Downward Spiral
I'm Not From Your Country
(A very nice Mitsubishi Spider pulls up on a stone driveway, making a crunching sound as it reaches a halt. The camera moves around the side of the car, as the engine is turned off, and the door is opened, revealing that it is Downward Spiral, in a white shirt and jeans with silver sunglasses perched on his nose, that steps out of the car. Spiral stops and gazes around at other cars in a parking lot. The camera switches to behind Spiral, and a large, gold sign on a gate says “Brisbane Grammar”, which is Spiral’s old high school. Spiral looks around the parking lot once more, before slamming his door and moving into the school, passing groups of boys as they run past. He looks up at a building for a while, before looking down when he is hit in the leg by a football. Screams are heard by the schoolchildren, asking for it back, but Spiral just stares coldly out at them, before moving along without looking back. He stops at what looks like an administrative building, and pushes the door open. A hush falls over a group of talking secretaries, who look at him, puzzled, as he moves towards them and takes his sunglasses off. He stops at a large woman’s desk, and clears his throat impatiently for her, as she uneasily looks up at him.)
Woman: Yes sir? May I help you?
(Spiral looks over to a wall, where many school class photos is shown. He moves over to one particular photo without looking back at the woman, as she looks around at the other women, as Spiral starts talking while still keeping his eyes on the photo.)
Spiral: I’m here to see my wife.
Woman: And your name is?
(Spiral appears a little angered by the last statement, as he slowly turns to look at the woman coldly, and moves up towards the desk.)
Spiral: Excuse me?
(The woman is sliding back on the chair at the sight of the 230-pound Spiral, and she stutters a little as she is talking to him.)
Woman: You- you’re name p- please?
Spiral: First of all, I am a man that needs no introduction. Wherever I go, people are expec- no, forced to know who the hell I am. To be treated with the utmost disrespect like you have already shown me by asking me who I am when the whole world should know, is unacceptable. I am a wrestling superstar, and I am making my mark on that business. I am the very ambassador of Australia to the rest of the world, yet you don’t know who I am?
Woman: N- no sir, I don’t.
Spiral: Well here’s a hint to help you out: Tune into WrestleZone Championship Wrestling, because that is where you will see me. You may not know who I am yet, but I am someone that is going to make an impact far beyond just the wrestling world. No, people are going to see that not only am I the most talented athlete in the world, but I am going to stamp authority on behalf of the entire country of Australia, on the rest of the world. So this is the last time that I am going to have to be treated with this crap from people like you.
(The woman has completely backed up now, going red in the face as Spiral looks at her menacingly. One woman has backed off into another room quickly, but Spiral doesn’t notice it.)
Spiral: Now I came to see my wife, so just tell me where I would find her.
(A little more calm now, Spiral stands back a bit and runs his hand through his hair, with a trace of a smirk appearing on his face. The woman looks down and tidies up a few papers, and goes to speak before she is interrupted by a figure that stands in the doorway where the other woman headed moments ago.)
Man: It appears…that you have come back here Justin.
(The man steps out of the doorway, and closes the door behind him, with writing on the door saying “Principal” on it. Spiral turns his attention to the man, with a surprised look on his face.)
Man: Come back to your old grounds here Justin? I remember you quite well, as I’m assuming you do to me as well?
(Spiral moves over to confront this man a little, as the man, a lot smaller than Spiral, stands his ground with a little smile on his face.)
Spiral: Principal Murray…you still have a job here?
Murray: And what could you possibly mean by that? Is it such a shock to you that the school board actually decided that I should keep on going all these years?
Spiral: Well, it’s just that I thought you were the worst thing to happen to the school since it began. But you always knew how I felt about you, didn’t you?
Murray: Well I believe that our little incident added further proof that your opinion of me was exactly that. You know, I always had hope for you as a student. Top of the class, a stunning athlete…where did it all go wrong for you?
(Spiral stops a little, and stares a hole into Murray, before moving back and looking again at the photo.)
Murray: Aah, the Seniors, class of 1999 I believe. That photo was taken a few weeks before…well, before you did what you did.
(Spiral closes his eyes and breathes in slowly, before turning around again to face Murray.)
Spiral: I don’t want to have to go into one of your pathetic little talks now Murray. We went through that before didn’t we? I don’t want to bring up the past anymore, an-
Murray: Well, I don’t want to dig it up either Justin, but what happened is going to be held in the memories of all people that were involved in the school at the time. I’m surprised you’ve even decided to show your face back here, because I know a lot of people don’t want to see you back.
Spiral: I think it’s pretty obvious, that if you watch me on the television, that I don’t give a damn what people want to think about me. I couldn’t give a damn what anyone has to say. So you can tell the people that they can stick it if they want to stand up to me.
Murray: That was always your attitude. You never listened to what anyone told you, and that’s why no one has wanted to see you back ever since. And how is your little wrestling show going anyway? I’ve never understood that business anyway. But I decided to tune in last week to WZCW, to see you. Time can change a lot of things, but it hasn’t changed you.
Spiral: Well whatever you may want to think of me, you and everyone else knows that I don’t care. If you took the time to see me dismantle Titus, Joe T and DC last week, you should know that I am not one to stand by and listen to what people want to think of me. Murray, I do what I want, when I want, and you should know that. I suppose seeing me in the ring brought back memories for you?
(Murray looks at Spiral in a little bit of anger, before pausing awkwardly in silence.)
Murray: I’m not surprised that you’d have the disrespect to try and say something like that to me. You were always a disrespectful kid, anyone could see that. But no, that day when you put me in hospital…that was something different. I still recall every single punch you gave me then Justin. You must have something to prove by stepping through those gates once more, and come in with the same attitude that got you expelled in the first place. But you did have quite an attitude didn’t you? And you still have one. You haven’t learnt from your mistakes as a child have you?
(Spiral stares at Murray for a long time, before turning away and heading for the door.)
Murray: So you’re just going to run away? Not much of a reunion, is it?
Spiral: I did what I did back then and that’s the past, Murray! If you want to bring that up, it’s fine, but I’m not going to stand by and listen to your condescending tone. I have gone from the past, to focus on what’s ahead of me, and what lies ahead is not with people like you. I think we’re done here.
(Spiral stops and stares at Murray for a little while longer, before Murray steps forward and closes the door, as Spiral drops his hand slowly.)
Murray: Well before you go, I’ve had a question that’s been burning in my mind for a long time…why did you do it Justin? Why?
(Spiral lowers his head, running his hand through his head. He tilts his head up and looks out at the bright sky.)
Spiral: You know exactly why.
Murray: No, I don’t. What I perceived your attack to be, was an act of rage. But it’s never been explained to me Jus-
Spiral: Did you know what it was like for me!? Did you ever know what it was like!? I had two pathetic excuses for parents hounding me every single day. They knew as well as anyone knew, that wrestling was in my blood, it was what I was destined for. I wasn’t there for their ridiculous little grades, and school was just a cage, trapping me in. Every single person in my life kept telling me that wrestling was a joke, and I was supposed to listen to them?! And you want to know why I beat you to within an inch of your life? It was because you were the one locking me in there. Was I meant to take the fact that you of all people were telling me how to live my life? NO! I wasn’t! So that day, when I was ‘called’ to your office, it was the last straw. I wasn’t taking it anymore! Believe me, I could have been more trouble than you could ever imagine. Now like I said, we are done here.
(Spiral again goes to leave, but Murray stops him, shaking his head.)
Murray: You have never learnt anything Justin. Everything people told you, you just arrogantly pushed to the side. You were the only person that mattered in your life. No one was trying to ‘hound’ you. We were trying to better you, and you never realised that and you never will.
(Spiral roughly shakes off Murray. He opens the door again and steps outside. He has anger in his eyes, as he shoves his sunglasses on again.)
Murray: And one more thing. Why did you come back here today?
Spiral: …Where is my wife?
(Murray stops and stares out at a tall building for a long time.)
Murray: She would be in the D Block staffroom. I assume you remember where everything is here at Brisbane Grammar.
(With that, Spiral turns and shuts the door behind him, before taking a deep breath and moving away.)
Woman: Yes sir? May I help you?
(Spiral looks over to a wall, where many school class photos is shown. He moves over to one particular photo without looking back at the woman, as she looks around at the other women, as Spiral starts talking while still keeping his eyes on the photo.)
Spiral: I’m here to see my wife.
Woman: And your name is?
(Spiral appears a little angered by the last statement, as he slowly turns to look at the woman coldly, and moves up towards the desk.)
Spiral: Excuse me?
(The woman is sliding back on the chair at the sight of the 230-pound Spiral, and she stutters a little as she is talking to him.)
Woman: You- you’re name p- please?
Spiral: First of all, I am a man that needs no introduction. Wherever I go, people are expec- no, forced to know who the hell I am. To be treated with the utmost disrespect like you have already shown me by asking me who I am when the whole world should know, is unacceptable. I am a wrestling superstar, and I am making my mark on that business. I am the very ambassador of Australia to the rest of the world, yet you don’t know who I am?
Woman: N- no sir, I don’t.
Spiral: Well here’s a hint to help you out: Tune into WrestleZone Championship Wrestling, because that is where you will see me. You may not know who I am yet, but I am someone that is going to make an impact far beyond just the wrestling world. No, people are going to see that not only am I the most talented athlete in the world, but I am going to stamp authority on behalf of the entire country of Australia, on the rest of the world. So this is the last time that I am going to have to be treated with this crap from people like you.
(The woman has completely backed up now, going red in the face as Spiral looks at her menacingly. One woman has backed off into another room quickly, but Spiral doesn’t notice it.)
Spiral: Now I came to see my wife, so just tell me where I would find her.
(A little more calm now, Spiral stands back a bit and runs his hand through his hair, with a trace of a smirk appearing on his face. The woman looks down and tidies up a few papers, and goes to speak before she is interrupted by a figure that stands in the doorway where the other woman headed moments ago.)
Man: It appears…that you have come back here Justin.
(The man steps out of the doorway, and closes the door behind him, with writing on the door saying “Principal” on it. Spiral turns his attention to the man, with a surprised look on his face.)
Man: Come back to your old grounds here Justin? I remember you quite well, as I’m assuming you do to me as well?
(Spiral moves over to confront this man a little, as the man, a lot smaller than Spiral, stands his ground with a little smile on his face.)
Spiral: Principal Murray…you still have a job here?
Murray: And what could you possibly mean by that? Is it such a shock to you that the school board actually decided that I should keep on going all these years?
Spiral: Well, it’s just that I thought you were the worst thing to happen to the school since it began. But you always knew how I felt about you, didn’t you?
Murray: Well I believe that our little incident added further proof that your opinion of me was exactly that. You know, I always had hope for you as a student. Top of the class, a stunning athlete…where did it all go wrong for you?
(Spiral stops a little, and stares a hole into Murray, before moving back and looking again at the photo.)
Murray: Aah, the Seniors, class of 1999 I believe. That photo was taken a few weeks before…well, before you did what you did.
(Spiral closes his eyes and breathes in slowly, before turning around again to face Murray.)
Spiral: I don’t want to have to go into one of your pathetic little talks now Murray. We went through that before didn’t we? I don’t want to bring up the past anymore, an-
Murray: Well, I don’t want to dig it up either Justin, but what happened is going to be held in the memories of all people that were involved in the school at the time. I’m surprised you’ve even decided to show your face back here, because I know a lot of people don’t want to see you back.
Spiral: I think it’s pretty obvious, that if you watch me on the television, that I don’t give a damn what people want to think about me. I couldn’t give a damn what anyone has to say. So you can tell the people that they can stick it if they want to stand up to me.
Murray: That was always your attitude. You never listened to what anyone told you, and that’s why no one has wanted to see you back ever since. And how is your little wrestling show going anyway? I’ve never understood that business anyway. But I decided to tune in last week to WZCW, to see you. Time can change a lot of things, but it hasn’t changed you.
Spiral: Well whatever you may want to think of me, you and everyone else knows that I don’t care. If you took the time to see me dismantle Titus, Joe T and DC last week, you should know that I am not one to stand by and listen to what people want to think of me. Murray, I do what I want, when I want, and you should know that. I suppose seeing me in the ring brought back memories for you?
(Murray looks at Spiral in a little bit of anger, before pausing awkwardly in silence.)
Murray: I’m not surprised that you’d have the disrespect to try and say something like that to me. You were always a disrespectful kid, anyone could see that. But no, that day when you put me in hospital…that was something different. I still recall every single punch you gave me then Justin. You must have something to prove by stepping through those gates once more, and come in with the same attitude that got you expelled in the first place. But you did have quite an attitude didn’t you? And you still have one. You haven’t learnt from your mistakes as a child have you?
(Spiral stares at Murray for a long time, before turning away and heading for the door.)
Murray: So you’re just going to run away? Not much of a reunion, is it?
Spiral: I did what I did back then and that’s the past, Murray! If you want to bring that up, it’s fine, but I’m not going to stand by and listen to your condescending tone. I have gone from the past, to focus on what’s ahead of me, and what lies ahead is not with people like you. I think we’re done here.
(Spiral stops and stares at Murray for a little while longer, before Murray steps forward and closes the door, as Spiral drops his hand slowly.)
Murray: Well before you go, I’ve had a question that’s been burning in my mind for a long time…why did you do it Justin? Why?
(Spiral lowers his head, running his hand through his head. He tilts his head up and looks out at the bright sky.)
Spiral: You know exactly why.
Murray: No, I don’t. What I perceived your attack to be, was an act of rage. But it’s never been explained to me Jus-
Spiral: Did you know what it was like for me!? Did you ever know what it was like!? I had two pathetic excuses for parents hounding me every single day. They knew as well as anyone knew, that wrestling was in my blood, it was what I was destined for. I wasn’t there for their ridiculous little grades, and school was just a cage, trapping me in. Every single person in my life kept telling me that wrestling was a joke, and I was supposed to listen to them?! And you want to know why I beat you to within an inch of your life? It was because you were the one locking me in there. Was I meant to take the fact that you of all people were telling me how to live my life? NO! I wasn’t! So that day, when I was ‘called’ to your office, it was the last straw. I wasn’t taking it anymore! Believe me, I could have been more trouble than you could ever imagine. Now like I said, we are done here.
(Spiral again goes to leave, but Murray stops him, shaking his head.)
Murray: You have never learnt anything Justin. Everything people told you, you just arrogantly pushed to the side. You were the only person that mattered in your life. No one was trying to ‘hound’ you. We were trying to better you, and you never realised that and you never will.
(Spiral roughly shakes off Murray. He opens the door again and steps outside. He has anger in his eyes, as he shoves his sunglasses on again.)
Murray: And one more thing. Why did you come back here today?
Spiral: …Where is my wife?
(Murray stops and stares out at a tall building for a long time.)
Murray: She would be in the D Block staffroom. I assume you remember where everything is here at Brisbane Grammar.
(With that, Spiral turns and shuts the door behind him, before taking a deep breath and moving away.)
TBC...