Post by illjp on Oct 20, 2022 21:23:22 GMT -5
 The sound of a downpour of rain can be heard, as The Faceless shuffles around a dark room. A rather empty shelf stands before them and they grunt in frustration, before slamming a fist against the wall that seems to shake the whole room. They slowly move to the front door of the one-floor building and push it open. Slowly, it creaks open to show more darkness. Only the rain and the waves hitting the shoreline can be heard. As The Faceless turns back towards the inside, we notice the only source of light in the little hut. A television set sitting on a makeshift stand. As The Faceless sits in a rickety leather chair, it creaks loudly. Suddenly, the television set has loud static white noise emanating from it, engulfing the room. The Faceless is unbothered as the static slowly fades, before being replaced with an eerie soundtrack and opening credits before “THE VIEWER” flashes across the screen. Venice Beach, California “CUT! THAT’S A WRAP!” Calls out the raspy, hoarse voice of Director Bill Beasley. Another day on the hit reality show, License To Jill has finished filming for the day. Bill notices the star, Jill Park walking by, heading towards the exit, and felt like now would be the last time he’d have a chance to talk to her before she and her crew flew off to Hawaii. “Jill!” He called out again, obviously straining his vocal cords with every word. Jill, for her part, stopped in her tracks. She turned to face her Director, whom was barreling towards her faster than she’d ever seen, she thought to herself. “Yeah?” “I wanted to talk to you about something.” He spat out, before doubling over right in front of Jill. He gasped for air. He was a chain smoking, overweight, mess of a man. Jill looked on impatiently as she watched her Director struggle for each and every breath for a couple of minutes. Finally, he stood back up straight, beads of sweat rolling down both sides of his chubby face. “It’s this charity event, in Hawaii.” “What about it?” “Is it necessary?” “Yes.” She replied emphatically. Bill was kind of stunned. He honestly wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. Jill picked up on that quickly. “I’m not going to stand here and lecture you on the important of charity, and honestly it’s the furthest thing from my mind.” Bill continued to stand in place, wiping the sweat from his face. He may have dried his face, but he still looked completely oblivious. Jill groaned, before she continued. “My professional wrestling career has been entirely fought inside the confines of Action Wrestling. Now, that’s completely fine. I have never desired to leave the place. I have a very lucrative contract to go with the one I have here, with Paramount+. The two gel perfectly. I’ve successfully transcended the sport. Nobody else in the industry could possibly say that.” Jill was well aware that there were likely at least a handful that could lay claim to such a thing. She also knew that there was no way in hell that Bill Beasley would know such a thing. “And?” He asked, somehow looking even more confused than before. “And? Despite the fact that I have NEVER done a single cross-promotional match in my career, I was contacted by Corey Black. He needed star power. He needed violence. He needed the best wrestler he knew of. So he called me. This is about MY brand. It’s about showing the world that Jill Park is the best kept secret in Action Wrestling, and hell, the entire wrestling industry. Many have their preconceived notions about who and what I am. I’ve already made a career out of shattering those expectations, and it’s going to continue as I SHINE in Hawaii. In a match with ten people in it, I will be the STAR. Just like I always have been.” “It’s really that important?” “I’ll be honest, Bill. I really expected more from you. More sense. Hell, at least a clue about what this could mean for License to Jill. You don’t give a fuck about my wrestling career, I get it. You don’t care that I’m the Action Wrestling United States AND Women’s Champion. You don’t care that I have a GUARANTEED shot at the Action Wrestling World Heavyweight Championship. You won’t care if by the end of 2022, I hold three titles in the company. I understand that. I get that no matter what I do, you’ll only care about this show. In it’s own way, that’s a very good thing, so let me clue you in. Live on location in Hawaii. We can get local businesses involved. We can get some local sponsorships and hell maybe spotlight a few people on the show if they don’t get in my way. We can continue filming, and even get a never before seen kind of spin on it. We can chronicle the leadup into the event and do a whole number of things if you just THINK.” “Where would you and the other girls stay?” Jill flashes a huge shit-eating grin. “Bill, that’s the best part! I have bought a house, right on the waterfront. A huge, five-bedroom house. It has a pool, a huge wrap-around deck, it might even be better than the house that’s here in Venice Beach.” Finally, after quite a bit of over-explaining, Bill seemed to get what Jill was saying. He was seeing dollar signs. He was practically salivating. “Maybe I should make the trip.” Jill nodded nervously. “Sure, you could. If you want to stay at a motel.” Bill shrugged and walked off. Jill walked into her dressing room. She was finally alone. She sighed, but then groaned as her phone began to ring. She walked over to the small table it sat on, and answered. “Hello?” … “Yeah?” … “How’s the house?” … “Perfect.” … “What do you mean we got a letter? Who knows we even bought that house yet? … “What does it say?” “It’s kind of remarkable the amount of times that I have been asked why I chose to help Corey Black and join this super team of Action Wrestling stars to head to Hawaii and show up on the Tara Fenix Charity Event. Many stars would take the easy route in this regard, and claim their motives are simply humanitarian, and they are doing it for charity. Unfortunately, there isn’t a soul alive that would believe me if I said such a thing. The fact of the matter is, my motives are what everyone expects them to be: selfish. I am aware that Regan was already on this team, so it didn’t take much effort in convincing me to join up to take on the rag tag group of Chris Page losers. See, although his run in Action Wrestling was laughably mediocre and short, I do remember it. Joining as a surprise entrant in the Havoc Rumble. Chris Page thought he could come in and just beat everyone. He thought he could come in and SHIT on Action Wrestling, and rocket himself into title contention. Spoiler alert: that didn’t happen. Chris Page pouted. He attacked Corey Black for some sort of weird consolation prize, but we all know he failed in the end. Just like he always does. Just like his team will fail again, on October 30th.” Dearest new neighbor at 1226 Central Oahu, allow me to welcome you to the neighborhood. How did you end up here? Did 1226 Central Oahu call to you with its force within? 1226 Central Oahu has been the subject of my family for decades now and as it approaches its 110th birthday, I have been put in charge of watching and waiting for its second coming. My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s and my father watched in the 1960s. It is now my time. Do you know the history of the house? Do you know what lies within the walls of 1226 Central Oahu? Why are you here? I will find out. “What the fuck?” Gasped Jill Park, folding the letter back into the envelope it arrived in. Jake looked back incredulously. “I told you. It’s total crazy stalker ass bullshit.” “Well, did you call the police?” There was a long pause, as Jake was well aware of what Jill’s response was going to be. “They said there’s nothing they can do. There is no threat indicated.” A long, awkward pause follows, with Jake staring at Jill, who is pacing around the white gravel driveway. After a tense minute or two, Jill comes to a stop a few inches from Jake. “Have you been inside?” “No.” Jake replied, quickly. Jill shot him a confused look. “I was waiting for you.” He explained. “Well let’s go.” They both marched up the slight incline of the driveway and up towards the giant house. Jill stared at Jake until he realized she was waiting for him to unlock the front door, as he still had the keys in his jacket pocket. Once unlocked, Jill pushed on through. There were a few moments of silence as the couple took in the lavish abode. The fact that it was already fully furnished was of no surprise, but the level of furniture perhaps was. “Everything looks antique.” Jill remarked as she entered the next room, which happened to be the kitchen. She found that the kitchen was quite the opposite. It was fully equipped with all modern appliances and finishes. “Is that pink marble?” Jill remarked, enamored with the finish of the kitchen island. “Yes!” Jake yelled from the next room, his voice sounding distant and faint. As Jill continued to peruse the kitchen, Jake again yelled out. “What the hell is this?!” He exclaimed. Nothing followed. No more yells, no explanation, not even a noise. After a few moments, Jill groaned at the interruption, and stormed out to find Jake in front of an old dumbwaiter. As Jake heard Jill’s heels click and clack on the hardwood floors, he peered up from a letter. Jill stopped in her tracks as she noticed what he was reading. “Is that another…” Her voice trailed off in fright, but of course Jake new exactly what she was thinking. He couldn’t muster a word and simply nodded his head as he lowered the letter from his field of vision. Jill then switched from fear to anger, and stormed over to snatch the paper from his grasps. Dear Miss Park/Mr. Paul, I very much anticipated your arrival when I realized you were the glamorous new owners of 1226 Central Oahu. You may very well be the most famous to ever inhibit the hallowed halls of this great abode. I wonder, are you simply here to entertain? Are you looking ahead to the Tara Fenix Charity Event? Will you abandon 1226 Central Oahu there after? Will you not provide the young blood that 1226 Central Oahu craves? Will you not give this great home the respect it desires? I suspect that indeed, this is your intent. I would strongly advise against such a despicable plan. There would be consequences. Dire consequences. “Where was this fucking letter?” Jake looked spooked. In shock, even. He eventually took his right hand, and shakily pointed to the dumbwaiter. It was not closed. As Jill opened it, there was nothing there, just empty space. “Someone pulled the dumbwaiter to the second floor.” She said, obvious concern evident in her voice. She took a deep breath, before looking over to Jake. He still look like he’d seen a ghost. Who knew if that would’ve been an easier concept to comprehend than what was really going on. In either event, Jill slapped him across the face. “Fucksakes, man. Get it together. You’re a professional fighter. So am I, for that matter.” Jake had taken a step back from being slapped. He shook out the cobwebs in time to hear Jill’s somewhat demeaning pep talk. He agreed however. They both started towards a spiral staircase that wasn’t too far from the front door. They were mindful to stick together as the ascended the long staircase. If either of them were to lose their balance and slip at any moment, the outcome would be simply disastrous. As they reached the top, they heard nothing and saw nothing. The dumbwaiter, however, was still in plain sight, and it was open. There was a tray with another envelope. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Jill said, exasperated, as she reached for the envelope. Who knows you’re here? You took careful considerations to ensure nobody but who you personally told would know your little secret. Who knows you’re here? You want fame and fortune at any cost. Perhaps we’ll find out what that actually means. Who knows you’re here? Signed, The Viewer This time, Jill crumbled up the letter and tossed it to the ground. “They’re fucking playing with me.” She said, her voice filled with rage. “Who even knows you’re here?” Jill turned to face Jake. This time, she had a grin on her face, As if his rather obvious question had unlocked the entire thing. Jill’s response was concise. Perhaps, changing the whole mystery all at once. “Chris Page, and his fucking lackeys.” “That brings me to Chris Page’s chosen group of lackeys. We have James Raven, Peter Vaughn, Sebastian Everett-Bryce, Mark Flynn, and Xavier Lux. Men that range from the supposed “GOAT” to a man that actually chooses to refer to himself as “King of the Mid-Carders” to, and I’m surprised it actually can go even further downhill than that, we get to a man that has spent most of his professional life apparently dodging assassination attempts from his father? And people think I am a bad person. You call do, somehow, share on thing in common, however. You are all brought together by the most detestable human being I’ve ever had the misfortune of laying my eyes on. That being Chris Page. But, in true Chris Page fashion, despite this team being literally called ‘Team Chris Page’ he is not so mysteriously absent. So this collection of supposed great wrestlers are fighting for the name of a man who is apparently too good to fight alongside them. Do you realize how sad that sounds? Why aren’t they called the Chris Page simps? That logic certainly fits.” Despite all of the distractions and the complications(not to mention thinly veiled threats by the person who had referred to themself as ‘The Viewer’), License to Jill production was still set to commence. There had been no more letters to the house, thankfully. Somehow though, word had gotten to the other women in the house. Liberty and Kamryn had been acting seriously weird ever since their arrival. Either way, Jill had took it upon herself to promise the network an episode live from Hawaii while she was in town for the Tara Fenix Charity Event. She knew she may as well address the elephant in the room, not something she was prone to doing but it did call for it, so she had gathered the other two ladies and was prepared for a difficult conversation. The click-clack of Jill Park’s designer heels echoed throughout the large, open house as she made her way down the staircase. Liberty and Kamryn looked at each other, uneasy. But then, something happened that made them even more so. The sound of Jill’s heels stopped and was replaced with a loud thud. As they sprung up off of the loveseat they were sitting on, they still saw or heard no sign of Jill. They wearily headed down the hallway towards the staircase. They seen something at the bottom of the stairs. It was Jill Park. “James Raven. The GOAT. At least, that’s the narrative that’s put forth every single time his name is mentioned. I’ll preface this by saying I do not give a single fuck what James Raven has accomplished in his career, whom he has accomplished it for, or who he is banging. It’s all mind games. It’s intimidation. You want me to believe you’re the GOAT? Prove it to me. Luckily for us, you can attempt to do so on October 30th. Perhaps you will. Perhaps you won’t. But, I’ll tell you one thing right fuckin’ now, and that’s that when I step into the ring with ANYONE, they ain’t getting a single damn SHRED of respect from me. I am not about to place these mother fuckers on any pedestal. I simply do not care. When I step in the ring, I am the fucking best in the world. It’s up to them to prove me wrong. Mark Flynn, apparent ‘King’ of the Mid-carders. Congrats, I guess? Sounds to me that you’re over compensating for failing. You want to sound cool, but instead you just sound like a dork. I guess that’s where you find common ground with Chris Page. We also have Peter Vaughn, who is apparently a janitor or mechanic or some blue collar bullshit? I swear, this is why you don’t fraternize with the help. It’s something I learned a long time ago. It’s a lesson we all need to learn one day. You give them an inch, and they expect a mile. It never fails. It is why I treat my staff with nothing but the cold indifference that they need. I am the epitome of a humanitarian. You can all thank me later.” “Someone pushed me, when I was halfway down.” Jill Park explained, as Liberty, Kamryn, and multiple medical personnel attended to her. Despite the tumble, she hadn’t seemed to have any obvious injuries, and was mostly just shaken up by the whole ordeal. “You keep saying that, Miss Park. We understand what happened was traumatic but we’ve searched the entire house, and nobody else is in here.” One of the doctors explained. Jill glared at him for a moment. “I’m telling you. I had one foot on the stair and my next foot was almost touching the next one down, and two hands struck my back, and that was it. Next thing I remember is being on the floor. Someone is in this fucking house.” “Jill, are you okay?” Jake asked, concerned. Jill sat up in her bed and just kind of glared at him. “What?” He asked, confused by the look she was giving him. She then looked out the window that was to their left. It showed a picturesque view of the island shoreline. There were many people occupying the beach just a few miles down. “What do you think about those letters?” Jill asked Jake, without bothering to take her eyes from the window. He took a moment, gathering his thoughts. “Probably some crazy fan. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me.” “Yeah…” She said, her voice trailing off as she finally removed her gaze from the window and looked at Jake. He looked scared. This prompted a follow-up question. “Then who pushed me down the stairs?” There was an uncomfortable silence as Jake looked Jill in the eyes with concern. “I don’t know.” He finally offered. “You don’t seem too enthused to find out.” Jill accused. “You think I had something to do with it?” He sounded offended, and rightfully so. “I didn’t.” She admitted. It was at this point, that Jake slid closer to Jill, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Jill, I know you have a…kind of distorted view of the world. It’s because of all this crazy shit that has been happening all around you. With the Wrestling industry, with the Reality Television scene, all of it. It’s not conducive to a healthy lifestyle. I know because I’m in the same boat. What I do know, though, is that I love you, and that I care for you, and god damnit, I am legitimately scared for your well being. If someone is trying to harm you, we should get the hell out of here.” Another silence between the two. This one felt different, however. It wasn’t uncomfortable. Jill had a beaming smile. “What?” “You must realize that’s the first time you said that. Jake, I love you too.” The two share a kiss, before Jill quickly pulls away. “What’s wrong?” Jill bit her bottom lip. She was clearly conflicted. “God damnit, Jake. I really didn’t intend on this. I didn’t intend on anyone finding out at all. There was so much pressure from the network, and Liberty and Kamryn were just getting bombed every night. I had to do something.” “What are you trying to say?” Jill pushed away from him, and stood up from the bed. She paced back and forth for a good minute, while he patiently awaited her explanation. Finally, she came to a stop right in front of him. “Nobody pushed me down the stairs.” Jake let that marinate in the air. He took that in, and just sat with it for a moment. “You fell?” “More like jumped.” “Jesus Christ. And the letters?” “All me. We needed to drum up some interest. Pop the ratings.” “Fuck, Jill. You’ll do anything for a ratings boost, won’t you?” She nodded. “Yeah, I would.” |
