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The Skeleton Out Of The Cupboard
I was waiting backstage after a show. Earlier on I had been facing Chyna for the Woman's Championship, saying Chyna I of course mean Joanie Laurer. That's what it is like in this business, by day you are yourself, but as soon as you enter the arena you take on your characters life.
The match had gone well, but I had a slight headache after particularly vicious DDT.
Finally from around the corner Matt and Jeff appeared, playfully teasing each other. "Hey Jeff I counted eight signs of proposal out there", said Matt.
"I don't think the people of Long Island like your, hmmmmmmmmm, lets say rugged erm looks?" Jeff shot back.
"Aw thanks, no wait a minute. Was that an insult?" A look of playful innocence flickered across Jeff's face.
"What? Me? Insult my dear elder brother?" Jeff half laughed. I skipped over to Matt and wiped the look of spreading confusion off his face by snaking my arm around his waist, and giving him a quick yet passion filled kiss. Keeping my arm around him I looked up into his deep brown eyes and murmured, "I love you".
"Hey Amy if you have quite finished trying to make my brother believe that he isn't the ugliest person on the planet, could we get a move on. I'm hungry", said Jeff in his sweet innocent child voice.
"Sorry bro", said Matt. We all linked arms and exited the arena.
We were immediately mobbed by a pack of fans all individually screaming, "Oh my god! Matt, Jeff, Lita I love you guys", etc. Matt wasn't kidding when he talked about proposal. Every night we went out there we were faced with signs declaring the holder's declaration of love and offers of marriage it can get really embarrassing. I try not to get to affected by it as they are in love with Lita not little old Amy Dumas. "Where the hell is security?" I yelled above the screams. I received no reply, as at that very moment Matt and Jeff were both ripped away from my linked arms by their 'adoring' fans. Something was wrong security was meant to be here and protect us from this kind of stuff. Glancing around I saw no sight of Matt's sleek black hair, but I caught sight of Jeff's purple and green hair being bourn off through the crowd. I attempted to follow. Most of the fans were girls and they weren't as interested in me as they were with the boys.
I fought my way through the crowd. What? A blast of recognition. An old familiar feeling riding deep within me. A cold, hard face from the past. I stopped stone cold dead. A chill ran from the base of my spine straight though me.
"MATT!" I screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU?" I was really fighting the crowd now. I threw tight punches at the crowd around me and they parted before me. A thousand thoughts were running through my head, each one more terrible than the last. I saw a knot of girls bending down to look at something on the floor. "Please no, not him", I said out loud. I pushed through the knot, and saw Matt senseless on the floor. He had a gash running all the way across his forehead. His whole face was bathed in a mask of blood. Already a crimson pool forming on the ground. I fell down on my knees beside him, and attempted to find a pulse. There was nothing. "Someone call 911 quickly", I garbled quickly. Frantically I began mouth to mouth.
* * * * *
"Jeff, try not to worry Matt will be ok. He has survived three table, ladders and chairs matches, he's strong he can fight through this." I said trying to sound reassuringly while I was losing hold of my own emotions.
"Amy he is my brother and this is nothing like a TLC match. I feel exactly what he feels. We support each other through being each other, it has been like that ever since Mom died."
I tilted Jeff's head up with my hand. The emerald eyes that normally sparkled with mischievous delight now sparkled with tears. "Jeff take a hold of yourself. I have known you and Matt for a long time. I know how deep your connection goes. Matt needs you to be strong inside because he will draw from it as well. I'm going to get a soda for us both, I can't stand this waiting".
He nodded slowly and used a purple tuft of hair to flick away the tears that had unknowingly appeared on my cheeks. "I just can't understand how this happened", he said.
"No me neither", those words stuck in my throat as I turned and walked away. As I walked I could feel the darkness taking grip inside me. He must be so close. A side door was thrust open and an arm reached out and pulled me in so strongly that I fell onto the floor. There was a creak as the door closed behind me. "To play the game you've got to be insane, you've got to change your name, you're going to die in flames". A mans voice said.
"Damien this isn't a game anymore, Matt is in that room trying to hold onto his life", I said softly from my position on the floor.
"You should be lucky that he still has his life to try and hold onto. You think by running away from me and masquerading as Lita that it would all stop? You dare to think that you can hide from me? he chuckled. "You were never exactly bright but going on TV that is so dumb!"
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I whispered.
"You joined the game and now you must live it".
"My life is not a toy for you to play around with".
"That's were you are wrong." I could feel him in the darkness as he knelled down next to me. His hand suddenly clutched at my throat applying a light pressure, just enough to warn me not to do anything. "You and I started something that day. We are binded together with blood that was freely given. We wanted total togetherness forever". His voice was taking on a sick almost romantic tone.
"You are sick Damien. You didn't tell the truth. You took control of me. You ran through my desires and fears. Ransacking my mind, it wasn't mine anymore. When you left I thought that was it but you hunted me down again when I was 18 and your jealousy was what killed my first date for a long time. That guy hardly knew me, but you killed him through the blindness of your lust. I moved again and buried you in the folds of what you had left of my mind. I found to guys who trained me into a business that I love. I found a man I could connect with and who I trust and love. The man who is now lying in a hospital bed on the verge of death, once again because of your inability to let go". I could barely get enough air in to be able to talk properly, because of the slight increase of pressure on my throat.
"He doesn't deserve you. Everytime you touch him you are betraying the pact that we made together. Now that I have found you after seven years of searching, I am claiming you for my own". His voice was getting more and more full of malice. "As it is your fault that he is nearly dead then you are going to tell him about me, and how much you are mine."
What is he going on about, I was never really his to take? I cannot do this to Jeff and Matt. I thought that I had buried all my past behind me. I didn't want Damien riding to the surface again. I love Matt with all of my heart, and my feelings were growing stronger each day that passed. "No Damien I'm not going to do that". The pressure on my throat increased. "Damien", I gurgled, "I can't breathe". My eyes were clouding over and I could no longer focus on the faint glimmer of light that was coming through a crack in the door.
A voice whispered close to my ear and I really had to concentrate to hear it. "Yes you will go and tell him, otherwise I will go and finish the job". My heart was breaking within me. I strained to nod my head as I did he realised me. "When do you want me to go and tell him?" I whispered, massaging my neck.
"Right now", was the reply.
* * * * *
As Damien marched me down the corridor, I massaged my neck I had no idea how I was going to do this. I decided on trying to be alone in the room when I spoke to Matt. I didn't want Damien to have the satisfaction of seeing Matt after I had told him the truth.
We arrived outside the room that Matt was in, but Jeff wasn't outside. "Um Damien Jeff must be in there as well. If you wait in here then I will go and tell them how much I want to be with you", I said trying to hold my voice together.
"Alright but only if you kiss me right now". The very thought of even touching this creep repulsed me I had to keep up the pretence of love. Damien pulled me roughly towards him and I no choice but to kiss him. This kiss was filled with a dark lust that was radiating off him. The taste of it was dark and evil and I wanted nothing more than to get as far away as possible but I had to do this for Matt. After a seeming eternity he released me. "Don't forget my sweet I will be listening just outside this door". I just turned and walked into the nightmare.
Jeff was sitting next to Matt. The gash in Matt's head was done up with a neat row of stitches. There was blood clotting all though his hair and his tank top was stained black in places. He was conscious again at least, and attempted a weak smile. "Hello stranger Jeff thought that the soda machine had eaten you!"
"Look you guys I really need to talk to you about something". I sat down no the bed and took Matt's hand in mine.
"Amy are you ok". Jeff asked.
"Yes I'm fine, just listen to me, and don't interrupt. When I was 14 I had a boyfriend called Damien. We thought that we would spend the rest of our lives together. We were so happy. One day Damien announced that he was moving with his parents to Houston, Texas. I was devastated and so was he. On our last day together he produced a book called 'Inspirito", he said that inside he had found a way that we really could always be together". At this point out of the corner of my eye I saw Jeff get up and start walking around the room.
"There was a passage called 'Siod', it spoke of how to people in love could blend their minds and souls together, just by mixing their blood, and saying a few words. So Damien and I decided to do this". At this point Matt had drastically tightened the hold that he had on my hand. "I knew that something had gone wrong as soon as I said the last few words. I could feel something in my mind, searching through my thoughts. The strength was draining away from my limbs. Instead of sharing the power he had taken nearly all control over me. After he had moved away I could still feel his presence inside of me and there was nothing I could do. As time passed it did grow weaker but it was always there. I never had the sense that my thoughts were my own.
When I was 18 I was out on one of my very few dates with a guy called Mark. The whole night I had felt this strange feeling inside. I cut the date short and as we walked back through campus the realisation of what, no who it was dawned on me. Before I had a chance to say anything a shot was fired and Mark slumped to the ground beside me. I tried to help really I did, but the Damien inside of me held me back". As I spoke I could feel that both Hardy brothers were staring at me, trying to penetrate what was happening inside of me.
"I dropped out of school, and moved around for a while before finally arriving in Cameron, North Carolina, where I met you two. Matt when I first met you I was unwilling to accept my feelings for you, but as our happiness grew the fear of Damien became buried in my mind". I did not want to continue but the thought of Damien outside the door and his power inside of me begged me to continue.
"I...I saw him in the crowd tonight, and I felt the love spurting inside of me again. Soon after when I found you it was no surprise for me nothing could hurt me as my heart was souring high". Matt gasped and dropped my hand, but I knew that Jeff was holding me captive in an unwavering gaze. It was his way.
"I met him just now in the corridor, and I know that what I feel for him I could never get from another man". As I was saying this I was violently nodding my head, desperately trying to get over how untrue this was. Tears were once again freely flowing down my cheeks.
Like a comet Jeff darted out of the door, and there was a loud thud and the sound of a fight. Astonished I leapt off Matt's bed and hurled my self out of the door. Jeff had Damien down on the floor, but Damien shoved him aside got up and ran. Jeff ran after him and I followed. Like a pack of wolves we ran though the hospital. Past open-mouthed nurses and disapproving patients. Hurtled down stairs and flew though corridors.
Our chase led us to the outside. As I went through the entrance doors I lost sight of Jeff and Damien. I stood still silently gulping down air. I saw a figure move out of the shadows behind me and make a leap at me; I knew inside that it was Damien. I moved back and caught him as he flew through the air and I threw him straight into the road. Everything moved slowly and as if in a dream, I saw the cars hit Damien. I saw him being flung into the air and flop back to the pavement. The cars bursting into flames and the hungry heat envelop his body. There was a pain inside that struck out into my head. It was the only thing I knew, all else was forgotten.
* * * * *
I was lying down when I next opened my eyes and recent event flipped through my head. I turned my head and saw Jeff sleeping on a chair next to me; he had a long angry looking slash just above his eyebrow that had tiny beads of dried blood in it. I turned my head again and was greeted to the sight of Matt his eyes full of tears looking at me disbelief. "Hey Babe don't move much, I think that Damien's death has taken a small part of you to, but you are going to be alright."
"How did Jeff know..."I started.
"Your eyes kept glancing towards the door and there were marks on your neck that showed you had been held by it. He also knew that there was no way that you would be telling us that kind of stuff", he smiled. "You scared me a lot, but I know you didn't mean the last bit".
We sat in silence for a while. There was a part of me that kept repeating that my life would have been a lot happier, if I had told my secret before, but would I have then met Matt I didn't know.
Matt broke the silence by saying something that I couldn't hear. "What was that?" I said.
He bent over me and said, "I said kiss me Amy". As the warmth of the kiss flowed though my body, in a way that it had not been allowed to do. Damien's mad chant sang in my head.
"To play the game, you've got to be insane, you've got to change your name, you're going to die in flames".
I couldn't help wandering whether the prophecy came true for both people or just for the person who had taken control. As Matt kissed me again, I once again buried the unwanted things in the mind that was now truly mine.
The Skeleton Out Of The Cupboard
I was waiting backstage after a show. Earlier on I had been facing Chyna for the Woman's Championship, saying Chyna I of course mean Joanie Laurer. That's what it is like in this business, by day you are yourself, but as soon as you enter the arena you take on your characters life.
The match had gone well, but I had a slight headache after particularly vicious DDT.
Finally from around the corner Matt and Jeff appeared, playfully teasing each other. "Hey Jeff I counted eight signs of proposal out there", said Matt.
"I don't think the people of Long Island like your, hmmmmmmmmm, lets say rugged erm looks?" Jeff shot back.
"Aw thanks, no wait a minute. Was that an insult?" A look of playful innocence flickered across Jeff's face.
"What? Me? Insult my dear elder brother?" Jeff half laughed. I skipped over to Matt and wiped the look of spreading confusion off his face by snaking my arm around his waist, and giving him a quick yet passion filled kiss. Keeping my arm around him I looked up into his deep brown eyes and murmured, "I love you".
"Hey Amy if you have quite finished trying to make my brother believe that he isn't the ugliest person on the planet, could we get a move on. I'm hungry", said Jeff in his sweet innocent child voice.
"Sorry bro", said Matt. We all linked arms and exited the arena.
We were immediately mobbed by a pack of fans all individually screaming, "Oh my god! Matt, Jeff, Lita I love you guys", etc. Matt wasn't kidding when he talked about proposal. Every night we went out there we were faced with signs declaring the holder's declaration of love and offers of marriage it can get really embarrassing. I try not to get to affected by it as they are in love with Lita not little old Amy Dumas. "Where the hell is security?" I yelled above the screams. I received no reply, as at that very moment Matt and Jeff were both ripped away from my linked arms by their 'adoring' fans. Something was wrong security was meant to be here and protect us from this kind of stuff. Glancing around I saw no sight of Matt's sleek black hair, but I caught sight of Jeff's purple and green hair being bourn off through the crowd. I attempted to follow. Most of the fans were girls and they weren't as interested in me as they were with the boys.
I fought my way through the crowd. What? A blast of recognition. An old familiar feeling riding deep within me. A cold, hard face from the past. I stopped stone cold dead. A chill ran from the base of my spine straight though me.
"MATT!" I screamed. "WHERE ARE YOU?" I was really fighting the crowd now. I threw tight punches at the crowd around me and they parted before me. A thousand thoughts were running through my head, each one more terrible than the last. I saw a knot of girls bending down to look at something on the floor. "Please no, not him", I said out loud. I pushed through the knot, and saw Matt senseless on the floor. He had a gash running all the way across his forehead. His whole face was bathed in a mask of blood. Already a crimson pool forming on the ground. I fell down on my knees beside him, and attempted to find a pulse. There was nothing. "Someone call 911 quickly", I garbled quickly. Frantically I began mouth to mouth.
* * * * *
"Jeff, try not to worry Matt will be ok. He has survived three table, ladders and chairs matches, he's strong he can fight through this." I said trying to sound reassuringly while I was losing hold of my own emotions.
"Amy he is my brother and this is nothing like a TLC match. I feel exactly what he feels. We support each other through being each other, it has been like that ever since Mom died."
I tilted Jeff's head up with my hand. The emerald eyes that normally sparkled with mischievous delight now sparkled with tears. "Jeff take a hold of yourself. I have known you and Matt for a long time. I know how deep your connection goes. Matt needs you to be strong inside because he will draw from it as well. I'm going to get a soda for us both, I can't stand this waiting".
He nodded slowly and used a purple tuft of hair to flick away the tears that had unknowingly appeared on my cheeks. "I just can't understand how this happened", he said.
"No me neither", those words stuck in my throat as I turned and walked away. As I walked I could feel the darkness taking grip inside me. He must be so close. A side door was thrust open and an arm reached out and pulled me in so strongly that I fell onto the floor. There was a creak as the door closed behind me. "To play the game you've got to be insane, you've got to change your name, you're going to die in flames". A mans voice said.
"Damien this isn't a game anymore, Matt is in that room trying to hold onto his life", I said softly from my position on the floor.
"You should be lucky that he still has his life to try and hold onto. You think by running away from me and masquerading as Lita that it would all stop? You dare to think that you can hide from me? he chuckled. "You were never exactly bright but going on TV that is so dumb!"
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" I whispered.
"You joined the game and now you must live it".
"My life is not a toy for you to play around with".
"That's were you are wrong." I could feel him in the darkness as he knelled down next to me. His hand suddenly clutched at my throat applying a light pressure, just enough to warn me not to do anything. "You and I started something that day. We are binded together with blood that was freely given. We wanted total togetherness forever". His voice was taking on a sick almost romantic tone.
"You are sick Damien. You didn't tell the truth. You took control of me. You ran through my desires and fears. Ransacking my mind, it wasn't mine anymore. When you left I thought that was it but you hunted me down again when I was 18 and your jealousy was what killed my first date for a long time. That guy hardly knew me, but you killed him through the blindness of your lust. I moved again and buried you in the folds of what you had left of my mind. I found to guys who trained me into a business that I love. I found a man I could connect with and who I trust and love. The man who is now lying in a hospital bed on the verge of death, once again because of your inability to let go". I could barely get enough air in to be able to talk properly, because of the slight increase of pressure on my throat.
"He doesn't deserve you. Everytime you touch him you are betraying the pact that we made together. Now that I have found you after seven years of searching, I am claiming you for my own". His voice was getting more and more full of malice. "As it is your fault that he is nearly dead then you are going to tell him about me, and how much you are mine."
What is he going on about, I was never really his to take? I cannot do this to Jeff and Matt. I thought that I had buried all my past behind me. I didn't want Damien riding to the surface again. I love Matt with all of my heart, and my feelings were growing stronger each day that passed. "No Damien I'm not going to do that". The pressure on my throat increased. "Damien", I gurgled, "I can't breathe". My eyes were clouding over and I could no longer focus on the faint glimmer of light that was coming through a crack in the door.
A voice whispered close to my ear and I really had to concentrate to hear it. "Yes you will go and tell him, otherwise I will go and finish the job". My heart was breaking within me. I strained to nod my head as I did he realised me. "When do you want me to go and tell him?" I whispered, massaging my neck.
"Right now", was the reply.
* * * * *
As Damien marched me down the corridor, I massaged my neck I had no idea how I was going to do this. I decided on trying to be alone in the room when I spoke to Matt. I didn't want Damien to have the satisfaction of seeing Matt after I had told him the truth.
We arrived outside the room that Matt was in, but Jeff wasn't outside. "Um Damien Jeff must be in there as well. If you wait in here then I will go and tell them how much I want to be with you", I said trying to hold my voice together.
"Alright but only if you kiss me right now". The very thought of even touching this creep repulsed me I had to keep up the pretence of love. Damien pulled me roughly towards him and I no choice but to kiss him. This kiss was filled with a dark lust that was radiating off him. The taste of it was dark and evil and I wanted nothing more than to get as far away as possible but I had to do this for Matt. After a seeming eternity he released me. "Don't forget my sweet I will be listening just outside this door". I just turned and walked into the nightmare.
Jeff was sitting next to Matt. The gash in Matt's head was done up with a neat row of stitches. There was blood clotting all though his hair and his tank top was stained black in places. He was conscious again at least, and attempted a weak smile. "Hello stranger Jeff thought that the soda machine had eaten you!"
"Look you guys I really need to talk to you about something". I sat down no the bed and took Matt's hand in mine.
"Amy are you ok". Jeff asked.
"Yes I'm fine, just listen to me, and don't interrupt. When I was 14 I had a boyfriend called Damien. We thought that we would spend the rest of our lives together. We were so happy. One day Damien announced that he was moving with his parents to Houston, Texas. I was devastated and so was he. On our last day together he produced a book called 'Inspirito", he said that inside he had found a way that we really could always be together". At this point out of the corner of my eye I saw Jeff get up and start walking around the room.
"There was a passage called 'Siod', it spoke of how to people in love could blend their minds and souls together, just by mixing their blood, and saying a few words. So Damien and I decided to do this". At this point Matt had drastically tightened the hold that he had on my hand. "I knew that something had gone wrong as soon as I said the last few words. I could feel something in my mind, searching through my thoughts. The strength was draining away from my limbs. Instead of sharing the power he had taken nearly all control over me. After he had moved away I could still feel his presence inside of me and there was nothing I could do. As time passed it did grow weaker but it was always there. I never had the sense that my thoughts were my own.
When I was 18 I was out on one of my very few dates with a guy called Mark. The whole night I had felt this strange feeling inside. I cut the date short and as we walked back through campus the realisation of what, no who it was dawned on me. Before I had a chance to say anything a shot was fired and Mark slumped to the ground beside me. I tried to help really I did, but the Damien inside of me held me back". As I spoke I could feel that both Hardy brothers were staring at me, trying to penetrate what was happening inside of me.
"I dropped out of school, and moved around for a while before finally arriving in Cameron, North Carolina, where I met you two. Matt when I first met you I was unwilling to accept my feelings for you, but as our happiness grew the fear of Damien became buried in my mind". I did not want to continue but the thought of Damien outside the door and his power inside of me begged me to continue.
"I...I saw him in the crowd tonight, and I felt the love spurting inside of me again. Soon after when I found you it was no surprise for me nothing could hurt me as my heart was souring high". Matt gasped and dropped my hand, but I knew that Jeff was holding me captive in an unwavering gaze. It was his way.
"I met him just now in the corridor, and I know that what I feel for him I could never get from another man". As I was saying this I was violently nodding my head, desperately trying to get over how untrue this was. Tears were once again freely flowing down my cheeks.
Like a comet Jeff darted out of the door, and there was a loud thud and the sound of a fight. Astonished I leapt off Matt's bed and hurled my self out of the door. Jeff had Damien down on the floor, but Damien shoved him aside got up and ran. Jeff ran after him and I followed. Like a pack of wolves we ran though the hospital. Past open-mouthed nurses and disapproving patients. Hurtled down stairs and flew though corridors.
Our chase led us to the outside. As I went through the entrance doors I lost sight of Jeff and Damien. I stood still silently gulping down air. I saw a figure move out of the shadows behind me and make a leap at me; I knew inside that it was Damien. I moved back and caught him as he flew through the air and I threw him straight into the road. Everything moved slowly and as if in a dream, I saw the cars hit Damien. I saw him being flung into the air and flop back to the pavement. The cars bursting into flames and the hungry heat envelop his body. There was a pain inside that struck out into my head. It was the only thing I knew, all else was forgotten.
* * * * *
I was lying down when I next opened my eyes and recent event flipped through my head. I turned my head and saw Jeff sleeping on a chair next to me; he had a long angry looking slash just above his eyebrow that had tiny beads of dried blood in it. I turned my head again and was greeted to the sight of Matt his eyes full of tears looking at me disbelief. "Hey Babe don't move much, I think that Damien's death has taken a small part of you to, but you are going to be alright."
"How did Jeff know..."I started.
"Your eyes kept glancing towards the door and there were marks on your neck that showed you had been held by it. He also knew that there was no way that you would be telling us that kind of stuff", he smiled. "You scared me a lot, but I know you didn't mean the last bit".
We sat in silence for a while. There was a part of me that kept repeating that my life would have been a lot happier, if I had told my secret before, but would I have then met Matt I didn't know.
Matt broke the silence by saying something that I couldn't hear. "What was that?" I said.
He bent over me and said, "I said kiss me Amy". As the warmth of the kiss flowed though my body, in a way that it had not been allowed to do. Damien's mad chant sang in my head.
"To play the game, you've got to be insane, you've got to change your name, you're going to die in flames".
I couldn't help wandering whether the prophecy came true for both people or just for the person who had taken control. As Matt kissed me again, I once again buried the unwanted things in the mind that was now truly mine.