Mistaken Identity: Act 5

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On Camera

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Mark it down on your calendar, Uprising 7 was one of those dates that will live on in professional wrestling history.  It was the date that #GingerNation officially arrived in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.

I told everyone that justice was going to be done.  I told you that Sophie and I would become number one contenders.  At Uprising 7 we did just that and by doing so we put the mark of the #GingerNation indelibly on the IWC.

Oh but we’re not done yet.  We are far from being done.  The fact is that everything I say I will do I do.  At the very beginning of this Uprising brand I told  each and every one of you, especially you, Vanilla Skyy, I told you all that I would be in contention for the world title and here I am, challenging for the gold at Revolution.

I told everyone that I would become number one contender for the  world tag team titles and you thought I had been proven wrong when Eve and Siqua won that clusterfuck of Drew Bryant’s.  But now look at where I am, standing side by side with Sophie James as the next in line to challenge for the titles after Upping The Ante.

When I make a promise, you can take it to the bank, and I am hereby putting Vanilla Skyy and Alana Starr on notice, because I am about to make another promise.

I promise you…I guarantee you…I will walk out of Revolution as the IWC Uprising World Champion, and when that happens you can mark that on your calendar as another important date not only in professional wrestling history but in #GingerHistory as well.

The date that Marie Annabelle Jones stepped up to her rightful place at the top of the IWC food chain.

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Mistaken Identity

Act 5 ; Scene 1

Off Camera

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Momentum is important in the sport of professional wrestling.  All too often the person with the most momentum is the one who ends up winning it all at the end of the day.  Momentum has proven, more often than not, to be a key factor in deciding the outcome of great rivalries.

Marie Annabelle Jones had built up a lot of momentum that started with earning a shot at the IWC Uprising World Championship by defeating Amanda Blaze and Ethan Von Aaron at Extreme Fury.  Later on Marie would add to that momentum by becoming number one contender to the IWC World Tag Team Championships with Amanda Blaze.  It appeared as if the self-proclaimed Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling would just sail right into Revolution and become World Champion.

It all appeared as if things were going downhill when Drew Bryant forced Marie Jones and Amanda Blaze to defend their tag team title shot against multiple other tag teams.  They lost that tag title shot to Eve and Siqua.  Marie had to leave Silas World and lost the titanium knee brace back to Taylor Chase.  But Marie would not be halted.  She would not be stopped.  Drew Bryant gave Marie another opportunity to get a tag title shot, so long as she could find  a tag team partner to work with her.

Insert Sophie James and the #GingerNation.

Sophie was more than happy to join Marie Annabelle Jones in IWC.  She was more than happy to fight by Marie’s side in an attempt to regain that world tag team title shot on behalf of #GingerNation.  All they had to do was defeat Chris Davids and Cassius DeLight.

“Ginger Justice!”

Yeah, that’s the voice of Sophie James, a jubilant ginger who has just won the tag team title shots back along with her tag team partner Marie Annabelle Jones.  Victory was theirs and momentum is once again solidly behind The Phoenix as she heads into Revolution.

Now, bigger things may be on the horizon for #GingerNation.  Yes, The Nation could walk away with the IWC World Tag Team Championships, but if Revolution goes the way Marie wants it to, then the leader of #GingerNation could end up with the IWC World Championship around her sexy gorgeous waist.

Sophie James is in the #GingerNation dressing room, still wearing her wrestling gear.  She is pacing the floor, not out of anger or frustration but out of excitement.  This was her first match back in IWC in a long time and she has won.  Her first match back and already she is in contention for a championship.  Who wouldn’t be excited?

Conspicuous by her absence is her tag team partner and the number one contender to the IWC Uprising World Championship is Marie Annabelle Jones.

“We won, we brought about #GingerJustice, and next up is to win some championship gold for the nation!”

Sophie grins from ear to ear.  She then stops pacing momentarily and turns to face a door that leads to the shower area.

“You didn’t drown in there, did you babe?”

Yes, Marie Annabelle Jones is in the dressing room. She’s just in the shower area for some reason.

“I’m fine.” That’s the voice of Marie Annabelle Jones. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

“Well don’t be long.” Sophie commands. “I can’t celebrate out here all by myself…well I could but it’d be totally boring.”

“I’m almost ready.”

Sophie grins and resumes her pacing.  Sophie can only imagine of the great things that could come for #GingerNation.  They could be world tag team champions and holders of the world championship not long now.  It won’t be long and IWC could very well be theirs.  Ginger Wrestling Cartel…or Independent Wrestling Gingers, whichever you prefer.

Of course, that all depends on the outcome of Revolution.  Vanilla Skyy and Alana Starr will both have a great deal to say about that, because Marie will have to survive those two extremely talented athletes in order to become world champion.

Marie is no stranger to difficult challenges.  At Invictus II she came within a hair of becoming world champion in a fatal four way match against Taylor Chase, Serenity, and Katelyn Buehler.  This is just two wrestlers instead of three, but these two wrestlers are special.  Vanilla is dangerous, as Marie knows from firsthand knowledge due to a previous feud with her.  Alana Starr is extremely talented in the ring and can do almost anything, another fact that Marie also knows from firsthand knowledge, from her time partnering with Alana in The Good Movement.

“Are you ready?”

Sophie stops her pacing again and turns around to face the shower area door.  “Ready!”

The doors open and Marie Annabelle Jones emerges wearing a tight black cocktail dress and high heels.  Sophie’s eyes grow wide.

“Wow…you look great…”

Marie grins. “Thanks…”

Sophie stares at her for a long period of time.  She places her hands on her hips as she studies her.  Marie notices this and frowns.

“What is it?” Marie asks.

“Just one question…” Sophie’s voice trails off as she points a finger at Marie “…do you always dress like that to celebrate a win?”

Marie blushes furiously. “No!”

“So you just dress like that after winning tag team matches with me as your partner, is that it?”

“No, that’s not it either!” Marie says more flustered now. “It’s just that…”

“It’s just like what, sweetie?”

Sophie folds her arms over her chest and stares expectantly at the beautifully dressed woman standing in front of her.  Marie Jones, though, doesn’t have much to say.  She just stares at Sophie for several moments before sighing.

“I have a date.”

“A date!” Sophie exclaims, grinning from ear to ear. “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!”

Marie grins knowingly. “Of course I do, Sophie.  I am not just a Jones but the best looking Jones, I am dead sexy, and I am a ginger.”

“All that is true.”

Sophie says this in agreement as she walks over and wraps an arm around Marie’s shoulder.

“So spill the beans, girl.  Who is your boyfriend?”

Marie and Sophie are BFFs.  They friends and allies within the #GingerNation.  They are tag team partners and potentially future world tag team champions.  And yet still Marie isn’t sure she can trust her with knowledge of Arthur Pond.

“I don’t know…” her voice trails off.

“Oh come on!” Sophie begs. “I won’t tell anyone!”

“Well…”

“Is it someone I know?” Sophie asks. “Is it William Mason?  Andre Jordan?”

“No!” Marie shakes her head vehemently.  “I have had enough bad experiences that I know to stay away from relationships within the business.”

Sophie cocks her head to one side. “Me and Victor worked out.”

“You two are an exception.”

“Yeah, and I bet you and your boyfriend, whoever he is, will work out too.  Now tell me who he is!”

Marie sighs and finally relents, nodding her head. “Alright fine, I’ll tell you.  His name is Arthur Pond.  He is a guy I met in rather…unusual circumstances.”

“Unusual circumstances?” Sophie giggles. “I like the sound of that!  Tell me more!”

“It’s not all that interesting, Sophie.”

“Try me.”

Jones shrugs her shoulders. “It’s just that he thinks my name is Kimberly Williams.”

“Kimberly Williams?  Your crazy as fuck half-sister?”

“That’s the one.” Marie says, nodding her head.

“Ok, that’s strange.  Have you corrected him?”

Marie grins knowingly. “Nope…”

Sophie stares at her with a questioning look for a few moments.  Eventually a smile creeps across her face.  She holds up her hand, offering a high five, which Marie quickly reaches up and accepts, high fiving her best friend and tag team partner.

“You little whore!” Sophie exclaims playfully.

“I may be a whore, but I’m a happy whore for my man Arthur.”

“I could go out with you guys if you want.” Sophie suggests. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret…Kimberly…”

Marie shakes her head. “Sorry, Sophie, but not tonight.  I have a feeling tonight is going to be special between me and Arthur.”

“That’s ok,” Sophie says nodding “but don’t get too caught up in the lovey dovey stuff.  You got a world title to win, sweetie.”

“Oh I know.  I won’t forget that.  I almost let the world slip through my fingers but no more.  I have Arthur, you and I will soon have the tag titles, and after I defeat Vanilla Skyy and Alana Starr at Revolution, I will have the world championship.  IWC will belong to #GingerNation!”

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On Camera

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The IWC World Championship.  I could say that I have been chasing this goal since Last Stand II but, the truth is, I have been chasing it for much longer than that.  I have been chasing this dream, this goal, since I have arrived in IWC.

Yes, I came up short at Invictus II.  I readily admit that I was not the better competitor that night.  But since then I have been working harder, training harder, and studying and preparing myself for the next opportunity, an opportunity I knew would be coming soon enough…

…an opportunity that has now arrived at Revolution.

To become champion I have to face two nightmares from my past; Vanilla Skyy and Alana Starr.

This time things will be different.  I am ready for Revolution and I will be at the top of my game.  This time I will not leave empty handed.  I will leave Revolution having conquered my past, achieved my dream, and I will leave with the world championship.

Failure is not an option this time.  I cannot afford another failure because if I do, if I do fail to capture the title, then where does that leave me?  Where do I go from there?  My future is truly uncertain if I am not successful.

I will not fail.  I cannot fail.   I will be world champion.

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Mistaken Identity

Act 5 ; Scene 2

Off Camera

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“The only thing that will make you happy is being happy with who you are, and not who people think you are.” – Goldie Hawn

Are you happy with who you are?  Are you really and truly happy with who you are?  Most people would answer yes to this question, however, if they were truly honest with themselves, then the question would actually be much more difficult than it appears.  There many faces out there in the world with smiles and laughter but, if truth be told, the smiles and the laughter just hide an inner disappointment, sadness, or grief.  And for those people who are not happy with themselves, those who are hiding that unhappiness from the rest of the world, how do they solve that problem?  How do they become happy?

Famous actress Goldie Hawn perhaps said it best that the first step to being truly happy is to be happy with who you are.  Thus, it is important to true to yourself, to be accepting of who you are despite what others may think, and then, maybe then, you could be happy with yourself.

But was Goldie herself even happy with who she was?  Some may question it when they look at her personal life.  Hawn's first husband was dancer and eventual director Gus Trikonis.  That lasted for seven years until they split and Hawn almost immediately hooked up with her second husband, Bill Hudson of the Hudson Brothers.  Their relationship lasted six years until they divorced and, once again, Hawn wasted no time in finding a new partner, this time Kurt Russell.

If you believe everything you see on television, then you would think that Marie Annabelle Jones is quite happy with herself.  Just look at how she acts on IWC programming and you will see a young woman who thinks she is the end all be all of professional wrestling and has no problem shouting at the rooftops to anyone who will listen about how great she is.  If you tune into IWC Uprising you will see a woman who believes she is The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.

Up until just recently, Marie Annabelle Jones considered herself the most talented member of the Jones wrestling family, or to use her own words, The Greatest Jones Ever.   She was her own biggest fan and  it didn’t appear as if she had any major self-esteem issues…

...but appearances can be deceiving.

Is it possible that this young woman, the oldest child of wrestling legend Angelica Jones, The Phoenix, The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, could have a self-esteem issue?  Marie Annabelle Jones is the number one contender to the IWC World Tag Team Championships with her #GingerNation partner Sophie James.   She is the number one contender to the IWC Uprising  World Championship and will be competing for that belt at Revolution in the main event against champion Vanilla Skyy and fellow challenger Alana Starr.  Is it possible that this woman, who has so much going for her right now, is unhappy with herself right now?

Anyone in their right mind would say that the notion Marie Annabelle Jones is having self-esteem issues or isn’t happy with herself is a crazy idea.  But then again, Kimberly Williams isn’t exactly in her right mind now is she?

Kimberly Williams is Marie’s half-sister and an admitted sociopath.  Kimberly also knows Marie better than anyone else outside of her mother.  Perhaps that is why Kimberly and Marie get along so well and why they work so well together?

It wasn’t always like that.  Kimberly used to hate and despise Marie with a passion.  Kimberly had made it her life goal to destroy Marie and had damn near succeeded on several occasions.  But something happened that changed Kim.  Something caused her to go from Marie’s bitter enemy to a woman who seemingly wanted to help.  And help her she has.  Kimberly has become an unofficial trainer for Marie, training her in the art of being a killer.  Kimberly Williams wanted to give Marie that one thing, that one x-factor Marie supposedly lacked that had kept her from being at the top of the IWC mountain…

…a killer instinct.

Kimberly does know Marie.  She knows her better than Marie would be willing to admit.  Thus Kimberly does have her doubts about her half-sister’s self-esteem and confidence level and it just so happens to be Marie’s newest relationship that gives Kimberly those doubts.

Much like Goldie Hawn, young Marie has had several relationships in her time.  No, none of them ended up marrying her like Goldie’s three, but still, Marie has had her share of male counterparts.  But with Marie it isn’t all about her and her lustful pleasure.  For Marie having a boyfriend has always been about trying to find the right father figure for her own son, her child Sean Connor Jones.  Unfortunately, Marie never could get a father for Sean.  Unfortunately, it would appear as if no one would stick around with Marie long enough for a serious relationship.

Then Arthur Pond came along.  Marie actually met Arthur back when they both worked at a monastery.  The only catch is, Marie had amnesia at the time and was going by the name of her half-sister, Kimberly Williams.  This was an intricate plan concocted by Williams back before they made peace, a plan to try and replace her.  Arthur and Marie happened to meet once again in a bar almost a year later, this time Marie was in her right mind but still remembered Arthur.  Arthur, though, knew Marie by the only name he knew; Kimberly.  He knew her as Kimberly.

Therein lies the reason why Kimberly feels her half-sister, Marie Annabelle Jones, is not as self-confident as she may appear.  For Marie and Arthur began dating.  Their relationship escalated quickly and now they are very close, they are truly serious.  This is the first serious relationship Marie has had in a very long time.

And yet Marie has still not corrected Arthur on who she really is.  Marie is going by the only name Arthur knows.  Marie is continuing to let Arthur think she is Kimberly Williams.

Why does Marie feel compelled to pretend to be Kimberly Williams?  What is so bad about being Marie Annabelle Jones?  Is she so unhappy and unsatisfied with herself that she would rather pretend to be someone she isn’t, she would rather pretend to be Kimberly Williams?  Furthermore, how much longer can she continue this façade until Arthur finds out her true identity?

The hallway is empty at the Swissotel Nankai in Osaka, Japan.  This is the top level, the top floor hallway, and the floor is a black marble, the walls are colored a brilliant white color.  The lights overhead are luxurious.  There is an elevator, doors closed, at the far end of the hallway.

A dinging sound signifies that the elevator doors are about to open.  A few moments later this proves to be true as the doors do open up and Marie Annabelle Jones steps out of the elevator, arm in arm with Arthur Pond.

The red-head is wearing an alluring long-sleeved black sheath dress, featuring lace insets and a high neckline for a modern touch.  The hemline of this cocktail dress stops just above the knee.  Her feet are encased in matching black high heeled dress sandals.  Her boyfriend, Arthur, is wearing black dress pants and a silky blue button up dress shirt.  The two lovebirds both have smiles on their faces, smiles that may have to be surgically removed.

“I am so glad you suggested that we come to Japan.”

“You told me you liked Japanese food.” Marie answers back. “So I figured why not visit Japan?”

“Yeah, well, real Japanese food is much different from the take out I usually get.” He turns and gazes down at Marie, smiling warmly. “Turn out the real thing is much better than the fake stuff back in the states.  Good idea, Kimberly.”

That’s right, Arthur still believes his girlfriend’s name is Kimberly.  Marie Annabelle Jones still has not told her boyfriend the truth about her identity, about who she is.  Many say that honesty is of the utmost importance in a relationship, and yet Marie does not seem to care about honesty.  Marie is happy to continue lying to Arthur.  The question is…why?

“Thanks babe,” Marie reaches up, brings his head down closer towards her height so that she can kiss him on his cheek “I try my best to come up with the best of ideas for us.”

“I think you’ve done a pretty damn good job, babe.”  Arthur says as he and Marie turn and resume their walk down the hall. “This city is amazing.  Hell, this entire country is amazing!”

“And no sign of Godzilla.” Marie says, playfully winking at him.

“Darn,” Arthur says, feigning disappointment “and I wanted the big lizard’s autograph .”

“Well I don’t know about lizards,” Marie reaches down with her right hand towards Arthur’s crotch area and lightly touches it “but there is still a chance tonight for Godzilla to come out and play.”

Arthur smirks knowingly. “Oh yeah?”

Pond leans down and kisses her romantically, passionately, on the lips.  Tongues are no doubt exchanged as they kiss for several seconds, boyfriend and girlfriend wrapping their arms around each other.  It would almost seem as if this moment would never end, but then Arthur does finally break it off.

“Kimberly…”

“…yeah?”

“I think we should continue this in our bedroom.”

Marie laughs lightly. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Arthur nods his head as he takes Marie by the arm and leads her gently down the hall.  About midway down the young couple comes to a stop in front of a door.  Arthur smiles as he reaches into his pocket and produces a key card.

“Shall we?”

“Go ahead, Mr. Pond.”

Arthur inserts the card and pulls it out.  Marie and Arthur hears the clicking from within, signifying the door has unlocked.  Arthur pushes it open and together with Marie steps inside.  They step further into the room, a giant suite that Marie ordered just for this occasion.  The couple are laughing.  But their jubilation does not last long…

“Hi there!”

The voice is unfamiliar to Arthur, but Marie knows it all too well.  They turn towards the bed and find Kimberly Williams, the REAL Kimberly Williams, lying on the king sized bed wearing only a lacy bra and panty set.

“What are you doing here?!” Marie growls angrily.

“Oh come now,” Kimberly whines “ask me a better question.  Like, HOW I got in here!”

Kimberly hops up off of the bed and she waltzes ever so arrogantly over towards Marie and kisses her on the cheek.  Then she flicks her long hair, naturally black but dyed red this time to match Marie’s, back behind her shoulders.

“I wonder if it was the hair?”

Kimberly asks this playfully, knowing full well how she did it.  She and Marie look identical to one another in the face.  The only difference is in the hair.  Kimberly’s natural color is black but when it is dyed red the two look like twins.  It is difficult to tell them apart.  Marie wishes that they didn’t look identical.  That has proven to be quite tiresome and bothersome at times, especially this one.  The redhead reaches up with her right hand wipes her cheek, the spot where Kimberly kissed her.

“What the hell was that about?!”

Kimberly cocks her head to one side. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t play coy with me.” She points to her cheek. “This!  What was this about!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I guess you wanted more…”

Kimberly leaps on top of Marie, knocking her over.  Kimberly then locks lips with her, passionately forcing herself onto her with a kiss.  Marie struggles and struggles and finally kicks Marie up off of her.  Kimberly and Marie both scramble back to their feet.  Kimberly rushes over, grabs Marie by the head and jerks her into yet another passionate kiss, one that Marie tries her best to fight off.

“Hey!” Arthur shouts as he walks over to the feuding girls. “Get off of her!”

Pond snatches Kimberly by the waist and pulls her off.  Lifting her up he drags her away from Marie and sets her down.  Kimberly smirks knowingly.

“Oh what’s wrong?” Before Arthur can answer Kimberly snaps her fingers and grins knowingly. “Oh I know!  You want some too!”

Kimberly snatches Arthur by his head and jerks him into a passionate kiss.  Arthur starts to fight it off but Kimberly uses her feet to trip him up, causing him to fall backwards.  Kimberly lands on top of him and continues kissing.  Marie, meanwhile, stands a few feet away, glaring angrily at the scene that is unfolding before her.

“KIMBERLY!”

Jones isn’t even thinking about the lie she told Arthur, or trying to keep it up.  She is so enraged with Kim, so furious, that she wants to hurt this woman.  She wants to make her half-sister pay dearly for what she has done.

Marie kicks off her high heels and then rushes towards Kimberly.  Marie pulls Kimberly up off of Arthur and slaps her hard across the face before hip tossing her across the room, causing her to land hard on the carpeted floor.  Kimberly scrambles back up to her feet, rubbing her ass.

“Owwww,” Kimberly whines “that hurt!”

“That’s nothing!”

Marie shouts before letting out a primal scream. Then she charges forward and spears Kimberly down to the floor.  Marie begins to lay into her with right hands and left hands and then more right hands.  Kimberly kicks Marie off of her and then scrambles back to her feet.  She rushes forward and returns the favor with a spear of her own.  Kimberly wraps her hands around Marie’s throat.

“Don’t you have something you’d like to say to everyone?” Kimberly says tauntingly. “Or has the cat got your tongue?”

Marie manages to get a hand free and uses it to rake Kimberly’s eyes, which temporarily blinds her half-sister.  This forces Kim to release Marie.  Jones gets to her feet and then drops Kimberly to the floor with a massive right hand.   Marie is getting ready to pounce upon her once more when Arthur Pond walks over and pulls her away in an attempt to stop the brawl.

“Kimberly, stop!” Arthur commands, gazing into the eyes of Marie. “Just stop!  We’ll call police!”

“Yeah,” Kimberly laughs lightly as she gets to her feet, wipping the blood that is now coming out from her nose “call the police…Kimberly.”

The young Jones stares at her half-sister angrily.  She then turns to face Arthur and the equally as angry look on his face and a sense of guilt washes over her.  Finally, Marie shakes her head in defeat.

“No, Arthur, don’t call the police.”

Arthur frowns. “What did you say?”

“Don’t call the police.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought you said.” Arthur remarks. “I just don’t understand.”

He motions to Kimberly. “This madwoman just invaded our privacy she…she…assaulted you and me both…she should be arrested!”

“Yes, I was a very naughty girl.” Kimberly says jokingly as she begins to waltz around the room. “Let’s see, in this short amount of time I have already been guilty of identity theft, assault, and incest…”

Kimberly winks at Marie “…well, that last one depends upon your definition of incest.  But at the very least I am guilty of identity theft and assault.”

Kimberly twirls around on her heel. “He who is without sin cast the first stone!”

“What does that mean?”

Arthur growls, growing angrier and more frustrated by the moment as Kimberly continues to play coy with him.  Kimberly just points a finger at him.

“Oh come now, Arthur, surely YOU know what I mean!  You worked in a monastery for God’s sake!  You have definitely heard that saying before!  I believe some dude named Jesus said that, if I am not mistaken.”

Arthur nods his head. “Yeah, I have heard it before, and I know what it means.”

“Then you know if you’re guilty or not!  You know if you’re sinless or blameless!  From what I hear, you’re squeaky clean…” she turns and points an accusatory finger at Marie “…but YOU are a sinner!”

“Me?!” Marie shouts angrily.

“Yes, you!” She winks at Marie. “Don’t you have a confession to make, little girl?  Confession is good for the soul.”

Arthur shakes his head angrily. “She has done nothing wrong!  So quit accusing her!”

“Arthur…” Marie’s voice trails off.

“Come on, Kimberly.” Arthur remarks as he walks over towards the landline phone. “Let’s call the police.”

He picks up the receiver on the nightstand but Marie walks over and snatches it out of his hand.  Marie places it back down.  Marie looks up into the confused eyes of Arthur.

“What’s wrong with you, Kimberly?” Arthur asks. “This woman assaulted us!  She broke into our room!  We need to call the police!”

Marie shakes her head. “No, Arthur, we cannot call the police.”

“Why not?!”

“Because,” Kimberly chimes in, interrupting the both of them in a sing-song voice “she knows that if I go to jail I’m going to spill the beans about her precious secret.”

“There is no secret!” Arthur exclaims.

“Wanna bet?” Kimberly says, laughing.

“Kimberly,” Arthur continues through gritted teeth “we need to call the police.”

“She won’t.” Kimberly says confidently. “Because she has committed a crime against me that may not be as bad as what I have done today, but still, it is bad enough that if I were to press charges she could get into some serious trouble.”

Arthur has had the utmost trust in his girlfriend for the longest time now but, as he looks into Kimberly’s confident eyes, and then turns to look into the nervous stare of his girlfriend, he is beginning to have his own doubts.

“Kimberly…” Arthur says this directed at Marie, his voice trailing off.

“She’s right, Arthur.” Marie says with a disappointed sigh. “And don’t call me Kimberly.”

“What are you talking about?”

“And the other shoe is about to drop…” Kimberly says mockingly.

“What I mean is…” tears form in her eyes “…I mean…”

“What?” Arthur asks.

“…that’s Kimberly.” Marie points towards her half-sister.

“Surprise!”

The woman clad only in a bra and panty says this as she waves playfully at Arthur.  Arthur just looks with confusion down at Marie.

“I don’t understand.  If that’s Kimberly then…who are you?”

“My name is…” Marie wipes tears from her eyes “…Marie.  My name is Marie.”

Marie Annabelle Jones breaks down into tears as she walks over towards the balcony.  She flings the sliding glass door open that leads to the balcony and then she steps out onto the balcony.  Jones sits down in one of two chairs that are outside on the balcony overlooking Osaka and continues crying.

Meanwhile inside the room, Arthur looks stunned.  Too shocked for words.  Kimberly sighs as she walks over towards him and kisses him on the cheek, sincerely this time, out of pity and not to play a mind game with him.

“I am really sorry for all of this.”

“So you’re Kimberly?” Arthur manages to squeak out.

“That’s right,” Kimberly nods her head “I mean, I’m kind of surprised at you, actually.”

She balls up a fist and lightly taps his head. “You do have a brain in there, right Arthur?”

“Are you seriously trying to insult me?!” Arthur growls, growing angry again. “Now?!”

“No, it’s just that I thought you would have been more suspicious of her, especially after seeing her twin waiting for you two in your hotel room.” She strikes a modeling pose. “You DID notice that we look alike, didn’t you?”

Arthur sighs. “I guess I was too shocked to even think about it.  It isn’t every day that a half-naked woman is just waiting on you in your hotel room.”

“This is true,” Kimberly admits “and it isn’t like that woman sexually assaults you every day either.”

Arthur frowns. “You didn’t sexually assault me.”

“Keep telling yourself that, sweetie.”

Arthur turns and gazes at Marie, who is still out on the balcony crying her eyes out.  Arthur sighs and shakes his head.

“She lied to me.”

“Look at me, Arthur.” Arthur turns around and looks at Kimberly. “As you can probably guess, I am not a good person.  I am what some people in the medical profession call a sociopath.”

She points at Marie outside. “That woman outside is my half-sister.  We have the same father but different mothers but at one point in time her mother dated my father and that relationship directly led to the death of my father.”

“How?” Arthur asks.

“That’s another story for another time.  The point is I blamed her mother for it and I made it my mission to destroy her entire family.  I tried time and time again to exact my revenge.  My plans would always end up going awry.”

“Not exactly your traditional sibling rivalry.” Arthur responds.

“Did you miss the part where I said I was a sociopath?  There was one plan that almost succeeded.  As you can see, Marie and I look identical in the face, but the difference is our hair color.”

“Your hair looks the same to me.”

“It’s dyed, sweetie.” Kimberly giggles. “My natural color is black.  But I kidnapped Marie at one point.  I dyed my hair and then took her place.  As for Marie herself, she ended up escaping, but my mental and physical torture gave her amnesia.  To make a long story short and leaving out a bunch of pointless details, she ended up at the monastery your worked at, under the name Kimberly Williams.”

“Huh…” Arthur’s voice trails off “…irony…”

“The woman you met at that monastery, the woman you had a crush on, that’s her outside on the balcony.  That’s my sister Marie Annabelle Jones.  You had a crush on her, you just thought her name was Kimberly.”

“But why couldn’t she just tell me the truth?” Arthur asks.

“I have no idea.” Kimberly says, shrugging her shoulders. “To be completely honest with you, it could be partially my fault.  I believe I am having a bit of an effect upon her.  My sociopathic tendencies may be rubbing off.  But I hope that is not the case, I hope there is something else there because she is a good girl.  Deep down inside she is a good person.  And she does care about you.”

“I…” he shakes his head “…don’t know.”

“Do you want my advice?” Kimberly asks.

“Sure.”

“Go to her.” Kimberly tells him. “Talk to her.  Give her that much.”

Arthur looks into Kimberly’s eyes and is surprised to see a hint of sincerity in the eyes of this self-described sociopath.  He then gazes outside, through the sliding glass doors, at Marie, who is still out on the balcony.  He then turns and looks at Kimberly.

“I’m not sure.”

“Oh go ahead.” Kimberly encourages him. “You two go hash things out while I get dressed.  I may even let you call police on me anyway.  I don’t think I’ve ever been in a Japanese prison anyway.  Could be fun.  Besides…”

She winks at him “…Marie is worth a second chance.”

Arthur sighs and finally nods his head. “Alright…”

Kimberly watches as Arthur walks away from her.  Arthur makes it to the sliding glass doors and then slides them open.  He steps out onto the balcony and closes the doors behind him.  Marie heard him coming and turns her head towards him.

“Go away!” She exclaims loudly.

“No, not until we have talked.”

Arthur walks over and sits down in the other chair.  He gazes over at Marie.  A stoic frown is upon his face.

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“There’s plenty to talk about.” Arthur insists. “For instance, we could start with why you lied to me…Marie.”

Marie winces. “So she told you?”

“She told me everything.”

“Everything?” Marie manages to squeak out in between sobs. “Then why…why…why are you out here talking to me?!”

“I’m here because Kimberly said you were worth a second chance.” He says nonchalantly. “I want to see if she’s right.”

“I’m not sure that I am.” Marie shakes her head.

“What makes you say that?”

Marie laughs sarcastically. “You…you really don’t know me that well…”

“That much is obvious.” Arthur says in agreement.

“No, you really don’t know who I am.” Marie remarks, shaking her head. “Otherwise you would know that I am poison!  Did Kimberly tell you that I have a son?”

Arthur shakes his head. “No, she didn’t.”

“Well I do. His name is Sean and he is the result of me being raped.  I had never had a true relationship before I was raped and every boyfriend I had since then abused me, some of the abuse was physical, others was just mental and emotional abuse.  I am poison because I can’t get a relationship right!”

Marie wipes tears from her eyes. “Now do you see why I wanted to be someone else?  And you thought I was Kimberly, anyway.  You had a crush on someone named Kimberly.  So I figured the best bet was to go ahead with it.”

A tense moment passes as Marie and Arthur stare at one another.  Finally a warm smile creeps across Arthur’s face.

“You were wrong.”

“Yeah, I know I was wrong…”

“No, you don’t get it.” Arthur shakes his head. “You were wrong about me.”

Arthur stands up.  He reaches down, grabs Marie’s hands, and gently pulls her up to a standing position as well.  He squeezes her hands tightly.

“I did NOT have a crush on Kimberly Williams.” He nods over towards the hotel room. “Kimberly is inside that room, Kimberly is the crazy lady who assaulted us.  That is NOT who I had a crush on back in the monastery.  I had a crush on a beautiful, charming young woman.   I had a crush on the woman I met at the monastery and that woman was you.”

Tears once again begin to flow down Marie’s cheek, but this time they are not tears of sadness but instead they are tears of joy.

“Do…do you mean it?”

“All you did was give me a false name.  You didn’t act any different from who you really are.  Over these past few weeks I fell in love with the woman inside you, not some name.  So yes, I do mean it.”

Marie shakes her head. “I don’t deserve this.  I don’t deserve any of this.”

“I’ll tell you what you deserve.” Arthur says with a warm smile on his face. “You and I both deserve to start all over again.  This time with no lying.  Does that sound fair?”

Marie nods her head. “Yeah…yeah it sounds fair.”

Arthur sits back down in a chair.  Marie follows suit.

“So tell me all about yourself.” Arthur says smiling warmly. “I bet the real story is even more fun than the one you made up.”

“Kind of…” her voice trails off “…I am a pro-wrestler.”

“Pro-wrestler?” Arthur is surprised by this. “That’s quite a far cry from being a nun.”

“Isn’t it, though?” Marie laughs lightly.  She is finally beginning to feel comfortable again. “That’s actually the real reason we’re in Osaka, Japan.”

“Really?”

She nods her head. “I’m competing here in a few days for the World Championship.”

Arthur chuckles. “Well you didn’t exactly lie to me, you just neglected to tell me certain facts.”

Marie shakes her head. “No, don’t sugarcoat it.  It was a lie.”

“But I know of a way you can make it up to me.”

“How?”

“Backstage passes.” Arthur says with a glint in his eye. “I would love to be there and watch my girlfriend become World Champion.”

“Your…girlfriend?” Tears form in Marie’s eyes again.  This time Arthur wipes them from her eyes.

“Yes, MY girlfriend.” He says. “You are my girlfriend and you are the next world champion.”

Arthur takes Marie by her head and Marie takes his.  The pull in close to one another and passionately kiss.  That kiss doesn’t last long until…

“Hi guys!”

They break the kiss in time to turn and see Kimberly Williams, now fully clothed, standing out on the balcony with them.

“You guys done Frenching because, quite honestly, I’m sooooo excited about being given the grand tour of a Japanese jail.  Of course, you need to call the police first.”

“GO AWAY, KIMBERLY!” Arthur and Marie shout in unison.

“Well!” Kimberly places her hands on her hips and feigns shock. “I never!  Well, I have once or twice!  Anyway, if you want me gone, I’ll leave…”

Kimberly turns and starts to walk away...

“Kimberly, wait a second!”

Marie shouts, stopping Kim dead in her tracks.  She turns to face Marie who smiles back at her.

“Thanks, Kim.”

Kimberly nods her head. “No problem, sis.”

Kimberly turns and walks off.  Leaving Marie and Arthur alone on the balcony.   They resume their kiss.

==========

The Atomic Revolution

On Camera

==========

Dark, ominous clouds hang overhead in the skies of Hiroshima, the infamous site of one of the atomic bombings in World War II.  The tall bushy shrubbery is inviting but the black iron gate behind it is not so inviting and adds to the ominous feel created by the cumulonimbus clouds.  Within the gates is a large structure; well, it is barely a structure.  Truth be told, the more accurate term for this would be ruins, for this structure looks as if it could fall apart at any moment.  It appears as if this building used to be four or five stories tall but the insides have been completely gutted out, giving off a sense of emptiness.  At the very top is the skeletal remains of what used to be an impressive dome.  This beautiful dome has also been wasted by a massive and tragic, very powerful destructive force.

A female figure comes into view.  She is far off in the distance, but just barely in view of the camera, and she is walking, closer and closer, towards the camera.  As she gets closer we can make out what she is wearing.  This woman’s attire consists of dark blue denim jeans, black boots, and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up over her head.  The woman, who we now see is none other than Kimberly Williams, steps into front  row center, in front of the camera, in front of the shrubbery and iron gate that surrounds this massive building.

“It has been well over a year now since Marie Annabelle Jones arrived in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  She tried to play nice.  She tried to play by the rules.  But IWC management and IWC fans let my sister down.  My sister was mismanaged by the likes of airheaded Samantha Hodgson, dickhead Ethan Von Aaron, and pigheaded Silas Mason.   Drew Byrant has done his best to try and stop her momentum.  He suspended her and tried to use dirty backdoor tricks to strip her of hard earned title opportunities.  Yet despite all of that, despite the obstacles she has had to overcome, she has made it to Revolution where she will compete for the IWC Uprising World Championship.”

“I have been working with my sister for almost one entire calendar year, molding her and reshaping her, for one entire calendar year I have been doing my best to give her the one thing that I felt she lacked, the one thing that kept her from the top of the mountain in IWC..”

She smirks “…a killer instinct.  A willingness to do anything and everything necessary in order to become World Champion.  She should have been world champion at Invictus.  Marie did everything necessary to be champion and had it not been for Lohan she would have been champion.  But am I going to dwell on the past?”

Kimberly shakes her head. “No…this is about the future and Uprising IS the future.  Uprising, with Marie Annabelle Jones at the helm as its flag bearer, will become not only the top brand but also the most powerful force in professional wrestling.  All that remains is for her to take her rightful place at the top, all that remains is for Marie to become world champion.”

“Now, without further adieu, I give you the next IWC Uprising World Champion, Marie Annabelle Jones…”

Kimberly Williams steps off screen.  A few moments later another female steps into view.  This time immediately we can tell that this is Marie Annabelle Jones, the self-described Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.  The leader of #GingerNation is wearing a black pencil skirt, red silk button up blouse, and black high heeled pumps with a pair of sunglasses over her eyes.  A smug, arrogant grin is splattered across her lovely face.

“The building behind me was originally designed by Czech architect Jan Jetzel.  It was completed in April of 1915 and was named the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition.  In 1921 it was rebranded and repackaged as the Hiroshima Prefectural Products Exhibition Hall and then it was rebranded and repackaged yet again in 1933 as the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.  But tell me, why is this building so famous?”

Jones motions with her right hand thumb to the building behind her. “That building was the only structure left standing near the hypocenter of the atomic bombing of Hirshoma.  The most destructive force at the time leveled the city and annihilated the lives and livelihoods of so many people, it wrecked Japan to its very core, and this building was the only one left standing when all the smoke had cleared.  It now stands here today as a memorial to the tragic event and as a call for peace.”

“When I first came to IWC, I did everything that the fans wanted me to do.  I towed company line like a good corporate ass kisser.  But I realized being a fan favorite ass kissing goodie goodie was going to get me nowhere.  I quickly found out that the only people who ever made it in IWC were the ones who weren’t afraid to use every dirty trick in the book, so I let Samantha Hodgson and Ethan Von Aaron manage my career and they fucked it up royally.  Samantha Hodgson proved herself incompetent, as someone who couldn’t manage her way out of a wet paper bag.  She got me caught up in needless wars with Danny Darko and Vanilla Skyy…”

She winks at the camera “…I’ll get to you in a moment, Vee…”

“…and Ethan Von Aaron only wanted me on his side because he’s a horny bastard and he needed a good looking minion to drool over his girl Alana.  I was happy to play that role long enough to learn what I could from him and Alana but once I learned everything there was to learn, I cast them aside too, because I deserve better than them.”

“After I was done with Hodgson and team good, I signed with Silas Mason, all with the promises of greatness.   Silas Mason had his chance to do right by me and, in fairness, he did far better than Hodgson and Von Aaron.  At least under Silas Mason I became a world tag team champion, I got to main event Invictus II, and thanks to Silas Mason’s influence, I earned my way into this world championship match at Revolution.  But just like Hodgson and Von Aaron, I knew that once I had gotten as much out of Silas as I could get out of him, that I would have to cast him aside.  Besides, he only cared about himself anyway.  It was never about me.”

Jones winks at the camera. “Thanks for the assist, Silas.  I used you just like you used so many others, and now I don’t need you anymore.”

The ginger holds up three fingers. “That’s three times since I have been in IWC that I have been trying to figure out who I am.  Ditching Silas Mason was the best I could have done because I now know who I am heading into this championship match at Revolution…”

“…yes, I am The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling and yes, I am the number one overall draft pick, but there is one other name that I go by, one that I have neglected lately, one that describes me and my  current mindset better than anything else…”

“…The Phoenix.”

The ginger again motions to the destroyed building behind her.  “The whole of Hiroshima was reduced to rubble, and this one singular building was the only one left standing.  Yes, the city was eventually rebuilt but this building remains as it is, preserved as a harsh reminder of that tragic event.”

The Phoenix points to herself. “For over a year I have been fighting anyone and everyone that has been put in front of me, for over a year I have dealt with backstage political bullshit and dirty underhanded tricks by people in management trying to keep me down!  I came so close to achieving my dream at Invictus II only to be denied but now here I am, a brand new person, rebuilt after times of trial, tribulation, and humiliation, a brand new person with a new stronger drive and motivation to become world champion at Revolution…”

“…but am I going to be one of those people who just ignores the past?” She shakes her head. “Not on your life.  I will always remember my past, for those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.  And at Revolution, in order to become world champion, I have to deal with two pieces of my past…Alana Starr and Vanilla Skyy.”

That smug smirk returns to Marie’s face. “Alana Starr, you and your child Ethan are immaturity personified.  Were it not for your success and achievements in this sport, you would not be taken seriously.  You are like a little girl and Ethan is like a little boy, whining and crying, bitching and moaning, when you don’t get your way.”

“That was the whole purpose of The Good Movement, wasn’t it?  Just to make sure you got your way and that the spotlight was entirely on you.  Hell, it’s a wonder you lasted as long as you did in New Eden because I know from firsthand knowledge that anytime you don’t get that spotlight, you start kicking and screaming like a spoiled brat.  I imagine you wouldn’t have tolerated New Eden much longer anyway, because there the spotlight is not…on…you!”

“So what do you do?  You just return to the same tired old gimmicks.  FlawlessGOODness?  That’s just the bastard child of Keenie Nation and The Good Movement and everyone knows it.  Ethan just so happens to manage both of you and so it worked.  Just like any fad it will have its run and it will pass.  It will pass away as soon as you find another way to keep the spotlight on yourself, or as soon as you get pissed off at Kennedy Street for stealing the limelight that you think is yours and yours alone.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, little girl, but at Revolution I am going to take that spotlight away from you.  The entire time I was in The Good Movement, I knew and you knew that I was the better athlete.  I was the real star…” she holds a hand over her mouth “…oh, sorry, or am I not allowed to say ‘star’ anymore either?”

Jones shakes her head. “You’re pathetic, Alana, you are truly pathetic and worse still, you are boring.  No one needs to take the spotlight from you because you’ve already squandered it.  Your shtick is old and dried up.  It’s been done to death.  It’s so old that everyone in IWC can guess exactly what you’re going to say in your promos and guess exactly what you’re going to tweet.  In other words, no one cares about you.  No one likes you.  Who would like or care about a glorified cyberbully who happens to be a good acrobat?  At Revolution, I’m going to do the wrestling world a favor by putting you out of your misery.  And now I am going to do myself a favor by moving on to someone who is far more deserving of my attention than the likes of you…”

“…Vanilla Skyy.”

Jones takes off her sunglasses and tosses them to the side. “Believe it or not, I do respect you.  You may not like how I act or how I do things and that’s fine.  I don’t necessarily agree with how you do things either.  But we’ve been through enough wars against one another that it is impossible for me not to respect you.”

“I’m not going to ask you to respect me.  I highly doubt I would get any respect from you anyway if I did ask for it.  But I would like to bring up our match from last year…it was scheduled to be a handicap match but I wanted it to be one on one.  Unfortunately Jackson Adams stuck his nose in my business.  Yes, I pinned you that night, and I could crow about how I’ve already beaten the Uprising World Champion…”

She shakes her head “…but I’m not.  This isn’t just a chance for me to become world champion, this is also a chance for me to redeem myself from that night.  I can put one final demon from my past to rest and beat you in a fair fight…”

Jones shrugs her shoulders “…well, as fair as it can be with Alana Starr involved, but this time there’s no Jackson Adams, and there will be no Samantha Hodgson, no Ethan Von Aaron, and no Silas Mason in my corner.  If I become…no, no, scratch that…WHEN I become IWC Uprising World Champion at Revolution, it will be because I won it on my own without any help from anybody, because I do not NEED any help!  I have been and always will be good enough to get the job done on my own!  Samantha Hodgson didn’t make me, Ethan Von Aaron didn’t make me, and you can be damn sure that Silas Mason didn’t make me who I am today!”

The ginger points to herself. “I MADE ME!  I am The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling because of my hard work and my dedication and my talent and abilities!  At Revolution I prove it to the entire world, starting with you and Alana.”

“A revolution can be described as a fundamental change in power and I like that definition because that is exactly what is going to happen in Osaka, Japan.  The Alana Starr GOOD Movement reboot is coming to an end.  Vanilla Skyy’s reign as IWC Uprising World Champion is coming to an end.  There will be a massive shift in power as I rise up from the ashes, like the mythical phoenix rising from the flames, and achieve my destiny of becoming IWC World Champion.”

A confident smile returns to her face. “Earlier I reminded everyone that I was The Phoenix.  Times like these are why I like to remind myself and why I like to remind each and every one of you watching this why I am The Phoenix.  You can’t keep The Phoenix down.  The Phoenix will continue to rise back up.  No matter how many times you think you’ve killed it, The Phoenix keeps getting up because you cannot kill it.  And neither one of you can kill me, not with so much on the line, and not with me feeling more determined than ever before.  I mean, I can see the writing on the wall.  How many more opportunities will I get to become IWC World Champion?”

The ginger frowns and then shakes her head. “I am not going to take the risk of finding out.  I am not going to leave Osaka a loser.  Revolution is going to be my night to shine, whether anyone likes it or not.”