Inner Peace: Part 8

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10/23/2019

Kansas City, Missouri

Off Camera

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The night sky in Kansas City is rather beautiful; it might be somewhat of a surprise to know that these are the thoughts of none other than Kimberly Williams.  The way that The Woman Scorned acts most of the time would lead most to believe that she is quite the happy little sociopath, maybe even incapable of noticing things like beauty.  You would be wrong; not only does she notice beauty but she is far from a sociopath.  The Woman Scorned is most definitely capable of feeling emotions, and one of the emotions that overwhelms her this very moment is concern.

Concern and worry over the well being of her identical twin sister, “The Phoenix” Marie Jones, runs through her mind as she sits just outside of the Spring Center in Kansas City.  Williams has legs tucked up under her as she stares blankly up into the blackness of the sky, a sky riddled with bright stars.  Her appearance may give off the idea of a blank stare, but her mind is far from blank.  Thoughts of her sister Marie continue to run wild in her mind.

Marie Jones has not been the same since her husband, Arthur Pond, committed suicide.  She began dating Tommy Cook and that did help tremendously but still, there had been something off about her.  Kimberly couldn’t quite put her finger on it but she knew her twin wasn’t the same.  It’s an instinct that siblings, especially identical twins, seem to have about one another.  Kimberly sensed that something was wrong.  Her fears were seemingly confirmed when she learned that Marie had got caught up in a cult, The Inner Peace Enlightenment Retreat.

In the past Kimberly wouldn’t have worried.  The old Kimberly, the one who at one time was an enemy of her sister and the entire family, would have enjoyed watching Marie self-destruct within the confines of a cult, would not have lost any sleep over this.  Kimberly has changed since then.  She and Marie have made peace with one another and over the years formed an unbreakable bond that has now led them to the SCW World Tag Team Championship.

The old Kimberly was also severely detached from her emotions.  The old Kimberly truly was a sociopath incapable of feeling any human emotion.  Rarely does Kimberly ever wish a return to that point of her life but right now is one of those times.  How she wishes she could just not feel these blasted emotions!  How do people deal with emotions all the freaking time?!  It’s enough to drive any normal person insane and we all know that Kimberly is already beyond crazy.

“Kim…” the familiar voice startles Williams back to reality, for she had not been paying any attention.  She looks over to her left and spots her sister, Marie Jones, standing there.  She is dressed back in her normal clothes, consisting of an ankle length skirt, simple black flats, and a red sleeveless top, and she is ready to leave.

“Huh?” Kimberly can only manage the one word simplistic reply.

“Where have you been?” Marie asks incredulously. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you and you were nowhere to be found.”

“Oh, well I’ve been out here.”

“That’s pretty obvious.” Marie says with a light chuckle in her voice. “Why are you sitting out here all by yourself?”

“I just need to be by myself.”

The Phoenix stares at her sister, studying her closely.  Kimberly avoids her gaze, not wanting to give Marie any indication that something is wrong.  Too late for that, she realizes as Kimberly sits down next to her. “Too bad, you got company now.”

Williams stares incredulously at her identical twin sister.  The Woman Scorned wishes she weren’t here right now but Marie stubbornly refuses to leave her alone.  Kimberly rolls her eyes. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Nope.” Marie shakes her head. “Not without you, anyway.”

“Fine, you want to talk, then we’ll talk; but tonight you’re not getting the fun loving, semi-psychotic but happy go-lucky stabby stabby Kimberly.” The Woman Scorned shakes her head. “I’m gonna speak reality to you.  Is that cool?”

The Phoenix arches both brows out of surprise.  She hadn’t seen this side of Kimberly in many years.  In fact, the last time she saw Kimberly’s more serious side was way back when they were enemies.  To answer her sister’s question Marie nods her head.

“Good, now do you really want to know why I want to be out here by myself?  I don’t fit in anywhere else with anyone else.  Hell, maybe Tommy Wasley of Muchstache Ride, but he’s not here.  And as for you…” Kimberly shakes her head as her voice trails off.  Marie frowns.

“What about me?” 

“...I just don’t know you anymore.”

“You’re being silly,” Marie remarks, shaking her head “I’ve never been better.”

“Oh you think so?” Kimberly snickers nastily. “You’re foolish Marie.  I’m your identical twin, that makes us closer than most siblings.  Hell, for months I had the entire world convinced I was you, and I pulled that little stunt off twice...in IWC and the UWA...that’s how damn much I know about you.  I could take your place because I know how you act I know how you talk I know who you associate with.  I could fool the entire world any damn time I want.  Tell me I’m wrong.”

This serious side of her sister is troubling Marie.  Still, she speaks the truth and she cannot deny it.  In IWC Marie had been kidnapped by Kimberly who proceeded to take her place.  In UWA Marie wanted to pursue a singles career but couldn’t do so while competing as tag team champions with Sophie James.  She let Kimberly defend the titles in her place and UWA never figured it out.  In all honesty, Kimberly probably does know enough about her to take her place again if she wanted.  Marie nods her head in agreement.

“Good.  I’m glad you at least can agree with me on that much, and I don’t want you to get nervous.  I’m not falling off the wagon or anything.  I’m not reverting back to my old ways or anything, so you’re definitely safe.  I only say that to point out to you how well I do know you and I know damn well that the person I see before me isn’t the Marie Jones I know.  This isn’t the  Marie Jones who risked her physical well being as well her reputation just to give her psychotic twin sister a second chance at life, a second chance that I did not deserve.” Kimberly shakes her head in utter disbelief. “You’ve just changed, Marie.  That’s all there is to it.  You’ve been different ever since you started with that damn hippy cult.”

“Is that what this is all about?” Marie asks curiously. Kimberly just remains silent.  “You know something?  You’re right.  I have changed, but I have changed for the better.  And they are NOT a cult.  All the retreat did was help me to look upon the positive side of things instead of focusing so much on the negative.  This is making me happier now, Kim, and isn’t that really want everyone as a human being should strive for?  Happiness!”

“Foolish, foolish, foolish…” Kimberly repeats over and over again, running her hands through her long red hair “...you’re being completely naive!  Utterly and completely conned by these people and trust me, I know a good con when I see it!”

“How is happiness a con?” Marie asks.  Kimberly simply shrugs her shoulders.

“If only it were just about happiness.  I’m telling you, Marie, they have another angle.  I’m not sure what it is, but I am certain they have another angle because the shit they are trying to sell is too good to be true.”  A sinister grin forms upon her face. “In fact, why don’t you just let me go to that retreat one time, just one time, pretending to be you.  One time is all it will take for me to figure out what’s actually going on with those hippie clowns.”

“No, absolutely not!” Marie shakes her head vehemently. “You are not doing that!”

“And why the hell not?!” Kimberly exclaims.

“Look, I have let you pull the ‘Twin Magic’ card before.  I forgave you in IWC.  We did it together in UWA.  Now we’re doing it again here in SCW.    I even allowed you to go out on that date with my abusive ex…” her voice trails off.  Kimberly is taken by surprise by this revelation.  All of this time she thought that Marie had no knowledge of Kimberly taking her place on that date with her abusive ex-boyfriend who had been harassing Marie in an attempt to try and get her back.  Kimberly took a shard of broken glass to his throat that night and walked away, leaving him to die.  She did it for Marie, who Kimberly didn’t trust to do the right thing and get rid of him.  Realizing that Marie does know about the date makes Kimberly wonder if she knows about the murder as well?

“Yes, I know you took my place on that date, Kim.  I have no idea what you did but he hasn’t tried to contact me since then, so whatever you did I am grateful.” Apparently she doesn’t know that part of it. “But this is not going to happen.  This retreat means a great deal to me, Kim, and I don’t want to risk you ruining it for me.”

The Woman Scorned forces a smirk onto her face but this is just a front. Secretly she is hurt knowing that Marie thinks Kim would try to ruin anything for her.  “So it means a lot to you, huh?”

“It does.” Marie nods her head. “In fact, I am seriously thinking about joining.”

“Joining?” Kimberly’s eyes grow wide. “You’re joking, right?”

“I’m serious, Kim.  And If do join, I would appreciate your support.”

Kimberly wants to beat some sense into her twin sister.  She wants to yell and shout, she wants to try and convince her that joining this cult is the worst possible idea.  Unfortunately, Kim’s conscience will not allow her to; Kimberly cannot find the strength to argue against her.  The Woman Scorned feels so guilty about her past crimes against Marie and their family that she would do anything Marie asks, literally anything short of killing herself, to make things right.  Maybe Kimberly is the foolish one or maybe it’s just stubborn loyalty?  Whatever you call it, Kimberly just sighs and nods her head.

“Right.  Sure.  Fine with me…”

“Seriously, Kim.  I want your support.” Marie repeats, for she doesn’t believe Kim, who nods her head in agreement.

“Yeah, sure, I support you.”

“Forgive me if I don’t believe you but you were just running down the Inner Peace retreat a few moments ago.”

“Yeah, and I admit that I am not exactly thrilled with it, but if it makes you happy then I support it.” Kimberly smiles warmly. “I support your happiness, Marie.  If this makes you happy, then so be it.”

The Phoenix now feels assured.  She reaches over and embraces her twin in a tight hug. “Thanks, Kim!  Your support in this means a lot to me!”

Their sisterly hug is interrupted when they see a young man running towards them.  It is clear that he is looking for them as he is making a beeline towards their location.  Kimberly winks knowingly at her sister. “Can I staple him?”

“No.” Marie states definitively.  Kimberly pouts as she two in unison like good twins stand up just as the young man, wearing denim jeans, black sneakers, and a blue collared shirt, approaches them.  He is out of breath but, as they suspected, he was indeed looking for them.

“I finally found you!” He exclaims.

“No autographs at this time but we are handing out staples if you like!” Kimberly happily declares.  Marie rolls her eyes.

“Ignore my sister.  What can you we help you with?”

“Are you Marie Annabelle Jones?”

“Yes I am!” Kimberly declares.  Marie elbows her in the gut and she yelps.

“Again, excuse my sister KIMBERLY…” Marie sighs “...I am Marie.  How may I help you?”

“You know my sister.” He insists. “And you can help her.”

“Who is your sister?” Marie’s curiosity is peaked now.  Who could he be talking about?

“My name is Brandon and my sister is Julianne.” He pauses when Marie’s eyes light up with shock.  Kimberly can’t help but snicker at the irony in all of this, especially the irony of what Brandon has to say next. “She’s in danger from a monster named Raul Alfaro and his cult.”

“A cult you say?” Kimberly says with a gleam in her eye as she winks at her twin sister, almost as if to say ‘I told you so’. “A monster?”

The Phoenix isn’t happy about Kimberly seemingly mocking her in this ‘told you so’ manner.  She isn’t worried about that right now.  She is more concerned about Julianne.  She has grown to become a true friend of Julianne’s in the time she has spent with The Inner Peace Enlightenment Retreat.  While she may doubt Brandon’s accusations of the retreat being a cult or of Raul being a monster, she still must at least entertain what he has to say.  If only for Julianne’s sake.

As for Kimberly, she is all the more convinced that she must act now, whether Marie wants her to or not.

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On Camera

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I listened to what my sister had to say about Watson and Autumn and I had to admit, I got a little chuckle out of her!  Alway so serious about everything!  Such a good girl!  Some might even call her a prude but she is definitely the ideal company girl to represent SCW as a champion…

I’ll be the first to admit that I am among the farthest things from “company girl”.  I’m not who Sasha wanted as a representative of SCW.  I’m not the ideal person to be a champion in this company.  I’m sure for Sasha D it was bittersweet when Twin Magic won the tag titles at Apocalypse.  At least Ryan Watson and his whore no longer have the gold.  SCW still has to put up with a screwed up psychopath as champion but hey, at least that’s better than having two idiots who claim to give zero fucks about anything.

See that’s why I find this terribly ironic, because in another day and another age we could have gotten along brilliantly!  You two don’t care and neither do I!  What a threesome we could have had…

...wink wink…

You have to admit that Marie does make a good point when she says that despite everything you say, you actually do care about something.  I mean, you give enough of a fuck to come after us, am I right?  You gave enough of a fuck about us kicking your ass at Apocalypse to come back for some revenge, am I right?  Even if it is just about the least common denominator, the principle of revenge, you do give a fuck about something.

And you know, I do care about shit as well.  Come to think of it, I really only care about one thing in my life; my sister Marie.  You want proof?  I fought alongside Syren and her goons when Marie tried to become buddy-buddy with them.  I did it for Marie.  I would do anything for Marie.  And right now I can see the pride exuding from my sister now that she’s world tag team champion.

It isn’t arrogant pride, though.  It isn’t like the nasty kind of pride you see from Syren or Sienna or Bree or some of the other fools running around this company.  No, she’s proud of the honor and privilege she has earned to represent Supreme Championship Wrestling.  I don’t understand it, but I don’t have to understand it.  I just know that it makes her happy and I will be damned if I let either of you two clowns take that from her.

So while I do care about Marie, I can honestly tell you that I don’t care much for myself and that means you can expect me to do so many nasty, violent, and hurtful things to you two, all in the name of retaining the SCW World Tag Team Championship.

Marie may think it a bit annoying that we have to go through this song and dance yet again after whipping your asses at Apocalypse, but me?  I welcome the brutal and violent fun that we’ll share together!  So come on Ryan and Autumn, let’s dance just one more time!  Then you’re gonna get put down like the bad dogs you are and you will not get back up.

Inner Peace: Part 7

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October 4th, 2019

Tallahassee, Florida

On Camera

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Well ok, maybe it isn’t completely “on camera” in the sense of shooting a promo as she typically does for any of her professional wrestling appearances, but the media and other interested individuals are not gathered here in this green grassy field on the outskirts of Tallahassee, Florida in anxious anticipation for any sort of sporting event, let alone professional wrestling.  This event is an animal rights event, which one could gather based upon the banner hanging high in the trees which reads “World Animal Day”.  This is a rather packed event and, not surprisingly, most of these individuals here have come to hear this speech about animals, their plight, and how to help them.  But there are also quite a sizeable number of individuals, including a few media, here for an entirely different reason altogether.  It is difficult to tell them apart except for the fact that you can point out some of them in the crowd and realize why they are here; some of them make it quite obvious that they are not here to necessarily hear about animal rights.  These are the individuals wearing Supreme Championship Wrestling merchandise, specifically t-shirts representing that of “The Phoenix” Marie Annabelle Jones.

Yes, this event has been arranged by The Phoenix but not for her own ego or to make herself look good.  In fact, she has tried to get the journalists, photographs, and others from the media to step away and leave her alone but she cannot legally force them to keep away from this event; pesky first amendment right to a free press and all.  Jones just hopes that the media presence will not be a hindrance to her purpose of being here today.  Though standing in the background, waiting upon her introduction, she cannot help but smile as she spots several of her fans in attendance.  This is the real reason she does this.  The individuals who are here who already participate in and donate to animal rights charities do not need to hear what she has to say.  Jones is just preaching to the choir.  If she wants to make a difference, she knows she needs to preach to those who do not already know.

There is a man in khaki shorts, flip flops, and a white shirt standing on a small, make shift stage.  It isn’t a very impressive stage, nor does it look well built.  This was hurriedly put together as no one was quite ready for this but the sponsors were still pleased that Marie Jones would donate her time and effort to their cause.  The man in khaki shorts is speaking is preparing to introduce the keynote speaker and Marie stands ready just off stage, wearing an ankle length floral print black skirt, strappy sandals, and a red sleeveless top.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to below her shoulders.

“And now ladies and gentlemen it is my honor to introduce to you our guest of honor, a lady you will get to see compete later on tonight in Tallahassee if you have your tickets, she is one half of the reigning SCW World Tag Team Champions, she is “The Phoenix” Marie Annabelle Jones!”

The crowd in attendance comes alive as they applaud, watching and cheering as Jones steps upon the stage and approaches the center.  She stands alongside the man who just introduced her.  She shakes his hand briefly before he makes his exit off stage, leaving the stage to Marie and Marie alone.  The Phoenix waves to the fans as they continue to cheer.  The loud roar of the crowd doesn’t stop for a few more moments but as it slowly dies down Marie begins to speak.

“Thank you!  Thank you!” She bows her head briefly towards the crowd. “Thank you, James, and thank you for the warm reception from all of you Floridians!” The crowd cheers at the cheap pop.  Marie chuckles as a result. “And you will be in for a treat later on this evening in Tallahassee because as James pointed out, we will be having an event there live tonight and you will get to see me in action!”

Another round of applause.  Marie nods her head in approval. “Wrestling, competing against the best the wrestling business has to offer, that is my first love.  During that time, I have been to the top of the mountain as world champion in GCW and the now defunct UWA.  In SCW I have yet to win the top title...though I still have my eyes on that prize...but I have managed to win the Television Championship twice, the United States Championship once, and most recently I became world tag team champion alongside my sister Kimberly.”

“I have had many wars with many individuals during my time.  I won the UWA World Championship during a bitter rivalry with Vanilla Skyy.  Speaking of whom, I wish you the best in your recovery.  Get well soon, because we all want to see you better and back in the ring if at all possible.” This also brings about an applause from the crowd.  Jones pauses to let it die down before continuing. “In SCW I had a series of matches with Regan Street for the United States Championship.  I wouldn’t mind having another match or two with her…” she lets her voice trail off as she smirks knowingly “...and these tag team titles that I won with Kimberly?  I love being tag team champion.  It is an honor and a privilege to stand side by side with my sister to represent the tag team division in Supreme Championship Wrestling.”

Jones shakes her head. “But I am not here to brag about myself or to sell tickets to our SCW event later on tonight.  I am not here to tell stories of my in ring wars because today is not about me.  Today is World Animal Day and I think I can honestly say that animals are in a war right now far bigger than any I have been through or any of my colleagues are going through.  Many dogs and cats face horrible abusive situations while others have nowhere to go, forced to live on the streets without a home and if they ever do get caught by animal control they end up being put to sleep because no one wants them.”

“And it isn’t just our domesticated animals that are in danger.  The wild, exotic animals are fighting for their very survival.  The cheetah, lion, tiger, and other big cat species are critically endangered because of human activity.  Elephants to this day are hunted down for their ivory tusks.  So what I want you to do today is to think about them.  Think about the animals how you can help.  There are many charitable organizations out there fighting this battle, including the World Wildlife Foundation, the Africian Wildlife Foundation, and others that fight for the causes of the big beasts, the exotic animals of Africa and other places throughout the world where these beloved creatures are in danger of extinction.  If you want to focus on helping dogs, cats, and other pets, look no further than the Best Friends Animal Society. A leader in the no-kill movement, BFAS has been touted as one of the best pet rescue groups to support due to their goal of making every animal shelter in the U.S. no-kill by 2025.  You can also donate to and assist your local animal shelter or any other local rescue in town.”

“It is my sincere hope and prayer that you will follow my lead as I donate to several of these good animal rights charities in my attempt to help fight this battle for the animals.  And even if you cannot donate now, that is fine, even just spreading the word about what you heard here today is an excellent way to help....”

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October 11th, 2019

Boston, Massachusetts

Off Camera

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The halls are dressed in black and white and the tiles are almost like a checker board with humans as the pieces; the walls are white walls, not a hand print or scuff mark anywhere. The doors are a glossy black, numbered with silver digits.  The hallway is broad and straight.  The floor is shiny though, just like the water in the mornings, brought to a high polish.  To most outside observers this place truly has little to no personality.  Those on the inside, with knowledge of this place, would say that they just do not understand.

How could anyone understand The Inner Peace Enlightenment Retreat without first becoming a part of The Inner Peace Enlightenment movement?  Marie Jones was a doubter and critic of the movement at first.  On the face of it, the movement just appeared to be nothing more than a power of positivity message on steroids.  And Marie felt she needed more than positivity to help pull herself out of the dark place she had found herself in.  Her husband Arthur Pond had committed suicide and she blamed herself.

The Inner Peace Enlightenment movement is based on the principle of relationships and Marie has formed one with a bubbly blonde by the name of Julianne.  At first Julianne’s positivity was almost unbearable but the longer she spent with her, the more time she spent at the retreat, the more she found that this was more than just about thinking positive.  There was something deeper to this group’s message…

...and Marie liked it.

While some may call these halls bland, while some may find them as having no personality, The Phoenix currently finds herself walking these very halls with an ear to ear grin on her face.  She is wearing black capris, brown sandals, and a floral print sleeveless red top.  Next to her is the blonde known as Julianne, who is dressed in denim jeans, flip flops, and a white tank top.  The blonde is carrying a small backpack with her.

“So how long did this event last?” Julianne asks.

“I wanted it to be over quickly.” Marie points out. “Because I don’t want to hog the spotlight.  I didn’t want to think I was doing this for popularity purposes.  So I wanted to get it done with as soon as possible.  But of course as soon as the media found out what was going on and the word got out about what I was doing, some people would learn of this and want to come not to hear about what I had to say about the animal rights charities but instead just wanted to see me.”

The Phoenix sighs out of disappointment. “So yeah, I had to handle some SCW business.  I had to answer some questions about my career.  And I was polite and answered them in turn; but I remembered what you said, Julianne.  Focus on the positives.  So I focused the good I was doing for those animals that need our help.  I was focusing on the good attention that this event was bringing to the cause of animal rights."

“So it was a success?” Her blonde friend asks.  Marie nods her head exuberantly.

“Yes!  Big time success!  Many people there donated money, and of course I made my donations…”

“That’s great to hear, sweetie.” Julianne pulls Marie into a tight embrace.  Upon breaking the hug Julianne looks into Marie’s eyes and places her hands upon her shoulders. “It’s good that you didn’t fall back upon those old habits.  The habit of focusing on the negative instead of the positive is soooooooo easy for us.  But also try to remember what is truly important about all of this and it isn’t the money that was raised.  Money, as they say, is the root of all evil.”

“Yes…” Marie nods her head in agreement.

“What is important is the answer to this question; how did this act of good make YOU feel?”

Jones looks up at the ceiling for a moment and thinks.  She thinks about last week and the crowd reaction.  She thinks about the money she raised for a cause that she has always cared about but never really did much for.  More than anything she thinks about how it made her feel to help out and to get involved.  A smile creeps across her face as she looks down at Julianne.

“It made me feel awesome!” She exclaims. “It felt so good to to actually get involved and do something for someone else other than me!  I mean…” her voice trails off as they round a corner in the hall.  A plain black steel bench is against the wall.  Julianne motions for her and Marie to sit over there and they do so.  Julianne wraps an arm around her shoulders and smiles sweetly at her.

“Go on!” Julianne insists. “Tell me ALL about your feelings!”

“I mean, I’ve done some amazing things in my life.  In fact, just recently my sister and I became SCW World Tag Team Champions. And did that feel good?  Absolutely.  But this was a different kind of feeling.  It was a different kind of good...if you know what I mean…”

“I know exactly what you mean, sweetie!” Julianne beams happily. “It truly is a different, special way of looking at the world.  It isn’t just thinking positive or trying to see the silver lining.  For those of us here at the retreat, positivity is a lifestyle!”

Jones chuckles lightly. “Well, I have to admit, this lifestyle has certainly worked wonders for me.  I remember when I came here back in July that I was in a very dark place.  My husband had attempted suicide and the guilt of it, the horrible pain of it, led me to attempt suicide as well.”

“Careful, Marie!” Julianne states, still with that beaming smile on her face. “Do not fall back into the habit of negativity…”

The Phoenix shakes her head. “Never.  Because you taught me to focus on the positives.  I don’t have to try and forget Arthur; instead I focus on the positive, wonderful memories we shared together.  Arthur may be gone but he will not be forgotten.  He will be remembered forever within my heart.  But most importantly, this retreat helped me to finally move on.  I have no idea how I could possibly repay you, Julianne!”

“Me?” Julianne asks with a giggle and a shrug of her shoulders. “Oh nothing, Marie!  I am just here doing my duty as part of this wonderful movement.”

“Oh come now, there must be something I can do to help you out.” Marie insists, pressing the issue. “You have listened to me, you have given me such great advice these past few months, and now I want to do something to help you.  What can I do?”

Jones sits there and watches her friend ponder this question.  The Phoenix is sincere when she makes this request.  She does want to help Julianne in some way.  But will the blonde accept any help?  Does she need any help?

“Well, there is one thing…” her voice trails off.

“What?  Anything.”

“Do you recall what I told you several weeks ago; I told you that I have been at this retreat for quite some time now and during that time I have made many friends…” her face becomes downtrodden and sad “...all of whom have left after they receive the help that they need.”

Julianne takes Marie’s hands and then gazes deep into her eyes. “Join the Inner Peace Enlightenment Retreat.  Full time.”

“Full….time?” Marie arches her brow.  This request was not what she anticipated. She does recall this conversation she had with Julianne.  She recalls the hurt and pain she saw in her eyes then and the pain she sees now as Julianne thinks back to all of the friendships she had made over the years only for those people to leave as soon as they got what they needed.  Marie almost feels guilty as she quickly realizes that she was about to become another statistic in that lineage.

“Marie, Mr. Alfaro teaches us to always look at the positive side of things and to always think of others before ourselves.  So I hate to sound selfish but, please, if you do want to do something for me do this; or do it for the retreat.  The Inner Peace Enlightenment Retreat has done wonders for you.  How can you now give back?”  Jones is moved by her words but is still unsure of what she should do.  Marie sighs and shrugs her shoulders.

“I don’t know, Julianne.  I mean, this really does sound like a major commitment and when I commit to something I take it very seriously.  So maybe I should take time to think about it, you know?” She sees Julianne appear disappointed of the answer.  “But that doesn’t mean I’m saying no and it certainly doesn’t mean I am abandoning you.”

She sees a smile once again return to Julianne’s face. “I meant it when I said that we were in this until the end, Julianne.”

“I believe you…” she embraces her friend in a tight hug then breaks it and smiles knowingly at Marie “....come with me!”

“Where?”

“You’ll see.”

Julianne stands up and quickly motions for Marie to do the same.  The Phoenix shrugs as she stands up and follows her blonde friend further down the hall.  A few moments later they come to a black door with “Alfaro” engraved on the front.  Clearly this is the office of the owner and so-called leader of this organization, Raul Alfaro.  Marie is unsure about whether they should be disturbing him but the blonde is insistent as she quickly knocks on the door.

“Mr. Alfaro!  It’s Julianne!” There is a long pause.  Complete silence permeates the air.  Jones wonders if he is even in his office. But Julianne speaks up once more. “Marie is with me!”

A few moments later and the door opens.  Raul Alfaro is standing there in a clean white suit and black button up shirt underneath.  He smiles warmly at the two ladies standing in front of him. “Ah, Marie, and Julianne, how lovely of you to come visit with me!”

“We’re not bothering you, are we?” Marie asks nervously.  Raul shakes his head.

“Of course not.  I always have time for those who seek enlightenment and inner peace.” He steps aside and motions for them to enter. “Come, please!”

Marie is still hesitant but Julianne takes her and nearly drags her in her excitement inside the office.  Unlike the hall and the other rooms, this one is decorated heavily.  The floor is carpeted and there are two exotic plants on either side of a window by the wall.  African and Asian masks are hanging on the walls.  Ancient Mayan art sits upon his large oak desk.  Raul motions to a comfortable looking red sofa.

“Sit down.  Make yourselves at home.”

Julianne seemingly skips over and sits down on the sofa.  Marie, still reluctant, walks over slowly and sits down next to her friend.  Raul stands over the two in a dominant fashion but still with that warm smile on his face.

“So tell me, what brings you to my humble abode?” He asks, directing the question to both ladies but he is clearly staring only at Marie.  Julianne is the one who answers.

“Marie here and I have made tremendous progress since she started with us, Mr. Alfaro.”

“Is that so?” He asks, still staring a hole through Marie.  The Phoenix merely nods her head.  Julianne continues.

“In fact, she is even considering joining the retreat full time.”

“Really?” Raul arches his brow out of curiosity. “Is this so, Ms. Jones?”

“Uh, yeah…” she is still unsure but she did promise her friend that she would think about it and she must admit this place has helped her move past the suicide death of her husband Arthur. Marie nods her head. “...sure, I guess so.”

“In that case I truly am glad that Julianne has brought you here, Ms. Jones.  For you must be made fully aware that what we offer is not merely positivity as a thought process but positivity as a lifestyle.  Full membership means a change in not just your thinking but your way of life.” He places his hand upon Marie’s shoulder. “I trust that Julianne has taught you how to think properly and thus avoid the darkness of your past. That is what you want, correct?”

“Of course.” Marie nods her head.

“Good.  Did you know that I had a daughter once?” Jones shakes her head, signifying a no. Raul continues. “Well I did.  She was a beautiful girl; her name was Annabelle.”

Marie is taken aback by this revelation; the irony that his daughter’s name and her middle name would be the same is lost upon The Phoenix.  Her eyes are wide open and she is now fully engrossed in what he has to say. “Alas poor Annabelle was taken from me at an early age.  It was a car accident that took her life.  I blamed myself, of course, and for a long time I could not get over her loss.  But then I mastered this art of inner peace.  And I wanted to make it my life’s work to help others such as yourself master inner peace.  Ms. Jones, it is my sincere hope that you will continue to conquer this darkness, that you will continue to turn from it.  And trust me, through inner peace, you can do that.”

He holds out his hand. “So, will you join us?”

==========

On Camera

==========

Here we go again…

It’s like a bad movie that keeps getting played on television over and over again.  Ryan Watson and Autumn Valentine, zero fucks to give, and yet despite their claim to give zero fucks about anything, even the prestigious tag team championship of the world, they still seem to give at least one or two fucks, give a fuck enough to keep chasing after what Ryan and Autumn claimed was rightfully theirs.

That’s funny.  Real cute, even.  You say it’s rightfully yours and you want them back and yet you’re supposed to be the ones who don’t care?  You’re supposed to be the ones who gives zero fucks.  This is a bad movie with bad actors and a bad ending.  Rotten Tomatoes would give it a negative rating if it could.  Even worse than the rating they gave poor Madison Chase’s movie.

Twin Magic put an end to this bad movie at Apocalypse.  We put an end to you and your loathsome philosophy of not caring.  This great company needs athletes who will respect the championships representing their tag team division.  And that describes Kimberly and me up one end and down the other.

Is Kimberly a little goofy and weird at times?  Of course she is.  But one thing I can guarantee you is that she CARES about this sport and she CARES about being tag team champion.  She enjoys being tag team champion and wants to be the best tag team champion she can be.  Ryan Watson, you and Autumn are terrible representatives of this company and of this sport.  Your statement alone of not caring about the titles, not giving any fucks as you so eloquently put it, should disqualify you from title contention.

Unfortunately I don’t make the rules.  Kimberly and I just fight whoever Sasha puts in front of us and she saw fit to grant you a rematch.  You’d better start giving some fucks, because of you two dimwits continue to act this way, then Twin Magic will once again end you and this time there will be no sequel to this bad movie.

You had better believe Sasha won’t let a trilogy take place if we beat you for a second straight time at Under Attack.  Understand the position you are in, you HAVE to win.  Kimberly and I don’t have to win.  We just have to survive Under Attack.  But we’re not like that, we won’t accept ‘just surviving’...

...we’re going to win and win decisively.