste the blame if the flavour should remind you of greed?
The noise matched the loudness of these colours. There were screams of excitement from those enjoying the many rides, barkers screaming personal advertisements for their many stalls, whether it was a game of chance, side show entertainment or simply hot food to warm the soul as the endless night dragged on; ranging from common fast food items to specialty delicacies. There were shots from air rifles at targeting ranges and dings of people trying their luck at various booths. The music itself was deafening, different genres playing from different venues - often conflicting with the music from just across the way. The faster paced rides such as the The Gravitron, Pendulum and a fast paced Waltzer were accompanied by modern dance music, the Carousel by traditional Jazz and the ominous Haunted House by thundering death metal, assisted by the wild screams of those who were within. Meshing with all of this was people trying to shout over the noise, whether it was one of the many smiling faces that were spending their hard earned income in the pursuit of pleasure, or the stall owners begging to have some of that income for themselves.
Of implication, insinuation and ill will, 'til you cannot lie still,
In all this turmoil, before red cape and foil come closing in for a kill
There was a fine drizzle that fell upon the carnival, though none of the customers seemed to mind. All of them were still abiding by a summer dress code in the early summer heat, and the rain only seemed to cool them down. The many mechanical rides emitted a rich steam from the falling water, gasping as it’s thirst was quenched and dust washed away from however long they had been hidden away.
But the pain of envy was still there, even from the ever beautiful, shining moon. One figure strode gently and elegantly across the thin panelled wood path that stretched over the downtrodden field, a field that had been turned to a rut with the many footsteps that stamped their way over it. The figure was clad in a gorgeous flowing red dress, one that blended in wonderfully with the many flashing bulbs that this fine figure of a woman walked past; and yet stood out a mile compared to the casual dress of all those others who passed her. And as for physical appearance, the crowd paled in comparison to the almost majestic beauty of this flame haired woman; her soft, natural features radiated a beauty and warmth that all would be jealous of. She carried a thin umbrella over her head, keeping herself dry from the faint downpour as she confidently strutted her way through the carnival grounds, her hips swaying slightly as if she was making her way down the catwalk at a major fashion show. She had been invited here by someone, someone close, someone she loved. And although her excitement at such a prospect drove her on, she tried not to show it, instead letting a calmness wash over her instead.
Come feed the rain
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
The woman, wrestling superstar and business woman extraordinaire was none other than Kayla Jones. She paused for a moment, looking at a small note handwritten especially for her on a piece of ancient looking parchment. This was a-typical for the father of her children, he always had to be a little bit different.
“Follow the Eagle…”
That was all it read, written out beautifully in ink from a quiver. She stared at it for a moment, almost captivated by it’s meaning. When she had got ready this afternoon, she spotted a small white van with an emblem of an American bald eagle blazing on the side of it, advertising ‘Weather’s Carnival of Wonders’. She knew this had to be what her other half was alluding to. No matter how cryptic he was, sometimes the answer was always lying right under your nose. She quickly left the hotel, climbed in her car and set off after it, keeping a slight distance in order not to cause suspicion. And of all places it had led her to here, a Carnival.
Yeah, feed the rain
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this
Carnival of Rust
She knew that Andreas’ wrestling career began in a carnival, touring around Eastern Europe amongst wild caged animals, freaks of nature born from corrupted wombs and masters of illusion that puzzled the mind and twisted your viewpoint with a magnitude of wonderful tricks. It was obvious that Andreas had picked up many of these tricks himself, his ability to vanish from sight like Houdini, his ability to appear from thin air and his infamous card tricks that dazzled both his opponents and friends alike. It was true that he rarely used his card tricks anymore, his days as ‘The Gambit’ seemed long behind him, inherited instead by his eldest daughter Jessica. But his talent for disappearing was one thing that he had kept hold of, the most recent example was recently in Russia when he escaped from the hospital he was treated in. Two whole days he was unconscious after he was heinously run down by his former protégé Isaac Bongartz, a man that he had practically raised as his own son. There was no motive for the attack, Andreas had always said he would leave Isaac alone in respect for his late mother, and he had stuck by his word.
It's all a game, avoiding failure, when true colours will bleed
All in the name of misbehaviour and the things we don't need
He always did.
But this didn’t seem enough for the arrogant young German. He had become corrupted by the poisonous words of his pregnant lover Nova Wonder, maybe as she could not continue her failed war she had asked him too? But it was also well known by now that he had decided to continue his training alongside Lasiewicz’s arch-rival Jason Redfield. This had worried Kayla, she knew what Redfield was capable of and she knew he would pollute the mind of the fragile Bongartz further than it already was.
I lust for after no disaster can touch, touch us anymore
And more than ever, I hope to never fall, where enough is not the same it was before
Though she could bet that Samantha Raine wouldn’t enjoy hearing that she wasn’t his arch-rival. She always had to be the centre of attention, screaming on air or on twitter loud enough in the vain hope that someone or something actually would listen to her, even for the merest of moments. Kayla found it incredibly depressing to find that a woman that was once touted for greatness had strayed so far away from the path. It was a fucking Greek Tragedy.
Voice: “Young lady… Yes you, right there…”
Kayla turned her head slightly to a wispy feminine voice that came from a nearby tent. The tent itself was rather plain, like most in this Irish funfair, but what drew her to it was the symbol of an upside down crucifix that hung precariously from the doorway. But what interested her more was the fact that it was held up via the clutching talons of a stuffed albino eagle, a little rough around the edges but intimidating to say the least.
Voice: “Yes you, my dear. The pretty red head! I sense great news in your cards. Would you like a reading?”
She was a crinkly old lady, who spoke in a raspy faux Irish accent, mixed with a little of the traditional Carny dialect associated with travellers and fair ground workers. She wasn’t dressed to impress by any means, simply in a grey dress plucked from the nineteen fifties and matching cardigan with a piece of ether pinned to its lapel. Kayla approached the woman slowly, ensuring her vintage heels did not sink into the mud that was forming because of the light rain.
Kayla: “I’m very sorry, but I am due to meet someone and I really don’t want to be late.”
The old lady smiled sweetly, though this image was broken by her almost wild cackle of a laugh. She sat down behind a crooked mahogany table that was laid out under the cover of her tent and began shuffling a deck of traditional cards.
Lady: “Nonsense my dear, you have all the time in the world. You are young and have all your entire life in front of you, but I—I don’t have a great lot of time left in this world. So it is far more important for me to inform you of your reading, than for you to meet your friend. Your lover?”
Kayla nodded politely, and then reluctantly sat down on a navy plastic chair that was strangely comfortable. She really didn’t want to be late for their ‘date night’, but she didn’t think Andreas would be too mad. The woman stank of stale roll up tobacco and incense, weirdly enough it reminded her of Samantha Raine, though she was unsure how. Or was that simply the smell cow manure that poured out from the opposite field to the carnival. Kayla would surely have to tell Andreas about that later. He always said all she spoke was bullshit. The Old woman shuffled her cards once more and laid the first out on the table.
Lady: “For some reason I feel you would be more comfortable with traditional playing cards than my usual use of tarot…”
Kayla giggled slightly at this comment. Although Kayla was a well-known name, this lady didn’t seem to be a wrestling fan at all, so she could not know about her lovers past as ‘The Gambit’. It was an amusing coincidence that seemed to set the pretty redhead at ease. The lady then overturned the first card.
Lady: “Ahhh… This card is you… the Queen of Hearts, A fair-haired woman with a good nature; a woman with ice and water signs predominating in her life. You seem to offer kind advice, are an affectionate, caring woman. Are you a Mother?”
Kayla nodded with a warm smile and captivating gaze. It had took her so long to become a mother, for many years she didn’t believe she could conceive, but then Andreas came along that special night nearly three years ago and changed that. Her mind began to wander to that night, but she thought better of it. Maybe later when she was alone with him. Definitely when she was alone with him.
Lady: “Ah yes, I thought as much. I am not here to flatter, my dear, simply to read what the cards say.”
Kayla did believe she was attempting to flatter her, but wasn’t that her job? The Lady then placed down her next card, turning it promptly.
Lady: “The Two of Hearts. This represents a warm partnership, a loving relationship. This is a very favorable card that indicates strength and support coming from a partner."
Come feed the rain...
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Kayla felt a warm, fuzzy feeling grow over her. She loved Andreas, more than she had ever loved anyone before. Nobody really saw that side of him, the loving and caring father that he was, the kind hearted friend that he had always been to her even before they were a couple. Most saw the wrestling legend, the man that accomplished more in the industry than most could ever dream. Or they saw “The Morning Star”, his alter ego that tormented and terrified his opponents into submission. It amused her that most thought that he had chosen this name for himself. He wasn’t like most wrestlers, who came up with a fancy nickname to strike fear into their opponents or sell a million t-shirts. It was a name given to him by his peers. Whether from the fall from grace he suffered when he took his exile from wrestling, the place he called his own personal slice of heaven, or the way he tortured his enemies in the ring.
Yeah, feed the rain
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this
Carnival of Rust
To her… He was just Andreas. The man she loved.
Lady: “Or an engagement.”
Her heart skipped a beat, her hand clutching her chest as she gasped. No? Was he? She had only dreamed he would do such a thing. They were a family, the two of them and the children. Oh it would be perfect she thought to herself. It was everything she ever wanted… Shut up Kayla, she’s just after your money… But she asked for no payment? Would he? Is he? Her mind whirled around in a day dream as she laid out the next card.
Yeah, feed the rain
'cause I'm thirsty for your love dancing underneath the skies of lust
Lady: “This man of yours…The King of Clubs-- A dark-haired, kind-hearted man; or a man with Fire within his very soul. He is a generous, spirited man… Though I see an anger building up inside of him… Something dark—I can’t quite read it. Give me a moment.
The daydream seemed to end as there was a rustling of wind and the rain intensified. It was true that Andreas held a deep anger within him, but he had never showed it away from the wrestling ring. He was the picture of peace and quiet at home, there he never let anything bother him. Sure, over December he had suffered some personal heartbreak, but so had Kayla. And they had been a rock for one another at that time. She hardly noticed the Lady place the next card, nor the troubled look in her eye as the weather began to rage on behind them.
Lady: “The nine of Spades. He suffers from an illness, a terrible affliction that oozes venom into his very veins. And that illness led to a terrible accident. Was he hurt recently?”
Kayla nodded. The car crash had been horrific, and undoubtedly unexpected. But more so than that was what Kayla had witnessed in that hospital when he awoke. It… wasn’t Andreas that opened his eyes on that hospital bed, it wasn’t Andreas that attacked those doctors, it wasn’t Andreas that smashed his way through them and crashed through the window to escape. And those soulless eyes that burned intensely as they glared right through her definitely didn’t belong to the man that she loved. In fact, whoever it was terrified her.
Lady: “I am so sorry to hear that. Bad luck is circling this man like carrion around a corpse. This has been, or will be a personal low for him. It was caused, or will be caused by the Jack of Spades. A youth who is hostile or jealous. There is no other reasoning for this…”
Was this Isaac Bongartz? The man that had caused him to be in hospital in the first place? Or was this Samantha Raine? The woman who seemed so obsessed with beating him that she had worn herself down physically training for the match? The same woman that seemed to have been spending more time arguing with anyone and everyone on twitter about this match than anything else. She had let it consume her, envelope her very being. Kayla knew this was right where Andreas would have wanted her, but at the same time she had a plague of allies at her beck and call, whilst Andreas’ main friends in GDW were predisposed. Murdock was in a coma, Silver was too busy with the board and prepping for his World title shot, as was his sister Magdalena. Even Jessica had her hands full at the moment, and Kayla knew that she had her tag match at Purgatory coming up. That and Andreas had made her swear to concentrate on that when it came to waging war.
But she couldn’t help but worry. Even Andreas Lasiewicz couldn’t overcome a nine on one assault. And all of Hazardous Intent (or the Rainey Bunch as Kayla referred to them) was focused on taking Andreas down. Typical for a coward like Sammy Raine. She could never get the job done herself.
Lady: “The Four of Clubs. My dear girl, beware of dishonesty or deceit; avoid blind acceptance of others at this time. Be careful who you trust, my dear… This could spell imminent doom for not just you, but for him as well.”
Kayla: “W-what? What are you talking about?”
The Lady seemed in a bizarre trance, captivated by the very cards she was wielding. There was a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning as Kayla heard voices in the background holler and scream as the wrath of the weather rained down upon them.
Lady: “The Three of Spades. I sense a terrible break in your relationship. Sometimes indicates that a third person is breaking into the relationship somehow.”
Kayla: “What in God’s name are you trying to insinuate?”
Lady: “I can’t explain it, child. I merely read the cards. And they say that something or someone is trying to get between you and your man.”
How dare she? Kayla felt like slapping the living shit out of this woman for claiming such a thing. Was she saying that Andreas was going to cheat on her? How dare she? She knew nothing of them. NOTHING! She was no better than that rumour mongering scarab, Samantha Raine! Kayla went to lunge back and slap the venomous trollop, but found herself frozen to the spot. She looked down on the increasingly muddy floor, blinking in astonishment at the sight slivering around her heels. The Lady’s voice was now hoarse and shaky, glaring at the scared Kayla Jones with pure ghost white eyes.
Lady: “New friendships and alliances are made; this is the meaning of the Five of Diamonds. I cannot garner whether this is positive or not, but expect some new faces to appear before you, whether for good or ill.”
The words spilled out in almost a demonic tone, slivering out of her mouth like the serpents that wormed their way around Ms. Jones’ fine yet muddy heels. The tent shook in untold anger and the crimson image of red blood trickled down the side of the tent instead of cold, salty Irish rain.
Lady: “Beware the Queen of Spades. She is the Widow… I sense it is she that will make a manoeuvre to come between you both.”
Kayla was petrified by not only the ghastly happenings in the tent, but the very vision of the card that lay before her. The picture… she knew it so well…
Lady: “Ace of Spades… Misfortune...”
Yeah, feed the rain
'cause without your love my life ain't nothing but this
Carnival of Rust
Lady: “Death…”
Kayla tried to cry out to the heavens, she tried to cry out the words ‘No’ in defiance of this strange woman’s ramblings, to scream for help from the devilish imagery that was before her. But all she heard was a banshee’s wail, a deathly shriek of mourning at what was happening around her as the woman seemed to crumble to dust before her very eyes, a malicious grin aching on those wrinkled, dry features. Kayla’s skin grew pallid as the serpents seemed to coil around her bare, silky legs as did worked their way upwards.
Don't walk away; don't walk away, oh, when the world is burning
A voice in an unknown language bellowed out from behind her as she clasped her eyelids shut and very let out a terrified scream. She felt arms wrap around her as she attempted to squirm free and screech for aid from somebody. Anybody!
Don't walk away; don't walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning
“Kayla… KAYLA! It’s me, it’s Andreas. Calm down…”
She opened her eyes to see the most welcoming figure she had ever known. An effortlessly handsome man that she instantly recognised. With wet curls pulled back, a fashionable goatee and moustache combination and a sharp, if somewhat damp tailor made suit. In shear instinct she planted a passionate, if forceful kiss upon her man that took him a little off guard if anything else.
Don't walk away; don't walk away, oh, when the world is burning
Lasiewicz: “Kayla… What’s wrong?”
Kayla: “That woman… That fortune teller… She said such things, lies… Then the snakes, the blood…”
Lasiewicz: “What woman?”
Kayla turned back towards the tent, but it wasn’t there. No tent, no blood, no serpents, no old Lady. Nothing. She blinked twice, unsure what to think. Part of her was relieved, the other half terrified that she had envisioned such a thing.
Kayla: “I-it… seemed so real…”
She clutched onto him, burying her head in his strong shoulder in order to comfort herself as Andreas stroked her soft curls gently. The weather had calmed by now, the rain had gone away and all that was heard was once again the whirling’s of machinery, the barkers advertising their stalls and the laughter of the general public enjoying the last few days of the Carnival. The full moon shone on in jealousy of the red head’s beauty, even in despair there was no comparison.
Don't walk away; don't walk away, oh, when the heart is yearning
Andreas cradled her gently. But his eyes… The eyes she could not see did not belong to him. For they burned a deadly bloodshot gold, and his grin was born of malicious intent.
"We work in the dark -- we do what we can -- we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art."
