Doctor Evans moves to stare out of a window as she rubs a hand along the back of her neck, her fingers massaging at the tension locked there. Dressed in rather casual business attire, she is quietly watching the skyline only to have her attention grabbed by the buzz of a speaker on her desk. Turning, she moves towards it and reaching out with a finger, she holds down a button and speaks.
“Yes,” she says only to receive a buzzy answer through the speaker.
“Doctor Evans, you have a call scheduled with Sam Marlowe in five minutes,” says the voice. The doctor looks towards the clock then down at the phone with a smile. “Thank you,” she says as she moves to sit down on her leather chair and opens a laptop gently before clicking her fingers across the keys…
Sam Marlowe is sitting in front of an open laptop framed by a wall filled with images of family, both the Marlowes and her wrestling family from SCW. Dressed in a pair of distressed jeans and a white cashmere hoodie, she pulls a curl over her shoulder to play with it in nervousness. Suddenly a buzz sounds and a window opens up with a notice of an incoming call from Doctor Evans. Sam smiles as she reaches over to click the window to start the call.
“Hello Doctor Evans,” says Sam as she waves at the screen.
“Hi Sam,” begins the doctor. “You do know that you don’t need to wave on a zoom call. I see you scheduled a chat, what is on your mind?” Sam can see the doctor writing on something but only the tip of the pen can be seen.
“I thought I might need a check in with you…been a couple of hard weeks for me and I needed to talk to someone that well, that isn’t in the middle of this crazy life that I live. So I booked this chat. Should I be laying down for this?”
The Doctor leans back and offers a tilted look at Sam. “Do you want to lay down?”
Sam brings a hand up to lightly smack at her head before she shakes it in the negative. “I am pretty comfortable sitting here,” she responds as she pulls one leg up to rest it on the chair, her arm draping over it. “So what should we talk about?” asks Sam, unsure of what she wants to say or talk about.
“Let’s see, what have you been involved in since we last spoke? I remember you did have a match at the last supercard. How did that go?” asks the Doctor as she sits back, a book moving into the view as she sets it on her lap to take notes.
“I had a match against Tempest and Violet Holt,” offers Sam as she looks into the distance past the laptop as if replaying the match. “I won surprisingly considering that Tempest is big enough to break me in half and Violet Holt who has something against me for some reason. I pinned her for the win after getting Tempest out of commission.” Sam smiled in remembrance before speaking again. “I guess that is why she wants to face me this week again. But I am getting ahead of myself. I won that match and then I was entered in the Blast from the Past tournament where the random draw paired me with Joshua Acquin.”
The doctor nods slowly. “I actually managed to see the draw on Twitter. And then I decided that I wanted to watch how you would do in the match. I was surprised myself seeing the match that you had in the opening round. Joshua was pinned and your team lost? Does that mean you are moved to another team to advance in the tournament?”
“I wish,” answers Sam with a shrug. “It is a single elimination thing so I was put out in the first round. But I can’t fault Joshua because everyone has a chance of winning and a chance of losing. He was a good partner regardless of what everyone else says. I was honored to be his partner. And yes we lost in the first round so that means that I could look forward to getting back into the swing of things in the bombshell division. And this week is the first step in that,” offers Sam. “However, there is a backwards step with the fact that this week, I am in a triple threat match with Violet Holt being part of it.”
“Oh? A very déjà vu moment is it?” asks Doctor Evans.
“You could say that because my last match against bombshells had her in the triple threat match. And this one is a triple threat too but instead of Tempest, it is someone else that I am very familiar with…Mercedes Vargas,” replies Sam with a sigh. “Only difference for this match is that it is a ladder match and there will be a briefcase with something special in it as the prize.”
The doctor shudders with horror at the mention of ladder match. “Isn’t that dangerous Sam?” she asks as she writes something in her notebook.
“Most definitely it is,” she responds with a nod of her head before she holds up her hand. “Don’t get me wrong Doc, I have been in some really dangerous matches in my time as Roulette champion so I know how to prepare for this match. What worries me is what could be in the briefcase.”
“How so?”
Sam looks at the window framing the doctor then she leans forward. “What if it is a title shot? What if it is a chance to control one show…y’all never know what it could be,” offers Sam. “And the fact that there are three of us in the match…to even think of getting the win means you need to take out the other two with enough to prevent them to get back in the ring before one can climb the ladder to get the briefcase. So, I am going to have to be ready for whatever could happen,” adds Sam with a look of determination crossing her face.
The doctor writes something else down before she looks up at Sam. “I don’t know why you put yourself into these situations Sam but considering that it isn’t because of a death wish I can’t really do anything to stop you can I? All I can offer is the suggestion that you might want to think hard about this.”
“I get it Doc, trust me I don’t have a death wish, I just have a really strong desire to be the best wrestler that I can be and that means that I am going to have to be prepared to do what is necessary to do that,” offers Sam.
She is about to say something else but the Doctor looks to the side where the soft chime of a bell can be heard. Doctor Evans turns back to look at Sam through the screen. “I am sorry Sam, I just received a notice that our session needs to wrap up as I have another patient who wants to talk to me today. Let me wish you luck this week and to take care in that match.”
Sam lets her foot drop to the floor as she straightens up in the seat and leans into the computer screen. “Thanks Doctor, I think that talking to you today gave me a boost to prepare for the match. I will talk to you soon. Stay safe.”
“You too Sam,” says the doctor as she watches Sam reach out to send her window to black. “You too.”
A forest of ladders fills a slightly darkened room, like a scene from a horror movie. Footsteps add to the eerie view as a familiar redhead walks among the ladders, her hand reaching up to caress each rung of a ladder before she turns to look directly into the camera that is filming her. She stops caressing the steel then begins to move among them again. The dark worn cowboy boots she is wearing sound hollow on the concrete, the dark clothes covering her figure are comfortable but still lend an air of menace.
Sam finally leaves the forest of steel to where a single ladder is standing. She looks at the cameraman between the rungs as she starts to speak.
“Y’all could have knocked me over with a feather when I saw the card for Climax Control this week. Imagine my surprise when I was told that I would be in a triple threat match against Violet Holt and Mercedes Vargas. It only increased when it was announced that it was a ladder match,” says Sam as she looks up at the top of the ladder in front of her. She slowly begins to circle it and leans one arm on a rung to speak again.
“Let me just say right now that I am looking forward to seeing what will be a match of the night I suspect. Normally in a ladder match there is a title belt hanging above the ring but none of us are champions so there won’t be a belt up there. But according to the memo, a briefcase will be hanging there and inside there is something that each of us will definitely want to win. And I am being honest here, I definitely want to win it…which means that I am going to have to be better than Violet and Mercedes this week.”
Once more she caresses the steel of the ladder as she uses it to gather her thoughts. Looking at the camera, her lips twitch as she seems to fight against an outburst. Suddenly, they quirk into a half grin.
“Now, let’s discuss my opponents for this match. I am facing Violet Holt on one hand,” says Sam as she holds out one hand and looks at it before her other hand is extended and draws her attention as she adds, “And Mercedes Vargas on the other. But who to talk about first?” Her head bounces her glance to one hand from the other and back as if debating with herself about who to talk about. Making a decision, she begins to speak.
“Violet Holt…five foot of crazy,” begins Sam as she holds the ladder. “You know what, she is someone that seems to be wanting to prove something by facing me and beating me…or trying to anyways. I don’t know what I did to make her want to beat me like she talks about all the time. Could it be that she is jealous?” ponders Sam as her lips quirk at that thought. Shaking her head in disbelief, she speaks up once more. “Whatever it is, she is like that small feisty puppy that is nipping at your heels wanting to be like this big ole dangerous dog. And as much as she talks the talk and walks the walk, except for one draw, she doesn’t have what it takes to beat me in the ring. And do you know why?”
The camera view shakes as if in response which makes Sam smile but she wipes it away wanting to appear serious.
“She knows what I am capable of and I am very aware of what she is capable of. But when it comes to the match, she lets it get to her that I am the one that has beaten her at the supercard and that she hasn’t gotten over it. And I am sure that she is coming for revenge for that win too. She was the one talking that she would be the one to beat me and Tempest in that match only to have me pin her for the three,” says Sam holding up three fingers. Leaning away from the ladder, she sets one foot on the bottom rung and then leverages herself upward.
“In this match Violet, do you understand what is going to be happening? You have to climb one of these implements of pain to retrieve a briefcase holding the prize. Do you realize just how difficult it is going to be with both Mercedes and I preventing you from climbing the ladder. Do you have any idea how much I want to win that briefcase and whatever it holds?” Sam asks as she advances rung by rung upward. “This is the first few steps in redemption for me to get back to my winning ways. That prize at the top of the ladder is something that I desire enough to do whatever it takes to achieve. But make no mistakes Violet, I know how dangerous you can be which means that I am have my head on a swivel to make sure that you aren’t able to take any advantage in this match.”
Sam has made her way to the top of the ladder where she sits straddling the top. Putting her hands on the top of the ladder, she leans forward slightly.
“Speaking of advantages, you also have something of a partner in crime Violet. Oh, I am sure that you won’t see her as one but Mercedes Vargas is definitely someone that will try to take advantage of you and me battling it out. She is just the type of person to do something like that. And you might want to ask how I know that…well I know because I have faced her in a few matches which means I know her methods in matches,” offers Sam. “She is the type of competitor who will help you even the odds and then stab you in the back when you aren’t looking. At least when you are facing me, you know I will come at you directly.”
“Mercedes, I am sure you will come out to talk about me in this match and about how you have beaten me so many times and how I will not statistically be able to win because of my record so far this year and just how good you are against me. Well Mercedes, maybe I should let you talk that talk and list out the odds of me winning this match. Trust me, to quote my daddy, never tell me the odds because it just makes me want to beat them,” taunts Sam as she begins to dismount from the ladder top. “Climbing the ladder Mercedes is like fighting against the tide…you move closer and closer to your objective but just when you are within the chance to grab at the prize, there is something that stops you and drags you from it. That will happen on Climax Control because both Violet and I want that prize just as much as you do. Which means as you climb the ladder, one of us will be there to pull you down…”
Sam reaches the floor again and looks at the ladder before she puts her hands against it. She turns to the camera to offer it a smile. “Or, just maybe those hands won’t pull you down but rather will push the ladder out from under you.” With that comment, she shoves the ladder sending it clattering into the other ladders starting a domino effect on the others. Sam sees the mess she has caused and she offers a patently fake look of shock as one hand moves to her cheek in disbelief. The camera takes in the look before Sam takes a long deep breath only to release it with a slow hiss.
“This week Mercedes, the odds will not be in your favor nor will they be in Violet’s. This match is going to be mine to win and I am coming to do just that,” vows Sam as she slides her hands into the pockets of her dark jeans. Looking almost sheepish, she can’t help but smile as she begins to back away, ladders barring her path stopping her. “There is going to be a mess of steel and pain in that ring and around it on Sunday. But out of that mess, one thing is going to be clear.”
Sam stops and pulling her hands from her pockets, she leans down and pulls a ladder up and opens it before she once more turns to the camera to speak.
“I am going to climb the ladder and reach the prize and when I do, the next question will be what will be the next mountain to climb? I guess I will find out when I open the briefcase I will be winning on Sunday,” says Sam before she turns to walk into the darkness leaving the ladder set up and ready to climb.
