The scene opens inside a church. The congregation has their heads bowed down and faces hidden. There is a barbed wire wrapped podium setup on a stage that looks like it is decorated for a funeral with big beautiful bouquets placed neatly around. An organ begins playing and the congregation rises. Their faces are covered by crudely made masks. Shipman, dressed in his reverend robes, can be seen holding his “Book of Shipman” high above his head as he leads a casket down to the stage. He takes his place behind the podium and motions for the congregation to take their seats. Shipman looks down at the casket and smiles as he opens his book.
Shipman: Thank you all for coming to today as we celebrate the memory of the late Katie Vick. As you all know today would have been her 40th birthday.
Shipman is suddenly cut off as the casket starts shaking violently. He jumps off the stage and slowly opens the casket only for a midget wearing nothing but a black and red mask jumps out and runs out of the church. Shipman reaches in the casket and pulls out a condom wrapper. He shrugs and goes back on the stage to continue his sermon.
Shipman: Does anyone really care about Katie? No I didn’t think so. Maybe I should talk about why I have come back. The answer is quite simple. I saw something I didn’t like and like a good Samaritan I am here to do my civic duty and change it. The something is the prestige of the Roulette championship. I watched many men come and go with it, but none that immortalized, that spiritualized, that lived and breathed like a true roulette champion should. I am the man that can do that. I am the man that can bring that championship to a level of which it has never been before. I was there at Into the Void and witnessed firsthand the atrocities brought onto such a great championship by four men, one being the current champion, another being the opponent I cut my teeth on this week, Ryan Weeks. The man who sins without care. SCW’s resident “Dancing Bear”. A vile human being that thinks shaking his stuff around for the ladies will get him something in life. Well it will if you like itchy and oozing with puss. The simple fact this man was even a contender for the Roulette championship makes me sick. The Roulette championship is an achievement to display how far one is willing to go for victory, to show resourcefulness, pain tolerance, durability, and overall hunger to want something. Do you think Ryan has these attributes? What do you think he would do if I poured thumb tacks into that ring or had the ropes replaced with barbed wire? I guarantee he would run and hide, probably screaming like a little girl about what is going to happen to his face. That is not a roulette champion calibre man. It is decisions like this that made me come back to the SCW.
Shipman jumps down from the stage and walks among the pews, occasionally caressing a worshipper’s face while he continues to talk.
Shipman: Look at this Ryan Keys. Flamboyant, cocky, thinks he has the world in the palm of his hand. Little does he know that this week at the 150th airing of Climax Control, he has been assigned to a career killing match when he steps into that ring with me. Sure he will feel being in the city of sin he will have the home field advantage, unfortunately that is not the case. I am not one to be deterred by unruly fans as I will have plenty of time after the show to cleanse them of their sins. No Ryan is in for a world of pain and tears. If he thought he had it bad in Japan, than he has not seen anything yet. Look at Mayhem in Morocco. Yes I lost that match but I took the first ever grand slam champion and had him out cold in the middle of the ring, literally drowning in his own blood. Now do you have any idea of what kind of man you are up against Ryan? I am the one that should be holding the roulette championship and this week I will make my case when I face you inside that six sided ring.
Congregation: Amen
Shipman walks back up onto the stage and flips through some pages of the “Book of Shipman”.
Shipman: Please turn now to page 254. Verse 12, para 6
And through the darkness came the mythical being, lips still dripping with the blood of the last meal. As the man of sin stood there, lost in the angered gaze of the beast, he did not realize until it was already over. The blood poured from his throat as he was drug into the deepest depths of Hell to a place Satan himself is too scared to venture. The man of sin felt the barbed wire digging deeper in his neck as the mythical being kept pulling. Than eternal darkness.
What we have here in this little bit of text is what some would call a prophecy. But do not look at me as a prophet. I just preach what is written in the good book. Clearly though we all know what is being preached here and it is not needing of further clarification. Now bow your heads and pray with me.
Shipman bows his head and the congregation repeat after him.
Shipman: Oh Higher Powers, above and below,
Give us the strength to defeat our enemies,
Ignore their heathen prayers
Let me rise above the sin
Let my people rise and be strong
Let me be your vessel
And do your biding,
Oh Higher Powers.
Amen.
Now if you would like to come to the basement we have cake, and refreshments and some party games to celebrate Katie Vick’s birthday. Also we will be conducting a raffle for some tickets to join me at Climax Control.
Shipman turns around and walks back into his chambers, as the congregation rises and touches the casket as they walk by on their way to the basement. The scene fades to black as the camera zooms onto the casket.
