A new Journey
The sound has become addictive and as familiar as the sound of birds chirping outside her window.
The feeling, as tender and calming as a lover’s touch or a parent’s hug.
And the end result?
Something that she could look at and realize was horrid. Her own decisions, her own life, all of these we are going to be part of the story. Things that she could look at and remember specific times in her life. Specific feelings, smells, tastes, touches. The separate feelings that had forged her into the person that she was today. The needle broke her skin, the familiar sting that she had gone through so many times over the last few years. She took in a sharp breath, holding it for a moment as the thin needle moved along the line, she swallowed hard and released the breath as he stopped and moved the cloth along her skin. The excess ink being washed away.
Johanna was in heaven. As close to her idea of heaven right now as she could find. Everything that used to matter in her life, everything that used to make her feel like herself had been revealed to be a lie. A facade of that was moved in front of her eyes for so many years. Years that she now felt she’d wasted.
The last few years has been about discovering herself. Moving away from Europe, coming to the United States. Working as a bodyguard while also using the money that she learned to train and become a professional wrestler. It had been hard work, getting up at 5 am, going for a run, making sure she ate healthy and often. She had gotten herself into amazing shape, physically she was stronger than she had ever been as a police officer.
But something, something was missing.
Johanna had been working hard, hustling and traveling all around the United States and down through Mexico. Even on excursions to Japan and back to Europe but for some reason she had failed to make an impact. She had failed to break through and become the star that she wanted to be.
And now she found herself in Dallas Texas. A hotbed of great independent wrestling. And after being here so many times and enjoying the culture and the fans she decided to honor her visit with a trip to the tattooist. She turned and smiled looking at what was being permanently placed on her skin. With the influences here she got herself a Cinco de Mayo mask.
She let out a relieved breath has he finished up. Slowly rubbing antiseptic cream over it, wrapping it carefully in plastic wrap. She got to her feet, shook his head and gave him a nod. Getting ready to leave. Getting ready to fly back to what had become her homebase in Florida. This trip had been both a success and a curse. Having a match that many people applauded and enjoyed, selling some homemade merch out of the small suitcase that she had brought with her.
She had failed to get any attention from anyone there who had ties to larger organizations. No one who had television deals or streaming licenses.
She was still independent.
She paid for the tattoo, turning and going through the door out onto the street as the heat hit her in the face. Coming from inside the heavily air-conditioned tattoo studio out into the hot Texan summer was obviously going to be a shock. Even more so for a woman who had grown up in Europe. She popped the handle of her bag, walking down the street towards her hotel. Ready to call a cab to go to the airport and go home.
Then she heard it, a voice.
”Johanna? Johanna Krieger?” she turned to see where it was coming from, down the street was Alex Jones. A man who she recognized from seeing him on television, a former world champion, a man who had probably forgotten more about the business than a lot of people knew.
Johanna folded her arms over her chest, curious as to what the Texas native had to say. ”Yes?…”
He jogged over stopping in front of her with a smile. Holding out his hand. She looks down taking it firmly as Alex gave her a warm smile ”Im glad I caught you..” He looked down motioning towards her suitcase.”I saw you work last night. I wanted to say I was impressed. I went to find you after a friends match. But you’d gone…” she swallowed and gave him a small nod. Johanna didn’t usually leave shows before the end.
In fact she usually made it a habit to stay back and talk to everyone. To make connections, to show that she loved this business. ”Oh? Why? I can’t imagine Alex Jones needs to resort to booking people like me for shows?” she used to self depreciating tone, the last few months had weighed heavily upon her. The grind of being a professional or starting to come down upon her shoulders. It held her down, but she was underwater and couldn’t breathe.
Alex gave her a small grin, he had seen that look before and so many people. He knew what it meant, he knew how close she was to just giving up. And he was having none of it. ”Shows? Those will come. But I’ve just started a gym. I’m looking for some of the best to join. I think you’d fit..”
She was shocked, she had no idea what to say for a moment everything flooding out of her head. ”I..yes…but it might take me some time to move to Texas..”
Alex gave her a wry smile, he pulled a business card out from his pocket and handed it to her with a laugh. ”Not Texas…” he turned and moved back down the street throwing his hand up to say goodbye as Johanna looked down at the card. She raised an eyebrow reading it out loud.
”Wolfslair…New York..”
”Ain’t no grave…”
It was pitch black, the cool breeze floated along the grass. The sound of crickets chirping in the distance was the only thing that broke the silence. That is until we heard the sound of a shovel going into the dirt. Over and over again the metal going into the earth, being pulled up on the earth being dumped onto the ground. Then we come across a figure in the darkness. Wearing a leather jacket, jeans, black biker boots. And a long blonde hair tied back.
And then a voice, a German accent cutting through what little silence there is left.
”This grave isn’t for my career. This isn’t even for Violet Amelia Holts career. Even after I warned her and warned you all that I needed to make a statement you didn’t listen. So when I walked into the ring, and I looked into her eyes, I saw defiance. I saw a woman who even though she continuously fails time and time again, didn’t believe that I could beat her. She didn’t believe that I was going to destroy her like I said I was going to. But, when that bell rang and she and I grabbed one another, the first time I hit her during that match the look in her eyes changed.”
“The realisation hit her. It smacked her in the face as hard as my fist did, she looked at me and in that moment she knew she fucked up. She knew that getting in that bring with me was going to end any chance she had of being able to call herself a winner. I turned up that night to remind the world what Johanna Krieger can do.”
“And truth be told, I burned that memory into Violets brain.”
“And that win has given me something unexpected. I have been included in a match for the Sun city wrestling Roukette championship. My old friend. The first singles championship that I was able to get my hands on. But, that match is not only against the champion, it is against three other challenges. Not just that but it is a graveyard match. I suppose that you know why I’m standing here right?”
“No one has ever accused me of being subtle.”
She pauses for a moment, looking around for the dim light of the two floodlights that sit on either side of her she leans on the end of the shovel digging into the ground.
”However, it seems as if not even the company believes that a new champion is going to be crowned. See, at high stakes Krystal Wolfe is scheduled to defend the roulette championship against Char Kwan. Now, first off I don’t appreciate the fact they are advertising a match that may not happen during a championship opportunity that I have. And second? Really?”
“Char Kwan?”
“The four women challenging for the roulette championship in this match are all more qualified to get a one-on-one opportunity at the biggest show of the year than her. I know that people are not used to hearing me say positive things about opponents, let alone people who I’m actually going to be getting in the ring with. But I believe that this is a special circumstance.”
“Bella Madison, week in and week out she gets into that ring and she puts her heart and soul on the line. She will take a punch to the face and keep on moving forward because that’s what people who have love for this business do. She doesn’t have the best win loss record, but she always gets into that room and tries her hardest and that has to count for something.”
Johanna shrugs.
”I have seen her get into the ring with opponents who many people say she didn’t even stand a chance against and take them to their limit and in some cases beat them. Not just here but in other companies. Trust me when I say this Bella Madison is not a joke. Bella Madison deserves this championship opportunity more than Char Kawn…”
“Just like I do and just like Seleana Zdunich does. See, she is someone who my fellow Wolfslair stablemate has constantly given respect to. Recently that may have been altered a little, but the fact remains she is a former world champion, she has held other championships in this company and to be honest with you she is always someone who put her best foot forward.”
“Seleana Zdunich is a fucking warrior.”
“Both of those women will go into this match and they will do everything in their power to walk away as the Roulette champion. That is what you want in your challengers, you want people who will push you to be better and be a better champion. I will do that, Bella will do that, Seleana will do that and Bea Barnhart..”
“…exists”
Johanna lets go of the shovel and simply shrugs.
”Yes, this is the part where you all see the usual personality that I grace you with. Bea is a joke. But not a funny joke. Not one that you get told and give an amazing belly laugh to that makes you feel good and releases endorphins. No, she and her fat husband are the kind of jokes that get told by that member of your family that you go out of your way to avoid. The member of your family that only turn up to family reunions because any other time they simply are not invited.”
“Bea doesn’t deserve this. She won those tagteam championships with her husband, and did nothing with them. Thank God that Austin and Tempest won them and have been able to limit the amount of damage those two did to them. And now you all want to give her an opportunity to do that same damage to the roulette championship? Are you completely insane?”
“I held that championship and tried to be the best champion I could. Bella and Seleana, I believe would do the same.”
“But, One person who took that challenge, who decided that she wanted to be the best champion that the roulette title had ever seen is the current champion. Krystal Wolfe.”
She takes a long deep breath, holding her arms over her chest looking directly into the camera.
”What can I say? She has proved everyone wrong. When she first became the champion I was one of her biggest critics. I was a detractor, I told the world that Krystal was not worthy of being the roulette champion. I told the world that she was going to lose that championship and she was just going to make it look horrible. That she was going to take everything that every other champion had done before her and she was going to flush it down the toilet.”
“I was wrong.”
“Krystal has taken that championship and defended it against anyone who came in at her. She has proudly worn it into battle and she has made it a prize worth holding. She should be proud of the championship reign she has had and proud of what she has been able to accomplish. But all championship reigns come to an end.”
“And Krystal is facing huge odds.”
She looks around, various tombstones, headstones and plaques.
”Five women, one graveyard and one championship. We will beat the hell out of each other and whoever emerges victorious gets to call herself a champion. I will do everything in my power to walk away as a three time roullette champion. I will do everything I can to beat the dominant champion and to make sure none of the other challengers out work me. Because that’s what I do. Rest In Peace..”
Johanna laughs to herself and bends down picking up the shovel moving away as we pull out to reveal an open grave marking Krystal Wolfes title reign.
