My alarm goes off…I sit up Undertaker style. My head is KILLING me as I slowly swing my legs around the hard table that, for some reason, these people in this crummy motel in a country I don’t even know about anymore call a fucking bed. My legs reach the edge of the bed and, now, I slowly sit up from the chair…with every inch of me moving up to a seated position, I let out a groan that gets louder and louder until I am sitting straight up. After a few seconds, I notice my head is getting heavier and heavier and, now, I find myself holding my head up with my hands, rubbing my eyes while I do it. Fuck, what the hell did I do last night to make me feel this way?
I stand up, as tall as I can…without having to hurl chunks everywhere. I turn on the light. The light flickers on brightly, and then burns out just as fast as it turns on. I slowly walk over and into the bathroom…I head to the sink and grab a hold of the sink on the sides. I hang my head and close my eyes.
Why am I feeling this way? What the hell is going to happen!? I can feel my stomach turning faster and faster…the pain…I clinch my entire body really tight until all the pain subsides for now. I slowly tilt my head up and stare at the reflection staring back at me. I see that the reflection is just as sweaty as I am…in the same amount of pain…the same facial expressions. I move left, the reflection moves left as well. I move right, the reflection moves right. I bend down to spit up the little amount of…whatever the hell that is…and I look at the substance, still unsure as to what it is, as it trickles down the drain pipe and on to, God knows where. I look up and see that the reflection in the mirror is looking up at the same time, still with the same reflection that I have. I run my fingers through my thick hair and see that my reflection, even though it seems that he is using the opposite hand, is doing the exact same thing. I begin to rub my temples…my reflection rubs my temples as well.
I sigh a big relief as I turn on the hot water. I wait until the water is halfway up the bowl before taking two hands full of water and splashing it on my face to wake me up. I hear the water hitting the floor and shrug my shoulders. What the hell can I do? It’s not like other people clean this shit box. I look at the mirror again, thinking that I am going to see my reflection do something outrageous…like change the expression on their faces…turn into the devil…explode…SOMETHING!
I shuffle my feet over to the toilet and, honestly, I don’t even look to see if the toilet seat is up before I go…I just let lose. Ok, good…the sound of the water splashing is music to my ears. Wow, that really does sound bad. I flush the toilet…the handle goes down…two things didn’t happen:
1) The handle didn’t pop back up.
And
2) Nothing is going down the fucking tubes.
Who was the dickwad that put me in this crappy room?! I walk past the mirror again…but, this time, I feel eyes watch me as I go by the mirror. I slowly walk backwards and look at the mirror and see that I am looking the same as I feel. Nah, nothing unusual there, right? I go to the sink, turn on the water (both nozzles) wash my hands and my eyes. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. I need a good run through town to clear my head. I get my gym clothes on and bolt out the front door and head for a nice slow jog.
Hmm..that was strange. But, honestly, very refreshing to hear that not all my body is feeling like crap.
Mia, I will get to you in a quick second. I have something to say to Daniel Malcolm, leader of the Malcomists and total douchebag of the year runner-up, only getting beat out by Mel Gibson in the closest running we have ever had in the Douchebaggies:
I hate people like you, Dan. I’m not going to lie. I HATE the fact that if you don’t get your way that you sit there and moan and complain about something that, to be honest, no one in their right mind knows about. I HATE the fact that since you’re a “leader” of something that you feel privileged to get anything and everything they want on a silver platter. That you deserve to get a shot at something that, I believe I speak for the millions of fans that we have around the fucking world, you don’t deserve. A title that is above your reach. A title that, honestly, is nothing if you win that.
However, I will say this to you only one time, Daniel. Just for interrupting MY Universal title shot…I hope you win, Sunday. I hope you kick Raven’s ass all over the damn arena and pin him one, two, three. Because, when you do, you better be sure that if I wind up not winning that World title…I will take that Universal title and put it on a REAL champion.
Now…on to Mia. Sweet, innocent Mia Sanchez. The bright shining star of the X-Treme Wrestling Federation. You know, that’s something, now isn’t it? I mean, take a look at the X-treme Wrestling Federation roster…just about everyone who has won this year, so far, has been a bright shining star. I mean, Oren…Vinic DuSchane…hell, Jerry Atrick’s a shining star. It just seems like the term “shining star” is beginning to dimmer it’s meaning over the past few months with the X-Treme Wrestling Federation. But, Mia, you are one of the brighter stars in the X-Treme Wrestling Federation, as you deserve every minute of it.
Mia, here’s a secret that I am sure that James Raven has told you numerous times. Winning that title, or the Universal title, is something EVERYONE strives for. From the legends to the curtain jerks of this world…their ultimate goal is to become a World or Universal champion. Mia, you’re the World champion. You have a responsibility. Your responsibility is to DEFEND THAT TITLE WITH YOUR LIFE! Your responsibility for that title is similar to a responsibility that you would find in any title in the X-Treme Wrestling Federation. However, you look at the difficulty level of each belt and, then, you can see that…well…defending the Hart title against Jerry Atrick or the X-Treme championship against Peter Gilmour is way different than defending the WORLD championship…against, well, ME. Your job is to protect that belt from guys like me, Dynamic Dynamite, Trent Gein, hell…maybe even James Raven. It’s nothing that you are used to, though, Mia and that, my sweet innocent little flower bud, is something that is going to be your downfall. Why?
Because I am battle tested. Because I fought the toughest of the tough and the proudest of the proud this company had to offer. I stood right there in that ring and took on nobodies, like Tony Capretti, to LEGENDS….FUCKING LEGENDS….like Jem Williams and I beat them all down to the fucking ground. I’ve been tested and I passed with flying colors and, this Sunday night, I feel like another test will be proven. I have a feeling that I am going to walk into that ring and TAKE that World title away from you…because when it comes down to it…I’m just that damn good.
But, Mia, let’s get back to why you are here. You are peaking at the most opportune time and you are being paid off magnificently for that. Hell, I had a feeling that this was going to happen waaay long ago in a galaxy that is far far somewhere. A time where I stood in that ring and became the Anarchy GM. Remember where I put you there, Mia? Was it in the back of the line? Nooooo. Was it mid card? Nope. Oh wait, that’s right…I had you face guys that were tough, guys that were strong, and guys that would have easily taken your head off in one swoop of a mighty falcon punch. But, Mia, I saw that attitude that made you become the World heavyweight champion and I have to say…
…apology accepted. That’s right. If it wasn’t for me pushing you to your limits, you wouldn’t be World champion right now. If it wasn’t for me, the tools of learning and other stuff would go by the wayside as you just rot and become James Raven’s bitch. If it wasn’t for me, there would be no “World champion Mia Sanchez” or “shining star.”
But, Mia, I will say this…thank you for giving me this opportunity to prove myself against the likes of you, even though this would be my second choice, for reasons that I said in the first part of my segment, but…I WILL have to take your title away from you and make it mine again and when everyone in Jolly Ole’ Crapshoot, God I miss home, goes away from the event and everyone is talking about their favorite moment, they aren’t going to be talking about how Mia Sanchez won, yet again, or the Leap of Faith match..or any other match I can shove in there…but these fans are only going to be talking about Rizza…
…Rizza…
….Rizza!
After a long run through this town, I decide to go back into my room. As soon as I enter the room, moans and groans from not just one side of the apartment, but from both sides of the paper thin walls. One side is so subtle, so genuine it’s very soothing to a trained ear. But on the other side, I hear the bed post slam against the wall…both the man and the woman scream in agony…but, after a few minutes…nothing but silence. I chuckle at the thought of James Raven being in the room adjacent to the room making all of that noise and asking himself why he couldn’t last that long, even though this guy lasted three minutes.
Anyways, I enter the bathroom…better than I felt when I woke up this morning, as now I am feeling refreshed and ready to start the day off right…just then, I hear laughter.
You know, Zach, I was thinking the same thing that you were. Heheh.
I slowly turn to face the mirror and there I was, yes in the clothes that I have on, but the reflection begins to laugh.
I mean, seriously, you thought I wasn’t going to show up on your biggest night of your life?
Well I…
No, this IS the biggest week of your life, Rizz. Leap of Faith is where you made history. Leap of Faith is where you made your mark in the XWF. Remember the Universal title? When did you win that? Exactly. Rizz…you remember how you say that X-Mas X-Treme was your pay per view? Well, I believe that you believe that Leap of Fai…
Wait, how do you believe what I believe? Aren’t you…me? Plus…I already know how big this match is.
Do you? I mean, do you know how big of a shot to the arm it will be for the likes of James Raven? ESPECIALLY James Raven. Zach, you have the opportunity to become one of the few people that…
…ever won every title in the X-Treme Wrestling Federation history? Knew it. Why are you even here?
Because, Zach…I know you…remember? I am your reflection and, in some ways…your conscious. I know you deep down, deeper than any man, woman, or child knows you. Deeper than your mother, your father, or any part of your family. Deeper than anyone you know and anyone that you don’t know. Zach…I am in control.
Still doesn’t answer my question. I mean, yeah, it’s great that I have a chance to become World champion for the first time. But, still, what does this have anything to do with why you are here….me?
It’s confidence, Zachary. Confidence. Remember when you were going for the Universal title? You were oozing confidence…you know what you had to do and you know that you had the tools and the power to go out there and give it one hundred and ten fucking percent. You had the tools to be successful and look where it got you, the Universal championship. However, ever since then…from that moment on…all I noticed from you is the lack of confidence you had in yourself. You teamed with guys who are, without a shadow of a doubt, ten leagues below you and made them carry you, when you know full well they don’t want to. You lost to Trent Gein after you oozed a little bit of confidence in that second bout. Rizz…you need that confidence again…you need that swagger…you need THIS.
A huge ball of light flashes in the corner of the mirror and the XWF world championship falls down and lands on the waiting shoulder of the reflection of me. The belt shimmering gold and the light is blinding, as blinding as the ball of light that formed in the corner of the mirror.
Rizz, legends in this game…and in the game of soooo many other organizations stood here and did what I am doing now. Now…you are picturing yourself holding this title. I feel it, Zach. The blood is flowing a little faster. Seeing this belt is building the confidence that is building inside of you. Take this moment, Zach. Take this and make it yours. Make it your own. Then, this Sunday, when that bell rings…I know you will have that confidence you had against the likes of Jem Williams and that you, Zach, will be…once again…on that mountain top! That you, Zach, will be the one that they have to beat…yet again.
I see the title belt flutter away and, now, I am seen looking in my mirror…holding the towel across my shoulder pretending it’s a belt. I put the towel down on the floor and notice that the reflection is…just a reflection now. My fingertips feel like they are on fire, as blood is gushing through every vain and capillary.
Confidence.