Tying Up Loose Ends

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Tying Up Loose Ends

Scene 1

Off Camera

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George Washington and the Continental Army were riding high in the early days of the Revolutionary War after a great performance in Bunker Hill, giving the British everything they could handle, and a victory in Boston, taking the famous city from the crown.  Some say that Washington and his ragtag army got a little overconfident.  Who could blame them?  They just took on the most powerful army in the world and won.  Who wouldn't feel pretty good about themselves if not outright invincible after doing so well?  Dreams of freedom and independence were on the minds of every soldier and general.

Then came the Battle of New York.

New York changed things for George Washington and his army.  It was a devastating defeat that resulted in the rebels losing the big apple to the British.  Washington was humiliated and from then on, until the end of the war, his leadership was questioned by anyone and everyone looking to unseat him as commander in chief of the continental army.  The dreams of freedom and independence were destroyed as the soldiers and Washington himself were all brought back to the harsh reality that this revolutionary war would not be an easy victory and, in actuality, freedom and independence may not be won at all.

We know, of course, that the rebels won the revolutionary war and that victory would give birth to the United States of America.  After New York, though, George Washington did not know nor arguably did he even believe that victory was possible.  History is funny in that way.  One or two big wins and people think you're a conquering hero.  One major loss and you're a loser, you're nothing, you're a failure.  Only history, later on down the road, can vindicate you and prove that your trials and tribulations were worthwhile.

IWC superstar and professional wrestler Marie Annabelle Jones knows how George Washington felt after the Battle of New York.  Jones was on a high after defeating Ethan Von Aaron and Amanda Blaze at Extreme Fury to become number one contender to the IWC Uprising World Championship.  She continued on her high after becoming number one contender to the IWC World Tag Team Championships.  Everything seemed to be going her way and she seemed destined to become World Champion at Revolution.

All she had to do was defeat Vanilla Skyy and Alana Starr in a triple threat match.  Much like Washington and the continental army, she was riding high after many major victories and thought her dreams would be achieved.  But also much like Washington and the continental army, she would find that achieving her dream would be easier said than done.

Revolution came and instead of becoming World Champion, Marie had to watch as Vanilla Skyy pinned Alana Starr to retain the title.  No, she didn't get pinned.  But it was still a failure.  It was still a loss and a defeat, a defeat that, in Marie's mind, would put her credibility as a main event player in doubt.

Twice now she has tried to capture the top gold in IWC, once at Invictus and once at Revolution.  Twice she has failed.  The question will no doubt be asked, even if the self-proclaimed Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling can earn another title shot, is she even worthy?  Is it even worth giving her another crack at Vanilla Skyy if she earns the shot?  What she thought was her dream has been brought into doubt.  Now she isn't sure that she can achieve her dreams.

Next Uprising is yet another chance for Marie to prove herself.  In what has been billed as a “night of potential” and “a night of opportunity” just before Upping The Ante, a roulette style eight person tag team tournament has been scheduled.  Four teams of four, one fall to a finish, with the winning team of the tournament battling it out against one another in a four way match to determine an overall winner of this unique style of roulette tournament.  That overall winner will get to choose their match for Upping The Ante.

Marie Jones already knows how she would book herself at Upping The Ante in the event she wins this tournament.  She wants another one on one shot against Vanilla Skyy for the IWC Uprising World Championship.  It is the one thing she has wanted, arguably since last year's Extreme Fury, when she did defeat Vanilla Skyy in a tainted, controversial match.

And yet there is what the mind knows and what the heart feels.  All too often they are completely different things.  Her mind tells her she has a great opportunity at winning this.  She has a solid team in the form of herself, Gavin Taylor, William Mason, and Jessica Wilde.  Their semi-final opponents consist of Tina Valentine, Cassius Delight, Eve, and Lilith Evans.  Individually they are formidable.  Together it is doubtful they can get along.  Marie is almost certain her team of four can at least put their differences aside long enough to win the semi-finals, win the finals, and then they can settle things amongst themselves.

The mind tells her everything will be ok, but the heart tells her a completely different story.  Her confidence is shot.  And that is understandable and to be expected after twice failing to capture the IWC World Championship.  So her mind may be telling her that she is in a good situation to not only earn another shot at Vanilla Skyy, this time a one on one title shot, but her mind is also telling her that she can prove she deserves this shot and is worthy of this shot by winning this roulette style tournament on Uprising.  Unfortunately, her confidence right now is so completely shot that she does not believe that she herself is worthy of another opportunity.

The Independent Wrestling Cartel has returned back to stateside after its tour in Japan.  Currently the young red-headed Jones family member and former number one contender finds herself sitting alone at a bar in New York City.  It is a rather run down dive with grimy hardwood floors, rough looking wood walls, and only a few tables with a billiard table in the center of the room.  The bar itself is also wood and equally as grimy as the floor.  The stools are wood with red cushions.

Why would someone like Marie, a woman who has prided herself on having the finer things in life, someone who has many times called herself a crown jewel, find herself in a dive as run down as this one is?  The simple answer is that she wants to be alone.  She doesn't want anyone to find her and she definitely doesn't want anyone to recognize her as she drinks her troubles away in a vain attempt to forget about the defeat at Revolution.

The Boston native normally dresses slightly upscale but on this occasion she is far more simply attired in a simple pair of blue jeans, flip flops, and a plain black t-shirt.  Her long red hair is pulled into a ponytail in the back.  Her nails, both finger and toe, are painted red.  In front of her sits a shot glass full of an unknown beverage, obviously alcoholic but not known what kind.

With her right hand she reaches out, takes the shot glass, and tips it up, downing the entire contents in one sitting.  She places it down on the bar, careful not to slam it too hard so as to not break it or cause any noise of any kind.  It was enough to get the attention of the bartender, a gentlemen with brown hair wearing black pants and a black shirt.  The bartender approaches Marie and motions to the shot glass.

“Do you want more?”

Jones nods her head. “Yes, please.”

The bartender nods as he walks over to get a refill.  Jones herself just sighs, thinking mournfully about how her dreams to become world champion again may have gone up in smoke at Revolution.

And the sad truth is, it isn't even really about the world championship as much as it is proving to the wrestling world that she is a main event player meant to be taken seriously.  For Marie winning the championship means winning the respect of her peers.  That is what she wants most of all.  She wants to be respected and if defeating Vanilla Skyy to become World Champion is what it takes to be respected, then she will do whatever it takes to accomplish that goal.

Yet with each attempt, and with each failure, comes a disheartening realization that her goal may be impossible to achieve.

The bartender returns with another shot glass, full of the same beverage.  Marie thanks him with a nod and slides a wad of one dollar bills his way.  Then she tips that glass up and also downs it in one big gulp and sets it back down on the bar.

“Do you really think drinking your troubles away is going to help?”

“Huh?”

She looks up, half-expecting the bartender but he is off on the other side, helping another customer.  Jones looks over to her right and finds that her boyfriend, Arthur Pond, has arrived and is sitting next to her at the bar.

“What are you doing here?” She asks curiously.

“I care about you, Marie.” Arthur explains. “Do I need any further explanation?”

“Considering I tried to hide from you and everyone else so I could be alone?” Jones nods her head. “Yeah, I think you do.”

Before Arthur can answer her question, the bartender returns, stopping any and all conversation dead in its tracks.  He looks at Arthur expectantly.  Arthur smiles and motions to Marie's now empty shot glass.

“I think I will have whatever she was having.”

The bartender nods and walks off to fill the order.  Once he's far enough away that he cannot hear, Arthur leans down to whisper to Marie.

“What did I just order?”

“Straight vodka.”

He chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Great.”

The bartender returns with a vodka for Arthur.  Mr. Pond takes the shot glass and, instead of tipping the whole thing up and gulping it all down like Marie, he takes a gentle sip before placing it back down on the bar.  Jones then returns her gaze back upon Arthur and interrogates him further.

“Back to my question.  Care to explain what you're doing here?”

Arthur rolls his eyes again. “I care about you, Marie.  That's why I am here.  That is the only reason I am here.”

“In that case can you tell me this;” she begins with venom dripping from her voice “did Kimberly care about me so much that she felt the need to tell you where to find me?”

Kimberly Williams, Marie's half-sister, is the only person who knew where to find Marie.  She only told Kimberly and made her promise not to tell anyone else.  But then again, Kimberly is a sociopath, perhaps Marie should've known better than to trust a sociopath?

“Yeah, it was Kimberly.”

“Figures.” Marie sighs. “Now I'm going to have to kill her.”

“Damnit, Marie,” Arthur says, his voice growing louder as his frustration builds “we care about you!  Me and Kimberly both care about you and that's why I am here in the first place!  I want to help you!  So does Kim!”

“If you want to help then leave me alone.” Marie snaps back at him.

“Not gonna happen.”

Arthur downs the rest of his shot glass full vodka and then motions for the bartender to give him a refill.  Pond then turns his attention back to Marie.

“This isn't like you.”

“How do you know what I am like?”

“Whether you went by Kimberly, or whether you went by Marie, I've known you for quite a long time now and I know what is isn't you.” Arthur motions to the empty shot glasses sitting in front of his girlfriend. “Getting drunk to forget your problems is NOT like you.”

The redhead stares at Arthur for a long period of time.  Then she looks down at her empty shot glasses that used to contain vodka.  Then she looks back up at Arthur and tears begin to form in her eyes.  Arthur places a gentle, comforting hand upon her shoulder.

“Tell me what's wrong.”

Jones reaches up and wipes some of the tears out of her eyes. “You...you...”

She shakes her head “...you wouldn't understand.”

Arthur smiles warmly. “Try me.”

Jones bows her head and shakes it again.  “You wouldn't understand because you're not a wrestler.”

She looks up at Arthur, tears now flowing freely and uncontrollably down her cheek.

“You don't have any idea what it is like to work all of your life, to train and bust your ass, all just to be world champion, just to be respected by your peers!”

The redhead shakes her head. “You have no idea, Arthur.  You have no idea what it is like to get the opportunity to become world champion and be respected only to twice have that opportunity slip through your fingers, to fail to win the big one!  You have no idea what that is like!”

Arthur nods his head. “You're right, Marie, I do not know what it is like to be a wrestler.  I do not know what it must have been like for you to train all of those hours, work so hard to get to where you are today, only to come up short when it matters most.  But I was taught by my mother to try and look on the bright side, to try and think positively about any situation, no matter how bad it is.”

“Yeah?  I'd love to see how you make a positive spin out of the fact that TWICE I failed!”

Arthur grins. “Oh is that a challenge?”

“Don't make this into a joke, Arthur.” Marie warns. “I'm not in the mood for jokes.”

“Good, because I'm being serious.” Arthur clears his throat. “First of all, you did fail to capture the world title on two occasions, but I personally would prefer to call them learning experiences.”

“Do you honestly believe I can learn something from that horrible embarrassment at Revolution?” Jones asks skeptically.

“Absolutely.  You have fought Vanilla Skyy in a handicap match, an I Quit Match, and now in a triple threat match.  None of them were the straight up one on one match you wanted.  But with each match, whether it was a win or a loss, you got to learn more about how she operates in the ring.  Once you get her in the ring one on one straight up, no shenanigans, you can beat her.  Which brings me to the next positive aspect of all this...she has NEVER beaten you in a wrestling match.”

Marie's hard, angry features begin to soften as she realizes her boyfriend has a point.  Arthur notices this and leaps upon it.

“You beat her in a handicap match, and you did the honorable thing to refuse to accept that win.  She beat you in an I Quit Match, NOT a straight wrestling match.  And she won the triple threat match...by beating Alana Starr, NOT you.  From where I stand, you two have yet to settle who is the better wrestler.”

Marie sighs. “Ok, that's stretching it a bit but I can see your point.”

“Good, because the second good thing about all of this is on the next Uprising, you get to fight for another chance at the title.  Am I right?”

Jones nods her head. “Yes, the Uprising Roulette.  I'm teaming with William Mason, Jessica Wilde, and Gavin Taylor.  We have two matches in this tournament and if we win them both we then fight each other.  The winner gets to book themselves at Upping The Ante.”

“That's right, Marie.  Think about it, you want to prove to the world that you DESERVE an opportunity to wrestle for the world title?  Do you want respect?  Think of the respect you will have earned by defeating fifteen other people?  At the very least you will leave no doubt that you deserve the opportunity.  And then winning that roulette will allow you to book your own match at Upping The Ante.  You can have your match against Vanilla Skyy.  One on one.  Straight wrestling.”

Marie scratches her chin as she ponders what Arthur just said.  “You made a convincing argument.”

“So what do you say?  Are you ready to ditch this dive and go back to your place?”

Marie nods her head. “Yes, but there's one thing you need to know, as well as Kimberly.”

He frowns. “What's that?”

“I am not going back to mid-card or curtain jerking.  I also refuse to continue hogging the number one contender spot.  I will win this roulette, I will go on to Upping The Ante and become champion. If I fail again, if I fail in either task, I will quit IWC never to return again.”

Arthur looks stunned.  His jaw nearly hits the floor. “You don't mean that?”

“I do mean it.” She nods her head. “I am putting my job here at IWC on the line.”

 

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Tying Up Loose Ends

Scene 2

Off Camera

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“I hope you don't hate me forever!”

The voice of Kimberly Williams is high pitched and rich of half-witted sarcasm.  They are in Marie's New York City apartment, sharing a sofa as they watch her boyfriend Arthur Pond playing on the floor with her son Sean Connor Jones.  Sean is showing Arthur his favorite action figures

Kimberly knows Marie will forgive her.  At least she is pretty certain of it.  Kimberly has done far worse to Marie and the young Jones family member forgave her for those worse incidents.  Surely she would forgive her for simply breaking a promise, telling Arthur Pond where to find her.

As truth would have it, Kimberly may be a sociopath but she is a caring sociopath.  Granted she only cares about one person, that being her sister Marie Annabelle Jones.  But the fact is that she does care about Marie and she does want to help her.

The funny thing is, Kimberly didn't just help Marie.  In many ways, Marie also helped Kimberly.  Shortly before Invictus II, Kimberly decided to work together with Marie in order to help her develop a killer instinct, a killer instinct she felt would be necessary to win the IWC World Championship.  They worked together, trained together, and strategized together.  They even roomed together when IWC went on the road.

Blood is thicker than water.  At least, that's what they like to say.  In many ways, Marie and Kimberly prove that to be true.  Despite all of their differences, despite the many wars they have been through against one another, despite it all, Marie ended up not only forgiving Kimberly but learning from her.  And Kimberly herself felt humbled and even ashamed that Marie forgave her; ashamed because she knows, deep down in her heart, that she did not deserve her sister's forgiveness.

Kimberly Williams, the half-sister and twin of Marie Annabelle Jones, never would have imagined that she would be here in her half-sister's apartment, seemingly on happy terms with Marie, sharing a glass of water (not wine, because Jones just got finished drinking her sorrows away with vodka).

She is disappointed that her sister was unable to get the job done at Revolution.  But she knows that Marie has it in her.  She knows Marie has the potential to become world champion.  As much as people say being champion is all about talent and ability, Kimberly knows a great deal of luck is involved as well.  Marie was just straight out unlucky at Revolution.  Marie didn't get pinned.  Marie didn't submit.  Alana got pinned.  Alana lost to Vanilla Skyy.  That's the way Kimberly sees it.

But now Marie has another chance and this time luck may be on her side.  In the Uprising Roulette, a unique tournament that will allow the winner to determine what match he or she wants to wrestle in at Upping The Ante.

Kimberly knows how badly Marie wants a one on one shot at Vanilla Skyy.  She knows she would do anything to prove that she is worthy of respect and of the championship.  She just had no idea her half-sister would take the next step and put her very career with IWC on the line in her latest quest.

“I don't hate you forever.” Marie remarks, taking a sip of her water. “But I might have a problem trusting you from here on out.”

“Trusting me?” Kimberly winks at Marie. “Did you ever trust me to begin with?”

Marie can't help but chuckle. “Yeah, you have a point there.”

Kimberly sighs. “Marie, look, anything that may have happened between your mother and her family and our father and his family...”

“Kimmie, stop.” Marie says, smiling pleasantly. “That's water under the bridge and you know it.”

Kimberly shakes her head. “No, it's not.  Not yet.”

“As far as I'm concerned it is.” Marie retorts. “You have been helping me out for several months now.  You helped me train, prepare, and get the killer instinct I needed to propel me to the main event.”

Jones shoots a look at Arthur. “And without you I wouldn't have met Arthur.”

“For more reasons than just the obvious.” Kimberly snickers.

The redhead rolls her eyes. “Yeah, well, I wasn't referring to the fact that you kidnapped me but I guess you are partially responsible for Arthur and I meeting back then!”

“Yeah, I was kinda the driving force there.”

The siblings share another hearty, sisterly laugh as they remember old times, some of those old times good, some of those old times not so good.  But ultimately what both of the women realize is that neither one of them would be here today where they are, sharing this couch with one another, were it not for those old times, both good and bad.  They would not change any of those memories.

“But yeah, that's kind of my point, Kim.” Marie says as she places a hand on her sister's shoulder. “We've had a lot of ups and downs in our relationship.  It has been a roller coaster.”

“That's an understatement.”

Another series of laughs escape the mouths of the sisters.  The laughter is abruptly halted when they are interrupted by little Sean, who comes running over with an action figure Marie has not seen before.

“Mommy!  Look at what your friend Arty gave me!”

Oh...”

Marie takes Sean and helps him up onto her lap and then she takes the action figure into her hand and studies it closely.  It is a William Mason action figure.  Jones looks up at Arthur and grins knowingly.

“Arty?”

He shrugs. “Short for Arthur, I guess.”

“You know I'm going to start calling you that, right?”

He nods his head. “Yeah, I know.”

Marie looks back down at her son Sean. “So, are you a fan of William Mason?”

He shakes his head. “No...Thor is kicking his butt!”

Arthur proudly holds up another action figure Marie has not seen before, a Thor action figure.  He grins.

“I got them both for him today.”

“Ok, that's nice sweetie, but William Mason?”

“He IS your tag team partner, right?”

“Yes but only for this roulette thing.”

Arthur sighs. “Well don't worry, I didn't JUST get him William Mason.  I got him a pack of figures.  Mason just happened to be included in that pack.  Tina Valentine, Mika Kozlov, and Andre Jordan were also included.”

Marie frowns.  “So how the hell did Thor get included in that pack?”

“He wasn’t.  Your son just happens to love the Avengers so I bought Thor separate.”

Jones’s features soften.  The redhead smiles. “You didn’t have to do that, Arthur.”

“I know.” He leans over and kisses her on the cheek. “But I wanted to.”

“C’mon! C’mon!” Sean tugs on Arthur’s pant leg. “We’re at the best part!”

“What’s that, buddy?” He asks, chuckling as he turns to look at Sean.

“The part where Thor caves William’s skull in with mjolnir!”

Marie and Arthur share a concerned look.  As they look at one another it is almost as if they are asking one another the exact same question.  Then they turn and look at Kimberly and realize that she has the answer.  Kimberly laughs lightly and shrugs her shoulders.

“Sorry, but it’s your fault, sis.” Kimberly says, pointing an accusatory finger at Marie. “You’re the one who let a sociopath babysit your son.”

 Arthur rolls his eyes as he takes Sean by the hand. “Come on, buddy.”

Sean hops off of his mother’s lap and then follows Sean off to the center of the room where they resume playing.  Marie then glares at Kimberly who just looks on innocently.

“Sorry!” Kimberly says sheepishly.

“No, no, don’t be sorry.” Marie shakes her head. “There’s no need to be. It’s just you being…you…”

“Yeah, well it’s time that changed.” Kimberly remarks. “Like I said earlier, many issues still exist between the Jones family and the Williams family, issues between you and me, and I know you said it was water under the bridge, but it isn’t that simple.  We need to end this, once and for all.”

Marie studies her carefully for several seconds. “What are you suggesting exactly?”

“Something radical.  For starters it’s time we stop playing games.  You’ve been protecting me from the loony bin for a long time now, mainly because you needed me. But I’m done being protected and I’m done being ill.”

Jones shakes her head. “You are NOT ill, Kim…”

“Yes, I am ill, Marie.  I am mentally ill, I am a sociopath, maybe worse, and you know this.  What sane woman would kidnap their twin and take her place?”

Marie doesn’t answer.  Kimberly nods her head. “Exactly.  But my mental illness isn’t the only thing that needs to be dealt with.  I want peace between the Jones family and the Williams family.  The only way to do that is to speak with your mother.”

“Do you have a death wish?” Marie asks. “She might very well kill you!”

“I’ll take the risk.” Kimberly responds. “I need to do this.”

Marie sighs and nods her head. “Fine, I’ll see if I can arrange a meeting.  Anything else you want to do to potentially get yourself killed?”

“Just one.” Kimberly answers showing one finger. “You deserve the truth.”

“The truth?” Marie asks questioningly.

“Yes, the truth.   The truth about our father, Sean Williams.”

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Kimberly Williams

On Camera

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Ok, so maybe my sister hasn’t made what I think is the wisest decision.  What decision is that?  You’ll find out in a moment.  But while it may not be wise, it’s very courageous and very brave of her, and for that I admire her and respect her even more than I did before.  What she’s about to do is something I don’t have the guts to do.  I never will have the guts to do it.

Marie has always had courage.  She’s never backed down from a fight.  That’s never been in question.  The only thing that has been in question is whether she had the killer instinct to take what she feels is rightfully hers.

That’s where I came in.

I took my sister and I worked with her mentally, emotionally, and physically until I knew she had that killer instinct.  And I know she has that killer instinct because I can see it in her eyes.  I can see that look, a look I haven’t seen from her before.  It’s the look of a woman who is possessed and obsessed with getting what she wants, the look of a woman who will do anything to get what she wants.

Tina, Lilith Evans, Cassius Delight, and Eve will try to stop her but let’s be serious, they can’t get along long enough to stop a kitten let alone to stop The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.  How do they expect to stop my sister?

They can’t.

As for William Mason, Gavin Taylor, and Jessica Wilde, they will be strong allies and formidable opponents, but at the end of the day, they too will fall at the feet of Marie Annabelle Jones, because it’s her time now and she will accept nothing less than the best.

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Marie Jones

On Camera

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It is dark outside and a slight wind blows in the air on this evening full of ghouls, goblins, and an overall creepy atmosphere that pervades this quaint town.  Leaves of all color, but mostly brown, have littered the ground like compost and many houses are decorated with skeletons, ghosts, and, most especially, pumpkins, pumpkins that are carved into ghoulish Jack-O-Lantern faces.  The sidewalk is dimly lit with street lights, just enough light so that any trick-or-treaters coming this way may be able to navigate the street.

Eventually we come to a stop in front of a house that looks to be in much disrepair.  Windows are boarded up, as is the door, and it appears to be abandoned with no lights on inside and no one inside.  Despite its overall appearance of abandonment, we do see one lone, un-carved, pumpkin sitting outside on its front porch.  The wind picks up ever so slightly as we approach the front door of this creepy old abandoned house.

Finally we reach the front door.  Yes, it is boarded up up, so we cannot get inside.  But our guest isn't coming from inside.  From stage left comes Marie Annabelle Jones, entering the scene wearing a long ankle length black skirt, black high heeled pumps, a red blouse, and her signature black leather jacket.  Her long gorgeous ginger red hair hangs unrestrained and straight down to below her shoulders.  Her nails, both finger and toe, are painted a bright red color.  A confident smirk is wrapped around her lovely features, which may come as a surprise to many, considering the events of Revolution.

In Marie's right hand is a carving knife.  It's appropriate for Halloween, a holiday that sees slasher flicks on the television stations almost every night.  What she does with this carving knife remains to be seen.

“Welcome to average, every day America on All Hallow's Eve, a holiday more popularly known as Halloween.  Towns and neighborhoods just like this one are already in the process of getting prepared for another night of ghouls, goblins, and terror reign supreme.  Halloween is the one and only holiday were any and every social taboo virtually disappears and you can do almost anything, you can be almost anything.”

Jones bends over and squats down next to the un-carved pumpkin. “This pumpkin is emblematic of Halloween.  Alone, as it is right now, it is just a pumpkin, a tasty treat you can eat, make into pies, or use as decoration, for with the proper tools and utensils, you can turn it into anything you want.”

Jones uses the carving knife to jab deep into the pumpkin.  The redhead begins to carve as she continues speaking.

“On this day many people will take pumpkins like this one and carve them, molding them into their own image of what it should be.  Ever since I arrived in the Independent Wrestling Cartel, it has been my desire to mold and reshape myself and my image.  I know who I am and I know who my mother is.  My mother is Angelica Jones.  And I know what kind of weight comes with that, what kind of pressure and expectations that come with the Jones name.”

She shakes her head. “But I didn't care.  I didn't care about the expectations of other people.  I only cared about me and my own expectations for myself.  My expectations, my standards, were no less than being IWC World Champion.  And I have been willing to do anything to achieve that goal.”

“Twice I have tried and twice I have failed but my focus remains steadfast and the confidence I have in my skills and abilities remains strong.  I still am willing to do anything to achieve that goal and I still will not stop until I have become IWC World Champion.  But I am also realistic.  I am not some crazy dreamer that some people are in this sport.  I know reality when I see it and the reality is that I am on my last legs here in Uprising.  How often do you think this company will continue to grant me title shots?  Better question, with Orlando Cruze now GM of Uprising, how many more title opportunities can I realistically expect when his wife hates my guts?”

“I know that I have one final chance to force myself into one final world title match and that one final chance is the Uprising Roulette.  Random teams of four, competing with one another, and then against one another, all with the same goal in mind...the ultimate prize of the overall winner getting to choose their own match at Upping The Ante.”

“William Mason...we have had our ups and our downs.  You may not respect me, and that's fine.  I respect you, though, and you and I both know that we need each other to defeat the competition and win the tournament round.  You're a businessman and you know good business when you see it.  It's good business to work together to win this thing.  Once we have won the tournament phase, then yeah, feel free to knock my block off, but until then we are allies, and knowing you, we can be strong allies.”

“Jessica Wilde, I know first hand how formidable you can be.  I underestimated you once and I paid the price.  I won't underestimate you again.  As allies we can overcome everyone else but when it comes down to the two of us, I will avenge that loss you have over me.  Then and only then we'll be even.”

“Gavin Taylor, what else can I say about you except that you truly are an all-star and Tabitha Silverstone is lucky to have gotten you on board with Silverstone International.  You are a former world champion, much like myself, and also like myself you are seeking gold here in IWC.  All roads to the championship run through me and the Uprising Roulette, Gavin.  See you out there.”

Jones nods her head. “Yes, I am quite confident in the team that has been assembled, all by the luck of the draw.  Games of roulette are all about luck and in this game of luck, my opposition has drawn the short end of the straw.   Eve and Lilith Evans hate one another.  Tine Valentine hates everybody.  And no one on that team will get along with that horny bastard Cassius Delight.  And that's just one team, our opponents in the semi-finals.  Ego, arrogance, and hard feelings will get in the way, and they will go down in defeat, the same way the other teams will inevitably go down in defeat.  And then, when all the smoke has cleared, it will be me, The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling, standing tall as the lone survivor of Uprising Roulette.”

Jones casts the carving knife aside after jerking it out of the pumpkin.  She stands up and displays the pumpkin proudly, now having been carved into a jack-o-lantern face.

“I have spent my time here in IWC carving my own path towards stardom.  I have spent my time reshaping myself and my image into what I wanted it to be, not what others wanted me to be.  It is my time now and I will win this roulette and I will go on to Upping the Ante in my dream match, one on one against the Uprising world champion for the title.”

“But you see, this season is also about endings.  The leaves on the ground signify an end to the life cycle of the trees.  Those leaves are dead.  The day after Halloween in the Catholic Church is known as All Saints Day where we celebrate the saints who have died for their faith.  The day after that, November 2^nd, in Hispanic culture is the day of the dead.  Need I say more?”

Marie sets the Jack-O-Lantern back down. “The point I am getting at, is that this season is about two things: change and death.  I have changed in my time with IWC and I will continue to change, and now I am ready to change the status quo in IWC.  I will reign as World Champion.  It will be my time to shine.  And if I fail one more time...”

She throws the jack-o-lantern as hard as she can onto the ground, causing it to smash as a result.

“...then my time here in IWC will come to an end.  I am letting it all ride, including my very career with IWC, on the outcome of this roulette, because if I do fail yet again, then I do not belong in IWC, and that's an indisputable fact.”