Post by skyedwardsthepredato on Jan 8, 2021 14:15:58 GMT -5
I think I made a pretty good first impression capturing the prize in the Holiday Horror scramble, but now it's out of the frying pan and into the fire. But in that fire is where I will prove myself, where my metal will truly be tested. There is nothing like a trial by fire, and that jury will find me guilty. Guilty of being the next great Alpha Pro superstar.
I stand in my bathroom saying that line over and over again to myself, "guilty of being the next great Alpha Pro superstar".
I've always been nervous in front of crowds, but when I see the red light on the camera the nerves kick in tenfold. I look down at the script I have written for myself, even now at the moment I feel awkward reading a script I have written myself. I've never been the boisterous kind, I have many gifts, but the gift of gab is not one of them. I look back into the mirror, adjust my tie in a futile attempt to release some self-inflicted stress, and deliver more of my prepared speech.
I find myself in another contest pitting me against a multitude of other premier athletes, but this time I know who will be involved. A face I became familiar with in the Holiday Horror, Arthen Ardelean. No doubt Arthen is a force to be reckoned with and came within a breath of winning the scramble. In the end, though I was the better man that night, and I look forward to testing my metal against yours Arthen, for as the proverb goes, iron sharpens iron.
As for Felicity, my first impression of you was being quite impressed. You took America Jackson to the limit and made a fan out of me. And while you may be a little peculiar, I have a few odd ticks about me, which furthers my admiration for you and your abilities. I quite look forward to sharing the ring with you as well, and I know that with you as one of the contestants in this match I surely have my work cut out for me.
Speaking of having my work cut out for me, that brings me to the other contestants of this match, Leah Lincoln. Leah, you are indeed an impressive competitor and champion, and I'm quite glad it is you I have secured my guaranteed championship match against, because...
I am interrupted by the sound of the ring doorbell chiming on my phone, and then the alert coming through the house. Not expecting company or delivery I pull up my camera on my phone and see two men dressed in what is best described as "business casual" clothing. The taller Caucasian man holds up a badge to the camera, stating "I'm detective Bohannan" and then pointing at his shorter Latino companion says, "this is detective Mendez, we'd like to have a few moments of your time.".
Of course, I'll be right there.
As I head for the door, I feel my stomach doing 450 splashes, I have no idea what they could want, but I don't know of anyone who wouldn't be nervous with detectives knocking at their door.
I open the door and Bohannan is quite larger in person, probably nearing 195cm tall and 135kg in weight. He feels up my doorway as he enters, followed by Mendez. Mendez is much smaller and younger, probably 20cm shorter, 35kg lighter, and fifteen years younger. Mendez is also dressed quite a bit nicer, a new suit, freshly pressed, while Bohannan's suit is old and wrinkled. It also doesn't take me long to realize Mendez has a much better bedside manner than his elder partner.
"Do you know a Veronica Peterson?" Bohannan asks while looking at a small notebook and not at me.
"Yes, I do. By the way, feel free to have a seat", I say as I lead them into my living room and sit on the edge of my couch.
Mendez takes a seat on the edge of the easy chair across from me, but Bohannon continues to stand, and ask questions. “When was the last time you saw Mrs. Peterson?”, he asks without looking at me.
About a week or so, we went on a couple of dates before the new year, but then she just stopped answering my calls and returning my text. Is there something going on I should know about?
Mendez looks up at Bohannan, Bohannan says nothing but gives a nod as if saying “go ahead”. Mendez looks back at me.
Mr. Edwards, Veronica was reported missing a few days ago by her parents. We searched her house and found her purse and signs of a scuffle but no forced entry.
I am floored by this news and I sit back on the couch. I have no words, I thought I was being ghosted, but the poor girl may be a literal ghost right now. The detectives say nothing and give me a moment to take it all in. I notice Mendez looking up at Bohannan with a look of genuine sorrow, but Bohannan wears the same grimace he’s had since he rang my doorbell. I shake my head and sit up onto the edge of the couch again.
Mr. Edwards, it’s never easy for us to deliver news like this, but there is still hope that we can find her safe. Do you have any information that could help us find her? Was she having problems with her family, or maybe an ex?
No, not that I am aware of anyway. I didn’t know her too terribly well, just a handful of dates like I said. I only met her a few days before Christmas.
For the first time since being here, Bohannan lowers his notepad and puts his hands on his hips. He looks at me like the headmaster of my preparatory school did, and speaks in the same scolding tone he would use as well.
If you didn’t know each other that well, can you explain how we found your DNA in the bedroom? Now I can guess how it got there, but what about traces of your DNA in her bathroom floor and kitchen table?
That’s when it starts, or should I say “he starts”. It begins with an itch on the side of my neck. I really need him to stay away right now. This is not the time for an animal to show up. I scratch my next trying to do so nonchalantly as I answer the detective’s questions.
Well, you know, we didn’t necessarily contain all of our actions to the bedroom
Bohannan shakes his head and crosses his arms, his body language clearly shows he doesn’t believe me. Mendez smiles though and leans a little closer as he says, “but I thought you two didn’t know each other that well?”.
I’m a bit embarrassed, I’m not one to share my personal business, especially my sexual escapades. That, and I didn’t know if what I was saying was true or not. I did wake up in her bedroom one morning, but she was already gone and I was unable to remember the night before. It was quite possible that he would have a wild entanglement like this. I feel the itch run down my neck and into my chest, but I dare not scratch that itch.
How well do you have to know someone for something like that? I mean, we are both young and attractive people, and I don’t need to know her mum and dad's name for consent.
Mendez looks up Bohannan, with a look of it being a satisfying answer, but Bohannan only looks annoyed. Bohannan drops his hands to his side and asks another question.
What’s the chance we find her phone and it’s got something on there to incriminate you? What’s the chance we find more than just DNA, maybe some blood that links back to you?
The itch expands across my chest, and my stomach drops. I stay composed though, I know I didn’t do anything, and the truth will set you free as they say. Or in this case, keep me free.
I would say there is no chance of that detective. I just hope that you do find her and in a quick fashion. If there is anything, I can do to help at all, please do not hesitate to ask me.
Bohannan says nothing and looks down at Mendez, with a look saying, “it’s time to go.”. Mendez stands up and as he does pulls a card from his inside pocket and hands it to me.
If you think of anything or hear from her give us a call.
Of course, you’ll be the first to know.
I walk the detectives out and as I do the itching spreads. I contain him until the detectives are done, but as the door shuts darkness spreads over me as he makes his escape. We walk through the house, pulling our tie and jacket off, followed by our shirt, we hate the restrictions of clothes.
We open the door to the basement and grab a bottle that sits on a shelf just inside the doorway. No need to turn on a light, we know the way down. We step into the darkness and rejoin our thoughts on our match.
Leah, we are so excited to step into the ring with you, not for some contest of skill, but to hurt you before we get our title match. We plan on giving you a permanent limp and leaving you not only physically scarred but mentally scared as well. The mere mention of our name will elicit a PTSD type response. You may be a scream queen who has seen horrors of this world, but we know you have never seen a horror quite like us.
We are not Freddy, we are not Jason, and we certainly are not a Hollywood fantasy. We are the devourer of worlds, and we are going to devour your world, Leah. We will consume you and all that you hold dear, namely that Strong Style championship. It may not be coming home with us after Metal, but soon it will be ours.
We reach the bottom of the stairs, but it is still pitch black, the way we like it.
In a land of swamp creatures, dark horses, rehabilitated angles, sexy midgets, and one who claims to be the devil himself, they are all nothing but prey. They are the weaker species to be hunted, and the ring that they roam is indeed our hunting ground. At Metal a beast will feast, and the flesh of those who tread upon his hunting grounds of the squared circle will be consumed like the prey that they are.
The click of a pull chain is heard as a light bulb comes on over our head. Sky’s handsome face is now covered in our war paint as we have morphed into the Predator. We smile wickedly before laying our head back and twisting it around to stretch our neck.
The prey that inhabits our hunting ground was left to grow at the Holiday Horror, but we showed we are the apex creature of this landscape We showed that we are nearing the top of the food chain, and Monday when we devour three more pieces of prey, we will gain three more links in the evolutionary chain.
Monday we will feast, and we will gorge ourselves on the prey. A tiny little angle for an appetizer, a dark horse steak for our entrée, and for dessert we’ll eat a lovely bit of swamp queen. Then we’ll pick our teeth clean with the bones of our victims. We are the Predator, and you are the prey.
We give a wicked smile and then move deeper into the basement and there in the corner is Veronica chained to a support beam and gaged.
~Fin.
