The Fish and The Lure: The Prologue: This Old Sea

August 23, 2024

The Prologue: The Doc

I walked a few steps behind Steve Harrison. As I have advanced in my years, I have noticed that the quicker life goes the slower I have become. It isn't something I didn't expect as I aged, but everyone has the same habit of thinking they are different. Years upon years of hearing nobody is the same has made us all think we can eat the same, we can work out the same, we can act the same…for our whole lives. I am the one this won't affect is a common thought.

As a doctor, the one thing I have learned is that none of us are special in the face of the grim reaper.

I smiled to myself because even though I am spending my retirement watching over a broken wrestler, I still felt the most alive since my late twenties…and meeting her.

“We had a real good night, doc.”

I shook my head and saw Steve peering back towards me. I nodded, “maybe the interaction with his word and light shone a positive light towards Miracle Enterprise.”

“IHOPs.”

He didn't even hesitate when he corrected me. A correction that is born more in depression than semantics.

He stopped, “but…yea, maybe people seeing Don and I being friendly has helped…a little–uh, I dunno, you know?”

I nodded as he turned and began to walk again. Even the fact Jack Marley had not shown up no longer annoyed Steve. They say when it rains it pours but for someone who seems to always save himself from drowning this may as well have been condensation dripping from a pint of beer.

I will never tell Steve to trust someone.

I don’t have that right, but I can reassure him if he decides to. You cannot live in your own world forever. There isn't any reinforcement in the world that can protect you, from yourself.

We continued to follow the exit signs. It was important to get whatever cash he had made to the right hands. That's if they are still accepting payment.

Steve had stopped near the exit. He watched as the last remaining fans left the arena. I finally caught up to him and heard him mumbling to himself, “not a goddamn one.”

“Steve?”

He blinked and then looked back at me.  His eyes were full of surprise from my voice. “Doc,” he pointed outside, “it's raining.”

“It's Portland,” I responded nonchalantly as I cracked a smile.

Steve blinked again. “Does…or wait…am I,” he trailed off and then looked down on the floor and then outside, “ah, yea, rain. Do you have an umbrella?”

I didn't want to say that he had left it in the rental car because in his words 'ain't no rain gonna melt me.’ Instead, I said, “no,” plain and simple.

He shrugged, “well, ain't no rain gonna melt me right, doc?”

DEJA VU or a very bad memory.

He opened the door and walked out into the darkness, the lights outside disappearing between the raindrops. I followed slowly behind him not looking forward to getting sick.

–

The Prologue: Steve Harrison

“Not a goddamn one.”

“Steve?”

I paused. I used to take pride in my wrestling acumen. I have won a lot of matches since I came back from my coma. I've also lost almost every big match. The Doc interrupting my confusion was actually helpful. I didn't want to think too hard on no fans recognizing me when they walked by me and out of the arena. Not a goddamn one.

I seethed.

It was raining though almost as if the world always has to put obstacles in my way after I have a good day.

Steve blinked again. “Does…or wait…am I,” he trailed off and then looked down on the floor and then outside, “ah, yea, rain. Do you have an umbrella?”

It wasn't what was in my heart but again I don't want to know the answer to what I was actually going to ask. I didn't have the courage to ask him if I had become an afterthought in wrestling. Everyone has a mission or a goal in PRIME while my goal remains the same: survive life and then maybe wrestling will still have a place for me. I am but a curtain jerker, but the money helps because the love is still buried in a pit that even Cancer Jiles cannot retrieve from.

The rain fell on my beautiful bald head and fell down my face. I turned to the right to see someone crunched up on the wall of the building trying to shield themselves from the rain.

It wasn't working.

I put my hand out without noticing and tapped the person, “are you ok?”

The person looked up, his eyes were wild, his face a mess, his clothes tattered, and he smiled a crooked smile, his lips covered with cracks, the blood probably washed away from the ongoing rain.

“BOSS,” He jumped up, “I AM SO SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!”

It was Jack Marley. I put my arms up, my palms towards him to make sure he could not get within four feet of me. The stench was unbearable.

Doc was suddenly to the left of me, his mouth open in awe at the state of Jack. “What the hell is going on?”

Jack's eyes darted quickly towards every sound a drop of rain made as it hit a puddle. “I WAS WRONG, HAVE YOU SEEN CHAZ? WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET OUTSIDE THE ARENA.”

I looked at Doc, “who the hell is Chaz?”

Doc shrugged, “neither of us have seen Jack in weeks…unless…that was him at the side of the road wasn't it?”

“Oh yea, 100%.”

“ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT CHAZ?!?!”

It was at this point I took a step back and looked at Jack, really looked at him. I had no idea who or what I was looking at. The guy who had been trying to help me was gone. This person looked like he had given up on life and it was distressing.

Was I worried?

I relaxed my issues I have had with him, “Jack you are coming home with us.”

Jack leaned against the wall. He rubbed his eyes and seemed to become very relaxed. He looked down at a rain puddle, “really?”

Before I could answer the door opened again and someone came running out of the arena and brushed up against me. I stumbled forward a few feet, “what the fuck!”

I continued to stumble and next thing I knew I was on my knee staring at my reflection in a puddle.

It got fuzzy.

I got dizzy.

I got closer.

SPLASH.

DARKNESS.

–

The Prologue: Jack Marley

I just really needed those painkillers. The Special Tylenol? That is the stuff. Chaz promised to meet me after the show but since I had no watch, and my phone had died on my way to Portland, I was especially SOL.

But when Steve told me to come home all my worries melted away. Well, until seconds later I saw him face down in a puddle of rain. “DOC, WHAT IS GOING ON?”

Doc had already moved towards Steve and lifted his chin and moved his head from the rain. He was breathing it looked like, but he was unconscious. Doc looked up at me, “I don't have my bag, I need you to call 911.”

I pulled my phone out and oh…yea, it was dead. “My phone died.”

“Jack, why are you out here?”

I turned my head to see Chaz walking towards us. He looked down at Doc and saw him looking at Steve. “Chaz, can you help my boss?”

“How the hell can this guy help, Jack?” Doc said angrily as he took his own phone out and unlocked it.

Chaz moved towards Doc and bent down with his arm on his shoulder, “I can do more than you can right now.”

Doc looked at Chaz, my new best buddy but not the way I had hoped. “What can you do…Chaz?”

I stepped forward, “don't worry, Doc, Chaz is my friend, and he is a very good…”

Chaz interrupted me, “none of that matters, brotato. Let me check my bag.”

He went looking in his bag which I KNOW was full of the Special Tylenols, but I used all my sense to not ask while he is trying to help the boss mon. While he was searching inside his bag, I looked at Doc who was ignoring Chaz and looking at the neck of Steve. He peered up, raindrops falling from his bushy eyebrows and into his eyes. He rubbed his eyes and then stared at Chaz. “Did you see anyone running from this direction when you were coming here?”

Chaz takes his hand out of his bag and looks at The Doc, “I did see someone and here we go,” he pulled out a small stick that looked like Chapstick.

“Did the person look suspicious? What were they doing?” The Doc asked Chaz.

“Don't worry about that right now, we have to help your son here.”

Doc froze in place completely taken off his game at that remark and could do nothing but watch as Chaz bent down.

SNAP

He snapped the stick in half and stuck it under the boss’s nose.

I mumble-prayed to the sky as rain fell into my mouth.

I really needed a painkiller I thought as even in the rain I began to sweat. It was the pain. it just wouldn't go away.

The Pain.

The boss.

Oh yea, I bet if he is ok, he might reward Chaz and then Chaz can reward me.

I rubbed my hands.

I stopped.

Who the hell am I even worried about???

Me?

–

“Oh this sun falls again

Out over the sea

We will wait by the door

For that old wood to creak

Never more

Take your twisted little thoughts

Bury them in the dirt

It’s been a Long long long time coming

1000 lives you lived around your skin

They have grown so tired within

Well we’ve wandered the grove

Turning stones

Hoping lightning finds us still

We’re Drunk on vines

Found outside

We’ve been fooled

Oh my child worry no further lay your burden on me

And I will take your every trouble down to the bottom of this old sea

When we roll out

From the light

Hold so tight until

The world shrinks down to our hand

But you can’t hear the call

Was so small

We get lost so lost so lost

Oh my child worry no further lay your burden on me

And I will take your every trouble down to the bottom of this old sea”

This Old Sea, by Goose.