The light flashes upon a lone man, a man that is only visible through the feeble light. The rain of that night was unusually cold, yet it was perfectly steady. The man sensed the lightning flash and looked up into the night sky. "What has my life become? I, of all people, the one that was focused on his goals in life." The man shakes his shaggy black hair wearing an expression of remorse, with a twinge of guilt. "What would life be like if I would have just had been there in time? Is my world coming to an end?" The man looks up again at the night sky, letting the cool water become trenches upon his face. The graveyard had a hot air rising from the ground, thus producing fog upon the ground. The fog took an eerie yellowish tint, a truly remarkable sight. The man looks upon a grave, which read as follows: " True life never dies." The man laughs. " What do they know of death?" The man, dressed in black that matched his attitude, died a little that day. When a human laughs in the face of death, they are usually made examples of. This man would know the tries and tribulations that would soon follow as a result of this night, and many other nights to follow. Will he overcome them? The man looked at the wind that began to pick up that day and began to shiver, not because he was cold, but rather because of a foreshadowing of his life to come. It would be cold and dark, but if he leaves at the moment he can avoid some of it. For now. Tristan, who would later be known by the masses as Triple X, left the graveyard in a bit of hurry, for one can never start too early in the adventure of life. Oh poor wretched soul used as a pawn in the grand scheme of life.
5 years later.
Tristan awakens from a night scare. He lies in his bed staring at the ceiling, the light shining in great baths of warmth. Tristan arises from the bed, he yawns and scratches his hair, and he looks into the mirror. How he has grown, taller with shoulder length hair and long sideburns. He makes a face and begins to brush his teeth. "Has it really been 5 years since Uncle Gio died? Why was I such an ignorant boy? I was so arrogant in thinking I didn't need him and that he didn't love me he just had to take care of me. I feel so brainwashed. True enough, Uncle Gio wasn't thrilled on at taking me, but what was he to do? My parents dieing suddenly and none to care for this young boy." Tristan spits his toothpaste into the sink. Tristan though about his uncle, a man with much girth and a thick beard. (Gio had a heart as large as his stomache, yet it was sometimes forgetfull of its true kindness. Gio got Tristan into wrestling at an early age; it was of course the family business. A business that was full of action, minus the glamour. Gio was an owner/trainer/manager in a local New Jersey circuit, named Red Devil Wrestling. Gio whipped Tristan into shape, 3 years they trained. That was until...the freak accident.) Tristan splashes cool crisp water upon his face and sighs. "I wish I wasn't some punk kid back then, Id have realized that Uncle Gio was just trying to help. Who would have thought I would have gotten this far though?" Then it dawned on Tristan, Gio knew all along that I would become a success. "Life is a ****e, you fuck it but it still gets its money in the end." Tristan goes to his closet, looks to the right and sees the black suit he wore on the night 5 long years ago. Tristan looks at his left and sees his workout gear. Tristan sighs. "I really have to train...but meh I need to leave flowers on Uncle Gio's grave." Tristan sighs and paces the room some more, he takes a lit candle and throws it to the window and is greeted, with glee, a shatter of the glass. Tristan falls to the floor.
One Hour Later.
"Old habits die hard." Tristan holds up the dumbbell and sets it back down as he thinks. "He can wait another day...I don't think I'm ready. It may sound crazy, but Im actually afraid of what he might think. I know he died, but I don't want to face the grave with a guilty soul." Tristan rises from his bench a sweaty mess. He wipes his forehead and sees the glistening moist sweat upon his fingertips. Tristan studies it. "We are just sweat on the fingers of God, so easy to keep and so easy to rid yourself of."
"Are you going to just stare at it all day? Personally, Id just use a towel, but hey that's you."
Tristan looks up and sees the sly smile of his long time friend Jeremy, a brown hair thin guy that wrestles still to this day in RDW. He's an okay wrestler, not an extraordinary one, but he wasn't bad.
"Well perhaps you can't get your precious hands dirty, which is surprising seeing as youre still in RDW."
Jeremy looks a bit shocked. Tristan looks into his eyes, though he meant every word he just said, and laughs. Jeremy looking uneasy, still not buying it, laughs also and sits down on the bench next to Tristan.
"Good one. What brings you by this crappy place? I'd figure you'd be in So Cal or the Big Apple."
Jeremy looks away trying to hide the jealous feelings. It was no secret he was, but sometimes he'd even convince himself that no one saw it. Tristan noted the sarcasm in Jeremy's voice and responds.
"Well, this crappy town is were Im wrestling at in a few hours."
Jeremy looks confused.
"Your wrestling in this small town for Edge Pro Wrestling? I thought they were the big time. What would that want with a crap ass town such as this?"
"Well, they wouldn't wrestle in this crap ass town, I'm going to wrestle for RDW."
Jeremy looks shocked and confused. His mouth is wide open and his blue eyes grew. " I knew that would get him interested."
"Whaaa...t you're leaving EPW?!"
"Not a smart one." Tristan laughs at himself.
"Do you really think Id leave EPW for RDW? I'm just having one match as a favor to Cody."
Jeremy looks a bit more comfortable. " I guess he didn't expect that."
"I thought you hated him."
"Hate my own brother, surely not. Truth I haven't talked to him in awhile and we fought the last time we talked, but he's family."
"I don't like my brother at all, Im sure Jeremy knows that. Jeremy doesn't know the real reason why though, nor he does he know the reason Im helping Cody now. The answers to the first and second question are two of the most difficult things to answer in the world. If I don't like my brother than why would I help him?" Tristan smiled at Jeremy and looked down lost in thought. (Cody, a man of 20 years with short black hair, is seen rummaging through the cabinets looking for something. Gio walks in and confronts Cody. Gio tries to force a bottle of pills out of Cody's hands, Gio loses his balance and the corner of his head meets with the corner of a dresser. Cody looked in horror as the life drained from Gio's face as he lay bleeding to death on the ground. Gio calls to Cody, but Cody does the unthinkable. Cody starts to laugh in the face of the dieing Gio, even taunting him. Gio takes his last breath of life. Cody arises from Gio's side, still smiling, and pockets the bottle of pills. Cody turns and looks into the face of a horror filled Tristan.) "What if I got there sooner, before the fight? What if I had fought my brother? What if he hadn't brain washed me into believing I didn't see what I saw, and it was just a freak accident? True the death was an accident but why laugh, I later knew. The will left him the company and I couldn't bring myself to keep it anyway. I hate my brother with a passion, but why help him? The will also came with a contract on me that lasted 5 years. Cody let me out of the contract as long as I didn't tell the cops about the struggle. Who would believe me anyway? Cody runs these small town cops and he'd run them off the trail. Today is the last day of my contract, and low and behold Cody calls. He says one match that's it, I first tell him to screw off and that we had a deal. I remembered though, before Gio died I promised to have one last match and he'd let me off the contract. I accepted Cody's terms and the rest is history." Tristan looks up at Jeremy, who is staring at him.
"I don't buy it, but whose to argue."
Tristan is overcome with emotion and begins to cry, he looks down. " Why God do these things happen to me? What have I ever done? What?" Tristan wipes his tears and looks at Jeremy, who tries to look away.
"Would you come with me to go visit my Uncle Gio's grave? I'm ready."
Jeremy stares at Tristan with disbelieve for what seemed like hours, and then he spoke.
"I would be honored to."
Tristan smiles at his friend. " He truely is a good man."
"Great. Well let me get washed up and we can go."
30 minutes later.
Tristan slams the door on his car and is greeted soon by another slam of the door, Jeremy meets up with Tristan.
"Are you ready? You don't have to do this if you don't want to, we can just turn around and try some other time."
Tristan sighs and puts on his sunglasses. " I am scared to death to visit his grave." Tristan smiles though.
"Please, how hard could it be?"
"Hard enough for you not to visit his grave for 5 years."
Tristan could tell that Jeremy was tired of playing around with little games.
"Okay, it's been hard for me to actually face him after all these years, Ill admit it. I have grown to just live without it. I really don't know why it's so hard to visit a dead man's grave."
Tristan knew the answer was guilt, but he still had one game left to play in him.
"Perhaps you just don't know how to deal with the fact that he's dead, so you can't even face his grave."
"Perhaps. You make a good point...yeah that's probably why. "
"It could be, but I highly doubt it."
Tristan knew that this game would last till the end of time. " I am more than willing to play this game for however long, it is my scapegoat after all."
Tristan looks the other way to be sure not to let his eyes give away the secret that has haunted him for many years. Jeremy was quick the follow suit upon Tristan's diversion and turns to look into his eyes and he didnt look away. Jeremy studied Tristan hard at that moment and didn't waver in his thoughts. " He sees right through me now."
"What are you hiding?"
"What do you mean? I'm not hiding anything. I don't hide things well, so I tell the truth."
" Jeremy is angry now, and I can't blame him." Do I dare tell him? No I don't dare."
"Look Im tired of being in the dark about the situation. All these years I feel like theres something your not telling me and it really pisses me off. I feel as though I can't trust you anymore and it scares me, because if I can't trust you, who can I trust. Since Gio died you have been fucked up mental, while your career successes physically. I'm sorry but I think you need this and I am oh so happy to give it too you after five years in the making."
Jeremy punches Tristan hard and Tristan stumbles and falls. Jeremy just looks down at Tristan on the ground. Tristan stares feebly into the face of Jeremy but is too weak to even complain.
"Get your shit together my dear friend. When you do, call me and if you don't get your shit together. Well, expect another one."
Jeremy smiles and turns around and walks away leaving Tristan just lying there. Tristan just lies there. " I guess I deserved that. He didn't have to hit so hard though." Tristan mused that thought and found it hard to get up, so he just stayed down still." I wish I could just tell somebody, but its so hard to try and tell someone your skeletons. I wish I just had the courage to just try and tell though, it would make life abit easier." Tristan looks around as if looking for hope and courage, instead he sees Gio's grave and it isn't alone. Tristan looks puzzled. " It must be one of Uncle Gio's friends." The person was dressed in a large overcoat and a big black hat; it was hard to make out his frame. Tristan found the courage to get up, and he dusted himself off. Tristan makes his way to Gio's grave wondering every second who could be there waiting at the grave. Tristan gets close to the person and is weak but still finds the words to talk.
"Hello sir, thanks for visiting my Uncle Gio. My name is Tristan, i'm his nephew. It's a pleasure to have you here, what is your name sir? "
The man just stayed there for a bit and then finally, after seemingly days, he turns around with a sly smile. Tristan felt his soul sucked from him at that very moment. The man's short black hair, still very youthful spoke in a very joyful voice that matched his evil stature. The man just looked at Tristan and smiled, like he knew him his whole life. The funny thing was, he has known Tristan his whole life. The man spoke gleefully.
"Ah, brother what a pleasant surprise. I've just come to see our dear Uncle Gio."
The man's cold laugh followed, this truly reminded Tristan why he hated his brother, and the man that stood before him was Cody. Cody took out a rose out of his dozen and presented it to Tristan.
"Rose?"
