Chapter 5
A horrible smell filled the air. It hit her nostrils with an impact that left her coughing without the intent on breathing. She didn't want to breathe it in, but she knew she had to catch her breath, too. She knew what the smell was before it even hit her.
She watched the smoke rise into the air, and the sound of crackling was barely in earshot. Yet it was still heard. The smoke rose to the ceiling and she quickly coughed again, hearing the noises of footsteps coming down the stairs.
The heavy pounding left her out of breath completely. Left her without hope to even get out of the room.
The footsteps got closer and closer, yet she wasn't afraid. At least on the outside. Inside of her was a fear that even she was afraid of. A fear that snuck up on her and threatened to take her away.
That's what those footsteps could have done. Taken her away. But it didn't do so.
The footsteps walked past her, and she slowly walked up towards the stairs that was the nightmare she never wanted. How many times had she felt the effect of these stairs? Possibly one-hundred times plus more. She walked up them slowly, and she quickly went towards the room that was far away on the other side of the hall.
She could hear the sounds of coughing again, but it wasn't a surprise to her ears. She had heard these coughs so much she couldn't bare to hear them any longer. All she wanted to do was check on the person behind the door.
She managed to peek through the crack in the doorway, seeing the person lying there, almost peaceful-like, but still looking rough, yet lovely.
She opened the door and managed to hear the coughs again, and she saw the bottles on the floor and the blood that was on the...
A bump in the road made the girl's eyes open. She felt the impact and thought she was in an accident, but she appeared to be fine, sitting in the backseat of the car as the two men were sitting in the front. Her seatbelt was rubbing the scars on her neck, and she adjusted it after it caused a sharp pain. She yelped from the impact.
Shawn had been caught up in his thoughts that the girl brought him back to reality. "You okay, pretty one?"
The girl looked and him and smiled. Her hands were shaking. Her heart was beating. She didn't think it was a good idea to look the nice man in the eyes, yet she was entranced by the blue eyes that matched her eye color. She looked down fast, almost peering over to the first-aid kit that was lying in the other seat parallel to her. It had been used, as the girl could tell, but why was it there?
Triple H kept his eyes on the road as his thoughts of the girl began to disappear. He had been looking at the mirror above him a couple of times and saw the girl sleeping in the corner of his eye, yet he wasn't in a good mood to put up with Shawn. He saw the many buildings pass the car like flashes of lightning and intended to try to find a police station. It was an unsuccessful ride.
Shawn remembered how they got out of the hotel after paying the man at the front counter, who knew nothing of the job they worked for, as Shawn and Hunter could tell, and they snuck out the back door after dodging some fans in the stairwell. The girl was laughing at Triple H when he ducked under a tree plant just to dodge one fan that walked past them with a Batista t-shirt on. Triple H didn't seem to find it humorous, but he still chuckled with the girl.
Shawn began chuckling himself, and Triple H looked at him. "What?"
"You really don't want fans to notice us, do you?" Shawn asked, smiling over at his friend.
"I just don't want to get mugged or mobbed, Shawn. One time that almost happened and we almost ran out into the street. Remember? It was a busy night that night and the fans were piled outside after the show and then-"
"And then we had to run and we almost got hit by a car." Shawn finished, chuckling.
The girl laughed and smiled, listening in on the conversation the two men were having. There was nothing else better to do.
"No, it was you who ended up almost getting hit, Shawn," Triple H said, peering over to his friend. "You didn't see the car and I caught you just in time."
Shawn cringed, remembering that horrible night when he heard the fans screaming when they thought he had been hit. Remembering the way Hunter grabbed him on the arm and pulled him towards him so hard he hit the concrete of the arena stomach first. Remembering the lights that were so bright he noticed them but didn't think he was that close to it, hearing the horn that blasted into his ears.
"Shawn? Shawn?"
Shawn snapped out of his thoughts, still cringing. "Yes, Hunter?"
"You okay? You seemed out of it a second."
"I'm fine," Shawn laughed. "I've been out of it a lot lately."
The girl looked out the window of the car. The looks of the old buildings sure didn't make her feel any better than what she had been. She felt kind of sick. Kind of sad as it were. She saw the buildings pass her and she quickly noticed the sign on her side of the car.
It was a sign that caused Triple H to groan. "We're in Mississippi...and still no police stations."
Shawn smiled. "Maybe God's trying to tell you something."
The girl smiled, too. She saw the beautiful green pastors that passed her and the way the houses looked was amazing. Even in daylight, she thought she could see nothing but green all around her. So this was the new wonders she was to see. Her hands stopped shaking from the sights.
I'm beginning to like this already, She thought. I love this place from just one look.
Triple H looked around the green pastors and the green forest that was ahead of them. Shawn even kept his glance out of the window, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him again. He tried not to cry, and yet he could feel tears on the brink of his eyes. His hands began shaking as they were in the hotel room.
"Shawn, I think we need to talk about this." Triple H said, already having a bad feeling about Shawn's mood swings as of late.
"Talk about what? The police? Again?" Shawn asked, his voice not getting any higher. He didn't want to get emotional.
"The police might help her, Shawn," Triple H said, peering at the girl in the backseat. "It's for the best. Besides, you wanted help for her. Remember that, Shawn?"
Shawn felt a burst of anger fill his chest. "Well, Hunter, if your going to be such a jerk about this then I guess we wont talk about it."
"Oh, we're talking about it! I can't bare to see this girl in pain, Shawn, but I can't see why you think it's a bad idea to help her!"
"I do want to help her! But I don't want her to go to the police! She's not dead, Hunter! She's not a victim! She's alive! And I thank God for it! Now, if you can't see that, then what's the point of even talking about it?!"
Triple H wanted to say something, but Shawn's words stung him immediately after they were said. The words lingered in his head. They lingered so much he didn't realize they passed a police station sitting in plain sight.
Shawn saw the station fly past the car, and breathed a sigh of relief, yet he knew his friend couldn't let up on his word. He felt his tears again, this time on his face. He didn't even feel them.
"Shawn," Triple H said, now gently, realizing his friend was upset again. "What if she has someone to go to?"
Shawn looked out the window and kept his mind on other things, such as the way to the arena, but he didn't care to look at the map on the dashboard.
"Shawn?" Triple H asked, his voice a little louder.
The girl had heard the argument, trying to make sense of all the words spoken. She tried to get her mind off of it, but it kept coming back to her. It hit her heart with a sadness she had already felt before. She saw the nice man look out of the window, and saw the tears streaking his face, his long hair not moving against his shoulders. The other man, however, looked mad, yet no tears were found. She felt that this man was stubborn, but friendly too. Still, they were friends and there was no telling how this argument was going to effect that. She looked back at the nice man, and saw the same tears again.
I've never seen a man cry before, She thought. Why is he crying? Is he worried about me?
Slowly, she lifted herself up a little, her back warm from being pressed against the seat, and managed to look at the nice man closer. His blue eyes were red looking on the outside, as if he was trying to keep his emotions hidden, but they were still coming out. She let her hands come to the back of his seat and pushed her hands against the bars that held the head set in place. She felt the seatbelt sting her scars again and removed it quickly before she could think of a better way to not cause much sound. She quickly found the other man peering at her and still looking at the road.
"Hey, what are you doing? Just sit back, everything's okay."
But it's not, The girl thought. You hurt his feelings.
The girl looked at Triple H before realizing she was staying in the same position. She didn't even notice the nice man peering at her as well.
"It's okay, beautiful angel," He said, his voice low and cracked. "Don't worry about this."
The girl didn't know if the nice man was like the other one, but knew that he cared for her. Why was he upset? Still, she knew not the first answer.
She wanted to sit back, but her body kept from doing so. She almost managed to let her emotions of worry and fear get in the way. For the first time, she seemed scared for the two men in front of her. They were like ghosts to her, but that's what she always thought of herself.
"Kid," The other man was saying. "Lean back and we'll all be okay."
The girl looked at him, but the nice man shifted his position to where he was looking at the other man too, then, he looked at her, wiping the tears from his face with his fingers.
"It's okay, beautiful angel. Don't worry about a thing, okay? We'll be okay."
The girl sat back in the seat, easing her body away from the seat in front of her. She tried to focus on the window, but the seatbelt was in the way, and she threw it around her again just as it was before. She felt her heart getting heavy, and her tears were not as there as she wanted them to be. Those words the men spoke were of nothing surprising, since that's all they talked about in front of her.
Okay, maybe not all the time, The girl thought. But they are talking about me a lot...why?
Triple H looked over at Shawn, whose emotions were hidden but his tears were clearly visible. He sighed, wishing for a better way to get to Shawn.
"I'm sorry, Shawn," He said, he voice trailing. "I didn't mean to..."
Shawn twisted his head a little, Hunter able to read his body motions. He wasn't in the best mood to talk.
"I didn't mean to upset you. Let alone yell at you. I'm...I'm sorry."
Shawn turned his head straight, but couldn't help but look down at the floorboard. "I'm sorry, too."
The girl listened to the two men and thought about how they changed in their moods. It was something she had never seen before. A small smile came to her lips, managing to keep her true feelings hidden.
Triple H smiled himself, looking over at Shawn, but back at the road, seeing the road was coming into yet another city. He knew where the arena was, now that it dawned on him. They had been there before.
"I bet the show will be good. Can't wait to see what's gonna happen." He said, trying to brighten the mood.
Shawn felt a little confused. He looked up and at his friend. "So...the girl's staying with us?"
Triple H sighed. "I guess she can stay for now...but not for very long."
Shawn breathed deep as his tears kept from showing again. He wiped the remaining ones he had on his face and looked back at the girl. "Yeah, I guess so."
A phrase she knew all too well. I guess so.
It was a phrase that was sickening to here, even as the nice man turned back around to look at the road, it left a sickening impact, looking at the man or not. She tried to eye something amusing in the city passing them, but now it seemed hopeless when the phrase hit her ears and crawled into her stomach like a virus.
She hated those words. She stared at the floor of the car, and the phrase echoed in her head. But the voice was that of someone she didn't know. Someone she didn't seem to care for now. That feminine voice that was low and growlful, but hard when she would yell the phrase out of her mouth.
I guess so...I guess so...I guess so...I guess so...
"...Mom..."
Triple H thought he heard something, but it seemed low and soft to hear completely. Shawn thought the same thing, but, when he turned his head again, he saw the tears that flowed down from the girl's blue eyes.
Shawn felt his heart sink. "You okay, angel?"
The girl didn't notice how the nice man was looking at her. She had not known she was even noticed.
"...Yes..." Her voice trialed.
Triple H sat up straighter and looked into the mirror, trying to get what he heard right. The girl was talking.
Shawn smiled, his mouth almost hung open but he stopped himself. "Your talking. That's a good sign."
The girl smiled faintly. Her tears felt heavy. "I don't think so."
"Why not?" Triple H asked, almost as shocked as Shawn was. His eyes barely managed to look on at the road.
"I'm not good at...anything."
"Well, are you good at telling us your name?" Shawn asked, his voice soft just as the girl's was.
The girl managed to look up a little and see the eyes of the two men, looking at her directly or through a mirror, and she spoke up, finally feeling her full emotions.
"My name...is...Kelly."
Triple H smiled. "Okay...Kelly...how old are you?"
Kelly looked at the other man and smiled faintly, the first time she ever done so at him. The nice man continued to look on, his blue eyes shimmering from all of the mood swings as of late. Kelly sighed and wished there was a better way to get out of their cold stares, but wanted to be wrapped in them.
"Seventeen." Kelly said, her voice soft and low as it always was.
Shawn smiled at her and moved a little in the seat to get a better look at her. "Your a good girl. I'm sure you're good at something."
Kelly took the words in but managed to let the words linger too. "What's your name?"
"Who are you talking to?" Triple H teased.
Kelly laughed. "Man with the beard."
"We both have beards. Mine's full..." Triple H said, then pointed to Shawn. "And his is getting there."
"I like mine short. I don't want mine like yours." Shawn teased, laughing.
Kelly laughed again, and felt a string of happiness in her heart. She had never really had a conversation with a man before. "Man with the short beard."
Shawn kept facing Kelly and smiled. "I'm Shawn."
Triple H looked out on the road before finally saying something. "They call me Triple H, but you just call me Hunter."
"Shawn. Hunter." Kelly repeated, a small smile on her face, eyeing the two men.
Shawn turned back around and saw the road before them. He grabbed the map in the dashboard and pointed out the street. "That's where were headed, Hunter."
"I know, Shawn, I know where to go." Triple H said, smirking.
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. I'm so sure I know were going to get there before Randy, Big Show, or Edge. And Edge was always late. He came in one time with his nightshirt on and realized he had a match up next, and he wasn't concentrating the whole time."
Shawn laughed. "Well, Ric Flair always liked to beat you to the arena."
"Yeah...I remember one time we made a bet to see who would get to the next town first and I was so excited I ended up looking at the map as my guide, while he claimed he knew the way himself."
"What happened?" Kelly asked, amused by the story, smiling.
"Well, let's just say I owe him $100."
Shawn laughed, hearing Kelly laugh behind him, and sighed from all of the excitement. "And?"
"It was a place he knew alright." Triple H grumbled.
"Where was it?" Shawn asked.
"It was his hometown."
An hour later, Triple H managed to see the big stadium with the flashing lights and security guards awaiting outside the place. Shawn looked amused as he kept smiling from all the jokes getting played on their non-favorite superstars...like old times.
Kelly saw the big stadium and saw the big sign out in the front that read: Monday Night Raw Live! 8:00 to 10:00 Tonight
Kelly grew confused. "Why are we here?"
"This is where we work." Shawn said, his nerves getting scary by the second as Hunter pulled into the parking lot.
"Wow...this is a cool place." Kelly whispered.
Triple H found a parking space in the very back of the arena, where no one could see them enter, and he quickly shut off the vehicle. Shawn and Hunter got out of the car, and Triple H opened the trunk to get their bags. As soon as they approached the car again, Shawn opened Kelly's.
Kelly had unbuckled her seatbelt, but she didn't move. She looked worried.
"You want to come with us, Kelly?" Shawn asked.
Triple H touched Shawn's shoulder and brought his face close to Shawn's ear. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Shawn looked at his friend and smiled. "Come on, Hunter, It'll be a great experience for her."
"What if people say something? They think it's one of our kids or something?"
"We'll tell them the truth," Shawn said, but then he looked worried. "Okay, maybe not the whole truth. Maybe we'll tell them that she's a lucky fan who gets to meet the Wrestlers?"
Triple H lifted his eyebrows. "Shawn Michaels...lying? That's a first."
Shawn shrugged with a smile. "I'll pray later."
Kelly let a small smile form when she saw the building, but her worried feelings took over.
"Is it safe, Shawn?" She asked, looking at him.
"Yes, sweetheart, it's safe. Come on out of there." Shawn said, laughing a little.
Kelly tried to ignore the laughs, but she let out a chuckle and felt her feet hit the concrete. She quickly got out of the car and smiled at the two men near her. She felt their smiles as she looked forward, the doors of the arena awaiting them.
Inside, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase was waiting impatiently. Cody the most. The two were standing in the hallway near the entrance. Cody was pacing the floor while Ted leaned against the wall. They both were in their wrestling attires and were ready to practice for tonight's main event.
Cody looked at his watch. "Man, where are they? Shawn and Hunter know better than to be late."
"There not late. I'm sure there okay." Ted said, trying not to start a fight. He wasn't in the mood.
"If they are late it'll be the last thing they ever do."
"That doesn't make sense."
"Whatever. As long as they know what to do for the match tonight."
Ted glared. "I'm pretty sure that's up to us now."
Then, an echo filled the room. An echo that was a soft and low voice. A whisper more than anything. "Wow. This is cool."
"Who said that?" Ted asked himself, looking around.
Cody stopped pacing and looked at the direction of the sound. It was coming from down the hall, and the voice got softer to where it was hard to hear. Then, other voices. Loud voices boomed the hallway. Cody smiled.
"The guys are here. Finally." He said.
"You can hear them? Wow." Ted said, his back now off the wall and standing in front of Cody.
"I took up a few things from my father."
Ted laughed. "Me too."
The two men looked on as the other two men, who they were facing tonight, was coming down the hallway with a girl whom they had never seen before. She looked to be a teenager, and it didn't seem she was part of the show, or at least what everyone else would know besides them.
"Hey, Ted. Hey, Cody." Triple H said, his smile getting bigger as he and Shawn and Kelly walked to the two men in front of them, their attires full of light.
Cody smiled, but couldn't help but notice the way the mysterious girl was looking down when the two men behind her stopped walking. She had no eye contact. Something that Cody had never seen out of a girl. A teenage girl at that.
"Is she okay?" Cody asked, not realizing the tone of his voice.
Shawn smiled over at Ted, then looked over at Cody. "This is Kelly. She's going to be staying with us for a little while."
Ted gave the two men a confused look. "But...why is she here?"
Shawn let his nerves get the best of him. He looked down a second, then looked back up. "Well, she, um-"
"She's just with us for the night. It's no big deal." Triple H interrupted.
"It seems like one." Cody murmured.
"Cody...shut up." Ted said, trying to act cool about the situation. "We should get to the ring. We have to practice."
Ted smiled at the girl then walked down the hall, trying to collect his thoughts. Cody remained where he was, glaring at his partner. He watched him walk down to the doors on the far end, then turned around to see the two men and the girl in front of him.
"She's with you, huh?" Cody asked, possibly to himself, but grinned when he thought about it. "Oh, well, its a start."
Triple H laughed sarcastically as Cody turned his back on him, Shawn, and Kelly. He walked through the doors and into the other places beyond them.
"He's not nice." Kelly said, looking up at Shawn and Hunter.
"Yeah...he's not nice to anyone. His father is, though." Shawn said.
"Come on, let's get to our locker room." Triple H said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder before walking down the hall. Shawn followed him along with Kelly, who looked around the wide place as soon as they passed through the double doors.
"The other one was nice." Kelly said, almost out of nowhere.
"Yeah, he is," Shawn said, then set his head to Triple H's ear, whispering, "Why did you change the subject? A thought she was going to be one of the fans."
Triple H smirked. "Thank me later."
"I'll thank you now." Shawn said, looking forward again.
After a few minutes of walking the long, white halls, the three managed to stop in front of a door with a name plate that said: D-Generation X.
Kelly looked at the name plate and grew confused. "What's that mean?"
"That is our tag-team name. We made it up ourselves." Triple H said, opening the door.
"The company gives us our own locker rooms, so you'll be in luck tonight to have some time to yourself while we work." Shawn said as he entered the room, smiling over at Kelly, setting his bag down on the floor before finally sitting in a chair nearby.
Triple H followed Shawn's routine. "We don't have the same locker room every week, but we thankfully get the best one."
Kelly sat on the floor beside Shawn. She looked around the room, which consisted of many lockers with shirts and jeans hanging from them. They were all the color green. She even noticed some sticks hanging up in the lockers.
"What are those sticks for?" She asked.
Shawn fumbled through his bag while looking up at Kelly. "Those are glow sticks. We throw them to the fans."
"Lucky fans catch them." Triple H added, standing up and stretching.
Kelly seemed amused by this. "How many fans?"
"A couple. But there's a lot of people out there in those stands hoping they'll get one." Triple H said.
"Must be a lot of people." Kelly said, laughing.
Just as she finished laughing, the door opened. Ted was standing there, but looked like he was in a hurry to get out.
"You two better hurry up. Cody's not gonna wait any longer. He's already practicing his moves." He said.
"We're coming," Shawn said, standing up, his muscles aching a little. "We need to get dressed first."
Ted looked over at the girl. "Is she going to the ring too? She's in your gear."
"No," Triple H said. "She's not apart of the show. We're just looking out for her."
Shawn looked over at Hunter, then, he got an idea. "I'm sure she can come while there's nobody there."
Ted smiled. "Yeah. It wouldn't hurt anything."
Triple H looked at the two men, then Kelly. It seemed hopeless to win the battle happening at the time.
"Okay, okay," He said, grabbing his attire clothes from his bag. "She can come...for now."
Kelly got up with some excitement. She decided to look over at the many clothes and glow sticks that were hanging on the walls.
Ted laughed when he saw this. "She's quite one to please."
"Yeah," Shawn said, then, he looked at Kelly. "Kelly, go with Ted to the ring. We'll be there in a second."
Kelly's face looked a little worried. She didn't know who this man was, but, he seemed nice. She nodded slowly and walked over to Ted, who smiled at her and laughed.
"I'll take her to the ring. See you guys there." Ted said, as he put one hand over Kelly's shoulder, leading her out of the room and down the hallway.
Triple H closed the door to the locker room and quickly changed into his attire before Shawn could finish. Shawn was having trouble with his shirt, so Hunter had to help him.
"You okay, buddy?" Triple H asked, getting the shirt over Shawn's head and on him correctly.
"Yeah, but my arms hurt all of a sudden. My muscles don't like me today."
"I'll see if I have any pain medicine."
Shawn grabbed Hunter's arm before he could walk to his bag. "You don't have to do that."
"I do. I don't want to see you hurt."
"I've been hurting enough. You don't worry about me, I'll be fine."
Shawn got his attire together and walked with Triple H out the door of the locker room, smiles on their faces.
At the ring, Cody was already sweating from the way he was working his muscles so fast. His moves were perfect. In fact, he knew he was perfect. All of his dad's training had to pay off. He saw Ted coming down the ramp with the same girl that was with Shawn and Hunter.
"What is she doing here?" He whispered, getting up from his crouching position.
Ted was talking to the girl, and she laughed at something he was saying.
"...And this is where all of the announcers sit. Don't worry, there not here yet, so why don't you sit in one of these chairs and watch us work, okay?"
"Okay." Kelly said, a small smile forming on her face. She had no intention to argue with this man.
As the girl sat down at the announcer's table, Ted walked over and jumped into the ring, climbing over the ropes. He smiled at Cody, but Cody didn't look anything but happy.
"She's not even supposed to be here. She's not on the roster. Why is she here?" Cody kept saying.
Ted pretended to have a good attitude. "Don't worry about her. Let's focus on the match tonight. Besides, Shawn and Hunter are on their way down here as we speak."
Cody turned around, and Shawn and Hunter, in DX gear, was walking down the ramp and they both jumped into the ring. As Shawn climbed over the ropes, he saw Kelly sitting at the announcers table. He smiled and waved at her, Kelly waving back with a smile and laughing while doing so.
Triple H was too focused on the match to do anything. He just wanted to get away from the troubles of Kelly in order to concentrate on the match tonight. Shawn slapped him on the back, not feeling the pain, his muscles were so huge, and said, "You ready?"
"Yeah. Are you ready?" Triple H asked, the boom in his voice that sent Kelly laughing. He knew she liked that out of him.
Cody rolled his eyes and tried to focus. He got into a grapple position and quickly locked up with Shawn as Hunter went over to the ring ramp and grabbed the white string, making sure it was tight and wouldn't fall off. Ted did the same as he watched his friend grapple Shawn and send him flying into the ramp post on the side parallel to Hunter.
"All right, now, what if I tried to reverse it?" Shawn asked Cody.
"Sounds good, but let me get a few punches in first." Cody said, his eyes trying not to look at the girl.
"How about he pushes your head into the post, then you reverse it?" Ted asked, smiling.
"I like that idea better." Shawn said.
Cody grabbed Shawn, acting as if it was a struggle to grab him, and Shawn reversed it, looking like he was mad, and slammed Cody's head into the post, but not barely letting it touch. He knew Cody's hands were already helping him shield his face.
"That was a good idea," Triple H said. "Now what about you act as if your in pain, Cody, and Shawn tries to attack you?"
"I want to attack him first." Cody said, getting his head and thoughts clear of the somewhat pain in his head.
Triple H held his hands out in offense. "That's not nice of you, Cody."
"Whatever. We like to tease the crowd, right? I'll crouch up on one knee and land some punches in the gut. Fair enough?"
"I think it's fair." Shawn said, who looked over at Kelly.
Kelly watched as Shawn was getting punched in the gut. Her heart seemed a bit hardened by this. Why she was sitting here watching this was beyond her, but it looked fun.
Still, they look as if they're hurting each other, Kelly thought. Just like-
Kelly tried to clear her head, but she seemed wound up in her thoughts she blacked out a bit, remembering the horrible smell of the bottles and the smoke. She didn't want to remember it, but it lingered on her. She could smell it now. It was hard for her to breathe. She tried so hard to breath, but the smell lingered on her. She thought she could smell it on her clothes. On her own skin. She wanted to escape this nightmare that was her real life.
She felt crowded, as if she would suffocate, then she would let air come to her. She saw nothing else than what was before her:
The bed. The cold bed in front of her. And the only thing on it was a pillow with yellow stains across it. Tear stains at that. She approached the bed and quickly heard the noises up in the living room. She didn't want to hear them, much less see them. But she quickly felt the pressure of something knock into her.
Falling stomach first, she felt the thing roll off of her with a groan. She could feel the liquid that oozed on her back through her clothes. She touched it a second, and blood was on her fingertips. She tried to wipe it off, but the force of yet something else was knocking her against the bed. She groaned when she felt the bed's impact. She turned her head, and saw the figure standing over the other.
The figure was dark from the useless lights on the ceiling, yet she knew what the figure looked like. She more so knew what the other figure looked like. More than anything. Only now she was rough and ragged. Her clothes were damp and blood measured out her cheekbones. She didn't have to know that. She already knew.
The other figure was breathing heavily, and, with a blink of an eye, he faced her. She cowered back onto the bed, trying to grasp the pillow to throw it at the figure, but he bounced onto the bed and hit her with the force of an iron.
She slowly lost her sense to see. Her sense to hear. The figure walked over to the other, and, quickly, landed punches of its own. The yelps of the figure made her tears fall. Heavy tears that looked as if they were invisible.
She slowly looked up a little, but the force of the punch brought her back down, feeling the cold bed. "Mom..."
The figure let the other figure fall on the ground, then, within a second, flew it over its shoulder and walked up the stairs. The heavy pounding drowned out the sounds of her screaming.
"Mom...Mom...Mom...!"
Then, she found the light again. And this time, she was looking into the eyes of the protectors. The blue eyes of the nice man and his friend. She looked around, and the locker room was closing in on her. She saw Hunter grab something and bring it over to her.
"Hey...you okay, sweetheart?" Shawn asked, his eyes full of worry.
Kelly looked around the room, and saw Hunter take a wet washcloth to her face. Trying to wake her up as it were.
"What happened?" She asked.
"You fainted after we had first started practicing. You were calling out something and we heard you." Triple H said, applying the washcloth.
"Are you okay now?" Shawn asked, holding her hand.
Kelly saw Shawn was holding her head and body against his. He must have carried her back here. She thought about what she saw, then she shook her head, her eyes watering with tears.
Shawn noticed this. "What's wrong, angel?"
Triple H stopped applying the washcloth and looked at her. Kelly felt the stares and a tear streamed down her face. Shawn wiped it away as he held her close to his body.
"I..." Kelly began. "I know what happened."
Triple H let the washcloth fall on the floor. "We know what happened, too."
"No, I know what happened." Kelly said, more tears streaming, her voice cracking.
"What happened, sweetheart?" Shawn asked.
Before Kelly could say anything, she heard footsteps come into the room. Shawn and Triple H looked as well. Ted stood a foot from the three while Cody was standing at the doorway.
"It's almost showtime. Our promo is coming up after the first match so we must get ready. Is Kelly okay?" Ted asked.
Shawn let Kelly rest against the locker room wall and quickly sat up. Triple H didn't let his emotions try to overcome him.
"She'll be fine." Shawn said, walking over to Ted.
"I hope she doesn't faint again," Ted said. "Man, that was scary. I thought she had a heart attack."
"That's why we don't need her around." Cody mumbled, but Ted turned his head and glared before turning back.
"Just be careful out there," Triple H said. "We'll take care of Kelly from here."
Ted smiled and left the room while Cody glared at the three before taking off to await their promo.
Shawn and Triple H gave each other nervous looks. Shawn felt a tear streak down his face, but wiped it away. There was no use in that now.
"Let's get Kelly something to drink. She's gonna need some water." Triple H said, smiling.
"Yeah, let's go. Hey, Kelly, you want some water?" Shawn asked.
Kelly nodded and attempted to stand, but Shawn stopped her.
"Save your strength. You took a bad fall when you fainted. We'll be right back."
Kelly looked as the two men left the room, trying to understand and collect what had just happened. She didn't understand why she needed to be alone, but she felt that she needed to. She had been alone since before she could walk.
Shawn and Hunter walked down the halls, saying their hellos to a couple of superstars in attendance to the event. They saw the drinking machine and Shawn grabbed a cup and filled it with water. He looked at it and frowned.
"I hope Kelly's okay." He said, trying to overpower his mood.
"Yeah. Maybe she does need someone." Triple H said.
Shawn looked up, almost in shock. "Are you saying...?"
"Yeah, I am saying. She can stay with us and we can help her. We don't need the police. We got this."
Shawn couldn't help himself. He hugged his best friend and somehow managed to not spill any of the water. He was happy now, and his sad mood seemed to fade.
"Okay, Shawn!" Triple H said, his head tilted back from all of the excitement.
"Oh, Hunter, she's going to stay with us!"
"Wh-Wait Shawn, she can't stay. We're not her parents."
"I know...but maybe she does. I guess we'll have to look for them since she was yelling out for her Mom earlier."
"That's true," Triple H frowned. "Come on, let's get back."
As Shawn and Hunter walked down the hallway, laughing at theirselves and how they managed to get along now, a person in the shadows was looking at them.
The figure scowled and grunted in anger. He picked up his cell phone he had in his hand and dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Vince, you arn't going to believe this..."