Call Me Ishmael

[Kyle]

Lying on his back on a lounge chair, Keith Williams uses both hands to hold a tablet face level as he connects with his therapist for their weekly chat. An attractive, studious looking woman blips onto the smaller screen of the device the Great White Terror is clasping.

Keith Williams: "You're five minutes late."

Dr. Shelby: "We've been over this before, I apologize if I'm occasionally late to attend our sessions, but I do have other patients I have to treat. Patients that have extenuating circumstances that necessitate their cases being a higher priority than yours."

Keith Williams: "Is my money not as good?"

Dr. Shelby: "That's not the issue, Christopher."

Keith Williams: "I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT NAME!"

Dr. Shelby: "Why? Your middle name is as valid as your first name. What is it that upsets you about being called Christopher?"

Ignoring what she says, KW asks questions of his own.

Keith Williams: "Am I not special? Do you consider me..."

Pausing, Williams gracelessly drags out the paranoid questioning.

Keith Williams: "Unimportant?"

Dr. Shelby: "Christopher."

Keith Williams: "Keith."

Dr. Shelby: "Keith. I would never imply you aren't important."

Keith Williams: "You're just like them."

Slightly baffled, Dr. Shelby isn't sure what Keith means.

Dr. Shelby: "Who?"

Keith Williams: "The people NPW has me wrestling. The men claiming there's going to be retribution and some sort of divine experience."

Dr. Shelby: "Eron Hunter and Jesse Jamester? You've mentioned them previously. Express your feelings on them."

Keith Williams: "The Canadian Daydream thinks he's clever issuing a wanted, dead or alive, notice on The ReVenants. What's he going to do when the same is done to him and his kid, Julius Fristik?"

Dr. Shelby: "Are you considering hurting Jesse's son?"

Keith Williams: "Let's just say... What Spike Kane did to that naïve blue chipper will look like pattycake gone wrong in contrast to the disfigurement I cast."

Dr. Shelby: "Why do you harbor so much hate for Eron Hunter?"

Keith Williams: "Call him what he identifies as. Lynx. You want an answer to your query, Doc? He stripped me of my identity. He robbed me of something that wasn't his to take. Lynx not turning the other cheek is only going to make this more fun as I permanently scar him for life, both physically and mentally."

Dr. Shelby: "This behavior isn't healthy. I believe you know that."

Keith Williams: "I know I've earned myself a front row seat in Hell. I've committed acts that can't be forgiven and I'll continue to. All it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one bad day."

Sucking in oxygen to sustain his rant, Williams keeps talking.

Keith Williams: "Goons? That fool in a mask is using a word that's foreign to his vocabulary. There's nothing goonish when it comes to ANY member of The ReVenants. Singularly, collectively, we're the very best professional wrestling has to offer."

Dr. Shelby: "When threatened you lean into this overly arrogant side of your personality. Would you agree?"

Keith Williams: "No, because I don't acknowledge any threats. What threats are there? Any that were standing in my way have been dealt with. If they need a reminder, I'm happy to swing a sledgehammer as many times as it takes."

Dr. Shelby: "Unless you're willing to admit fault and accept weakness this therapy will never be of benefit to you."

Keith Williams: "Maybe, but I get to talk to you."

Dr. Shelby: "Keith. Mr. Williams. This is strictly professional."

Keith Williams: "You always say that."

Dr. Shelby: "And I always will."

Keith Williams: "Lynx and Lizard? They're not united; they're just a support group for victims of The ReVenants! What little semblance of a team they possess will crumble when the four of us step in the ring together. KW and NJC? We aren't budging an inch. Clearly someone read the cliff notes version of Moby Dick, otherwise they'd know that Captain Ahab gets dragged under the water and killed by the white whale he feverishly chased. Man hasn't made a harpoon big enough to catch me! Try all you want, Lynx, it'll only lead to your eventual downfall!"

Dr. Shelby: "How do you manage all of this anger?"

Keith Williams: "By doing what comes naturally, yelling and smashing skulls. Isn't that what everyone does?"

Dr. Shelby: "Not exactly."

Keith Williams: "This has been really helpful, Doc."

Dr. Shelby: "I'm not sure it has. Unfortunately, the time for our session has expired. I'll be reaching out to you again in two weeks after I return from vacation."

Keith Williams: "Vacation??"

Noticeably upset, the Great White Terror seems terrified at the thought of not seeing her.

Dr. Shelby: "Yes, we discussed this. If you need emergency therapy I've left you the contact info for a colleague."

Keith Williams: "Parting is such sweet sorrow."

Dr. Shelby: "Goodbye, Mr. Williams."

The video chat disconnects and Keith sighs as he places the tablet down on his chest.