Nightmare to Remember [July 21, 2020]

[Dave D-Flipz]

*We open up in a dark room. It is a hotel room and it is purposely dark with the blackout curtain MOSTLY drawn so only a sliver of light gets in so we can make out the shape of the room and its layout. Sitting in the middle of the room is a lounge chair … and at its base is an ottoman. Upon that ottoman facing the camera sits a man, cross legged and holding an object in his hand. He flicks a switch and a narrow beam of light emits towards his face casting it in haunting shadow. A flashlight (torch for you Brits).*

: "There is a certain art to the scary story. You need to set the mood and the atmosphere. Even the scariest things can be made funny in the right light. Like the aliens in the original release of Colonial Marines. *he shudders* You can’t just tell a story in broad daylight to a bunch of kids about a topic they’ve never heard of and expect to make it spooky. You have to build the aura of the monster in the story to make sure it gets under the skin of the people who are listening. Or else your bogeyman becomes more … Boogeyman …"

*He holds up a picture:

He lowers the picture.

: "Scary stories have to play on your fears and certain fears just don’t work in the wrong mood. You can be scared of spiders all the time … but maybe only fear heights when you are right at the edge with no safety precautions. It takes quite a lot to create a horror trope that requires no set up, no mood, no atmosphere. Take Slenderman out of the woods and place him in an office during work hours and he’s suddenly another tall guy in a suit you may not even notice. Sometimes however the fear is dependent on the person meant to be afraid. For instance, I don’t probably make you all want to piss yourself in terror in this hokey set up do I?"

*He clicks off the flashlight and tosses it over his head. He gestures to the cameraman who pops on the light in the room and illuminates it fully. DT can now be fully seen wearing his own branded hoodie, his jeans, his bowler hat and a mask.*

: "See, there is a big difference between me acting like a horror trope and me in the ring. And I hesitate to say people fear me in the ring … right up until they find themselves face down on the mat and they know one of my patented submissions is coming. I love seeing that little twinkle of fear in their eyes as I grab them for the hold. Then the second dose of it when they realize there is no escape … right until they tap out. Nobody is immune in that situation. Ask Eichi Yamaguchi. Ask Koch Knocker. Ask my tag team partner Mistress Discipline. Fear can be very situational."

*He stands up and walks to the window before throwing open the blackout curtain and letting in the natural sunlight. The camera man turns off the room lights.*

: "Even so … I doubt many of my victims dream about that loss at night. It’s just an in ring loss, they come and go. The longer your career the more they happen, and the less they sting. But sometimes you get that one event in your life that puts the ‘fear of God’ into your soul. You think about it on restless nights, it constantly niggles at the back of your mind, always a specter waiting to burst forth. And dealing with that very real fear is a huge component of overcoming it. Like Rob Arnold. No I don’t mean his statement that people fear him… that’s just bravado for the camera. A seasoned veteran never fears a match. He’s not really afraid of me even after what I did to Leon. Because I’m just a man and this is just a sporting event. And I doubt he really believes anyone is afraid of him. He’s just a man. A man out of practice and hoping to be able to access the full complement of his amazing ability for another run at the glory. Sure, I believe Rob Arnold could win this Savage Seven-Way. Honestly I believe most of the competitors in this match can win based on skill alone … but only a few of us have the mindset, the fortitude, the adaptability, and the foresight to REALISTICALLY come out on top. Rob is certainly one of us."

*He gazes out the window for a minute as if looking for something or someone on the street below, upon not finding it he heads back to the chair and sits in the chair proper this time, placing his left leg across his right in a figure four of sorts.*

: "But even the mighty Rob Arnold has a crack in the armor. Over the years Rob you’ve traded some of that in ring acumen for fisticuffs. You’ve gone more savage and straight forward in your approach to the ring. You can still tangle with the technicians to be sure, but a wrestler as well-versed in submissions, reversals, and technique as myself can still wrestle circles around you. Don’t take that the wrong way, I respect the hell out of you and your accomplishments, winning the X*Crown in a match with a literal bear among a cluster of fighters, retaining in the rumble. These are not achievements to cast aside and ignore! I’m simply stating that in a long drag out, beat down fight like this one … my varied skill set gives me the advantage. And that is something that is on me to leverage so I don’t … how did you put it? Find your foot at the base of my head"

*He shifts in the seat to a more comfortable position with his feet on the floor.*

: "Seriously with both you and Dylan looking for that move I would be wise to come up with a counter to it. Maybe some kind of dodge into a heel hook … I’ll workshop it. Anyhow, Rob … the problem with using fear as a weapon is that sometimes something else weighs heavily on the mind of the other guy. Sometimes the fear that exists there isn’t something you can capitalize on in a ring scenario. Let me clue you in on MY nightmare Rob because it’s one that I have EVERY night, one I have learned to live with. Maybe I didn’t do something in my past that I can’t tell my closest confidants about … but my nightmare was on display in the very fed you represent at this event."

*He leans forward and places his elbows on his knees. He puts one hand over his forehead and closes his eyes*

: "Imagine what it would feel like to sink into a dark void. Surrounded by sounds and lights but unable to put it all together. Imagine if you will, being lost in your own head while your body just moves on autopilot. Being used for comedy and profit by your friends and coworkers, being unable to form a coherent thought or discern what reality is actually in front of you. Imagine you slowly slide into this darkness and you only realize it when it’s too late to stop. Now imagine reliving that horror as you relive all the moments you couldn’t control when you finally emerge from that dark echo chamber. Losing yourself and knowing you had been lost and remembering everything you did while lost … that is a nightmare to remember. You will never be the same. What once was laughter becomes a source of unending pain. Seeing your legacy tarnished and having to rebuild and repair it."

*He opens his eyes and looks right into the camera for Rob to see the pain in his eyes.*

: "Waking up that first lucid day… stunned and bewildered, cold and afraid, torn up, broken, frightened, in a daze. I was drifting, without hope, awash with horrifying agony. It’s one thing to lose someone you care about, it’s an entirely different phenomenon to lose yourself. And then living those memories that someone else made in my body … over and over … scene by scene. A recurring nightmare. Haunting my dreams."

*He relaxes back into the chair*

: "That pain is why nothing anyone does to me in the ring can frighten me. I took years to get straight and precautions to make sure I never get to that state again. I’ve hardened my resolve and taken steps to make sure my head is protected, limiting the attacks I take to it and mitigating the damage with techniques I learned from neurological experts. It’s how a foot to the back of the head can be so dangerous in appearance to someone like me … and yet something I do not fear. At this point I am doing my own therapy by being in the ring that I love so much. Despite all the crazy matches and tight schedules, this is where I want to be. It’s not about winning and holding these …"

*He grabs his MCCW title off the ground between the chair and footrest and holds it high in his left hand. He unstraps the modified ECF title he uses to represent the X*Crown and its 20 titles from his waist and holds it high in his right hand.*

: "It’s not about achievements or legacies anymore. I do this for the thrill of being in that ring performing at a high level. Losing just … doesn’t make me worry or fear or feel ashamed any more. It’s just another step in the course of this life and business I adore. You’ve witnessed me against Chant showing the world just the reserves of energy, stamina, resourcefulness and strength I have. How many guys could survive what he put me through and still have the power left in the tank to hit that move three times to put him down? That said, I do feel bad he got concussed from it … I sent him a gift basket as an apology, business is business though. Wish him luck against the Mammary Monster Koch Knocker for me. Very simply put Rob, anyone who has seen MCCW knows the lengths I’ll go to in ring to put on a show and deliver a win for the fans who want me to shine. They also know where I WON’T go. But this advantage of yours is slight at best. Because I know what YOU will do to win as well. Knowledge is half the battle Rob, execution is the other half, and as you saw … I am one of the best on that front."

*He shifts in the chair one more time back to leaning forward.*

: "Age is a number Rob, you know that. You’ve seen me for months go this hard. You’ve seen my stamina and endurance. Reality can be a harsh mistress. But then reality is what it is, there’s no altering it. I am more than ready to go hard and come out of this week with both my titles intact. When it comes down to it Rob the question you and I will need to answer … is … does Rob Arnold turn DT’s lights out? Or does Death Trap put Rob fucking Arnold into a restless sleep."

*DT smirks one more time for the camera and holds up his X*Crown title as we fade*