The Reckoning

Less than 24 hours after another tough, heartbreaking loss… this one at the hands of Flamberge... and still stewing over an ugly incident after the match on the ramp where his frustrations boiled over and Dawn McGill took out a member of the crowd with her heels as they returned to the back, Adam Ellis pulled into the parking lot of his apartment complex in Warrensburg, Missouri.  Adam changed his travel plans after ReVival 47 and went right to the airport from the show to grab a red-eye flight out of France... with no desire to ever return to the country.

Adam was beyond happy to be back in the States and coming home to his loving wife.  He'd texted Ginny from the airport to let her know he'd come home a day early and would be home shortly.

****Flashback- One week before ReVival 47**** Dawn McGill sighed, crossing her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable in front of Adam after admitting to him that she’d appeared in 15 Roger Corman-like movies in 2017-2018 that often featured her topless. "What about Ginny? She’s not going to want me to be your manager when she gets wind of this.”

Adam's expression softened. "Ginny has her beliefs but she's not one to judge either. I mean, don't get me wrong, she won't like any of those movies… but she'll understand.  Don't you worry.  I got your back… and I know she will too."

Adam and Ginny’s Apartment Saturday afternoon- May 4th The door swung open with a creak that was all too familiar to Adam and the dimly lit apartment welcomed him, a haven from what went down at ReVival 47 in France… a most welcome oasis.  His voice cut through the silence as he stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind him.

"Honey, I'm-" BONK!

The words had barely escaped his lips before a flash of stainless steel sailing through the air with pinpoint accuracy struck Adam square in the forehead. The impact sent a resounding clatter echoing off the walls, and the pan clattered to the floor beside a pair of scuffed boots. He stumbled backward, his 6-foot-4 frame momentarily unsteady, as he registered the source of this unexpected assault...

"Adam Ellis, what in the hell do you think you're doin'?"

...Ginny Van Lear, the red-haired firecracker from McDowell, Kentucky, her petite figure vibrating with fury. In her hand, she brandished a DVD cover like the smoking gun in a backwoods feud- ‘Dawn-Queen of Desire… Island'- emblazoned with images that stoked Ginny's ire.

Reeling from the metallic kiss of the frying pan, Adam's vision swirled with the violent dance of stars and kitchen utensils. He staggered backward, a hand braced against the wall for support as he tried to find his bearings in the chaos of his own home.

Ginny’s face was a tempest of fiery red hair and blazing eyes, fury radiating off her like the heat from a branding iron.  Her hands were clenched into fists, knuckles white, the DVD case of ‘Dawn-Queen of Desire… Island' now forgotten on the floor as she jabbed a finger towards him. "What d'you have to say for yourself, huh? Lettin' that... that woman prance around you, all smiles and skin!"

Adam opened his mouth, but no sound emerged. His brain felt like it had been put through a tumble dryer set on high—thoughts twisted and mangled beyond recognition. He swallowed hard, feeling the dryness of his throat and the pounding in his skull.

“W-what?”

"Her videos, Adam! Dawn McGill! That woman could turn my daddy's grave into a dang bonfire with all the fire and brimstone he'd be spittin'! Explain to me, right now, how you can have her prancin' around in your corner, wearin' next to nothin'!" Ginny demanded, voice climbing an octave with each syllable, her eyes blazing beneath furrowed brows.

"Listen, Ginny-" Adam's voice was gravelly, the words sputtering out as he struggled to piece together an explanation through the disorienting fog clouding his thoughts.

"Listen? LISTEN?" Ginny's voice was a whip-crack, echoing off the walls with righteous indignation. "I ain't dumber than a coal bucket, Adam. That trash, that—that sleazy excuse for entertainment made my daddy preach hellfire stronger than any sinner's confession!"

Adam winced, recognizing the depth of the incontrovertible miscalculation he'd made in gauging what Ginny's reaction would be to the relevation of the movies Dawn had made a few years back.  The adverse reaction from his wife... like a sledgehammer over his head... carried the full weight of her Baptist upbringing, each word heavy with the threat of damnation and the fierce protectiveness of Adam she often wielded like a shotgun...or a breech grenade launcher.

"Baby, I-" Adam began, but his words got tangled up with the throbbing in his head, his attempt at placation fell way short as Ginny's temper flared hotter than a summer revival tent in full swing.

Especially, when Ginny plucked the DVD off the floor and in one smooth motion uncorked a high heater right at his head.  This time, Adam’s reflexes deflected the incoming projectile and it clattered off the apartment wall.

"Save it, Adam," Ginny cut him off, her voice crackling with emotion.  “You made your bed now lay in it.  Git out... go sleep ona pallet or go to your momma and daddy’s house!  But you ain’t stayin’ here.”

With a huff of disgust, she spun on her heel, the force of her movement sending her fiery locks into a wild dance.

“Ginny-“

Her retreat was as explosive as her anger; the bedroom door shuddered under the force of her wrath as she slammed it shut, nearly ripping it from its hinges.

Adam stood alone in the aftermath, the remnants of his homecoming scattered around him from Ginny’s epic explosion. Silence settled once more, broken only by the sound of his ragged breathing and the voices of their upstairs neighbors wondering what the hell was going on down there.

"Dammit," Adam muttered to himself, the sting from the earlier assault beginning to recede as reality started to sharpen into focus. The cobwebs of confusion were slowly clearing, but the ringing in his ears persisted- a mocking reminder of Ginny's fury and the trouble he'd inadvertently stepped into.