Post by JM on Aug 25, 2019 21:46:30 GMT -5
**Raymond T. Starr sits bedside. Specifically, beside a hospital bed. An unknown woman lays in it, mostly covered by a white sheet. She appears to be older. Starr is not looking at the woman. He is sitting parallel to the bed, his head in his hands. Not despondent, but exhausted. And concerned. The beeps and hums of medical machines punctuate the silence in the room with a rhythm that is both comforting and unsettling. Starr turns his head toward the room’s window. He stares out of it into the night, the darkness punctuated by the halogen glow of parking lot lights. After a moment, there is a light knock on the door, which slowly swings open after a few seconds. A man walks in, younger than Starr but with the same dirty auburn hair and wise, kind—though not naive—eyes. The man speaks.**
MAN: Ray, you’re here.
**Star looks over his shoulder. There’s a brief flicker in his eyes, and he rises from his chair.**
RAYMOND T. STARR: Of course I am.
**Starr cross the room and the two men embrace.**
STARR: I’m glad you made it, Ed.
ED: What else was I going to do? Let her lay in here with you?
**The two men smile and share another quick hug. Starr settles back into his chair and Ed stands at the foot of the bed.**
ED: What do you think?
STARR: The doctor said it’s no worse than in the past, but that anyone who ends up here over and over again is high risk. I don’t know. I don’t know what to expect.
ED: I do. She’s going to fight through this, get back on her feet, and get home in a little while. And then we’ll probably do it all again in six months or a year.
STARR: There’s no easy answer, is there?
ED: No. I don’t think there is.
**The two men remain in silence for a few minutes, sharing in each other’s presence without feeling the need to add anything more. They watch the hospital bed, as if at any moment something will happen. Nothing does.**
ED: So I hear you’re back in the ring again?
STARR: You heard right.
ED: You were gone for a long time, Ray. It’s good to have you back. And if this is what you want to do, I’m behind you 100%. Kristin would be too. She won’t hold it against you for moving on and doing something with your life. She’d hate to see what you’ve been through the last few years.
**Starr stares out the window again. His eyes shimmer for a moment and he turns his head down toward the floor.**
STARR: I keep telling myself that, Ed. It’s been hard to accept, but I think I’m getting there. Slowly. This is a big step forward for me, I think.
ED: What’s it called?
STARR: Huh? What?
ED: The wrestling. Riot Star Wrestling?
STARR: Yeah. I think this is the right place to get back on my feet. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve learned a lot since I was last in the ring. I’m not the same wrestler or person anymore. RSW, I think I can really make a name for myself there.
ED: You’ve always had it in you. The journey you’ve been on, it’s just what you’ve had to go through to get to this moment.
STARR: I’ve got my first match next week. Anarchy 52. This is the right time and the right place. To be able to have you there in Chicago will mean the world to me.
ED: You know I’ll be there. And I won’t be the only one. A couple-hours drive on the highway means you’ll have some support there.
STARR: It’s not looking like mom will be there. Unless they roll this bed into the arena.
ED: Be careful what you wish for. She might demand they do that.
**They both chuckle and the conversation pauses for a moment.**
ED: So. How are you feeling about it? Your match.
STARR: I’m ready. Like you said, this is where my journey has taken me. I get to open the show against Ultimate Destroyer.
ED: Ooooh. Sounds scary. ULTIMATE DESTROOOOYEER.
**Ed lumbers around the room with his arms outstretched and his eyes wide. Starr laughs.**
STARR: That’s about right. This guy is like a caveman with a screw loose. More than a few, actually. Last time out he lost it and tried to attack a female referee. They pulled a gun on him to make him stop.
**Ed stops wobbling around the room and immediately turns to Starr with a serious look on his face.**
ED: Wait. Like, a gun? That you shoot people with?
STARR: Yep.
ED: Jesus Christ, Ray. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?
STARR: Don’t worry about it. You know I’ve handled worse. Like I said, the Ultimate Destroyer has some … let’s say, issues. He doesn’t deal well with anger. And he’s a big fucking dude. But that’s exactly why I’m confident. This guy is a monster. I am a flickering star in the darkness. What is a monster without the darkness? It’s a lump of laundry in the corner; it’s a cat under the bed. I can shine a light on all of his weaknesses and take him out. What he brings in metric tons of insanity, I bring in attention to detail, preparation and focus.
Yes, the guy is dangerous. I’m not denying that. But you face danger every time you step in the ring. And I’ve faced far more crushing danger outside the ring than a 7-foot, 400-pound troll.
**Ed smiles**
ED: You sure about that? Am I going to be visiting you in here next?
STARR: You know me, brother. I know what I’m getting into, and I am ready. At Anarchy 52 I’m going to take Ultimate Destroyer down, hit him with Haley’s Comet and pin him for the three-count. Whatever rage he throws at me, I’ve known the same ten-fold, except instead of just spewing anger into the world and targeting innocent people, I had to learn how to control that rage—get my hands around a life that felt like it was leaving the station without me. And for so long it was. So long, Ed. But now I have control of it. And at Anarchy 52, I’ll take control in that ring, get my first victory in Riot Star Wrestling and set my sights on the things I’ve been chasing for so, so long. This is just the start.
**Starr takes a deep breath and looks out the window.**
STARR: None will burn more brightly than I will. The waiting is over.
**Ed nods slightly, but Starr does not see him. His attention is still focused toward the night outside the hospital walls. After a moment, Starr rises out of his seat. He turns toward Ed.**
STARR: It’s good to see you again, Eddie. Will you keep an eye on mom so I can go home and get some rest?
ED: You know it. Go take a shower. You smell terrible.
**The two hug and Starr heads for the door.**
ED: I’m proud of you, big brother.
STARR: I’m tired of waiting, Ed. The waiting is over.
**Starr slips out the door quietly. Ed takes over the chair at bedside, and the beep and hum of hospital equipment once again takes over the room.**
MAN: Ray, you’re here.
**Star looks over his shoulder. There’s a brief flicker in his eyes, and he rises from his chair.**
RAYMOND T. STARR: Of course I am.
**Starr cross the room and the two men embrace.**
STARR: I’m glad you made it, Ed.
ED: What else was I going to do? Let her lay in here with you?
**The two men smile and share another quick hug. Starr settles back into his chair and Ed stands at the foot of the bed.**
ED: What do you think?
STARR: The doctor said it’s no worse than in the past, but that anyone who ends up here over and over again is high risk. I don’t know. I don’t know what to expect.
ED: I do. She’s going to fight through this, get back on her feet, and get home in a little while. And then we’ll probably do it all again in six months or a year.
STARR: There’s no easy answer, is there?
ED: No. I don’t think there is.
**The two men remain in silence for a few minutes, sharing in each other’s presence without feeling the need to add anything more. They watch the hospital bed, as if at any moment something will happen. Nothing does.**
ED: So I hear you’re back in the ring again?
STARR: You heard right.
ED: You were gone for a long time, Ray. It’s good to have you back. And if this is what you want to do, I’m behind you 100%. Kristin would be too. She won’t hold it against you for moving on and doing something with your life. She’d hate to see what you’ve been through the last few years.
**Starr stares out the window again. His eyes shimmer for a moment and he turns his head down toward the floor.**
STARR: I keep telling myself that, Ed. It’s been hard to accept, but I think I’m getting there. Slowly. This is a big step forward for me, I think.
ED: What’s it called?
STARR: Huh? What?
ED: The wrestling. Riot Star Wrestling?
STARR: Yeah. I think this is the right place to get back on my feet. It’s been a long time coming. I’ve learned a lot since I was last in the ring. I’m not the same wrestler or person anymore. RSW, I think I can really make a name for myself there.
ED: You’ve always had it in you. The journey you’ve been on, it’s just what you’ve had to go through to get to this moment.
STARR: I’ve got my first match next week. Anarchy 52. This is the right time and the right place. To be able to have you there in Chicago will mean the world to me.
ED: You know I’ll be there. And I won’t be the only one. A couple-hours drive on the highway means you’ll have some support there.
STARR: It’s not looking like mom will be there. Unless they roll this bed into the arena.
ED: Be careful what you wish for. She might demand they do that.
**They both chuckle and the conversation pauses for a moment.**
ED: So. How are you feeling about it? Your match.
STARR: I’m ready. Like you said, this is where my journey has taken me. I get to open the show against Ultimate Destroyer.
ED: Ooooh. Sounds scary. ULTIMATE DESTROOOOYEER.
**Ed lumbers around the room with his arms outstretched and his eyes wide. Starr laughs.**
STARR: That’s about right. This guy is like a caveman with a screw loose. More than a few, actually. Last time out he lost it and tried to attack a female referee. They pulled a gun on him to make him stop.
**Ed stops wobbling around the room and immediately turns to Starr with a serious look on his face.**
ED: Wait. Like, a gun? That you shoot people with?
STARR: Yep.
ED: Jesus Christ, Ray. What the hell have you gotten yourself into?
STARR: Don’t worry about it. You know I’ve handled worse. Like I said, the Ultimate Destroyer has some … let’s say, issues. He doesn’t deal well with anger. And he’s a big fucking dude. But that’s exactly why I’m confident. This guy is a monster. I am a flickering star in the darkness. What is a monster without the darkness? It’s a lump of laundry in the corner; it’s a cat under the bed. I can shine a light on all of his weaknesses and take him out. What he brings in metric tons of insanity, I bring in attention to detail, preparation and focus.
Yes, the guy is dangerous. I’m not denying that. But you face danger every time you step in the ring. And I’ve faced far more crushing danger outside the ring than a 7-foot, 400-pound troll.
**Ed smiles**
ED: You sure about that? Am I going to be visiting you in here next?
STARR: You know me, brother. I know what I’m getting into, and I am ready. At Anarchy 52 I’m going to take Ultimate Destroyer down, hit him with Haley’s Comet and pin him for the three-count. Whatever rage he throws at me, I’ve known the same ten-fold, except instead of just spewing anger into the world and targeting innocent people, I had to learn how to control that rage—get my hands around a life that felt like it was leaving the station without me. And for so long it was. So long, Ed. But now I have control of it. And at Anarchy 52, I’ll take control in that ring, get my first victory in Riot Star Wrestling and set my sights on the things I’ve been chasing for so, so long. This is just the start.
**Starr takes a deep breath and looks out the window.**
STARR: None will burn more brightly than I will. The waiting is over.
**Ed nods slightly, but Starr does not see him. His attention is still focused toward the night outside the hospital walls. After a moment, Starr rises out of his seat. He turns toward Ed.**
STARR: It’s good to see you again, Eddie. Will you keep an eye on mom so I can go home and get some rest?
ED: You know it. Go take a shower. You smell terrible.
**The two hug and Starr heads for the door.**
ED: I’m proud of you, big brother.
STARR: I’m tired of waiting, Ed. The waiting is over.
**Starr slips out the door quietly. Ed takes over the chair at bedside, and the beep and hum of hospital equipment once again takes over the room.**
