Post by Kasey Winterborn on Feb 11, 2021 23:49:58 GMT -5
February 5
I remember that day so clearly. Like it was yesterday…
Cliché, I know, but true. I can go days, weeks, months without thinking of it, but then all of a sudden, out of the blue...the memory will hit me like a damn freight train. Most times, I don’t even know what will trigger it. But this time, I know exactly what happened. Didn’t exactly need to be Sherlock to deduce it, really. I don’t think any of my opponents have ever delved that deep into my past and tried to throw it in my face the way Jason did.
It didn’t really phase me at the time, but now here I am a week later, watching my six year old self walking through the halls of my old primary school. Seeing the principal’s door looming ever closer, hearing the squeak of the hinges as it swung inward, the smell of the floor polish…
And the confusion at seeing two police officers standing there, giving me the most pitying looks I’d ever seen. My principal kneeling down, tears in her eyes, as she put her hand on my shoulder and proceeded to shatter my entire world into a million pieces.
I screamed so loud. But it just sounded like buzzing in my ears. My face felt hot, and the tears just wouldn’t stop coming. Even now, I can feel the ache in the pit of my stomach, like a hole had been punched straight through.
The officers were kind to me as they led me out to the cruiser, but I remember taking one last look back at the principal...wait, what the hell is she holding? Is that a baby? That never happened...I have to see it.
Wait, no…let go of me! Stop! Please! I have to find out…
“Kasey...Kasey...Kasey…”
She shot up in the bed with a start, gasping for breath. Her eyes flew around the room wildly, seeing a dark figure looming next to her bed. She reached over to flip on the bedside lamp, and finally breathed a sigh of relief to see Darrell standing in her room, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Kasey, are you OK?” his voice was filled with concern as he took a seat at the foot of her bed.
She pushed a hand through her tangled red hair, sweeping it off of her forehead. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m fine.”
“Girl, you were hollering like you were getting a Brazilian for the first time. You are absolutely not fine.”
She gave him a withering stare, but let out a sigh and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “It was just a really weird dream. Or a memory. Or....something. I still don’t know what exactly it was. I mean, I remember it all happening to me...but there was never a baby.”
Darrell’s eyes widened significantly. “A baby? Are you…” He made a rounded gesture in front of his stomach.
She gave a roll of her brown eyes. “Yeah, not likely. Haven’t been partaking in the necessary activities for that particular miracle to occur. No, this was something different…” She recounted her dream to him, every detail she remembered, ending with a shake of her head. “But the baby at the end...that didn’t happen in real life,” she said. “I was an only child. I don’t understand what it could mean.”
“Brains are weird things sometimes,” Darrell said. “They can take something familiar and mess with it. Honestly, it was probably just a freaky coincidence. Or stress.”
She let out another sigh, straightening out her legs and flopping back onto the pillow. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, pulling the comforter up to her shoulders.
He patted her head and then kissed her forehead, much like a mother would do to a child. “Of course I am. Now, you better get some beauty sleep. You got a flight to catch tomorrow.”
She gave a sleepy grin. “Yes, mommy.” But she didn’t hear his retort, as she slipped into sleep almost immediately after.
----------------------
February 11
O2 Arena
London, England
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person!”
“Your hair is so gorgeous!”
“Can you do a little video thing for my mate? He couldn’t be here today, but you’re his fave!”
Kasey smiled and greeted every fan that approached the table, spending a few minutes with each one as time allowed. Project Honor had set up a meet and greet event at the O2 arena ahead of The Crowning for ticket holders, and the place was absolutely packed. Kasey, along with a few of her rostermates, were seated at a long table towards the back of the room, and the merch stands were set up along each side of the room to allow the fans to purchase their T-shirts and posters to have signed by their favourite stars.
This was the part of the job that Kasey loved (apart from actually being in the ring, that is.) She loved seeing the joy on people’s faces as they got to meet their heroes in person and share their stories about what they meant to them. Even seeing her coworkers interacting with their own fans got her all emotional. She just loved the power that this business had in making people happy.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed her next fan coming up to the table, but she was able to shake off her space-cadet moment and put on a bright smile for the girl. “Hey, nice to meet you! Thanks for coming out!”
The fan looked to be in her mid-20s, with a shock of multicoloured hair, bright blue eyes, and a huge smile on her face. She was dressed in a style Kasey could only describe as “rainbow punk” and was clutching a copy of the Crowning poster in her hands.
“I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person!” she exclaimed happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m such a huge fan! I can’t wait to see you win that War Games match!”
Kasey felt her cheeks warm at the praise. “Gosh, thank you so much! I appreciate the support!” She signed the poster and stood to take a picture with the fan, but when she put an arm around her shoulder to pose, she felt an odd sensation. Almost something like...familiarity. Like she knew this girl…
When the picture was taken, the girl thanked her profusely and bounded off to a group of people over by the merch stands. Kasey sat back down in her seat, but couldn’t take her eyes off the girl. A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie, and she shook her head slightly and turned to her right to see Kallie Reznik giving her a curious look.
“You OK, Kasey?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kasey put a smile back on her face. “Yeah, I’m good. Just can’t get over that fan’s style. It was so cool! Might have to get inspired for some new ring gear.”
Kallie smiled at her, and turned back to her line up of fans. Kasey continued on with the meet and greet, but her mind never strayed far from that encounter.
Girl, you’re just stressed about the match. Get your shit together.
-----------
Sitting in her hotel room in London, England, Kasey Winterborn sipped on a cup of tea as she gazed out the window across the River Thames, as the Tower of London loomed silently across the waters. She set the cup down on a side table and folded her hands together in her lap as she looked towards the camera set up in front of her.
“So, here we are in merry London town, only a few days away from the biggest pay per view event in Project Honor history. And the biggest match I’ve ever been a part of in my entire career. I’m not about to sit here and go through every person in this match. Let’s face it, there’s enough hot air surrounding this match to power a hot air balloon festival.” She snickered slightly. “The important thing is that I’m gonna beat down seven of my roster mates, and then go toe to toe with whoever emerges victorious on the Proving Ground side. And then I’m gonna beat down whoever that happens to be, and claim my place as the Tyrant of Project Honor.”
With a sassy wink, she picked up her teacup and took a sip as she looked back out the window and the scene faded away to black.
I remember that day so clearly. Like it was yesterday…
Cliché, I know, but true. I can go days, weeks, months without thinking of it, but then all of a sudden, out of the blue...the memory will hit me like a damn freight train. Most times, I don’t even know what will trigger it. But this time, I know exactly what happened. Didn’t exactly need to be Sherlock to deduce it, really. I don’t think any of my opponents have ever delved that deep into my past and tried to throw it in my face the way Jason did.
It didn’t really phase me at the time, but now here I am a week later, watching my six year old self walking through the halls of my old primary school. Seeing the principal’s door looming ever closer, hearing the squeak of the hinges as it swung inward, the smell of the floor polish…
And the confusion at seeing two police officers standing there, giving me the most pitying looks I’d ever seen. My principal kneeling down, tears in her eyes, as she put her hand on my shoulder and proceeded to shatter my entire world into a million pieces.
I screamed so loud. But it just sounded like buzzing in my ears. My face felt hot, and the tears just wouldn’t stop coming. Even now, I can feel the ache in the pit of my stomach, like a hole had been punched straight through.
The officers were kind to me as they led me out to the cruiser, but I remember taking one last look back at the principal...wait, what the hell is she holding? Is that a baby? That never happened...I have to see it.
Wait, no…let go of me! Stop! Please! I have to find out…
“Kasey...Kasey...Kasey…”
She shot up in the bed with a start, gasping for breath. Her eyes flew around the room wildly, seeing a dark figure looming next to her bed. She reached over to flip on the bedside lamp, and finally breathed a sigh of relief to see Darrell standing in her room, a bewildered expression on his face.
“Kasey, are you OK?” his voice was filled with concern as he took a seat at the foot of her bed.
She pushed a hand through her tangled red hair, sweeping it off of her forehead. “Yeah, I’m good. I’m fine.”
“Girl, you were hollering like you were getting a Brazilian for the first time. You are absolutely not fine.”
She gave him a withering stare, but let out a sigh and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. “It was just a really weird dream. Or a memory. Or....something. I still don’t know what exactly it was. I mean, I remember it all happening to me...but there was never a baby.”
Darrell’s eyes widened significantly. “A baby? Are you…” He made a rounded gesture in front of his stomach.
She gave a roll of her brown eyes. “Yeah, not likely. Haven’t been partaking in the necessary activities for that particular miracle to occur. No, this was something different…” She recounted her dream to him, every detail she remembered, ending with a shake of her head. “But the baby at the end...that didn’t happen in real life,” she said. “I was an only child. I don’t understand what it could mean.”
“Brains are weird things sometimes,” Darrell said. “They can take something familiar and mess with it. Honestly, it was probably just a freaky coincidence. Or stress.”
She let out another sigh, straightening out her legs and flopping back onto the pillow. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” She yawned and stretched her arms above her head, pulling the comforter up to her shoulders.
He patted her head and then kissed her forehead, much like a mother would do to a child. “Of course I am. Now, you better get some beauty sleep. You got a flight to catch tomorrow.”
She gave a sleepy grin. “Yes, mommy.” But she didn’t hear his retort, as she slipped into sleep almost immediately after.
----------------------
February 11
O2 Arena
London, England
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person!”
“Your hair is so gorgeous!”
“Can you do a little video thing for my mate? He couldn’t be here today, but you’re his fave!”
Kasey smiled and greeted every fan that approached the table, spending a few minutes with each one as time allowed. Project Honor had set up a meet and greet event at the O2 arena ahead of The Crowning for ticket holders, and the place was absolutely packed. Kasey, along with a few of her rostermates, were seated at a long table towards the back of the room, and the merch stands were set up along each side of the room to allow the fans to purchase their T-shirts and posters to have signed by their favourite stars.
This was the part of the job that Kasey loved (apart from actually being in the ring, that is.) She loved seeing the joy on people’s faces as they got to meet their heroes in person and share their stories about what they meant to them. Even seeing her coworkers interacting with their own fans got her all emotional. She just loved the power that this business had in making people happy.
She was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed her next fan coming up to the table, but she was able to shake off her space-cadet moment and put on a bright smile for the girl. “Hey, nice to meet you! Thanks for coming out!”
The fan looked to be in her mid-20s, with a shock of multicoloured hair, bright blue eyes, and a huge smile on her face. She was dressed in a style Kasey could only describe as “rainbow punk” and was clutching a copy of the Crowning poster in her hands.
“I can’t believe I’m meeting you in person!” she exclaimed happily, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “I’m such a huge fan! I can’t wait to see you win that War Games match!”
Kasey felt her cheeks warm at the praise. “Gosh, thank you so much! I appreciate the support!” She signed the poster and stood to take a picture with the fan, but when she put an arm around her shoulder to pose, she felt an odd sensation. Almost something like...familiarity. Like she knew this girl…
When the picture was taken, the girl thanked her profusely and bounded off to a group of people over by the merch stands. Kasey sat back down in her seat, but couldn’t take her eyes off the girl. A gentle tap on her shoulder brought her out of her reverie, and she shook her head slightly and turned to her right to see Kallie Reznik giving her a curious look.
“You OK, Kasey?” she asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kasey put a smile back on her face. “Yeah, I’m good. Just can’t get over that fan’s style. It was so cool! Might have to get inspired for some new ring gear.”
Kallie smiled at her, and turned back to her line up of fans. Kasey continued on with the meet and greet, but her mind never strayed far from that encounter.
Girl, you’re just stressed about the match. Get your shit together.
-----------
Sitting in her hotel room in London, England, Kasey Winterborn sipped on a cup of tea as she gazed out the window across the River Thames, as the Tower of London loomed silently across the waters. She set the cup down on a side table and folded her hands together in her lap as she looked towards the camera set up in front of her.
“So, here we are in merry London town, only a few days away from the biggest pay per view event in Project Honor history. And the biggest match I’ve ever been a part of in my entire career. I’m not about to sit here and go through every person in this match. Let’s face it, there’s enough hot air surrounding this match to power a hot air balloon festival.” She snickered slightly. “The important thing is that I’m gonna beat down seven of my roster mates, and then go toe to toe with whoever emerges victorious on the Proving Ground side. And then I’m gonna beat down whoever that happens to be, and claim my place as the Tyrant of Project Honor.”
With a sassy wink, she picked up her teacup and took a sip as she looked back out the window and the scene faded away to black.
