05-02-2026, 07:47 AM
INNER THOUGHTS – OFF CAMERA
There is a lot to be said for desire and hunger. In fact, I find it is the cornerstone for any successful competitor. When you begin your journey, no one is up to speed with the intensity of competition, especially in a company where you must excel like Supreme Championship Wrestling. Unfortunately, the issues start when individuals believe that hunger is enough, because it very rarely is. A successful competitor in SCW must have a multitude of facets, in depth rarely seen on a wider scale. That is where people fall short, the fact they believe they have ‘enough’ when the reality is that they are probably not even close. Polly Playtime is one person who thinks that because she has worked ‘hard’ for five years or so, she is worthy of the accolades and championships. She truly believes that people returning to the business, just like myself, are the ‘relics’ as she calls them that are holding her back. She thinks that if it wasn’t for me, she’d be at that lofty position she thinks she has earned. It sounds stupid, I know even thinking it sounds ridiculous, but that is her opinion, and of course she can have it. In her mind, she is right, and doubles down on it weekly. What she doesn’t understand however is the damage it is doing, and that me being here has nothing to do with her being a Champion. No, the reason she isn’t champion is because when given the opportunities, she has failed to follow through, and the thing is, deep down she knows it. Otherwise, someone like her would have never taken the assistance of someone who wants SCW for his own. The hubris, pun intended, is what dictates how successful these people are. They believe themselves undeniable, and that nothing can stop them from achieving their goals. Of course, again they are incorrect, neither of them understands the business like I do. Nor do they understand that my return had nothing to do with holding anyone back. My return is necessary, and although they don’t get that, Frank knows the ‘Impact’ I can still make. The return of the Impact Player, whenever I reach that plane will be obvious, and right there, if she doesn’t get it after our match at Hubris, she will surely understand when I hold the SCW World Championship aloft. I know that now is my time, I understand the work necessary, Polly simply does not. And THAT is why once more, she is destined to fail. Failure… another aspect of life that I have come to finally understand and am working constantly to ensure it never happens again.
PREVIOUSLY – OFF CAMERA
(The contracts had been checked and signed, and now everything was full steam ahead, and EMERGE 2.0 finally started to look like reality. Shaun was unbelievably excited to be a part of it and was wondering when he had ever considered passing up this opportunity. No dates had been set for its triumphant return, and nothing concrete posting on social media, but that was to come and then by the end of the year, EMERGE would once again hit the internet, streaming all over the world as it tried to take its place as a competitor to SCW. As well as all that, his relationship with Angyalka had grown, not in a romantic way, but as they once again grew a friendship that was benefiting their daughter Dorothea. With plenty of time on his hands, Shaun was rebuilding the link with his daughter, who was also enjoying having her father back in her life. After the shitstorm, it finally seemed like Shaun was back on the up, something that you could see in his face as he watched his daughter with her friends on the playground not too far from Angyalka’s house. If this was his life now, he was content with that… more than content. Dorothea comes running over, eager to tell her dad something.)
Dorothea: Daddy, did you see me jump off that swing?
Shaun: I did yeah
Dorothea: It’s like when you jump in the ring isn’t it?
Shaun: It’s better than when I do that. But be careful yeah, I don’t want to have to explain to mummy that you have hurt yourself.
Dorothea: Because then she will box your head?
(Shaun laughs)
Shaun: Exactly…
(The two share a hug, then Shaun notices Dorothea looking at something and hears a voice.)
Voice: Shaun? Shaun Cruze?
(Shaun turns around but doesn’t recognize the woman. She is brunette, in her late thirties, and is dressed casually in a blouse and skirt, a jacket completing the look.)
Shaun: Yeah, that’s me… what can I do for you?
(She doesn’t say anything, but looks at Dorothea, as if she didn’t want the little girl to hear what she had to say. Shaun picks up on this and turns back to Dorothea holding her shoulders.)
Shaun: Why don’t you go back and play with your friends huh? Like I said though, be careful… I don’t want to be boxed around my head.
(Dorothea laughs and does as she is told, making her way back over to the swings, as the woman walks around the bench and takes a seat. After she straightens out her skirt, Shaun speaks.)
Shaun: So, what can I do for you?
Woman: I think it’s more what I can do for you Shaun.
Shaun: Look lady, if you’re looking to hook me up with some kind of business deal, I’m afraid I’m not as wealthy as you think I might be. The divorce and…
(The woman holds up her hands and shakes her head in protest.)
Woman: No, not at all, that not why I am here. Let me try and explain.
Shaun: Please do, because I’m trying to spend a nice day with my daughter and her friends and it won’t be long before they are demanding ice-cream.
Woman: I shall be as brief as I possibly can
Shaun: I’d appreciate that.
(Shaun settles in, not sure what it was that he was about to find out, but eager to understand why she was here.)
Woman: My name is Natasha, and until about six months ago, I was Drew’s girlfriend, sorry fiancée.
Shaun: Oh, I didn’t even know he was engaged.
Natasha: Yes, and had things gone better, we would already have been married. Things were going great. He was loving, attentive, his business interests were all going well, but then something changed. He changed. I got a little suspicious that something was wrong, I knew his passwords to his bank accounts because he trusted me, and it was then that I found out that he had literally nothing left.
Shaun: Excuse me?
Natasha: All the money he had made and gone, his businesses bankrupt. He literally had nothing.
Shaun: OK, I knew he didn’t have the funds to start up EMERGE and that’s why he came to me to help.
Natasha: I’m afraid I’m not finished. I confronted Drew about all of this, and he claimed it was just a temporary hitch and that he had money in some other offshore accounts he’d set up. Not legal, but at least it was a lifetime, and he’d get back on his feet. And sure enough, the accounts were replenished and everything seemed ok. I trusted him, and knew that he was a good businessman ultimately. Things continued the way they were before, Drew started being his old self again and I firmly believed we were back on track. Then, about six months after that, I answered the door to two guys who were looking for Drew and when I said he wasn’t there they beat me up… put me in hospital. I didn’t realize immediately what was going on, I thought it was just some home invasion or something and somehow, I’d pissed them off. But when Drew came to visit me at the hospital, he told me everything.
(She pauses for a moment, recalling the event obviously still raw to her. Shaun offers her a sip from one of the juice cartons he’d brought with him which she accepts, before she continues after a drink.)
Natasha: Drew hadn’t got any other accounts, he had borrowed the money from a loan shark, one of the most ruthless in the city. And those guys had come round to take payment, however they saw fit. I went mad, not just that he’d lied to me, but had put me in danger and that was the last time I saw him.
(Shaun was starting to get a bad feeling about this whole situation, but it seemed like Natasha had still not finished her story and he didn’t want to interject, not yet. When she hesitates, however, Shaun does speak, without wanting to make assumptions.)
Shaun: I honestly can’t believe he did that to you. In my experience Drew has always been a stand-up kind of guy. I mean, you’re his ex… I’m not saying you are, but you could be making up this story to get back at him.
Natasha: I can’t make you believe me Shaun, but I can assure you that everything I have told you is true. I can only give you the facts before it’s too late
Shaun: What do you mean by too late?
(Natasha takes the deepest breath, and it seems like only now is she getting to the most important part and that everything before was just a precursor to what she was about to tell him. Shaun allows her that time, although she feels irritated by the dramatic pause.)
Natasha: I got out of the relationship, because if he could lie to me about that, what else could he be lying to me about right? Not only that, but they had also given me a real beating and selfishly I didn’t want to be around when they came back. I moved out, and although he tried to call me, everything when quiet and I rebuilt my life away from the city. We still had the same friends, and as always some took his side, and some took mine, but occasionally I was fed little bits of information. This was when I heard about you. One of my friends told me that he was getting into business with you, and that you were opening a wrestling company again, EMERGE, I think they called it. Drew was excited, because he felt like he would finally be able to pay back his debts. But Shaun, I’m sorry to say this to you… his debts are far more than anything this company could make in the next two, maybe three years. And I promise you, these people would not wait for that money that long. And the most important thing you should know, is they don’t care how they get their money back. If they find out that you are associated with Shaun, they will come for you too. And I wasn’t sure whether to come and meet with you, but now knowing you have a daughter, I’m glad I did.
(Shaun pauses, compiling his own thoughts on the matter, going through many situations that may occur off the back of this information. The most prominent, of course, was her final comments as it sounded like these people would not be averse to hurting Shaun and his family to get what they wanted. He needed to speak with Drew, as soon as possible.)
Natasha: Shaun, I know this is a lot to take it, but I want to say it again. I’m not some jilted ex, looking to ruin something that Drew has made for himself. In fact, I still care about him and would be happy if he got himself out of the mess he was in… maybe he had. But I couldn’t live with myself if someone else got hurt off the back of his actions, especially now I see the family you have built for yourself. I just want you to be clear, Drew isn’t in a great place, and I don’t think he’s paid his debt.
Shaun: I need to find out
(Natasha nods, agreeing with the sentiment, before getting to her feet.)
Natasha: I hope it all works out for you Shaun, you seem like a nice guy, and I hope Drew hasn’t dragged you into anything.
Shaun: Me too and thank you for taking the time to seek me out.
Natasha: Take care Shaun.
(And with that she is gone, a multitude of questions forming in Shaun’s mind, but him happy to ask the man himself rather than interrogate Natasha who had already been through enough. As he thinks about that, Dorothea comes back over, her friends in tow.)
Dorothea: Who was that lady, Daddy?
Shaun: Just a fan kiddo… someone who’s watched me wrestle.
Dorothea: And what did she want?
(Shaun smirks, she had her inquisitive nature from her mother.)
Shaun: Just an autograph…
(Dorothea smiles, turning to her friends who already knew he Dad was once famous, perhaps still was.)
Shaun: Anyway, you guys all played out. How’s about some ice cream huh?
Kids: YEAHHHHH!!!
(Shaun laughs, getting to his feet and leading the kids behind him like a modern-day pied piper. He’d get to the bottom of what Drew was playing at, but first and more importantly, he was going to be a father. The rest could wait.)
PREVIOUSLY – OFF CAMERA
(Shaun had rang Drew’s number several times, and on every occasion after he had left a message, he had gotten increasingly frustrated with the situation and more suspicious. In his mind, he wanted to give Drew the benefit of the doubt, but every time he didn’t get an answer, that thought process had lessened. After the fifth occasion, Shaun had bit the bullet and jumped in his car, driving through the streets of Los Angeles and towards the arena, now pulling up inside the car lot and killing the engine. He steps out of the car and looks at the place, which not surprisingly was all quiet. He walks around, and to the rear entrance, knowing that if Drew was here, the door would be slightly open like it always was. On this occasion, however it wasn’t, a chain lock stopped entry.)
Shaun: That’s weird.
(Shaun had never seen the chain lock before in his life and certainly didn’t have the key. However, the chain wasn’t particularly thing. Shaun looks around and finds a metal pipe, putting it between the chain and then twisting, and with a little effort it breaks. Shaun then tries the door which does indeed open, no keys in the lock. Shaun steps inside the darkness and tries the light switch which he knew was on his left. Nothing happens. Without the light he couldn’t see a thing so goes back to the car and pulls out a torch, clicking it on. He then makes his way back to the building, and once again steps into the darkness which is this time illuminated by the beam of light coming from the torch. He walks through the deserted corridors, turns a corner into what would soon be the EMERGE arena, and then gasps.)
Shaun: What the fuck?
(The building looked exactly the way it did when he had first stepped into the place. In fact, there were no signs that any work had been done at all. For a moment, he wonders if he is in the right building, but quickly removes that thought walking further into the building. He scans the place with the torch light, trying to find something that he recognizes but to no avail.)
Shaun: What the hell is going on?
Voice: I’d like to ask that very same question Sir.
(Shaun spins around, straight into another beam of light coming from a police officers own torch. Shaun covers his eyes from the glare, and as the officer gets closer, accompanied by his partner, his eyes start to get more accustomed to the darkness and the officer points his torch slightly to the left.)
Officer: Can I ask what you are doing here Sir?
(Shaun doesn’t immediately answer, still trying to piece together what is going on, and almost ignoring the cops.)
Officer: Sir?
(Shaun breaks from his trance, turning with a smile on his face.)
Shaun: I’m sorry officers, I’m just looking for someone, and I thought he might be here.
Officer: In an old, abandoned building? You do realize this place was locked up for a reason right, to keep squatters out?
(Shaun laughs, a laugh that immediately annoys the officer, though he does his best to remain professional.)
Officer: Some funny Sir?
Shaun: No, No, sorry. It’s just that I own the place. Me and my partner are looking to turn this into a wrestling arena. My name is…
Officer: Just one second, you say you own this building.
Shaun: Yes, I just told you, me and my partner…
(The officer cuts him off again.)
Officer: Yeah, I got that part. I’m more interested in your statement that you own this building. Sir, no one has owned this building for years and in fact it is due to be demolished. As far as I can remember, this has been city property and right now as far as I am concerned, you are trespassing.
Shaun: Excuse me?
Officer: Well, the lock outside is broken which you have obviously forced…
Shaun: I needed to find someone
Officer: Yeah, you said… I think it might be best if you come down to the precinct and explain yourself.
Shaun: But…
(Shaun stops himself, resigned to his fate. Drew wasn’t there, and no matter how much he protested, he knew how this looked and wasn’t up for causing a fuss. What he did want to know was what was going on, and where all the work that they had done with the place had gone. With a final look around, Shaun heads back in the direction of the exits, the police following him, thankful that at least he hadn’t been arrested, or at least not yet. He gets in the police car, still staring back at the building.)
INNER THOUGHTS – OFF CAMERA
Can you imagine being someone like Polly Playtime? I can’t. The more I look at her, the more I see someone who has sold her soul to the devil, and yet still believes that things will be on her ‘terms’. The ignorance is real. She isn’t any different to anyone else. The reason she has taken this stance is clear. Whereas I turned away, she chose to embrace, but in doing so, took away any chance for her to be what she clearly wants. Respected. So desperate is she to be respected, she jumped at the chance to join Frank, whereas I refused. So desperate is she for success, she hasn’t given any thought to where this is truly going. So ignorant is she to the reality, that even if she does succeed it will come at a price, she mindlessly makes her comments, not comprehending the truth. No matter what she achieves, and no matter what she does, she won’t achieve anything because Polly Playtime was a talent. It’s a shame it really is. She has chosen what I wouldn’t, the short cut. Instead of thinking of what she was about to undertake she remained narrow-minded. Polly Playtime is just the latest to fall for the devils’ wiles, no realizing that even he was putting in place a back up plan. Yes, Polly Playtimes success will come at a great price, but perhaps being successful will be enough. I think not. The complaints will continue, the woe is me attitude instilled forever… that will never go away. In the chase for success, deciding to choose a ‘certainty’, Polly Playtime has only served to do the exact opposite of what she desired, destroy her career, and if she thinks I will stand here and be a part of it, she is very mistaken. I’m going to make it clear, the only way to success is hard work, and doing better. Not selling your career to a man who’s only concerns are his own.
There is a lot to be said for desire and hunger. In fact, I find it is the cornerstone for any successful competitor. When you begin your journey, no one is up to speed with the intensity of competition, especially in a company where you must excel like Supreme Championship Wrestling. Unfortunately, the issues start when individuals believe that hunger is enough, because it very rarely is. A successful competitor in SCW must have a multitude of facets, in depth rarely seen on a wider scale. That is where people fall short, the fact they believe they have ‘enough’ when the reality is that they are probably not even close. Polly Playtime is one person who thinks that because she has worked ‘hard’ for five years or so, she is worthy of the accolades and championships. She truly believes that people returning to the business, just like myself, are the ‘relics’ as she calls them that are holding her back. She thinks that if it wasn’t for me, she’d be at that lofty position she thinks she has earned. It sounds stupid, I know even thinking it sounds ridiculous, but that is her opinion, and of course she can have it. In her mind, she is right, and doubles down on it weekly. What she doesn’t understand however is the damage it is doing, and that me being here has nothing to do with her being a Champion. No, the reason she isn’t champion is because when given the opportunities, she has failed to follow through, and the thing is, deep down she knows it. Otherwise, someone like her would have never taken the assistance of someone who wants SCW for his own. The hubris, pun intended, is what dictates how successful these people are. They believe themselves undeniable, and that nothing can stop them from achieving their goals. Of course, again they are incorrect, neither of them understands the business like I do. Nor do they understand that my return had nothing to do with holding anyone back. My return is necessary, and although they don’t get that, Frank knows the ‘Impact’ I can still make. The return of the Impact Player, whenever I reach that plane will be obvious, and right there, if she doesn’t get it after our match at Hubris, she will surely understand when I hold the SCW World Championship aloft. I know that now is my time, I understand the work necessary, Polly simply does not. And THAT is why once more, she is destined to fail. Failure… another aspect of life that I have come to finally understand and am working constantly to ensure it never happens again.
PREVIOUSLY – OFF CAMERA
(The contracts had been checked and signed, and now everything was full steam ahead, and EMERGE 2.0 finally started to look like reality. Shaun was unbelievably excited to be a part of it and was wondering when he had ever considered passing up this opportunity. No dates had been set for its triumphant return, and nothing concrete posting on social media, but that was to come and then by the end of the year, EMERGE would once again hit the internet, streaming all over the world as it tried to take its place as a competitor to SCW. As well as all that, his relationship with Angyalka had grown, not in a romantic way, but as they once again grew a friendship that was benefiting their daughter Dorothea. With plenty of time on his hands, Shaun was rebuilding the link with his daughter, who was also enjoying having her father back in her life. After the shitstorm, it finally seemed like Shaun was back on the up, something that you could see in his face as he watched his daughter with her friends on the playground not too far from Angyalka’s house. If this was his life now, he was content with that… more than content. Dorothea comes running over, eager to tell her dad something.)
Dorothea: Daddy, did you see me jump off that swing?
Shaun: I did yeah
Dorothea: It’s like when you jump in the ring isn’t it?
Shaun: It’s better than when I do that. But be careful yeah, I don’t want to have to explain to mummy that you have hurt yourself.
Dorothea: Because then she will box your head?
(Shaun laughs)
Shaun: Exactly…
(The two share a hug, then Shaun notices Dorothea looking at something and hears a voice.)
Voice: Shaun? Shaun Cruze?
(Shaun turns around but doesn’t recognize the woman. She is brunette, in her late thirties, and is dressed casually in a blouse and skirt, a jacket completing the look.)
Shaun: Yeah, that’s me… what can I do for you?
(She doesn’t say anything, but looks at Dorothea, as if she didn’t want the little girl to hear what she had to say. Shaun picks up on this and turns back to Dorothea holding her shoulders.)
Shaun: Why don’t you go back and play with your friends huh? Like I said though, be careful… I don’t want to be boxed around my head.
(Dorothea laughs and does as she is told, making her way back over to the swings, as the woman walks around the bench and takes a seat. After she straightens out her skirt, Shaun speaks.)
Shaun: So, what can I do for you?
Woman: I think it’s more what I can do for you Shaun.
Shaun: Look lady, if you’re looking to hook me up with some kind of business deal, I’m afraid I’m not as wealthy as you think I might be. The divorce and…
(The woman holds up her hands and shakes her head in protest.)
Woman: No, not at all, that not why I am here. Let me try and explain.
Shaun: Please do, because I’m trying to spend a nice day with my daughter and her friends and it won’t be long before they are demanding ice-cream.
Woman: I shall be as brief as I possibly can
Shaun: I’d appreciate that.
(Shaun settles in, not sure what it was that he was about to find out, but eager to understand why she was here.)
Woman: My name is Natasha, and until about six months ago, I was Drew’s girlfriend, sorry fiancée.
Shaun: Oh, I didn’t even know he was engaged.
Natasha: Yes, and had things gone better, we would already have been married. Things were going great. He was loving, attentive, his business interests were all going well, but then something changed. He changed. I got a little suspicious that something was wrong, I knew his passwords to his bank accounts because he trusted me, and it was then that I found out that he had literally nothing left.
Shaun: Excuse me?
Natasha: All the money he had made and gone, his businesses bankrupt. He literally had nothing.
Shaun: OK, I knew he didn’t have the funds to start up EMERGE and that’s why he came to me to help.
Natasha: I’m afraid I’m not finished. I confronted Drew about all of this, and he claimed it was just a temporary hitch and that he had money in some other offshore accounts he’d set up. Not legal, but at least it was a lifetime, and he’d get back on his feet. And sure enough, the accounts were replenished and everything seemed ok. I trusted him, and knew that he was a good businessman ultimately. Things continued the way they were before, Drew started being his old self again and I firmly believed we were back on track. Then, about six months after that, I answered the door to two guys who were looking for Drew and when I said he wasn’t there they beat me up… put me in hospital. I didn’t realize immediately what was going on, I thought it was just some home invasion or something and somehow, I’d pissed them off. But when Drew came to visit me at the hospital, he told me everything.
(She pauses for a moment, recalling the event obviously still raw to her. Shaun offers her a sip from one of the juice cartons he’d brought with him which she accepts, before she continues after a drink.)
Natasha: Drew hadn’t got any other accounts, he had borrowed the money from a loan shark, one of the most ruthless in the city. And those guys had come round to take payment, however they saw fit. I went mad, not just that he’d lied to me, but had put me in danger and that was the last time I saw him.
(Shaun was starting to get a bad feeling about this whole situation, but it seemed like Natasha had still not finished her story and he didn’t want to interject, not yet. When she hesitates, however, Shaun does speak, without wanting to make assumptions.)
Shaun: I honestly can’t believe he did that to you. In my experience Drew has always been a stand-up kind of guy. I mean, you’re his ex… I’m not saying you are, but you could be making up this story to get back at him.
Natasha: I can’t make you believe me Shaun, but I can assure you that everything I have told you is true. I can only give you the facts before it’s too late
Shaun: What do you mean by too late?
(Natasha takes the deepest breath, and it seems like only now is she getting to the most important part and that everything before was just a precursor to what she was about to tell him. Shaun allows her that time, although she feels irritated by the dramatic pause.)
Natasha: I got out of the relationship, because if he could lie to me about that, what else could he be lying to me about right? Not only that, but they had also given me a real beating and selfishly I didn’t want to be around when they came back. I moved out, and although he tried to call me, everything when quiet and I rebuilt my life away from the city. We still had the same friends, and as always some took his side, and some took mine, but occasionally I was fed little bits of information. This was when I heard about you. One of my friends told me that he was getting into business with you, and that you were opening a wrestling company again, EMERGE, I think they called it. Drew was excited, because he felt like he would finally be able to pay back his debts. But Shaun, I’m sorry to say this to you… his debts are far more than anything this company could make in the next two, maybe three years. And I promise you, these people would not wait for that money that long. And the most important thing you should know, is they don’t care how they get their money back. If they find out that you are associated with Shaun, they will come for you too. And I wasn’t sure whether to come and meet with you, but now knowing you have a daughter, I’m glad I did.
(Shaun pauses, compiling his own thoughts on the matter, going through many situations that may occur off the back of this information. The most prominent, of course, was her final comments as it sounded like these people would not be averse to hurting Shaun and his family to get what they wanted. He needed to speak with Drew, as soon as possible.)
Natasha: Shaun, I know this is a lot to take it, but I want to say it again. I’m not some jilted ex, looking to ruin something that Drew has made for himself. In fact, I still care about him and would be happy if he got himself out of the mess he was in… maybe he had. But I couldn’t live with myself if someone else got hurt off the back of his actions, especially now I see the family you have built for yourself. I just want you to be clear, Drew isn’t in a great place, and I don’t think he’s paid his debt.
Shaun: I need to find out
(Natasha nods, agreeing with the sentiment, before getting to her feet.)
Natasha: I hope it all works out for you Shaun, you seem like a nice guy, and I hope Drew hasn’t dragged you into anything.
Shaun: Me too and thank you for taking the time to seek me out.
Natasha: Take care Shaun.
(And with that she is gone, a multitude of questions forming in Shaun’s mind, but him happy to ask the man himself rather than interrogate Natasha who had already been through enough. As he thinks about that, Dorothea comes back over, her friends in tow.)
Dorothea: Who was that lady, Daddy?
Shaun: Just a fan kiddo… someone who’s watched me wrestle.
Dorothea: And what did she want?
(Shaun smirks, she had her inquisitive nature from her mother.)
Shaun: Just an autograph…
(Dorothea smiles, turning to her friends who already knew he Dad was once famous, perhaps still was.)
Shaun: Anyway, you guys all played out. How’s about some ice cream huh?
Kids: YEAHHHHH!!!
(Shaun laughs, getting to his feet and leading the kids behind him like a modern-day pied piper. He’d get to the bottom of what Drew was playing at, but first and more importantly, he was going to be a father. The rest could wait.)
PREVIOUSLY – OFF CAMERA
(Shaun had rang Drew’s number several times, and on every occasion after he had left a message, he had gotten increasingly frustrated with the situation and more suspicious. In his mind, he wanted to give Drew the benefit of the doubt, but every time he didn’t get an answer, that thought process had lessened. After the fifth occasion, Shaun had bit the bullet and jumped in his car, driving through the streets of Los Angeles and towards the arena, now pulling up inside the car lot and killing the engine. He steps out of the car and looks at the place, which not surprisingly was all quiet. He walks around, and to the rear entrance, knowing that if Drew was here, the door would be slightly open like it always was. On this occasion, however it wasn’t, a chain lock stopped entry.)
Shaun: That’s weird.
(Shaun had never seen the chain lock before in his life and certainly didn’t have the key. However, the chain wasn’t particularly thing. Shaun looks around and finds a metal pipe, putting it between the chain and then twisting, and with a little effort it breaks. Shaun then tries the door which does indeed open, no keys in the lock. Shaun steps inside the darkness and tries the light switch which he knew was on his left. Nothing happens. Without the light he couldn’t see a thing so goes back to the car and pulls out a torch, clicking it on. He then makes his way back to the building, and once again steps into the darkness which is this time illuminated by the beam of light coming from the torch. He walks through the deserted corridors, turns a corner into what would soon be the EMERGE arena, and then gasps.)
Shaun: What the fuck?
(The building looked exactly the way it did when he had first stepped into the place. In fact, there were no signs that any work had been done at all. For a moment, he wonders if he is in the right building, but quickly removes that thought walking further into the building. He scans the place with the torch light, trying to find something that he recognizes but to no avail.)
Shaun: What the hell is going on?
Voice: I’d like to ask that very same question Sir.
(Shaun spins around, straight into another beam of light coming from a police officers own torch. Shaun covers his eyes from the glare, and as the officer gets closer, accompanied by his partner, his eyes start to get more accustomed to the darkness and the officer points his torch slightly to the left.)
Officer: Can I ask what you are doing here Sir?
(Shaun doesn’t immediately answer, still trying to piece together what is going on, and almost ignoring the cops.)
Officer: Sir?
(Shaun breaks from his trance, turning with a smile on his face.)
Shaun: I’m sorry officers, I’m just looking for someone, and I thought he might be here.
Officer: In an old, abandoned building? You do realize this place was locked up for a reason right, to keep squatters out?
(Shaun laughs, a laugh that immediately annoys the officer, though he does his best to remain professional.)
Officer: Some funny Sir?
Shaun: No, No, sorry. It’s just that I own the place. Me and my partner are looking to turn this into a wrestling arena. My name is…
Officer: Just one second, you say you own this building.
Shaun: Yes, I just told you, me and my partner…
(The officer cuts him off again.)
Officer: Yeah, I got that part. I’m more interested in your statement that you own this building. Sir, no one has owned this building for years and in fact it is due to be demolished. As far as I can remember, this has been city property and right now as far as I am concerned, you are trespassing.
Shaun: Excuse me?
Officer: Well, the lock outside is broken which you have obviously forced…
Shaun: I needed to find someone
Officer: Yeah, you said… I think it might be best if you come down to the precinct and explain yourself.
Shaun: But…
(Shaun stops himself, resigned to his fate. Drew wasn’t there, and no matter how much he protested, he knew how this looked and wasn’t up for causing a fuss. What he did want to know was what was going on, and where all the work that they had done with the place had gone. With a final look around, Shaun heads back in the direction of the exits, the police following him, thankful that at least he hadn’t been arrested, or at least not yet. He gets in the police car, still staring back at the building.)
INNER THOUGHTS – OFF CAMERA
Can you imagine being someone like Polly Playtime? I can’t. The more I look at her, the more I see someone who has sold her soul to the devil, and yet still believes that things will be on her ‘terms’. The ignorance is real. She isn’t any different to anyone else. The reason she has taken this stance is clear. Whereas I turned away, she chose to embrace, but in doing so, took away any chance for her to be what she clearly wants. Respected. So desperate is she to be respected, she jumped at the chance to join Frank, whereas I refused. So desperate is she for success, she hasn’t given any thought to where this is truly going. So ignorant is she to the reality, that even if she does succeed it will come at a price, she mindlessly makes her comments, not comprehending the truth. No matter what she achieves, and no matter what she does, she won’t achieve anything because Polly Playtime was a talent. It’s a shame it really is. She has chosen what I wouldn’t, the short cut. Instead of thinking of what she was about to undertake she remained narrow-minded. Polly Playtime is just the latest to fall for the devils’ wiles, no realizing that even he was putting in place a back up plan. Yes, Polly Playtimes success will come at a great price, but perhaps being successful will be enough. I think not. The complaints will continue, the woe is me attitude instilled forever… that will never go away. In the chase for success, deciding to choose a ‘certainty’, Polly Playtime has only served to do the exact opposite of what she desired, destroy her career, and if she thinks I will stand here and be a part of it, she is very mistaken. I’m going to make it clear, the only way to success is hard work, and doing better. Not selling your career to a man who’s only concerns are his own.
![[Image: Shaun-Cruze.jpg]](https://i.ibb.co/SX5Ng4rx/Shaun-Cruze.jpg)