February 2nd, 2009

The scene opens in a non-descript concrete hallway.  A banner hangs from floor to ceiling in one section of the corridor bearing the SHIMMER logo.  Zooming in, we join Becky Bayless in the middle of an interview with Rebecca Knox.  Cue audio...

K-Nox: "...an' break her scrawny arms an' legs!  Break 'em!"

Bayless: "Wow.  Those are some very strong words from Rebecca Knox regarding her upcoming opponent for SHIMMER Fantasy Volume II, one Julia Peach."

K-Nox: "Stifle yer mouth, ye broad-hipped mop-squeezer!  I've not had me say yet!  Julia... Lass... Ye've hurt us.  Hurt us somethin' bad.  Melissa, ye mind-slack cow!  Ye've poisoned the girly's thoughts!  Ye've taken 'er dreams an' bent 'em ta yer own.  Ye don' understan' what ye've done, Melissa.  Time was, you were th' one I respected above all th' others.  'Cheerleader Melissa versus Rebecca Knox' could'a headlined any show in th' world!"

Knox actually looks upset as the camera zooms in to center on her, as Bayless steps a bit to the side to get out of the way.  Knox's lower lip trembles just a bit but she bites it and shakes her head briefly to fight down the emotion.

K-Nox: "I wanted ta be tha best in tha world, Melissa!  I dinnae wanna be the best 'lady wrestler'.  I dinnae wanna stay in the indies fer the rest o' me days, breakin' me back fer fifty yahoos in a high school gym!  I thought tha' SHIMMER would be the place tha' finally let the world know tha' we women are ev'ry bit as good as the men-folk are when it comes to grapplin' an' puttin' on a show.  An' you... YOU!!! killed it.  Ye killed it fer me, an' fer yer pal Julia, an' fer ev'ry single young girly who grew up admirin' the wrestlers on telly an' at the fairs."

K-Nox actually sheds a tear, and doesn't even bother to wipe it away.  She is almost choked up for a minute and half-turns away from the camera.

Bayless: "Rebecca... I think we have enough footage from our talk earlier to put together a good video package for the show.  We can stop now.  Jon, just cut..."

K-Nox: "NO!!!"

Knox turns and slaps Bayless hard!  Becky's glasses are knocked from her face and she falls on her bottom from the impact.  That was obviously neither staged nor planned.  Becky's usually perfect hair is ruffled, and her beautiful, usually smiling face is now streaked with tears.  Both Becky and K-Nox stare at each other for a moment and are wracked by sobs.  Becky looks both embarrassed and afraid, but K-Nox is weeping out of sheer frustration and misery.

K-Nox, sobbing: "No, Jon.  Don' ye cut th' camera off.  I wanna say now what I never got a chance ta say when that simperin' mollycoddle Prazak was in charge o' things.  Li'l Dave was too lovestruck on that great wretched cow Allison Danger ta see that she was underminin' ev'rythin' fer the rest of us. *sob*  Danger's the root of all evil.  She's not a great wrestler.  Ho, ho!  She's not even a great wrestler's sister, the bitch!  What she is, is a mean jealous she-cat what hates ev'rybody, he an' she alike, tha's made their name in this business while she's stuck here workin' the indies.  She's tha one who insists that we don' need any men-folk aroun' ta get in th' way.  *sob*  God damn it!  I wanna be a wrestler, not a feminist liberator!"

Knox suddenly intensifies.  Tears of frustration still slide down her cheeks, but she is obviously done with the waterworks for now.

K-Nox:  "I'm not fer all o' the bra-burning foolishness that Danger an' her jealous ilk are.  Melissa!  You an' yer green-haired partner, an' that hateful, nasty Lacey, ye're all in th' same boat!  Ye cannae ever get jobs that matter, because ye've let Danger force ye inta burnin' bridges ye've never even had th' chance ta cross!  Now, look at ye.  Ye're takin' that tired ol' mantra of 'Anythin' a man can do, a woman do better' an' you're usin' it ta cram Princess Peach's skull full o' yer lies so she cannae ever out-strip ye an' move on ta bigger an' better things!  Ye've damned yer biggest fan an' mos' trustin' friend ta your own life o' obscurity an' bitter disappointment.  Ye've hurt her, Melissa... ye've hurt her... hurt her bad..."

Knox reaches out and pushes the camera away, and is seen walking hurriedly away from the scene.

February 3rd, 2009

We are spectators sitting on the wooden bleachers of a high school gym in the darkness.  The gym floor is hosting an age-worn, slightly sagging ring surrounded by several rows of chairs.  There is a fairly large crowd in attendance and the show is scheduled to begin any moment.  There is a wave of applause as a few quick chords open a rock song and a dinner-jacket-and-blue-jeans-wearing promoter walks down to the ring and enters with a microphone.

Promoter:  "Good evening, and welcome to Cuyahoga County Public School number 15!  I hope you guys came here to see some... WRRRRRESTLING!"

Indy Marks:  "YAY!!!"

Promoter:  "There is one bit of bad news before we kick off our opening bout.  We received word just before bell time that Irish wrestling sensation Rebecca Knox will not be in attendance here tonight."

Indy Marks:  "BOO!!!"

Promoter:  "K-Nox is under the weather and actually helped us out by phoning in her replacement for the women's title match here tonight.  We're keeping this lady under wraps until match time, but you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!"

The crowd pops for the enthusiastic promoter and we fade out.

February 5th, 2009

There is a moment of TV static and the view cuts into a live news broadcast.

Harry Boomer, 19 Action News:  "Thank you, Catherine.  Before we get to Brian and the sports report, this has just been put up on the prompter, folks.  I'm not... who is this?  I'm sorry.  I'm not familiar with the name, but the news is no less tragic.  Sources within the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department are reporting to us at this time that an apartment located at 10th and McIntyre leased to professional wrestler Rebecca Knox has been cordoned off as a, quote, major crime scene, end quote, this morning, and officials are saying that they have found at least one dead body at the scene.  We will continue to follow this story obviously as more details come available... Brian, after Kobe brought the house down at the Garden, what's the match-up look like for the Lakers and..."

O Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are callin'

From glen to glen, an' down the mountain side;

Shepard Smith, FOX News:  "...what has become a major news item today.  Irish professional wrestler Rebecca Quin, better known by her stage name 'Rebecca Knox', has died.  Quin has been living in the United States for only a matter of weeks as an Irish national with a working visa and made her residence in a relatively quiet suburb of Cleveland, Ohio.  The reports we have are still preliminary and cause of death has not yet been announced..."

The summer's gone, an' all the roses faded,

'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.

Dpty. Kent Sellers, Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Dept.:  "Three bodies have been located inside the house..."

On a different news channel...

Fit Finlay, through tears:  "We only met the once, and she was a wee slip of a girl.  I gave her me number for iff'n she ever came ta the states and needed anythin'.  She sent me three text messages yesterday..."

But come ye back when summer's on the meadow,

Or when the valley's hushed an' white with snow;

Finlay:  "First, 'My physical address is 110 McIntyre Lane in Cleveland, Ohio' she says..."

Dpty. Sellers:  "Upon entering the residence after receiving a tip from a concerned neighbor, we found a little person, a local circus performer named Seamus the Leprechaun, face-down on a couch in the TV room.  There was significant bruising around the neck of the leprechaun, so we immediately taped off the area and called in backup before proceeding."

Finlay:  "Then she wrote, 'I've locked the Irish wolfhound in the bedroom closet'..."

Dpty. Sellers:  "Once the inspectors arrived, we opened up a guest room.  Inside, there was another body.  We were able to use the young man's wallet to identify him and contact his family.  At this, we will not be naming the victim, though he was apparently very close to Ms. Quin as the two had met while he was dancing in an Irish folk troupe at a commercial filming for Ms. Quin and was later seen driving Ms. Quin around town.  We're awaiting official word on this individual's cause of death, but there were obvious signs of struggle, and it is believed that the 'Lord of the Dance' definitely fought his attacker before being killed..."

Finlay:  "An' last, she jus' writes, 'I love you'.  Love me!?  I barely knew her.  *sob*  Oh, no...how could this happen again?..."

Dpty. Sellers:  "When we searched the rest of the apartment, we finally found Ms. Quin in her exercise room.  She was pronounced dead on the scene after having used a length of wire to choke herself with the assistance of her BowFlex..."

Finlay, pouring bitter tears:  "Why, God?  Why?"

Tis I'll be here, in sunshine or in shadow

O Danny boy, O Danny boy, I love you so...

Finis

Rest In Peace, Rebecca Knox

Jan 30, 1987 - Feb 5, 2009