Hey, people. Ok, It's Like This (hah), I'm so uncertain about this story. I don't know if anyone will read this, or if it's only interesting to me. I'm putting it up, and seeing what people think. So I'm gonna put up...well I guess as much of the story as I've written so far, which would be about three chapters, and you gotta review and tell me if you think I should continue. Ok, here I go, baring my soul.

Ella had her moments of spontaneity. Nothing terribly major, though, and that's what surprised her now. Barely a year out of university, she had decided on America. Her work permit came the day before her plane was scheduled, and she packed that evening. She hugged her parents goodbye, and in a matter of hours, was sitting, stunned and bewildered, in a small Florida motel.

Though never really an outgoing young woman, Ella gathered what courage and resolve she had, and threw herself into the industry.

Which industry? Ah. Well.

Ella was a rock 'n' roller. She loved the bright lights and flashing colours, loved the sweat and the pain and the terror. But Ella was never meant to be a rock star. Because, of course, she loved the bright lights.

She studied her Advanced Diploma of Lighting Production at the only university in Australia that would give it to her, across the country, in Perth. Far from home, she worked so hard, living and breathing and sleeping theatre. She got to know every lighting console they owned. She got hooked to that two and a half hours of button-pushing adrenaline. Unfortunately, Australia is no place for a young up-and-coming board operator.

So here she was.

She went for every job she could find, sometimes working every night of the week for weeks at a time, working her way up as a crew member, then getting known for her board op skills. She worked for a full year, renting a small apartment with her wages.

Then one night, she got the call that made at least half of her life-long dreams come true. And the conversation only took about two minutes.

The head electrician from TNA Wrestling had been talking to Mark Wayberg, a previous employer that she'd had the pleasure of working with on a few occasions. He was looking for- and this was the part she couldn't quite believe- a board programmer and operator.

'We use a Vista,' he said, and she almost whooped with delight. Her favourite lighting console, her favourite TV show, she wasn't too sure how much better it could get.

'And you'll be getting about 250 a night.'

She was deadly silent for a while. She tried to say something, but found that excitement had jammed up her throat. She cleared her throat and tried again.

'Ok. Sounds good. When do you need me to start?' Her voice sounded a little high pitched to her, she hoped he hadn't noticed.

'Well, you're still working on a play at the moment, is that right?'

Stuff the play, she wanted to scream, I'll come right away!! What she actually said was, 'Yes, that's right. But it finishes this Wednesday.'

'That works out perfectly, actually. Come in on Friday, we'll sort some stuff out, introduce you, and start working on that weeks Impact. Then you'll get a run at our weekly show before you do the Pay-Per-View event for next weekend.

She almost started weeping with joy. With some difficulty she managed to regain composure, accepting the offer with civility.

'See you Friday.'

Walking into the Impact Zone at Universal Studios was like walking straight into a TV. For quite a while it felt as though she had walked into something. She was so star struck that she let Tony Stuart, the head electrician who had hired her, talk for a good ten minutes before she realised what he was saying.

'...won't introduce you until everyone gets in. I guess I don't have to tell you that we have a bit of a problem starting early mornings. But I'll show you round the rest of the venue, and then you can have a look at the desk, and our presets. Obviously they get changed most weeks, so you'll have a meeting with our lighting designer, Pierce, who'll talk you through his notes for the next Impact, as well as next weekend's show. Sound ok?'

She blinked, trying to remember how to talk. 'Uh...yeah! Sounds awesome.' Tony winced at her choice of words.

'Yeah, well, This Is Awesome, of course.'

'Oops,' she said. 'Sorry. I guess it only takes a couple hundred runs of this show to get sick of that, huh?'

'Something like that.' He gave her a wide, genuine smile, dropping briefly out of his "tour guide" persona.

He was a pretty good looking guy, a bit too old for her, but he had a friendly, almost fatherly look about him. He had short, blondish hair, and the muscle tone of a man accustomed to working hard at his job. He wore a long-sleeved shirt with the arms pushed halfway up, and she could see the end of an old looking scar running down his forearm.

'Well, I suppose it comes with the job, eh? Come on, we'll continue our tour.' He turned away from her, gesturing for her to follow. 'So, obviously, this is the main arena space. Known affectionately as the Zone, we brook no "in the zone" jokes here, young lady.' His eyebrows lifted. 'Are we clear?'

'I make no promises,' she retorted. He laughed suddenly, startling two men walking past with a table.

'Ah, well, unfortunately nobody else really sticks to that rule, either. Aah, dear...well I'll take you up to your bio box a little later, for now we'll have a look backstage.' To her surprise, they actually walked out of one of the ramp entrances. It was bizarre, going where the cameras never followed. Once they were through the tunnel, however, the only thing to see was a rather monotonous concrete hallway, walls supported by bare steel truss, road cases pushed against the walls.

'Huh.'

Tony looked back at Ella.

'Yeah, kinda takes everyone like that.' They turned right, and walked some way down the corridor, to where the hallway opened to reveal a long string of doors in the concrete. Tony explained that they were the talent's dressing rooms. They walked past them all, Ella taking in each name on the door with a sense of elation. Tony turned down another corridor, then opened a door, motioning her through. It was a semi open room, tables and chairs scattered in lines.

'This is catering. Of course the talent never eat before or after they go on; says it makes them queasy. But feel free! We spend most of our time down here during shows.' Ella nodded, wondering how long she would spend in this room in the future. It felt very surreal.

Leaving the way they came, they climbed some stairs that actually led to surface level, where a brightly lit corridor, with windows that looked out onto grassed areas between buildings, led them to a pair of doors.

Just before they reached them, Tony stopped short, and Ella followed suit. He looked suddenly uncomfortable.

'Um...so you told me that you had previously watched TNA wrestling.'

'Yes, that's right. It's about the only sport I do watch.'

He rubbed the back of his head, looking like he was struggling for words.

'So...I mean, I guess then that you...realise what goes into the...preparation and uh...training, for the matches?'

Comprehension suddenly dawned for Ella.

'Oh! You mean the scripting? And the choreography?'

Relief shone through Tony's perturbed expression.

'Yes! Yeah, sorry to seem so strange, it's just that I'd hate to disillusion you so abruptly.'

'No worries there. I am long since disillusioned. Thanks for thinking of it, though.'

'My pleasure. So then, here I am proud to show you...' he paused for effect. '...our training facilities.' He opened the door just wide enough to admit them both, slipping through silently, closing the door behind him.

Ella's insides suffered a quick jolt, as though someone had sunk their fist into her belly, instead of the man in the ring in front of her.

The man, she noted, was Jay Lethal.

The man doing the punching, she also noted, was Sonjay Dutt.

'Huh.'

'Yeah, kinda takes everyone like that, too.'

The room was long and well lit, floor length mirrors set at regular intervals, placed to reflect the occupants of the three full-sized hexagonal rings that stretched the length of the room. The ring closest to them featured a rather slowed-down fight of Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal, while a buff looking man in a tracksuit walked around them, calling instructions.

'Ok, so trading blows, trading blows, now Jay, go for the Lethal Combination, that's right, and, oh! That's good, Sonjay, try twisting a little further out, so Jay spins as well. Perfect!'

Ella's unbelieving eyes wandered to the next ring, where a large man with long curly hair tied back in a ponytail was rehearsing a scene in which he apparently arrives just in time to save Eric Young from Team 3D. It took her a few seconds, but she realised that the man was actually an unmasked Abyss.

'This...is...'

Tony coughed loudly.

'...really cool.'

'You're learning.'

Next to each ring, a handful of other wrestlers were practicing moves on thickly padded floor, in front of the mirrors. She watched as Matt Morgan put Booker T straight to the ground with what looked like a rather gently done "Hellevator". As Matt Morgan jumped back up and stretched a hand down to Booker, she became aware that Tony was talking to her again.

'I mean, really they're all great guys. You get to know them, well you have to, we spend so much time here. And most of them don't mind when we hang around to watch; after all, it's their job.'

Her eyes followed Taylor Wilde as she ran a couple of steps and spear tackled one of the Beautiful People.

'Awes...great.'

Tony chuckled again.

'Well, we better move on. I anticipate that some of the crew might have showed up by now. If I'm not around, they tend to sneak off again.' He walked to the door, and Ella started to follow.

Before she did, her gaze swept over the furthest ring from the door, where it looked like a six-man tag-team match was being rehearsed. As she did, her eyes met with those of a wrestler who was leaning on the steel ropes. He had his hand out, and looked like he was in mid-tag, but was looking straight at her. Recognising the reddish-blond hair and lean frame, she dropped the gaze, quickly following Tony. Even across the room, she had sensed the massive stage presence of Christian Cage. She had to admit to herself, meeting the gaze of one of the wrestlers that had long been a symbol of absolute power was a little intimidating.

They walked back the way they came, and Tony continued to explain the structure of the production schedule for both weekly shows and main events. She nodded, forgetting that he couldn't see her, then started to make small noises of assent. As they walked past the dressing rooms again, however, she caught sight of Christian Cage's name on a door, and she thought again of their 'encounter'. The thought of the eye contact made her blush a little, but thankfully Tony wasn't looking at her.

It gave her a little shock, however, when the next door they walked past opened, and she almost collided with the man who suddenly appeared from it.

'Sti...I mean, hi!' she squeaked out.

'Oh, Hi Steve, how's it going? This is Ella Flynn, our new lighting op.'

'Oh, great! I'm Steve Borden,' he said, shaking her hand. 'But...I guess you already knew that,' he finished, taking in her wide eyes and sudden silence.

'Kinda,' she squeaked again. He laughed then, and she smiled sheepishly in return.

'Well, welcome to TNA. You should know, I have something of a history with the lighting crew. For some reason, they take my entrance as an opportunity to stop using all the lights!' She laughed, more at his easy-going attempt to relax her, than anything.

'So, Steve, you here for training?'

'No, actually, I just left this week's schedule in my dressing room yesterday. I figured that I probably needed to know when I have to be here, huh. Anyway, I'm off now. See you soon, Tony. Miss Flynn, I hope you have a good time settling in!' With that, the icon Sting walked back in the direction they'd come, swinging his car keys round one hand.

'See?' said Tony. 'Great guys.'