Rocky sat in his locker room, bored and flipping through the new issue of
WWF magazine. He stopped at the article on him and the immortal Hulk Hogan,
and remembered the night after No Way Out. He closed his eyes, as if
revisiting the incident in his mind. He could've lost it all that night.
**
"I'm gonna lay the smackdown on his crippled ass nWo style!" Hogan had screamed from the driver's seat of the semi. He revved the truck up as his buddies, Hall and Nash, watched and shouted with approval and encouragement. Hogan gassed the wheeler and crashed it right into the ambulance.
**
Rocky opened his eyes, wincing at the almost alive bang. He turned the page to see more captures of him and Hogan. The challenge, the handshake, the Rock Bottom. Rock shook his head. The decision of executing the Rock Bottom could've ended his life. But he'd made another triumphant return and went on to become the Best Ever. He was the Babe Ruth of the WWF. He had the torch Hogan handed down to him. Rocky knew he was on top of the world. He turned the page to see the ambulance, crushed and nearly shriveled. He tsked at the capture, knowing the sight on the inside was a lot worse. He closed his eyes again, and drew his eyebrows together in a frown, near tears.
**
"Get him out of there, guys!" One paramedic shouted, holding the door open. The others struggled to get the stretcher out, along with causing no more pain to The Great One. On the inside, Rocky couldn't make out any of the commotion. He could barely stay awake, feeling very weak from all the blood he lost… He mumbled a prayer to God, asking and begging for life.
**
A big hand on Rock's shoulder made him reopen his eyes, abruptly. "Okay there, Rock?" Hogan asked, showing concern for his "brother". Rock looked up to see his good friend and forced a smile, "Everything's fine, Hulk." He said. Hogan nodded and tilted his head to see the magazine that haunted The Rock. "I remember that night…" As if realizing that night caused Rock pain, he looked away from it and at Rock, "I'm sorry about that. Sorry really shouldn't cut it since I could've killed you…" Rock smiled, "Think nothing of it. I'm still here. And everything's fine." Hogan nodded and left the locker room. Rock looked at the ambulance picture again and sighed, "Everything's fine…"
**
After the show, Rock checked into a hotel and headed into his room. As he came to the door, he paused. Room 365. The Scorpion King had made 36.5 million… It was amazing. Rock smiled, at the thought of the loyal, passionate fans. The looks on their faces when his music would hit…
"If Ya Smell…!" They'd stand on their feet and hold their anticipation until The Great One stepped out, onto the entranceway. At that point, they'd scream, and cheer and try to get their signs on-camera. The adreadline pumping in Rock's heart, the adredaline pumping through the fans's throats; they screamed and cheered and smiled at the sight of The Most Electrifying Man In Sports-Entertainment. He was their champ. …And he thought he always would be…
Rock snapped back into reality and went ahead inside his room for the night. Throwing his things onto the floor, near the foot of the bed, he fell onto the soft mattress, face down in the pillow. He felt the mint slid down the silk pillow cover and tap the side of his head. He lifted his face and looked at it, always having eaten the mint before anything, all the time. But that time was different. Along with the small mint was a folded piece of paper. He took the paper first and unfolded it to see a long written letter. He began to read:
"Dear Rocky,
It's been a while. You may or may not remember me, but I remember you. I won't go into detail because we'll see each other soon. I'm in the WWFE now. I've missed you and I've patiently been waiting to reunite with you. This was one of the only ways, and I wasn't gonna take the other way and wait in front of your house…"
That sentence was followed by a happy face, clearing the joke. He continued…
"I guess I'll see you soon. I'll meet up with you at the taping, but don't go off searching. I'll come to your locker room. Promise.
Love,
Your Certain Someone"
Rock reread the letter two more times and shook his head. Who the hell was it? He scanned his memory, trying to remember someone, anyone, who could've written the note. No one came to mind, soon after. Rock folded the letter and slipped it onto the dresser. He'd have to wait until tomorrow to see what that was all about…
**
"I'm gonna lay the smackdown on his crippled ass nWo style!" Hogan had screamed from the driver's seat of the semi. He revved the truck up as his buddies, Hall and Nash, watched and shouted with approval and encouragement. Hogan gassed the wheeler and crashed it right into the ambulance.
**
Rocky opened his eyes, wincing at the almost alive bang. He turned the page to see more captures of him and Hogan. The challenge, the handshake, the Rock Bottom. Rock shook his head. The decision of executing the Rock Bottom could've ended his life. But he'd made another triumphant return and went on to become the Best Ever. He was the Babe Ruth of the WWF. He had the torch Hogan handed down to him. Rocky knew he was on top of the world. He turned the page to see the ambulance, crushed and nearly shriveled. He tsked at the capture, knowing the sight on the inside was a lot worse. He closed his eyes again, and drew his eyebrows together in a frown, near tears.
**
"Get him out of there, guys!" One paramedic shouted, holding the door open. The others struggled to get the stretcher out, along with causing no more pain to The Great One. On the inside, Rocky couldn't make out any of the commotion. He could barely stay awake, feeling very weak from all the blood he lost… He mumbled a prayer to God, asking and begging for life.
**
A big hand on Rock's shoulder made him reopen his eyes, abruptly. "Okay there, Rock?" Hogan asked, showing concern for his "brother". Rock looked up to see his good friend and forced a smile, "Everything's fine, Hulk." He said. Hogan nodded and tilted his head to see the magazine that haunted The Rock. "I remember that night…" As if realizing that night caused Rock pain, he looked away from it and at Rock, "I'm sorry about that. Sorry really shouldn't cut it since I could've killed you…" Rock smiled, "Think nothing of it. I'm still here. And everything's fine." Hogan nodded and left the locker room. Rock looked at the ambulance picture again and sighed, "Everything's fine…"
**
After the show, Rock checked into a hotel and headed into his room. As he came to the door, he paused. Room 365. The Scorpion King had made 36.5 million… It was amazing. Rock smiled, at the thought of the loyal, passionate fans. The looks on their faces when his music would hit…
"If Ya Smell…!" They'd stand on their feet and hold their anticipation until The Great One stepped out, onto the entranceway. At that point, they'd scream, and cheer and try to get their signs on-camera. The adreadline pumping in Rock's heart, the adredaline pumping through the fans's throats; they screamed and cheered and smiled at the sight of The Most Electrifying Man In Sports-Entertainment. He was their champ. …And he thought he always would be…
Rock snapped back into reality and went ahead inside his room for the night. Throwing his things onto the floor, near the foot of the bed, he fell onto the soft mattress, face down in the pillow. He felt the mint slid down the silk pillow cover and tap the side of his head. He lifted his face and looked at it, always having eaten the mint before anything, all the time. But that time was different. Along with the small mint was a folded piece of paper. He took the paper first and unfolded it to see a long written letter. He began to read:
"Dear Rocky,
It's been a while. You may or may not remember me, but I remember you. I won't go into detail because we'll see each other soon. I'm in the WWFE now. I've missed you and I've patiently been waiting to reunite with you. This was one of the only ways, and I wasn't gonna take the other way and wait in front of your house…"
That sentence was followed by a happy face, clearing the joke. He continued…
"I guess I'll see you soon. I'll meet up with you at the taping, but don't go off searching. I'll come to your locker room. Promise.
Love,
Your Certain Someone"
Rock reread the letter two more times and shook his head. Who the hell was it? He scanned his memory, trying to remember someone, anyone, who could've written the note. No one came to mind, soon after. Rock folded the letter and slipped it onto the dresser. He'd have to wait until tomorrow to see what that was all about…