There is total blackness. 5 seconds. 10 seconds. 15 seconds. No sound, no movement. But what starts as an uncomfortable piercing silence begins to warm into a familiar sound to everyone. A faint buzzing becomes clear. Then chirping. More and more sounds are introduced, and they paint an auditory picture of a swarm of bugs. The creeping, crawling sensation washes over those who are listening to these sounds of an infestation.
From mass of insect noises emerges a voice. It is of Bray Wyatt, although the audience can still not see anything. He speaks in his usual style of delivery, alternating seemingly at random between a breathy whisper and a forceful baritone. His opening comes across as more a mumbling, as if to himself, rather than for the benefit of those listening. But the truth is much more sinister. He knows all too well the effect fear can have on competitors. He also knows few things illicit fear quicker or deeper than something that is without reason. Bray’s insanity, the unreasonable undertone of his fanatical preachings, the almost childlike joy he seemingly takes from inflicting violence – all of these are not the product of someone who’s lost control of their own mind, but rather of someone who’s learned how to take control of others.]]
Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight.
[[A camera fades in, but there is not much to see. It remains a generally black screen with only small slips of light escaping inward. Though very dark, the setting begins to take shape. It is the small shack from which Bray has given many promos in the past. The rotting wood, and questionable craftsmanship is the only reason light can penetrate the otherwise dark setting. The sounds of an insect infestation begin to be accompanied by small moving objects in the dark that dart across the beams of light coming in. Suddenly there is a flash of light, as a long match is struck against the rough strip causing the flame burst and bring a small flickering light to the situation. The match is brought slowly to a dangling lantern that hangs a few feet above the ground. The light is limited but the image of a man can be seen.
Bray Wyatt sits in a lone rocking chair in the shack – naked. The light that flickers from the lantern only reveals his upper torso, but the darkened outline of the rest of his body tells the story. Slowly, he rocks back and forth, the heat of a grueling southern day has caused his body to sweat profusely. As the beads of salty discharge drip down his body, they run into bugs, dozens of bugs which are crawling all over Bray. His face looks drained, as though he has been sitting in this condition for hours. An evil smile rests on his weary face. The sea of critters begins to flock to the light that hangs above him.]]
See how they run. See how they fly. The simple see a light, they see a shiny object and they rush to crowd it. To be near it. To feel the warmth of it’s illumination. THEY CAN’T HELP IT. It’s a part of them. It’s a part of all those who lack perspective. You see the weak, the weak, they believe what their eyes see and their ears hear is the truth. They see a light, they see a star, and they want to be with it. But they are the fools, they don’t realize that fire consumes their bodies, a flame can only continue to shine brightly if it continues to be fed. And as a fire grows, it’s hunger grows with it.
Daniel Rodimer, you are that dangerous flickering light. But you did not start off as a fire. No-no-no-no-NO! You, you were one of these, these small mindless creatures. You saw the lights. The fireworks. The dazzling. The spectacle. Maybe as a child, you sat there watching The Showcase of the Immortals, and you said to yourself, I will go there. I will go to the bright center light. But what happened along the way? Your body, your soul, the fire consumed you, and so you became the fire.
I’ve heard the boasts, the PITIFUL CRIES FOR ATTENTION by someone who doesn’t understand their place. You can rattle off a list of men who’ve you’ve beaten, but what does it amount to? They were just kindlin’ for the fire, the same fire that you’re burning in without realizing. But you are starting to feel the heat now aren’t you? The warmth of the spotlight is beginning to scorch your flesh. The crowd’s attention, the very thing you once sought out, is starting to sear your psyche. And as the fires around you crawl higher and higher in your mind’s eye, you realize you are not a bright and shimmering star, you are just another victim being incinerated by the fires of celebrity.
[[Bray blows out the lantern. The bug infested shack continues to be aflutter with movement and sounds, but the screen has returns to the darkness with only small glimpses of light sneaking in. Bray continues his promo, but you can not see him.]]
Do you hear that? The sounds of the creatures who have lost their beacon. They scatter, they panic. The darkness, can be scary place, can’t it Rodimer? Because you’ve not asked yourself, what happens when the lights go out on you? You’ve been focused, driving yourself towards this one place, this one giant light that has lead you to WrestleMania. But what happens to you, what will become of drive and focus, when the spotlight of Mania blinds you and leaves you dazed and confused. I have never concerned myself with the lights, or the crowd, or the heat of the moment. Because I have been shown clarity. Sister Abigail has taught me to see, not with my eyes, but with my purpose.
I sit here, stripped of my clothes, but armed with her guidance. I was chosen, she selected me to be her instrument, because I could see through the illusions. I see past the fabrics that cover our shame. I see your shame, I see your flaws, I see you as a cowering man stripped of his last bit of decency and cloaked in the pretenses of a society that coddles him for his inadequacy. Well since I see you, I thought it was only fair for you to see me. A lone preacher of truth in a sea of dirty mindless bugs.
[[Bray Wyatt now pushes the back doors to the shack open allowing the flight to come flooding in. Directly outside the shack are Luke Harper and Erick Rowan waiting, holding the leader of the Wyatt Family’s clothes for him. The men wear their usual outfits, Harper in ratty jeans and wifebeater with a flannel shirt and Rowan wears his green jumpsuit and sheep face mask. It is sunny, and eerily isolated. The foliage conceals this meeting place from the outside world – or maybe it protects the outside world from the Wyatts. The cameraman moves forward, careful to not show Bray’s lower half. Harper hands Bray his traditional white pants, which he slowly slips on as he continues to speak.]]
That purpose? To remove all who worship at the alter of their own stardom. And you, Daniel Rodimer, have twisted and perverted your own mind. You spend your time reassuring yourself of your worth because you have an undefeated streak...and you believe this somehow gives you purpose. But there is no purpose in self aggrandiziation. Some might say it was fate that brought you and I do this point, others might say maybe it was luck. But you and I? We both know one thing is true, there is no such thing as luck.
But where I see purpose, a grand plan, the execution of Sister Abigail’s final wishes, you see only accomplishment. Well take note, I see no accomplishment in your destruction. I take no joy from being the emissary of extermination. But know this, I am the EATER OF WORLDS, and just as a zebra can never change it’s stripes, so too must I embrace what is my purpose. The purpose that was laid out before me, the cleansing of the unpure. So ask yourself, what choices will you make, what lengths will you go to, if you find yourself facing a man like me who has no interests in winning or losing. I fight on another plane of existence, my wars are not won or lost with a referee, my wars are only concluded when there is the fulfillment of my purpose.
[[Bray Wyatt begins to laugh maniacally. Erick hands Bray the remainder of his clothes as he and Luke step towards the camera. Bray resume dressing himself while he continues to laugh over his followers talking. Both men lean into the camera, creating an unsettling and undesirable extreme close up. They alternate being the camera's center of focus as they alternate speaking.]]
We are all ready.
Erick Rowan:
They have sent us Daniel Rodimer.
Luke Harper:
They must not like him very much.
Erick Rowan:
We don’t wrestle.
Luke Harper:
We destroy things.
Erick Rowan:
Pretty things.
Luke Harper:
Things like Daniel Rodimer.
Erick Rowan:
He faces Bray Wyatt.
Luke Harper:
He faces the Wyatt Family.
Erick Rowan:
He will lose.
[[Bray now fully dressed once again comes sauntering up to his disciples and gentle pushes them aside to make way for him to address the camera once again. Bray's hat has been pulled down too far, it shields his eyes from the audience. He smiles a crooked grin that is taunting out of place with his words.]]
He will lose? He will lose. He will lose more than he wagered. The shame of the simple man is believing he can only lose that which he gambles. But he stands to lose so much more, but I will not leave him empty. I will grant unto him salvation! I have put on my armor, and now I wage a war, for your salvation. Because I have seen it, the path of the righteous is clear, it is not daunted by these distractions like winning or losing matches. No, no, no, my path, the path that has been chosen, my path, the path I walk, my path, the path I will lead all these lost sheep on, my path, the path that is virtuous, my path, the path that Sister Abigail holds my hand down...that has been shown to me. I have had my eyes opened. No longer must I concern myself with these little victories. You can lose a thousand battles, as long as you win the war – and I play war, not because I want to, but because war comes so easily and naturally to me.
The world may look at me as sick. But I look at them as lepers. MY ILLNESS IS THE CURE! You see time, time makes victims of us all. Rodimer, you have perfected your body, but forgotten your mind, and when time catches you, it will ravage you. And time is ticking down for you. Time will use me, it will use my brothers, and you will see why time is my ally. Time will destroy your body, but reward my mind. Time has nothing to take from me. What you see as my weakness, I see as my strength. The false image, the big stage, your time to shine – all that which you have built yourself upon, will crumble, because I will expose you and in that moment, you will see truth. You will understand while you spent all that time looking for a higher perch, I was busy digging a lower ditch. And in war, the trench will save you, and the hilltop betray you.
Daniel Rodimer, your only hope is to abandon this quest for idealized perfection, and embrace what I am telling you. I am the Man of a Thousand Truths, so you would be wise to heed this warning. If you step in that ring, everything you think your risking; your streak, your career, those are the things which will be taken from you eventually. If you step in that ring, with me, what you’re risking is much deeper than those superficial artifacts that the sea of humanity concerns itself with. Because I will show you truth, and only after you have seen the true light, will I grant you permission to leave.
Win or lose, at WrestleMania XIII, you will be set right. I promise to save your wayward existence. Soon, you too will Follow The Buzzards!
[[Bray throws his arms back and allows his neck to go limp as his head drops. He laughs a sinister laugh as Luke Harper and Erick Rowan stand looking dead into the camera. The Wyatt family is ready for their spiritual war.]]
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A little OOC stuff for everyone. Really impressed with how the RPs I’ve read so far have been. So, terrific work from everyone. A little fun tid-bit of personal info, unless I am mistaken, this is actually my FIRST WrestleMania with EBWF. Somehow in all the years of coming and going as Nash, I never was around for Mania – so weird my first time is actually with a Wyatt character I just adopted a week or so ago. But that’s life, fun little twists and turns.
Good luck to everyone, and a special shout out to my match partner Brian W. Congratulations again to all the Slammy winners this year. Looking forward to another year of incredible writings from the best collection of E-Fedders on the Net. :)
