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EPLIOGUE; SO MANY MEMORIES
The light from the computer was beginning to hurt her eyes. She lifted her hands from the keyboard and massaged her eye-sockets. She'd lost track of how long she'd been working in front of the screen for and it wasn't doing her any good. It didn't matter how painful it was, she had to get this work done before she went home. It was her responsibility. Resolved, she put her glasses on and focused on the facts and figures displayed in front of her. It was boring work but all part of the scope of her job. It balanced out the better more rewarding aspects of it like on-camera work and knowing that her decisions affected the company fairly. That she balanced everything out really. It was a satisfying feeling and made her job and living worthwhile. For anyone else it would be tiresome and draining, leaving them with nothing left in their life but their job. But for her, her life was her work and it always would be. The two were intrinsically woven together and sometimes there was no difference between the two at all. It had been that way since she'd married Vince Mcmahon
The phone rang as she continued to type on the keyboard in front of her. Who wanted to interrupt her now? She'd told the front desk that she wasn't to be disturbed while she was working tonight. She had to get the work done so that she could get home for a relatively peaceful night's sleep. It was the only rest she was going to get. She tried to ignore the persistent ringing but finally gave in. She pulled her glasses off and massaging her face with one hand, turned from the screen and picked up the handset
"I said no calls through" she reminded the person on the other hand
"Sorry Mrs Mcmahon but this one is really urgent, I think you should hear it" the secretary was unusually subdued.
Something about her tone made Linda pause before answering
"Ok, put them through, but this is the only call I'm taking tonight"
"Sure thing Mrs Mcmahon"
There was a click and the caller was put through. What they said to her made the colour drain from her face. She nearly dropped the handset in her shock. All thoughts about her work momentarily were pushed aside by grief. She swallowed hard.
"Thank you for letting me know" she said finally
She dropped the handset with a clack. There was silence as all she heard was her own breathing, suddenly amplified. She was aware of the emptiness of the building, only herself, the secretary at the front desk and the few after-hours workers who cleaned and tidied up. She was aware of her isolation. She had to tell someone. Rapidly, her thoughts slotted back into place and things started making sense again.
She dialled a number hurriedly and held the handset to her ear. The purring tone told her that the number wasn't busy. That was a relief. Then his voice answered
"Vince, its Linda" she said, aware her tone was shaking somewhat "I have some news that you should know"
She took a deep breath. He sounded concerned, evidently hearing the sadness and shock in her voice. Drawing herself together, she went on
"Elizabeth Hulette died last night" it came out in a rush, not the way it was supposed to in her mind "Lex was with her I think"
She listened as he replied. He sounded the way she did; stunned and choked for words.
"I don't think Eric will mind if we have a little tribute created for her on Monday, she was part of WCW too remember" she said "yes I'll make sure someone tells him, I'll be back soon, I've just got some work to do"
Before her husband could say anything else, she put the phone down and sat in breathless silence. Vince would only implore her to leave the work for tomorrow, that she wasn't in a suitable state to do anymore after the shock of Elizabeth's death on her mind
He was right about one thing, she wouldn't be able to concentrate that was for sure. Miss Elizabeth had been part of the WWE in the Eighties, when it was just beginning to bloom and more than that, she'd been one of the first divas. You couldn't really describe her as diva though. She was pure and classy, always dressed immaculately and doing the right thing with a beautiful smile on her face
Linda smiled at the memory. Miss Elizabeth was special that was for sure. But now like many before her, she had been taken away. Oh all the things that Linda had seen and all the people she'd seen fade away. Nothing cut right into her more than the feeling of losing one of their number, one of the people she'd had some part in nurturing. Wrestlers were a fraternity, a group who loved and cared for each other no matter what. It may sound corny but it was true. When one died, all who knew them well or knew of them united in their grief. It had always been that way
A wealth of memories overtook her. All who had gone before. All who had been taken away before people were ready. Owen Hart, who's tragedy was not even anyone's fault. A freak fall from the rope catwalk and a warning to those nearby him and he was gone. No one had really recovered from it. His closest friends were never the same again. Davey Boy Smith, Better known as The British Bulldog. He was Owen's brother-in-law. Brian Pillman, Rick Rude, Andre the Giant and most recently Curt Hennig, Mr Perfect himself who'd taken one last return in 2002 and then was taken so suddenly, people were still reeling from the shock. So many memories, so many lives taken before they were supposed to.
Tears freely trickled down her face and Linda cried for them. People who had helped build the WWE in more ways than they could ever imagine, snuffed out by chance, fate and destiny. She'd told herself that she would get used it, it was a fact of the job, that it would get easier with time, seeing her friends slip away. But it never did. And she would always remain here. Left behind to count the numbers and names of those who'd left and continue to pick up the pieces. It was part of her duty. She wiped the tears from her face with a sigh as she looked into the distance, a place she couldn't see or feel. She had work to do. With a resolved sigh, she picked up her glasses and began typing again.
She would always remember though. They would remain in her mind forever. The people before her and after her. The chosen ones. The lost ones. Forever.
EPLIOGUE; SO MANY MEMORIES
The light from the computer was beginning to hurt her eyes. She lifted her hands from the keyboard and massaged her eye-sockets. She'd lost track of how long she'd been working in front of the screen for and it wasn't doing her any good. It didn't matter how painful it was, she had to get this work done before she went home. It was her responsibility. Resolved, she put her glasses on and focused on the facts and figures displayed in front of her. It was boring work but all part of the scope of her job. It balanced out the better more rewarding aspects of it like on-camera work and knowing that her decisions affected the company fairly. That she balanced everything out really. It was a satisfying feeling and made her job and living worthwhile. For anyone else it would be tiresome and draining, leaving them with nothing left in their life but their job. But for her, her life was her work and it always would be. The two were intrinsically woven together and sometimes there was no difference between the two at all. It had been that way since she'd married Vince Mcmahon
The phone rang as she continued to type on the keyboard in front of her. Who wanted to interrupt her now? She'd told the front desk that she wasn't to be disturbed while she was working tonight. She had to get the work done so that she could get home for a relatively peaceful night's sleep. It was the only rest she was going to get. She tried to ignore the persistent ringing but finally gave in. She pulled her glasses off and massaging her face with one hand, turned from the screen and picked up the handset
"I said no calls through" she reminded the person on the other hand
"Sorry Mrs Mcmahon but this one is really urgent, I think you should hear it" the secretary was unusually subdued.
Something about her tone made Linda pause before answering
"Ok, put them through, but this is the only call I'm taking tonight"
"Sure thing Mrs Mcmahon"
There was a click and the caller was put through. What they said to her made the colour drain from her face. She nearly dropped the handset in her shock. All thoughts about her work momentarily were pushed aside by grief. She swallowed hard.
"Thank you for letting me know" she said finally
She dropped the handset with a clack. There was silence as all she heard was her own breathing, suddenly amplified. She was aware of the emptiness of the building, only herself, the secretary at the front desk and the few after-hours workers who cleaned and tidied up. She was aware of her isolation. She had to tell someone. Rapidly, her thoughts slotted back into place and things started making sense again.
She dialled a number hurriedly and held the handset to her ear. The purring tone told her that the number wasn't busy. That was a relief. Then his voice answered
"Vince, its Linda" she said, aware her tone was shaking somewhat "I have some news that you should know"
She took a deep breath. He sounded concerned, evidently hearing the sadness and shock in her voice. Drawing herself together, she went on
"Elizabeth Hulette died last night" it came out in a rush, not the way it was supposed to in her mind "Lex was with her I think"
She listened as he replied. He sounded the way she did; stunned and choked for words.
"I don't think Eric will mind if we have a little tribute created for her on Monday, she was part of WCW too remember" she said "yes I'll make sure someone tells him, I'll be back soon, I've just got some work to do"
Before her husband could say anything else, she put the phone down and sat in breathless silence. Vince would only implore her to leave the work for tomorrow, that she wasn't in a suitable state to do anymore after the shock of Elizabeth's death on her mind
He was right about one thing, she wouldn't be able to concentrate that was for sure. Miss Elizabeth had been part of the WWE in the Eighties, when it was just beginning to bloom and more than that, she'd been one of the first divas. You couldn't really describe her as diva though. She was pure and classy, always dressed immaculately and doing the right thing with a beautiful smile on her face
Linda smiled at the memory. Miss Elizabeth was special that was for sure. But now like many before her, she had been taken away. Oh all the things that Linda had seen and all the people she'd seen fade away. Nothing cut right into her more than the feeling of losing one of their number, one of the people she'd had some part in nurturing. Wrestlers were a fraternity, a group who loved and cared for each other no matter what. It may sound corny but it was true. When one died, all who knew them well or knew of them united in their grief. It had always been that way
A wealth of memories overtook her. All who had gone before. All who had been taken away before people were ready. Owen Hart, who's tragedy was not even anyone's fault. A freak fall from the rope catwalk and a warning to those nearby him and he was gone. No one had really recovered from it. His closest friends were never the same again. Davey Boy Smith, Better known as The British Bulldog. He was Owen's brother-in-law. Brian Pillman, Rick Rude, Andre the Giant and most recently Curt Hennig, Mr Perfect himself who'd taken one last return in 2002 and then was taken so suddenly, people were still reeling from the shock. So many memories, so many lives taken before they were supposed to.
Tears freely trickled down her face and Linda cried for them. People who had helped build the WWE in more ways than they could ever imagine, snuffed out by chance, fate and destiny. She'd told herself that she would get used it, it was a fact of the job, that it would get easier with time, seeing her friends slip away. But it never did. And she would always remain here. Left behind to count the numbers and names of those who'd left and continue to pick up the pieces. It was part of her duty. She wiped the tears from her face with a sigh as she looked into the distance, a place she couldn't see or feel. She had work to do. With a resolved sigh, she picked up her glasses and began typing again.
She would always remember though. They would remain in her mind forever. The people before her and after her. The chosen ones. The lost ones. Forever.
