Post by Savannah Sunshine. on May 25, 2022 18:57:50 GMT -5
Thunder in the distance. Gun shots or missiles?
My smile is artificial. The lock clicks, my eyes fix.
The writing on the wall. A psalm in napalm.
Abandon all hope. But, try to stay calm.
Bleach to clean the curses. I exist, I'm not the first.
Tell my mother I love her. I didn't suffer.
No regrets, no apologies. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Apex Predator.
My smile is artificial. The lock clicks, my eyes fix.
The writing on the wall. A psalm in napalm.
Abandon all hope. But, try to stay calm.
OFF CAMERA
Savannah Andrews, who had been sound asleep only minutes before, lets out a piercing gasp. As she takes deep and fast intakes of air, a sheen of sweat covers her body. Ever since the last events of Fallout, she's been having nightmares far more frequently. As she sits up in bed, the sleeping form of Kai Stevens stirs next her and extends out a hand to check on her. The previous night's events are still affecting them both, as one hand strokes his fatigued face.Savannah's stitches in her side and shin ache from the quick movement she makes, a soft groan. "I'm okay... I'm perfectly fine. Go back to sleep." As Kai presses a kiss to her temple, her voice is delicate, just above a whisper. She's calmer now, though her hands continue to tremble as she gets out of bed and takes her silk robe. What a wake-up call, even before the sun has risen above the horizon.
She walks down the stairs, heading towards the kitchen. Suddenly, the sound of muffled music captures her attention. It looks to be coming from the living room, notably the record player. It's a familiar song, one that played from the boombox Andrew Holt had set up shortly before his death. Her legs have their own thoughts, shifting course as they guide her to the source of the music. As she swallows hard, a chill rushes through her entire body. As she is led into the living room, goosebumps prickle her skin.
As Savannah moves further into the room, "As The World Caves In" by Sarah Cochran becomes more audible. The music grows increasingly distorted as she gets closer. She notices that there is nothing to be played as soon as she approaches the record player. There is no record spinning against the needle, and no source from which the sound can escape.
Her breathing was labored due to the distorted and frightening music. As she shook her head frantically, her feet slowly retreated away, tripping her on the edge of the coffee table. “No… No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.” Her hands tug at her curly hair as she stares at the record player, which is still playing the song.
It’s unclear how long the music had been going before Savannah forced herself to crawl towards the electrical cord of the record player. Both hands reached out, tugging hard until it released from the wall. The sound of the distorted music only grew faster and faster, until it reached chipmunk levels of speed.
Savannah was at odds with herself, grabbing a paperweight from the table, using it to smash the record player to bits and pieces until the music finally came to a stop. Her chest rose and fell in a rapid motion as she soon fell to her knees in tears. For a few moments, the sobbing had been muffled behind her own hand as hot tears flooded down her cheeks.
But, all of that seemed to change and flip like a switch. Loud piercing heartwrenching sobs ripped from the very depths of her being. Filled the air with a sad echo as she cried and cried and cried. Would she ever be free from Andrew Holt’s torment? Would she ever be free from the darkness that taunted her like an old friend?
Savannah could barely register much of anything, even when Kai had come down the stairs to check on her. There were things he didn’t quite understand, and perhaps, things he might never understand. Things that Savannah may not ever be able to explain to him. Perhaps one day, but not today.
ON CAMERA
A shovel digging into the ground can be heard. It's difficult to tell who is digging what. Dirt is repeatedly tossed into a large increasing pile until a shovel is flung recklessly outside of the obviously person-sized hole in the ground. A filthy hand reaches over the edge before the opposite hand claws its way out as well.Both hands pull the small framed body out of the hole as hands brush long dark curly locks from the face of the individual who crawled out of the hole. The hole was many feet deep, indicating that they had been digging for some time.
Savannah Andrews' face appears when the moonlight reaches its highest peak. Her hair is disheveled and messy, and dirt has smudged her face in several areas. It's obvious she's unstable and a touch unruly, if not more.
A smirk appears on her lips as she shifts her stance to stand in direct moonlight. As she realizes the timer has started and recording is underway, she reaches up to wave at the camera. Her head tilts to the right, exposing an unreadable expression on the tanned complexion.
"I'm sure you all thought you'd seen the last of me following the events of the last show, eh? I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm not about to flee because of a minor inconvenience. In fact, I don't want to spend too much time discussing the obvious. This time, I've got my working cut out for me, and I'm not hesitant to confess that my opponent is someone I admire."
Savannah stops, gathering her thoughts before moving to sit on a tree stump. She's still in full view and plainly visible at night. Though she shifts her gaze, a hand reaches out to touch the pile of dirt to her right.
"I have a penchant for choosing fights with people I know will provide me with a nice challenge... What about you, Henry Lee Hyde? You're exactly the type of challenge I'm looking for. Your last three matches have all ended in a referee stoppage because you choked your opponent into submission. Alternatively, you may have beaten them to a bloody pulp. I have to say, I never expected to encounter someone who shares my bloodlust. In fact, don't you think it's fair to say that you and I have a lot in common?"
"You've held the Gatekeeper Championship for a total of one hundred and twenty four days. However, by the time anyone sees this, it will be much more. I appreciate your determination, your strength, and your refusal to let anything or anyone stand in your way. Everyone else you've encountered so far is nothing compared to the fight I'm about to give you. However, you are already aware of this. You realize deep down that I am one of the most difficult trials you've encountered since capturing the gold you so proudly carry."
"You made some excellent arguments and made some accurate statements about me. I have quite a track record, but you do as well. That means we both have a lot to prove in this game. You want to hold the gold you have so firmly that your fingerprints are left behind. But what about me? Well, if that's what it takes, I'll snatch that gold from your cold and lifeless corpse... and believe me, I'm not opposed to going above and beyond to ensure I have exactly what I want."
"I know exactly what it's going to take for me to knock you off that pedestal you've built for yourself. I'm going to have to rediscover my most primal and dark sides all over again... and I can thank you for that, Henry. I've been looking for a true challenge, someone who will bring out the best in me, and here you are. All of that is ready to come to the surface. Where it should have been the whole time. I sought this fight not because of the championship you hold. But, because I know you're one of the most sought-after men on the roster... and I intend to leave my mark.”
Savannah smiles wickedly, her pearly whites glistening in the night. Her mood is animalistic and dark, yet this has always been the case. That darkness, that drive to express her primal instincts.
"Billy Bennett is no longer a concern of mine. For all I care, she can fuck off and disappear from the face of the Earth. But you are correct in one aspect. I have nothing to lose, but I now have everything to gain. I've always tried to be everything everyone else wanted, to watch out for others even when I knew they weren't looking out for my best interests. Billy Bennett knew something I should have known the moment she watched me go down the fucking aisle. But, she chose to keep it hidden from me because she is a coward. Yes, that's correct. Billy Bennett is a coward through and through."
"But I'm not going to waste another breath on someone who isn't worth my time. I'm no longer doing anything for anyone else. From now on, I'm doing this for myself, as I should have been doing it all along. There will not be a single second when I will not give you the fight of your life, Hyde. I'm not going to give you any breathing room, and I'm not going to let you go for even a second. Because I know how much one slip up will cost me. You're mistaken, Henry; you are not my redemption. You are not merely a stepping stone for me. You're the fucking hill I want to climb and pound until it's nothing but bloody goddamn pulp."
"Nothing is more dangerous than a woman on a path of pure vengeance. Nothing is more dangerous than a woman with pure unadulterated rage. I want to fight and have my hands covered in the blood of my enemies, how about you? You appear to have the same idea as I do. But who has the stronger primal instinct? Which of us will get closer to getting what we want? You're looking for a challenge, someone who will put up a fight, and that's exactly what I have to offer. There is no True Society. There is no Andrew Holt. There is no one to stop me from reaching my full potential."
Savannah slowly rises to her feet, wiping her hands on her grimy clothes. It's been a long time... a few months. A few weeks. A few days. Too much time has passed since she was untethered and free to do whatever the fuck she wanted. With Henry Lee Hyde as her opponent, there is no better time for her to realize her full potential.
"I'd like you to think long and hard about your decision to accept my challenge. Because I can guarantee that this is one challenge that will push you to your absolute limit without hesitation. This is one challenge that will not burn out like a candle. This is not going to fizzle out like the rest of your competition. Henry Lee Hyde, I will be your most formidable foe... I can assure you of that."
With those final words, Savannah knocks over the camera, the final view of a tombstone that reads HERE LIES ANDREW HOLT. BROTHER. SON. WRETECHED SOUL. BURN IN HELL. The scene fades to black slowly as the only sound heard is nothing but the animals that trail the woods.
Bleach to clean the curses. I exist, I'm not the first.
Tell my mother I love her. I didn't suffer.
No regrets, no apologies. A self-fulfilling prophecy.
The Apex Predator.
