Chapter 1: The Wrestler

“Ladies and gentlemen, this grueling match is seemly near its end.”

That announcer is as loud as ever…. I could hear it all the way from the other side of the ring.

I slowly grabbed my limping opponent, walking him towards the roofed steel cage structure that enclosed the ring and ringside.

Clank!

I smashed his head into the cage, blood slowly oozing out from his forehead.

He brought this upon himself, throwing me around the ring and attacking me with all types of weapons. Then if that wasn’t enough, he placed me next to a corner of the cage and ran over me full force. He was twice my frame…. Of course, the cage broke!

We’ve been outside the cage ever since. After 15 minutes I finally regained some momentum due to kicking him where the sun didn’t shine.

I grabbed a steel chair and began laying down vicious shots to his back. That should let him know not to mess with me.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Ba-

As I went for one more, suddenly my motion was halted. The opponent grabbed the top rounded part of the chair, his eyes bulging out in rage with his teeth clenched.

Uh, oh, I messed up big time.

I quickly let go of the chair to look at my go to exit. The only thing I can think of that won’t disqualify me is climbing the cage and resting on top. Surely, he wouldn’t follow me up here.

I bolted without another thought, climbing the cage inch by inch. Such bad timing for the pain of the past 15 minutes to catch up to me.

The pain feels like a thousand needles stabbing me all at once. The atmosphere of the crowd cheering me on, is making the pain a little bearable at least.

I mean it would be weird if they didn’t. After wrestling for 5 years, I’ve finally gained the support of the fans. Bonus help from the bookers of the companies for giving me victories.

I was a built dude in my opinion. Well, mainly my chest and arms. It’s too hard to give up food so my stomach is more on the flabby stuff. That hasn’t stopped my agility and ability to bounce off ropes to hit my maneuvers.

Did I forget to say the best part? I wear an unbelievably cool mask. I have a dragon design on both sides of the mask due to my ability to soar through the sky. What makes it even cooler is that I don’t have eye holes. The eye openings of my mask are covered with a thin, mesh-like material which is translucent when I put it on.

I donned this mask due to my anxiety of showing my face. Thousands of fans seeing my face every week was something I couldn’t fathom. Plus, side is the amount of money I made from selling replicas of my mask, very popular with kids. I even had my mask designed on toilet paper, blankets, posters, couches, and cups.

“Come back here!”

That was the opponent, I apologize, I almost forgot I was in the middle of a match.

I made it on top of the 20 feet structure, creating a sizable gap from my opponent. Man, this is really the worst type of match stipulation for someone with my move set.

My opponent finally reached the top, I decided to lunge at him, using the momentum from a head start run. At that moment, I realized why it took him long to get up here.

Ching!

When I lunged in the air, I twisted my body to do a roundhouse kick, only for my ribs to connect with the steel chair my opponent was holding.

“Argggggh!”

I grit my teeth while holding my ribs, kicking my feet. However, that didn’t stop my opponent for going on an onslaught with chair shots after chair shots, pay back for earlier, I guess.

How bad would it be if I waved the white flag? No, I can’t do that…. My fans will be upset and then my merchandise sales would go down the drain, kicking the bucket.

I need to get up but the sweat from my hands has made the cage slippery to hold on to it. Plus, I can’t forget about the pain.

I got to think of something… It would have been cool if this was an anime. I could have blasted off from my feet and gained some distance. Then hit the opponent with a powerful beam to finish them off, but alas I am a mere mortal in this normal world.

We are nearing the 25-minute mark. Please let this be over already, I don’t care if he wins at this point. I still get paid and the fans won’t get mad after a resilient performance.

Right then, I see the cage getting smaller, oh it’s just the opponent pulling me from my waistband.

As much as I want to get out of his hold, I have no energy left. He flips me over, then hits me with the chair one last time to the head.

“I think he’s down for the count, ladies and gents!” The announcer exclaims.

I was still in the grasp of my opponent as he decided to drop the chair. He switched the position of his right hand to grab me by the throat. Subsequently, he swung my right arm over his shoulder before lifting me high into the air.

“It’s time for his finisher!”

Like how a rollercoaster can slowly go up in the air and pausing before dropping down instantaneously, I suffered the same fate.

Due to the force of my opponent’s 20-inch python biceps that he boasted himself, I had a harder than normal impact. However, that wasn’t all.

The part of the cage where I landed instantly broke as my back made contact, not cushioning my fall. The way the cage broke changed the trajectory of my fall, shifting me from back first to headfirst towards the ring mat.

Crack!

The air from the fans and announcer disappeared.

I couldn’t see what happened, all I saw was the bottom of the ring as my head went through the ring. I felt the lower half of my body go limp after the impact.

Next thing I know, a bunch of footsteps came rushing in which I assume to be the medics. Finally…. it felt like an eternity, I can feel myself losing consciousness.

Yank!

Woah! Easy now I just had my head go through a place it should never go through! Be careful with my legs!

I faintly hear one of the medics underneath his mask smirk, whispering, “That’s what he gets for that one time rudely ignoring my photo request.”

Oh, for crying out loud! He means that time when I denied his photo request by saying “How’s this for a photo,” while simultaneously lifting my middle finger up. That’s his fault for interrupting my mealtime, if he was a cute woman I wouldn’t have minded that much.

I didn’t have the energy to say anything out loud as parts of my body started to stop functioning. While being carried out in a stretcher, I see something floating in the air. For some reason it’s waving at me and smiling.

Is that…. Is that…. Wait, that’s me!

“Guys that’s me! Get it before it fully leaves my soul! I’m serious! Grab it and put it back in me now!”

I tried wailing the little functionality I had in my body left but the medics had the look of pity in their eyes.

“The head injury is more serious than we thought, he’s starting to become delusional and see things.”

Are you guys messing with me? My soul is getting further into the sky. The further my soul went; my heart slowly lost its rhythm of beating.

I didn’t make it by the time we reached the back of the ambulance.