Post by Tombstone on May 11, 2012 0:37:00 GMT -5
Last Friday...
Ashley Stone opens the front door to the big house, stepping inside. She shuts the door behind her, leaning against it. She smiles to herself. She had just gotten back from the doctor's office. And he had nothing but good news for her.
She kneels down, picking up the mail on the floor. She walks down the long hallway to the kitchen, her heels tapping with each step on the hard wood floor.
Again, no answer. There was only one place he could be. She picks the letter up and kicks off her high heels, running over to the kitchen door and going outside.
-----
Ozzy's 'Soul Sucker' blasts throughout the garage as Chris Stone throws a socket wrench out from underneath his Charger. He pulls himself out, pissed with himself, oil covering the right side of his body.
He had just gotten a new oil pan for the Charger, one of the last pieces he needed in repairing it. He had gotten it installed himself just 30 minutes before, but noticed the fresh oil slowly leaking. Thinking he hadn't tightened the stopper enough, he got back underneath the car, tightening it up. He noticed that it was tremendously loose and didn't want to make the same mistake again. So he put his back into it. A little too much. He ended up stripping the socket, not noticing until a minute too late. The stopper was no good, the oil pan needing to be retreaded. The stopper fell out, the fresh oil he had just put in shooting out.
He stands next to the car, watching the oil quickly spread from underneath it. He grabs a remote off the hood, pointing it at the stereo and shutting it off. He sets the remote back on the hood, grabbing some towels and looking for some kitty litter.
He looks up, seeing Ashley shoot out of the house. He smiles, waving at her.
His smile fades as she doesn't answer. She storms toward the garage, something in her hand.
His eyebrows shoot up as she slams some paper on the hood of the Charger. It wasn't often she cursed. Which meant something was wrong. He picks up the papers, looking her over. Her eyes were watered, her chest heaving. He cocks an eyebrow, looking down at the papers. He recognized the handwriting immediately. He raises a hand, rubbing the back of his neck.
Her eyes widen, her hands shooting out in anger.
He keeps his eyes lowered, the blood rushing to his face. He was answering her without even opening his mouth. She turns around, shaking her head.
Stone shoots a hand up, shaking his head.
He opens his mouth, but no words come out. There was nothing he could say. She waits for something, an increasingly annoyed look growing on her face.
She steps out of the garage, running her hands through her hair nervously.
Stone bites his lip, looking off in the distance.
She lowers her hands, sighing. She walks up to him, tiptoeing around the spilled oil.
She turns around, walking back to the house. He stands there, tossing the letter on the hood of the car.
She stops, turning back to him and crossing her arms.
She throws her arms at her side, shaking her head.
She turns back around, storming back in the house. He stands in the middle of the driveway, watching as she slams the door behind her. He takes out a deep breath, his heart racing. He didn't want to go back. But he didn't want her going by herself.
He walks back into the garage, picking up the letter. He leans against the car, reading it.
Dearest Mr. Stone,
This is the third letter I've written you and still no response! What's up? Are you that scared of me? What did I ever do to you?!? I just want to be friendsss... Don't you want that? I know you don't have many. That's where you and me are almost the same! Except I've made some new friends lately! I'm moving up in the world, maaaaaaaaan! But you... Look at you. Hiding behind a woman. Shame, shame, shame on you, Mr. Stone. I thought you were better than that! Where's the kid that put that little pussy John down for the count? Where's the kid that made all those plans with me. Plans to take CPW hostage! Don't you remember any of that? Or did I knock it out of your head?
I want to finish this, Mr. Stone. You lied to me... That hurt my feelings. All those plans, flushedd down the toilet when you decided to turn your back on me. After all that work I did for you... and then you get your revenge on that hasbeen Tyler Shane... and leave me in the dark. I cried for days after that! FOR DAYS! Do you really want to make me cry? You big meanie! I bet you enjoyed it. But hey, it's all right! Because if I don't get an answer from you on this letter, I'm going to come visit you! I'm sure your wife will be thrilled to see me! I just want to have a few words with you. Just a few. I promise they won't hurt too much. And then when I'm done with you, I'll have some words with your wife. And I'll bet she'll love it. I bet it's been a long time since she's felt a real man's touch. But I don't think my touch is quite the touch she'll be expecting! I'm going to open new doors for her, old friend! Doors she didn't even know she had!
But once I'm done with all that, I'll probably be bored. And when I get bored, I like to spice things up. That's something I know for a fact that pretty little lady of yours won't like. So if you don't want any of that happening, I suggest you get your ass to Mars... Mars being your one and only true home. I know you're probably just dying to get back here! So how about you stop worrying about what wifey thinks and do what you were born to do? And that's get destroyed by me. Don't worry though, I'll leave your wife enough pieces to pick up.
So get your ass out of the kitchen and stop being a woman! Be a goddamn man goddammit. You know where I am and I know where you are, so let's cut the crap before things, like your wife, get real ugly.
Sincerely sincerest,
Hyde
Stone crumples the papers and drops them into the oil. He didn't want to go back to CPW. He had his reasons, reasons he didn't want to even say out loud to himself. And it wasn't because he was scared of what John would do to him. He loved his life now. He loved his wife. But it was all coming to a stop now. Ashley wanted it over. He just wanted to shove it aside and hope it went away. He understood that wasn't the best approach.
So he only had one choice.
-----
Two days later...
It was a little after midnight, Monday morning. Chris Stone sits at his computer, looking into the webcam. He was connected to CPW's servers. He hadn't done anything like this in a long time. But he had to get the message out there before John took matters into his own hands.
<STATIC>
He leans back in his chair, gathering his thoughts.
<STATIC>
<END TRANSMISSION>
He shuts the computer down. He felt he could have said that better. But it didn't matter. He said what he wanted to say and that was that.
Stone turns in his chair, seeing Ashley standing in the office doorway. He nods, looking back at the blank monitor.
She smiles, walking into the office and wrapping her arms around him.
She kisses his cheek as he takes a deep breath. He had this feeling in his gut that something wasn't right. He shakes it off, reaching up and caressing her cheek. She smiles, whispering in his ear.
He smiles, looking up at her.
Ashley Stone opens the front door to the big house, stepping inside. She shuts the door behind her, leaning against it. She smiles to herself. She had just gotten back from the doctor's office. And he had nothing but good news for her.
She kneels down, picking up the mail on the floor. She walks down the long hallway to the kitchen, her heels tapping with each step on the hard wood floor.
"Chris?"
She continues into the kitchen, receiving no answer from her husband. She sets the mail on the kitchen counter, walking over the refrigerator and opening it. She pulls out a bottle of orange juice, smiling and humming to herself. She gets a glass, pouring the juice halfway. She returns the bottle to the fridge, closing it and walking back to the counter, sitting on a stool. She takes a sip of her juice, running a hand over her stomach. She smiles, setting the glass down. She was filled with excitement. The news the doctor gave her was unexpected, but warmly welcomed. She just hoped Chris would feel the same.
She sorts through the mail, taking another sip of her juice. She sets aside the bills and tosses the junk mail aside. She lifts a magazine, a strange envelope suddenly coming into view. She puts down the magazine and picks up the letter. The handwriting on it was childlike, written in big letters, some of them backwards. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Stone. She turns it over, frowning slightly, and opens it. She pulls out a couple of crudely folded pages, straightening them out. She reads carefully, her eyes getting wider as she goes down the page. She finally sets her glass down, standing up.
"CHRIS!!!"
She continues into the kitchen, receiving no answer from her husband. She sets the mail on the kitchen counter, walking over the refrigerator and opening it. She pulls out a bottle of orange juice, smiling and humming to herself. She gets a glass, pouring the juice halfway. She returns the bottle to the fridge, closing it and walking back to the counter, sitting on a stool. She takes a sip of her juice, running a hand over her stomach. She smiles, setting the glass down. She was filled with excitement. The news the doctor gave her was unexpected, but warmly welcomed. She just hoped Chris would feel the same.
She sorts through the mail, taking another sip of her juice. She sets aside the bills and tosses the junk mail aside. She lifts a magazine, a strange envelope suddenly coming into view. She puts down the magazine and picks up the letter. The handwriting on it was childlike, written in big letters, some of them backwards. It was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Stone. She turns it over, frowning slightly, and opens it. She pulls out a couple of crudely folded pages, straightening them out. She reads carefully, her eyes getting wider as she goes down the page. She finally sets her glass down, standing up.
"CHRIS!!!"
Again, no answer. There was only one place he could be. She picks the letter up and kicks off her high heels, running over to the kitchen door and going outside.
-----
"GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!"
Ozzy's 'Soul Sucker' blasts throughout the garage as Chris Stone throws a socket wrench out from underneath his Charger. He pulls himself out, pissed with himself, oil covering the right side of his body.
"What the hell?!? How can I be so stupid?!?"
He had just gotten a new oil pan for the Charger, one of the last pieces he needed in repairing it. He had gotten it installed himself just 30 minutes before, but noticed the fresh oil slowly leaking. Thinking he hadn't tightened the stopper enough, he got back underneath the car, tightening it up. He noticed that it was tremendously loose and didn't want to make the same mistake again. So he put his back into it. A little too much. He ended up stripping the socket, not noticing until a minute too late. The stopper was no good, the oil pan needing to be retreaded. The stopper fell out, the fresh oil he had just put in shooting out.
He stands next to the car, watching the oil quickly spread from underneath it. He grabs a remote off the hood, pointing it at the stereo and shutting it off. He sets the remote back on the hood, grabbing some towels and looking for some kitty litter.
"CHRIS!!!"
He looks up, seeing Ashley shoot out of the house. He smiles, waving at her.
"Hey, babe! How was the appointment?"
His smile fades as she doesn't answer. She storms toward the garage, something in her hand.
"Whoa, slow down! There's oil everywhere! I don't want you sl--"
"What the fuck is this?"
"What the fuck is this?"
His eyebrows shoot up as she slams some paper on the hood of the Charger. It wasn't often she cursed. Which meant something was wrong. He picks up the papers, looking her over. Her eyes were watered, her chest heaving. He cocks an eyebrow, looking down at the papers. He recognized the handwriting immediately. He raises a hand, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Uhhh..."
Her eyes widen, her hands shooting out in anger.
"Does 'Uhhh' mean we have gotten these before?"
He keeps his eyes lowered, the blood rushing to his face. He was answering her without even opening his mouth. She turns around, shaking her head.
"I told you he won't stop! You had better stop this now before he goes any further. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and see him standing over the both of us!"
Stone shoots a hand up, shaking his head.
"Whoa, calm down! We've gotten two of these before and nothing's happened. He's just trying to scare us."
"Oh, like he did two years ago in Boston? Why are you continuing to ignore this... this threat to us?!? Do you want him to do that again? What if he does it to me this time? Has that even crossed your mind?"
"Oh, like he did two years ago in Boston? Why are you continuing to ignore this... this threat to us?!? Do you want him to do that again? What if he does it to me this time? Has that even crossed your mind?"
He opens his mouth, but no words come out. There was nothing he could say. She waits for something, an increasingly annoyed look growing on her face.
"Well? What are you going to do about it? Are you going to tell the police now?"
"What can the police do? All we have is this letter! What's the worst that can happen to him? A slap on the wrist? A ticket? Nothing? We've got nothing!"
"What can the police do? All we have is this letter! What's the worst that can happen to him? A slap on the wrist? A ticket? Nothing? We've got nothing!"
She steps out of the garage, running her hands through her hair nervously.
"What do you mean we only have 'this letter'?"
Stone bites his lip, looking off in the distance.
"I... burned the others."
"WHAT?!? WHY?!?"
"Because I wanted to avoid this! Do you think I like seeing you like this? No! Since we came back here, you've been happy. You've been carefree! You've had a glow about you! And I didn't want to stress you out."
"WHAT?!? WHY?!?"
"Because I wanted to avoid this! Do you think I like seeing you like this? No! Since we came back here, you've been happy. You've been carefree! You've had a glow about you! And I didn't want to stress you out."
She lowers her hands, sighing. She walks up to him, tiptoeing around the spilled oil.
"Look, I really appreciate the thought. But I'd appreciate it more if you stopped hiding from him. I hate to say it, but he's right. You're different. This isn't the same Chris Stone that I fell in love with years ago. That Chris Stone didn't back down from anything, no matter what it was or how much pain would be involved."
He frowns, looking insulted.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying since you think the cops would be a waste of time, there's only one way to settle this. Go back and tell him to his face that this is over."
"What? I've already done that. What makes you think he'll listen to me now?"
"I don't know, but I want it this over with! I can't be worrying about this anymore! We can't worry about this anymore!"
"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing I can say to change his mind. Me going back is just giving him what he wants. I'm not going back."
"Yes, you are. I don't care if you have to get that sleazeball Klesko to back you up. Something has to be done about him, legal or not."
"Uh, no. I'm not doing it."
"Fine. Then I'll do it."
He frowns, looking insulted.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm saying since you think the cops would be a waste of time, there's only one way to settle this. Go back and tell him to his face that this is over."
"What? I've already done that. What makes you think he'll listen to me now?"
"I don't know, but I want it this over with! I can't be worrying about this anymore! We can't worry about this anymore!"
"What the hell are you talking about? There's nothing I can say to change his mind. Me going back is just giving him what he wants. I'm not going back."
"Yes, you are. I don't care if you have to get that sleazeball Klesko to back you up. Something has to be done about him, legal or not."
"Uh, no. I'm not doing it."
"Fine. Then I'll do it."
She turns around, walking back to the house. He stands there, tossing the letter on the hood of the car.
"Ashley! ASHLEY!"
She stops, turning back to him and crossing her arms.
"You are not going back there. Especially not to talk to him."
"So you're going?"
"Neither one of us are going."
"So you're going?"
"Neither one of us are going."
She throws her arms at her side, shaking her head.
"Get your head out of your ass. I'm going back in the house and getting booking a flight for the both of us. This is getting done one way or the other whether you like it or not."
She turns back around, storming back in the house. He stands in the middle of the driveway, watching as she slams the door behind her. He takes out a deep breath, his heart racing. He didn't want to go back. But he didn't want her going by herself.
He walks back into the garage, picking up the letter. He leans against the car, reading it.
Dearest Mr. Stone,
This is the third letter I've written you and still no response! What's up? Are you that scared of me? What did I ever do to you?!? I just want to be friendsss... Don't you want that? I know you don't have many. That's where you and me are almost the same! Except I've made some new friends lately! I'm moving up in the world, maaaaaaaaan! But you... Look at you. Hiding behind a woman. Shame, shame, shame on you, Mr. Stone. I thought you were better than that! Where's the kid that put that little pussy John down for the count? Where's the kid that made all those plans with me. Plans to take CPW hostage! Don't you remember any of that? Or did I knock it out of your head?
I want to finish this, Mr. Stone. You lied to me... That hurt my feelings. All those plans, flushedd down the toilet when you decided to turn your back on me. After all that work I did for you... and then you get your revenge on that hasbeen Tyler Shane... and leave me in the dark. I cried for days after that! FOR DAYS! Do you really want to make me cry? You big meanie! I bet you enjoyed it. But hey, it's all right! Because if I don't get an answer from you on this letter, I'm going to come visit you! I'm sure your wife will be thrilled to see me! I just want to have a few words with you. Just a few. I promise they won't hurt too much. And then when I'm done with you, I'll have some words with your wife. And I'll bet she'll love it. I bet it's been a long time since she's felt a real man's touch. But I don't think my touch is quite the touch she'll be expecting! I'm going to open new doors for her, old friend! Doors she didn't even know she had!
But once I'm done with all that, I'll probably be bored. And when I get bored, I like to spice things up. That's something I know for a fact that pretty little lady of yours won't like. So if you don't want any of that happening, I suggest you get your ass to Mars... Mars being your one and only true home. I know you're probably just dying to get back here! So how about you stop worrying about what wifey thinks and do what you were born to do? And that's get destroyed by me. Don't worry though, I'll leave your wife enough pieces to pick up.
So get your ass out of the kitchen and stop being a woman! Be a goddamn man goddammit. You know where I am and I know where you are, so let's cut the crap before things, like your wife, get real ugly.
Sincerely sincerest,
Hyde
Stone crumples the papers and drops them into the oil. He didn't want to go back to CPW. He had his reasons, reasons he didn't want to even say out loud to himself. And it wasn't because he was scared of what John would do to him. He loved his life now. He loved his wife. But it was all coming to a stop now. Ashley wanted it over. He just wanted to shove it aside and hope it went away. He understood that wasn't the best approach.
So he only had one choice.
-----
Two days later...
It was a little after midnight, Monday morning. Chris Stone sits at his computer, looking into the webcam. He was connected to CPW's servers. He hadn't done anything like this in a long time. But he had to get the message out there before John took matters into his own hands.
<STATIC>
"I know you're listening, John, so I'm going to keep this short."
He leans back in his chair, gathering his thoughts.
"You don't have to chase me down anymore. Enough games. This Friday, I'll be there. But you're going to hear just what you heard before and what I'll say now. Don't expect anything to come out of this. This... fantasy you have in your head about getting me in the ring for all those stupid reasons aren't going to come true. So let those words soak into that thick skull of yours. And when I see you Friday, I'm going to hammer those words home. See you then... 'champ'."
<STATIC>
<END TRANSMISSION>
He shuts the computer down. He felt he could have said that better. But it didn't matter. He said what he wanted to say and that was that.
"Thank you."
Stone turns in his chair, seeing Ashley standing in the office doorway. He nods, looking back at the blank monitor.
"You don't need to thank me. You're right. I should have handled this a long time ago. But I'm not getting back in the ring."
She smiles, walking into the office and wrapping her arms around him.
"I'm not asking you to. All I'm asking is that you handle this better. Don't be dismissive like you were last time. Be firm. I'll talk to Klesko while you do that."
"You're not going."
"Already paid for two tickets. I'll talk to Klesko because he's just going to beat you around the bush and try to re-sign you. He won't do that with me. You handle Hyde."
"You're not going."
"Already paid for two tickets. I'll talk to Klesko because he's just going to beat you around the bush and try to re-sign you. He won't do that with me. You handle Hyde."
She kisses his cheek as he takes a deep breath. He had this feeling in his gut that something wasn't right. He shakes it off, reaching up and caressing her cheek. She smiles, whispering in his ear.
"Besides, when it's all done, we'll basically be on vacation! And that would be the perfect time to share something with you."
He smiles, looking up at her.
"Share what?"
"Look at you being nosy! Just wait. I'm sure you're going to love it!"
"Look at you being nosy! Just wait. I'm sure you're going to love it!"