Post by Kalidah on Jan 22, 2023 4:30:30 GMT
Knock. Knock.
“Ah Mister {Redacted}, please come in. You’re just on time for your appointment. Did you have any problems finding my office?”
“Ummm, what? No, not at all.”
Red Tiger King looked around him as he entered the office. The room gave off a clinical vibe to him. Bookshelves lined one long wall, filled with books about psychology and understanding the human mind and plaques were mounted on the wall. He stared around for a moment, taken aback by it all.
“Why am I…”
The elderly man who had let him into the office took a seat in a tall-backed chair. He was balding, and there was a touch of gray to his hair and beard. The gentleman took his glasses off and polished him on his shirt sleeve.
“Now, now, I’ll be the one asking the questions today, if you wouldn’t mind? Please, take a seat on the couch over there.”
RTK took a seat on the couch and tried to make himself comfortable. He rubbed his hand across the upholstery and looked over at the old man.
“Am I supposed to lie down, Doctor…?”
The old man smiled.
“Doctor Io. Really, Mister {Redacted}, you really are much more confused than I was told. No, you don’t have to lie down; I find the idea to be out of date. Really, what psychiatrist would honestly expect their patients to lie down and expose themselves when they’re already feeling vulnerable and afraid. Just make yourself conformable, {Redacted}. Is it okay if I call you {Redacted}?”
“Ummm, yes of course. Listen, I really want to know…”
Doctor Io sat up and clapped his hands.
“Splendid. Please don’t mind me. I have another appointment in an hour and I really would like to get through as much as we can during his first session. You were recommended to my office by your friend Ron, from the support group. He seems to think quite highly of you, which is why I squeezed you into my busy schedule.”
Hearing Ron’s name, RTK sat up a bit straighter. After he had broken down at the meeting two weeks ago, Ron had driven him home and given him some sound advice. Had Ron told him to come see Doctor Io? He couldn’t remember.
“Ummm, I most gratefully appreciate it.”
The old man’s smile grew a bit bigger. There was something about it that RTK didn’t like, something almost familiar about it.
“You’re welcome, but let’s cut to the chase. Is it okay if I review some information with you from what I’ve been told?”
“Ummm, yes please.”
“Okay,” the doctor said, pulling out a notepad, “You're almost twenty-two, living with your girlfriend, Lucky. Your real mother died when you were two, your stepmother died when you were six in a car accident along with your two younger brothers. Raised by your father after that, but ran away when you were fifteen and joined a private army called ‘Fire Blood Clan’. Am I right so far?”
RTK swallowed hard and nodded. He pained for him to hear his whole childhood being dictated to him so cut and dry like this.
Doctor Io continued.
“Met your half-sister, {Redacted}, around the same time. I couldn’t find out much about your records during your time with that militia, but I’m sure we can discuss that during future sessions.”
Doctor Io set down the notepad and placed his glasses on the table. He stood to his feet and turned his back to RTK.
“What I want us to focus on, if you don’t mind, is on one simple question. Why did you abandon your father?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, you two were the only family each other had. How could you be so cruel as to run away and leave your father like that. Didn’t you realize how important you were to him. Didn’t you care how he might feel?”
Doctor Io spun around and RTK nearly fell over the back of the couch. Large canine teeth poked out of Doctor Io’s mouth and his face turned into demented grin. Gone was the kind looking face. Gone were the warm eyes. In their place was a red beastily face, like a demonic mask.
“Why did you run away,” the psychiatrist asked, his voice booming loudly. “You spoiled brat!”
No, he wasn’t really a psychiatrist, RTK realized almost too late, it was HIM. Not again!
The young man leapt to his feet and looked around for something to defend himself. Too late though, the man who he thought was a shrink leapt upon him and only RTK’s instincts saved him. He tossed the man overhead with a near perfect monkey flip, right into the bookshelf. Books scattered in all directions as the man hit the ground with a loud thump and the shelf fell on top of him.
Panicked, RTK ran for the door and tried to fling it open. The door handle was locked and wouldn’t budge. RTK threw his shoulder against the door, desperately trying to smash through it, but even as he tried he heard a loud roar behind him and before he could turn around, he was tackled to the floor by his tormentor.
The two of them rolled back and forth on the carpet. RTK fought like a wildman to break free. He tried one more time to flip his foe off him, but this time he couldn’t budge the man. His tormentor pinned him to the floor and seemed to grow larger and larger. Monstrous hands reached out and grabbed RTK around the neck and began choking the life out of him. RTK felt himself slowly fading away.
His tormentor began to laugh.
“Come home,” it said. “Come home! Come home!”
***
Red Tiger King sprung up from the couch and screamed. He looked around, confused at first but quickly realized he was in the living room of his apartment. Sweat drenched his clothes and he sat there shivering for a moment.
“It was just a dream,” he told himself. “It can’t hurt you. It’s just a dream.”
He looked up at the clock on the wall and swore. How was it almost four o’clock? Lucky would be home soon. He needed to get cleaned up for their date, but first though.
Red Tiger King grabbed his mask and put it on before reaching for his phone. He needed to cut a promo.
***
“Cerdo Mostaza, I can’t seem to figure you out. With all due respect, you might be one of the biggest wrestlers currently in Pollo Road, but you might be one of the least intelligent ones here as well.”
Really? I’m going to insult this guy’s intelligence? You know what, let’s just go with it.
“Two weeks ago we were on the same team and I tried to come to your aid when you got caught up in the rope. What did you do? You pushed me right over the announce table and nearly cost our team the match in the process. I would ask you what you were thinking, but I’m starting to think you were doing anything but that, thinking.”
Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. Try not to say anything stupid and this might work out.
“You see, there’s a difference between getting lost in the moment and being in control of the moment. For all the potential you should have out there two weeks ago, you showed almost no control whatsoever. It doesn’t matter how big you are or how strong you are, if you cannot control yourself, you might as well be a child driving at the wheel of a car.”
Yikes, that was cringeworthy. I really need to work better on my similes.
“I’ve heard you talking about how I’ve made it to the top of the mountain and won championship titles. This is true, but if you think I did it on raw talent you are sorely mistaken. It has taken discipline for me to reach those goals and it has taken even more discipline for me as I work to return to my former glory. When I look at you, I see someone who obviously spends a lot of time discipling your body, but I wonder exactly how disciplined you are between those two ears of yours.”
Great, calling him stupid again? Nevermind him, maybe I need to discipline myself to work better on my promo skills.
“You remind me of that story I heard as a child about David and Goliath. Goliath would come out in front of his enemies and brag about how big and strong he was, and would intimidate his enemies. In the end, David, much smaller and apparently less well equipped, took the giant down with a single stone. Cerdo Mostaza, for all your size and strength, you're nothing but a big braggart and like David, I’m going to knock you down and chop you down to size.”
WHAT?
“Cerdo Mostaza. I hope you’re ready because I most certainly will be!”
“Ah Mister {Redacted}, please come in. You’re just on time for your appointment. Did you have any problems finding my office?”
“Ummm, what? No, not at all.”
Red Tiger King looked around him as he entered the office. The room gave off a clinical vibe to him. Bookshelves lined one long wall, filled with books about psychology and understanding the human mind and plaques were mounted on the wall. He stared around for a moment, taken aback by it all.
“Why am I…”
The elderly man who had let him into the office took a seat in a tall-backed chair. He was balding, and there was a touch of gray to his hair and beard. The gentleman took his glasses off and polished him on his shirt sleeve.
“Now, now, I’ll be the one asking the questions today, if you wouldn’t mind? Please, take a seat on the couch over there.”
RTK took a seat on the couch and tried to make himself comfortable. He rubbed his hand across the upholstery and looked over at the old man.
“Am I supposed to lie down, Doctor…?”
The old man smiled.
“Doctor Io. Really, Mister {Redacted}, you really are much more confused than I was told. No, you don’t have to lie down; I find the idea to be out of date. Really, what psychiatrist would honestly expect their patients to lie down and expose themselves when they’re already feeling vulnerable and afraid. Just make yourself conformable, {Redacted}. Is it okay if I call you {Redacted}?”
“Ummm, yes of course. Listen, I really want to know…”
Doctor Io sat up and clapped his hands.
“Splendid. Please don’t mind me. I have another appointment in an hour and I really would like to get through as much as we can during his first session. You were recommended to my office by your friend Ron, from the support group. He seems to think quite highly of you, which is why I squeezed you into my busy schedule.”
Hearing Ron’s name, RTK sat up a bit straighter. After he had broken down at the meeting two weeks ago, Ron had driven him home and given him some sound advice. Had Ron told him to come see Doctor Io? He couldn’t remember.
“Ummm, I most gratefully appreciate it.”
The old man’s smile grew a bit bigger. There was something about it that RTK didn’t like, something almost familiar about it.
“You’re welcome, but let’s cut to the chase. Is it okay if I review some information with you from what I’ve been told?”
“Ummm, yes please.”
“Okay,” the doctor said, pulling out a notepad, “You're almost twenty-two, living with your girlfriend, Lucky. Your real mother died when you were two, your stepmother died when you were six in a car accident along with your two younger brothers. Raised by your father after that, but ran away when you were fifteen and joined a private army called ‘Fire Blood Clan’. Am I right so far?”
RTK swallowed hard and nodded. He pained for him to hear his whole childhood being dictated to him so cut and dry like this.
Doctor Io continued.
“Met your half-sister, {Redacted}, around the same time. I couldn’t find out much about your records during your time with that militia, but I’m sure we can discuss that during future sessions.”
Doctor Io set down the notepad and placed his glasses on the table. He stood to his feet and turned his back to RTK.
“What I want us to focus on, if you don’t mind, is on one simple question. Why did you abandon your father?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean, you two were the only family each other had. How could you be so cruel as to run away and leave your father like that. Didn’t you realize how important you were to him. Didn’t you care how he might feel?”
Doctor Io spun around and RTK nearly fell over the back of the couch. Large canine teeth poked out of Doctor Io’s mouth and his face turned into demented grin. Gone was the kind looking face. Gone were the warm eyes. In their place was a red beastily face, like a demonic mask.
“Why did you run away,” the psychiatrist asked, his voice booming loudly. “You spoiled brat!”
No, he wasn’t really a psychiatrist, RTK realized almost too late, it was HIM. Not again!
The young man leapt to his feet and looked around for something to defend himself. Too late though, the man who he thought was a shrink leapt upon him and only RTK’s instincts saved him. He tossed the man overhead with a near perfect monkey flip, right into the bookshelf. Books scattered in all directions as the man hit the ground with a loud thump and the shelf fell on top of him.
Panicked, RTK ran for the door and tried to fling it open. The door handle was locked and wouldn’t budge. RTK threw his shoulder against the door, desperately trying to smash through it, but even as he tried he heard a loud roar behind him and before he could turn around, he was tackled to the floor by his tormentor.
The two of them rolled back and forth on the carpet. RTK fought like a wildman to break free. He tried one more time to flip his foe off him, but this time he couldn’t budge the man. His tormentor pinned him to the floor and seemed to grow larger and larger. Monstrous hands reached out and grabbed RTK around the neck and began choking the life out of him. RTK felt himself slowly fading away.
His tormentor began to laugh.
“Come home,” it said. “Come home! Come home!”
***
Red Tiger King sprung up from the couch and screamed. He looked around, confused at first but quickly realized he was in the living room of his apartment. Sweat drenched his clothes and he sat there shivering for a moment.
“It was just a dream,” he told himself. “It can’t hurt you. It’s just a dream.”
He looked up at the clock on the wall and swore. How was it almost four o’clock? Lucky would be home soon. He needed to get cleaned up for their date, but first though.
Red Tiger King grabbed his mask and put it on before reaching for his phone. He needed to cut a promo.
***
“Cerdo Mostaza, I can’t seem to figure you out. With all due respect, you might be one of the biggest wrestlers currently in Pollo Road, but you might be one of the least intelligent ones here as well.”
Really? I’m going to insult this guy’s intelligence? You know what, let’s just go with it.
“Two weeks ago we were on the same team and I tried to come to your aid when you got caught up in the rope. What did you do? You pushed me right over the announce table and nearly cost our team the match in the process. I would ask you what you were thinking, but I’m starting to think you were doing anything but that, thinking.”
Okay, that didn’t sound too bad. Try not to say anything stupid and this might work out.
“You see, there’s a difference between getting lost in the moment and being in control of the moment. For all the potential you should have out there two weeks ago, you showed almost no control whatsoever. It doesn’t matter how big you are or how strong you are, if you cannot control yourself, you might as well be a child driving at the wheel of a car.”
Yikes, that was cringeworthy. I really need to work better on my similes.
“I’ve heard you talking about how I’ve made it to the top of the mountain and won championship titles. This is true, but if you think I did it on raw talent you are sorely mistaken. It has taken discipline for me to reach those goals and it has taken even more discipline for me as I work to return to my former glory. When I look at you, I see someone who obviously spends a lot of time discipling your body, but I wonder exactly how disciplined you are between those two ears of yours.”
Great, calling him stupid again? Nevermind him, maybe I need to discipline myself to work better on my promo skills.
“You remind me of that story I heard as a child about David and Goliath. Goliath would come out in front of his enemies and brag about how big and strong he was, and would intimidate his enemies. In the end, David, much smaller and apparently less well equipped, took the giant down with a single stone. Cerdo Mostaza, for all your size and strength, you're nothing but a big braggart and like David, I’m going to knock you down and chop you down to size.”
WHAT?
“Cerdo Mostaza. I hope you’re ready because I most certainly will be!”