“Things have changed for me more just over this past year than in all my centuries walking this earth, and I have to admit that it can be a little overwhelming.”
On their estate in Salem, Massachusetts, Kedron and Rinoa Williams walked peacefully through the woods that fell on their estate. Thanksgiving had just passed, not that the Williams put any particular emphasis on this holiday, even if they did have quite a bit to be thankful for. The branches of the tall trees that surrounded them resembled gnarled hands and fingers interwoven high above their heads, as their branches had started to fall bare. Leaves cascaded down from above their heads, changing color from greens to reds, oranges and yellows of varied shades.
It was mutually their favored time of the year, to simply walk along the beaten path between the trees and enjoy nature in all of its glory. The wind was chilled at this time of year, and thus Rinoa wore a hand woven shawl about her shoulders and Kedron’s own black, woolen jacket which he had long since abandoned for her own comfort. The cold never truly bothered the “Son of Salem.” In fact, he preferred it over the heat of the summer months. He could hardly wait for that first flake of snowfall to hit 2020.
But the husband and wife, walking hand in hand, were not alone. Weaving in and about their feet expertly were Rinoa’s three feline ‘babies,’ her precious Sphynx cats that had decided for themselves to accompany their ‘mother and father’ in this little nature walk.
“I’m not speaking of just of the machinations between my wife and the man who at one time would be construed as my greatest nemesis. Although that was certainly the catalyst that started everything. I’m also speaking of personal demons that have haunted me for time unending, finally being laid to rest. Rinoa seemed to feel the effects more so than even I, but she always was more empathic to the world that surrounds us. But never were the changes more evident than just over a month ago, when something she had faith in for years happened.”
“Something I never thought possible.”
October 31 - 2020
Kedron watched from afar inside of their home, although he tried to hide his doing so. He knew how much this meant to Rinoa, and he knew how each and every year the night passed with a broken heart.
There she sat, on the wicker chair beside their front door in the foyer, a large bowl full of candy, perched on her lap. Her face was downcast, perhaps so he could not see the evidence of her sadness. It was the same every year, or it would have been were it not for…
The brass bell that was their ‘doorbell’ rang from seemingly out of nowhere, startling Rinoa, but not so much as the symphony of young voices calling out -- “Trick or Treat!”
Rinoa’s eyes met Kedron’s own, and he could see even from this distance, they were moist with tears of delight. Rinoa placed a hand on her breast as Kedron nodded, urging her to action. She slowly stood up and opened the door to a huddled group of children in colorful costumes, each one holding out a canvas bag or plastic pumpkin as their parents watched on.
Such a simple change, but to his wife? It was the universe.
“Well, I can’t say as I’m not disappointed. Not about the loss of the championship, mind you. I believe I am beginning to sound like a broken record when I dictate how little championship titles mean to me in the grand scheme of things. No, it is much more to do with what happened after that match at High Stakes X as opposed to ‘during’ it.”
“You see, I’ve been around this profession long enough to recognize what is and is not -- normal. And over the past handful of months, it seemed to be the entitled norm to lose a championship and all but immediately wander off to that grand place known as Parts Unknown. Losing a championship for some could be seen as a massive blow to one’s ego, but I can't imagine being such a sore loser as to abandon the promotion that put it's faith in you, and those in the audience that supported you so loyally.”
“Take Griffin Hawkins as a prime example. Highly successful athlete. One of the most popular stars on the entire roster. And … World Heavyweight Champion. The man professed a dream and then realized it, defeating none other than my ‘old friend’ Ben Jordan. And what happened? In his very first defense he was upended for that very same championship by one Alex Jones. How did this popular star react? Did he recover and make every effort to regain his title and make his supporters proud?”
“No, unfortunately not. He left SCW and all of his friends and supporters behind him, in the dust. He claimed the need to recover, both physically and emotionally, and yet almost immediately he signed elsewhere and began to compete anew, in a new promotion, against all new opponents. Lesser opponents, lesser competition. All in a vain attempt to make himself feel big once again, and practically spitting in the face of SCW as a whole. Insulting the very lineage behind both promotion and the championship he so desperately desired.”
“The second time he turned tail and ran, I might add.”
“But then we come to a completely opposite and, might I add, unique situation. A situation that places me in the very spot I find myself in; where Mac Bane defeated me for the Roulette Championship and then … simply abandoned it.”
“I have never heard of such a thing in all my years, and just between us, that is saying something! To obtain such a lofty goal, a championship title whose history and prestige rivals even that of the World Heavyweight title, and then to merely … abandon it. It's unheard of! And now that is why I find myself where I am this coming weekend, facing three proud men who all want to use one another, myself included, as a stepping stone to greatness. To walk out of the Main Event as the new Roulette Champion.”
“I suppose i have to be up front and honest about my first opponent, or else I simply wouldn’t be me. I am, well I suppose you might say ‘amazed’ that Stephen Callaway was named one of the four contenders to fill this vacancy. I imagine it had something to do with the miraculous win he pulled off at High Stakes at the expense of two opponents. Perhaps the higher ups think lightning may strike twice for our dear Stephen at the expense of three opponents this time, who knows? I should have thought a former champion such as Caleb Storms would be in this match as he at least held this particular championship at one point, but then I imagine he is much too busy; securing his lips to the backside of J2H to ensure he does indeed keep his word. And then so here Stephen Callaway stands, a man I know all too well. A man who I have faced in the past and yes, he did score a win over me. Then as they say, every dog has his day. That was another time, and I dare say, another Kedron Williams. The man you face this weekend is not the same one you competed against over a year ago, Stephen. This weekend, you face a complete Kedron, a man who is a two-time Roulette Champion and who has faced and defeated the likes of Teddy Warren-Steele, Jake Raab and Ben Jordan. And you…?”
Kedron leaned forward at the waist, mockingly placing a cupped hand over his ear.
“What I can commend you on, Stephen, is your tenacity. It rivals even that of my own. Because no matter how bad your record is against your betters, and it ‘is’ bad, you never give up. You never say die. You are not one of those sad souls who walk away and find greener pastures against lesser competition in order to make yourself look better. You’re like the Little Engine That Could, as you just keep chug-chug-chugging along, in the hope that one day your ship will come in. Only this weekend, that ship will not be coming in. With you aboard, it is as the Titanic and your ship will simply sink.”
“Now I wish I could recall whether or not I have had the pleasure of stepping inside of the ring against the great ring veteran known as “Bulldog” Bill Barnhart, but unfortunately…”
Kedron shrugged.
“I can’t. Which speaks less about his impact and standing than it does about my memory. I’m not altogether certain why ‘the Bulldog’ is even in this match. I mean, didn’t he just suffer a defeat at High Stakes X in the Mixed Tag Team title match? I mean, what are they doing? Continuously throwing him in these situations until he gets it right? ‘The Bulldog,’ whose promotional videos gave us such classics as ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘the wearing of these protective masks’...”
Kedron paused with a frown, holding his hand up for a moment.
“Or was that his wife? These things do tend to run together, don’t they? Visiting dime store psychics. Boozing it up at home. Playing with their precious little canine companion. ‘That’ is the Bill Barnhart that had captured the devotion of the SCW Universe. The very same one whose wife speaks as much during his promos as he does, even when she is not the one competing! While my own wife is as loyal as yours Bill, and while my wife remains at my side always… when it is time for me to speak? My match. My thoughts. My words. Why? Because it is my business. Why have your wife focus on the men you face if not under the belief that doing this draws entertainment value for your work thanks in part to your lovely bride. I suppose … that makes you something akin to a pimp, does it not? Using your bride for attention and entertainment value?”
Kedron placed a hand over his heart.
“And to think people call ‘me’ cold hearted!? Bravo!”
Kedron extended both arms and clapped enthusiastically.
“I would ‘never’ think to use someone I gave my heart and soul to in such a way. You are a tough individual, ‘Bulldog.’ I suppose, hence the name? I’ve sat back and watched you time and again. And just as you reach out to grasp the proverbial brass ring, it slips right through your fingertips. Hm, pity. And seeing as how it is about to happen once again, I can not help but feel a swell of pity for you. … If it were not so amusing.”
Kedron then clapped his hands together and briskly rubbed his palms together in a heated sense of excitement, as if the twisted smile on his face were not evidence enough.
“And I suppose that brings us to the last of my opposition, the one I look forward to the most - Brother David Shepherd. Honestly! … ‘Brother’ … I am simply amazed that it took ‘this’ long for my path to cross with any member of your brood! After all, your kind and my own have been at war for centuries. I mean, oil and water? Gasoline and fire? Warlock and … Bible thumping hypocrite? That is, after all, everything that your family line is and more, is it not? I mean, be honest with me here David.”
Kedron wagged a forefinger at the camera.
“Lying is a sin, after all. Watching you and your family … I suppose you might say it is my personal guilty pleasure. I always have enjoyed looking at those who try to use the Holy Scripture as a weapon to shield prying eyes from their own shortcomings. I love watching how so-called Christians rise up in all their might, only to crash and burn in the bitter end. I have known men like you my entire life, David, and do you know what I have discovered?”
Kedron propped both forearms on his knees and leaned forward.
“Christians are some of the most evil-minded mother fuckers that walk this earth. They lie and they preach and they cast judgment on those they believe beneath them, all the while turning a blind eye to the sins that they themselves are guilty of committing. Call them on it, and they all say the exact same thing; ‘Oh I’m not judging you!’ - Even when it is painfully clear to all that is exactly what they are doing!”
“I have had Men and Women of God time and again, try to save me. Offer me salvation, and I always ask them when they became God because I was always under the misguided belief that He, and only He, could save a person’s soul. I guess that means men and women like you David, are playing God? Hm.”
Kedron turned his head side, bottom lip jetted out just a touch as he nodded, before casting a sidelong glance toward the camera.
“Sin. Say otherwise and it is hypocrisy, plain and clear as day. Then again, I can hardly fault you specifically. Your kind are bred into these misguided beliefs. Raised and brainwashed. You point and you judge at my kind who worship the gods who walked the heavens before your own ever had a foothold, never minding the simple fact that my path in life existed for thousands of years before your God was ever even a blip of a thought. You think me mad or in need of saving when fools like you bend a knee to a carpenter who lived two thousand years ago! Well, I have a little nugget of information for you ‘Brother,’ and it might come as a great shock.”
Kedron wagged a finger toward the camera, beckoning it closer.
“Your precious Bible and all of its glorified contents were spread by word of mouth for centuries by people who could neither read nor write, before it was ever put down to paper. And you ‘do’ know what happens when such fanciful stories are spread like that? They get embellished. Added on to. It would certainly explain why your Bible is so riddled with glaring inconsistencies and contradictions. I mean, ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill’ does not quite mesh with ‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch To Live,’ you know? That one has always had a certain meaning for me. The Bible also says ‘there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins,’ as well as saying ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ And yet -- it also says ‘no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.’ So ... which is it?”
“Your Bible, Paul to be more specific, also draws comparison between the Man who condemned humanity, Adam, and the Man who (heh) saved us, Jesus. It says ‘For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.’ So in other words, we need not opt in to get the salvation of Jesus. Paul assures us we’re good.”
“That must sting, David. That is, if you’re open minded enough to give consideration your Bible is not as open and shut as many Christians seem to believe. But somehow, you don’t strike me as the type to think they could be wrong about, well -- anything. You are just like every other so-called savior who has begged me to see the light and implored me to open the pages of the Bible and God would take care of the rest. Well, I am going to tell you exactly what I tell everyone else who tries to press that ancient book into my hands.”
He leaned in close and shook his head.
“No thank you. I have long since outgrown fairytales.”
“So much change. It all but makes me wonder if my story is finally coming to an end.”
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