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How quickly tides can change. It seems just yesterday that I had complete control over Chad Evans. He was in the palm of my hand acting spontaneous and uneducated. He was so filled with emotion that he couldn't think his own actions out ahead of time...which lead to him getting fired. Now? Now the wind of change is blowing and he's sitting in the driver's seat on this highway to hell. I can see the ending ahead as it gets closer and closer as I see Chad accelerating. I look around to try and find an exit but there is nothing there. Is there no escape? If there is...it's not one that I'm willing to take.
* The scene opens up showing the home of Shawn Winters. The home seems to be a complete mess as there are clothes everywhere. A lamp knocked over. Cushions taken out of the couch and on the floor. The entire house seems to reflect the life that has been Shawn's as of late. Shawn Winters is seen in a pile of his own drool on the floor with empty bottles of beer and liquor around him. He starts to lick his lips trying to get his mouth moist. He then looks around him to see there there is a mess everywhere. He's stomach down on his kitchen floor while seeing an aftermath of a party around him. He tries to push himself up only for his back to hurt and he lays back down on the floor. *
Shawn Fuuuuuuuuuuuck. Shit....I need my pills.
* Shawn looks around frantically before realizing that he has no where to go. He tries to crawl but it doesn't get him far. The desperation grows inside of him as he lays motionless almost afraid. *
Shawn BROOKE!!!
* Shawn shouts for his sister, not even aware of where she is. For all he could know she could be at school or for god knows where. *
Shawn BROOKE!!!!
* Moments pass before she actually shows up into the room clearly being woken up by the screams. *
Brooke What do you want?
Shawn I can't move.
Brooke Funny...get off your ass and get to bed.
* Brooke starts to leave the room only for Shawn to stop her with his voice. *
Shawn Brooke no...you don't understand....I can't move!
Brooke What?
Shawn My...my back, it hurts. I need to get to my room and get-
* Shawn thinks about it for a minute. Realizing that he doesn't want to tell his sister what he needs. *
Shawn I need to get some things to make me better.
* Brooke suddenly becomes concerned as she see's with her own eyes the desperation in Shawn's eyes. *
Brooke Shawn, are you serious? You can't move?
Shawn No...I need, I need to get to my room. I have some medication.
Brooke Shawn, no...we need to take you to the hospital. You're not well.
Shawn What? No...trust me I just need my medication.
Brooke Your medication isn't legal. It isn't medication it's simply drugs. What you need is a doctor, someone who knows what to do. You need surgery!
Shawn NOOOO! All I need is my pills and I'll be on my feet like nothings wrong!
Brooke I'm not helping you anywhere. I'm calling an ambulance.
Shawn No, no...I'm fine see.
* Shawn tries to push himself up using the stairs of his house only to not get anywhere and scream in pain. *
Brooke I'm calling an ambulance!
Shawn No! Please...
* Shawn's voice drops to a lower tone. He's begging at this point. *
Shawn Please...I just need some pills, let me get them, than you can drive me to the hospital.
* Shawn is bargaining because he doesn't want the humiliation of being taken from his home in an ambulance. With all that's going on in his life he can't let people like Chad Evans discover things like this. *
Brooke Fine...
* Brooke goes upstairs and finds Shawn's pill bottles and brings them down stairs in front of Shawn's face. Shawn looks at them and throws some vicodin in his mouth before swallowing them. He lays their for moments before Brooke begins to help him up while pain still is expressed on his face. Brooke leads Shawn to a car before turning it on and making her way towards the hospital. *
Shawn Seriously...I'm fine. This is beyond nuts. I don't need to be taken to the hospital.
Brooke Shawn, stop it! I'm tired of turning a blind eye to everything. You're my brother, like it or not I love you. You're not a doctor and your prescriptions aren't doing you any good. You need to get help. Hell for all you know your back could be broken again.
Shawn Ok, ok, ok...Brooke listen.
* Shawn's voice drops as he understands his position where he now needs to bargain. *
Shawn Brooke, I know you love me and that you want whats best for me but listen. This isn't it. I know what it feels like when you have a broken back. It's the worst pain imaginable times ten. This isn't it. This is simply a pain that will go away in time. You just need to let me give it time.
Brooke Shawn, I'm sorry. You're going to the hospital. I'm tired of seeing you in this position. It's about time that you get some help.
* Shawn voice is silent as he knows that he has no chance of changing his sister's mind. It's only a matter of time before he's rolling into the hospital and examined like a lab rat. *
Later That Day
* Shawn is seen laying on a doctors bed as the door opens and a doctor walks in. Shawn struggles to sit up grimacing as he does. Shawn now seated looks at the doctor who looks less than pleased. *
Doctor Shawn we have an issue here.
Shawn What are you talking about? I'm fine. I just need some sort of pain reliever and I'll be on my way right out the door.
Doctor I'm afraid it's not that simple.
* The sound of the doctors voice has sank directly into the stomach of Shawn Winters. He knows what's about to come. He's been in this situation before yet this time is different. This time he won't believe the result. He won't accept the result. The result will be wrong. *
Doctor You have a stress fracture in your back Shawn.
* Shawn's breath releases as if he's relieved it's not broken. Shawn grows a grin on his face before seeing the doctor's emotion not change. *
Doctor Shawn you don't understand. You have a history of back injuries. You've broken your back twice.
Shawn Yeah but I'm still walking Doc, I'm fine. I just need some pills and I'll be fine.
Doctor I'm sorry, it's not that simple. Shawn you don't get it, you're not well physically.
Shawn Doc, I'm sorry but I haven't been well physically for years.
Doctor That's not something to brag about. Shawn...listen to me, you need rest.
Shawn What? I'm fine.
Doctor No Shawn, you're not fine. You need to heal.
Shawn Are you kidding me? I'm fine! That's a walk in the park for me! I'm fine! I've worked through injuries that you couldn't imagine!
Doctor Shawn, you're not hearing me. Any further damage to your back by competing could-
Shawn How long?
Doctor How long for what?
Shawn Rest...how long would I need?
Doctor What does it matter? Shawn, with the state of your back being what it is with previous injuries to it. You're on borrowed time. Two broken backs. This isn't a game. We can't just give you a new spine whenever you need one. Your body is trying to tell you something Shawn...listen to it. It's had enough.
Shawn How long do I have?
* Shawn's voice becomes very serious. *
Doctor Shawn, you don't-
Shawn How long?
* The concept of the importance of the match and Shawn's own mindset refuses to let him deal with any medical condition that he may have. *
Doctor You realize that you could be risking paralysis?
Shawn How long?
Doctor I'm, I'm not sure...most cases take up to 2 months but yours? With your history we don't know how long it will take for your back to heal. I'm simply guessing at this point. At some point that back injury will turn to problems with your disks and eventually, broken. You'll be looking at a wheel chair for the rest of your life. Your back is so damaged it's only a matter of time. You're lucky to have gotten this far.
If I was looking for a way out of this Glass Box match this was my meal ticket. The only thing is, I can't let Chad win. This has gotten too personal and I can't give that piece of shit the satisfaction of knowing what I know.
Shawn That's not going to happen Doc. I need to compete-
Doctor Don't be an idiot! You have no idea what you'll be putting at risk! Your lively hood will be in danger and for what? But then again I'm just a Doctor, what do I know?
Shawn I want a second opinion.
Doctor Shawn...this isn't-
Shawn Listen Doc...I have done the impossible all my life. I've survived two broken backs just to rise above the pain and stand above everyone as the best. You think this little scare fools me? I'm Shawn Winters and nothing can stop me. I have suffered more pain than any man could possibly endure. Backs, necks, I defy the odds. Doc, I've already prolonged my life. Prolonged my career. There is no way that it stops now.
* Shawn looks right into the eyes of the doctor who doesn't know what to say. *
Shawn Can I compete?
Doctor Shawn...you can't win.
Shawn That's not what I asked. Can I compete?
Doctor I....without any type of drug or narcotic? No. You can't.
Shawn Well that's my answer.
Doctor Shawn please, you can't do this to yourself!
Shawn I'm sorry, but last I checked I control my own life. Not you!
* Shawn gets off the bed and stands before the doctor. *
Shawn So, are you going to write that subscription or what?
* The doctor is dumbfounded. He doesn't know what to do before he starts to sign a pad of paper before handing it to Shawn. Shawn grabs it before turning towards the door. *
Doctor You're making a huge mistake.
Shawn I control my own life, not you.
* Shawn walks out the door holding a pad of prescription pain killers. More Vicodin much like he had already had. He signs a paper at the front desk before meeting his sister halfway out the door. *
Brooke So, what's up?
Shawn I told you, just a pain in my back. Just need some pain killers and I'll be perfectly fine.
Brooke Are you sure?
Shawn Yes, I'm sure. I have the signed doctors note here and everything.
* Shawn throws up the doctors note to prove he's right. They then drive to the pharmacy to get Shawn some more pills. *
* The scene comes back at Shawn's house as the pain in his back is still stressing him. He's inside his kitchen trying to bend down to place Shadow's bowl of water on the floor only to have trouble getting back up. *
Shawn FUCK!
* Shawn yells in pain as Brooke walks into the room. Shawn gets up reluctantly as if he's trying to further hide his pain. *
Brooke Are you ok?
Shawn Yup...told you. Doctors orders.
* Shawn grabs his bottle of pills and tosses a couple into his mouth. He turns and smiles at Brooke before turning and taking a drink of water before throwing out some deep breaths with his back towards her leaning over into the kitchen sink. The look on Brooke's face clearly doesn't believe him as she shows concern. She's seen Shawn in pain before but never has he been so stubborn to deny what's wrong with him. There's clearly something going on to make him lie to her. Something that is making him refuse to acknowledge what's truly wrong. Doctor's orders or not. Brooke walks up to Shawn and looks him in the eyes. *
Brooke Shawn, tell me right now. Realize that I am not some dumb slut that you have no emotional attachment to. I am your sister. Ok, I'm your baby sister and I love you. Please, look me in the eyes and tell me...tell me that you are ok. Tell me that everything is fine.
* Shawn looks Brooke in the eyes. He knows, he knows that nobody on this planet knows him as well as Brooke does. When she's telling him to tell her that you are ok she's not referring to the back anymore. She's referring to the mindset not the physical. Shawn looks down on her taking a few breaths. *
Shawn Brooke, I am fine.
* Brooke looks in Shawn's eyes as if she's looking straight through his lie. *
Brooke Shawn, tell me right now...if I left you alone right now and went on some vacation with friends in Mexico. Early Spring Break kind of thing...would you be alright alone?
* Shawn knows what she's doing. She's trying to make her questions more descriptive so Shawn actually has to answer them more than a yes or a no. But she hasn't succeeded. *
Shawn Yes.
Brooke What would you do without me?
Fuck! Well now you've got to answer her somehow.
Shawn I'd simply relax and throw my feet up and enjoy some back logged TiVo. I'm pretty sure I have some episodes of Psych on there that I haven't watched yet.
Brooke No, that's it Shawn, you're not telling me everything.
FUCK! She saw through me...it was that last question I know it. Normally I'd throw a party not watch TV.
Brooke Normally if I was gone there is no way you'd keep your friends from this house. You keep them away from here as much as possible because of me, if I was gone you'd have Ethan, Ace, and Adam hanging from the lights.
Shawn No I wouldn't...
* Shawn pauses as he doesn't have a response as he knows he's caught. *
Brooke Bullshit. Shawn, there is something that you're not telling me! Damn it I want to know what it is. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of looking the other way at you. I see you and you're practically begging for help only when somebody gives it to you, you shy it away as if you don't need it. Shawn, I'm your sister. I may be the only person in this world that actually loves you. Now tell me, what is wrong with you? Why won't you admit it? And why on earth are you pretending it doesn't exist?
* Shawn sits down in a chair at the kitchen table as if he's over powered by the confidence of his little sister. She's always been strong willed. Always been just like him however never could he remember her standing up to him like this. Shawn was dumbfounded that he didn't know what to say. *
Shawn Don't you have class or something?
Brooke Nope! Day Off! I'm not leaving until you tell me what is wrong with you?
Shawn Don't you have a shift to work at the restaurant?
Brooke You own it you can rehire me!
* Shawn sits distraught at how he's being treated at the moment. He tries to regain his strength and dominance in the house. *
Shawn NO! Brooke listen! You have no idea what's going on with me right now because you couldn't possibly get it! I am who I am for a reason and that won't change now!
* Shawn almost smiles as if he's gotten back to himself and gotten the upper hand. *
Brooke NOPE! You may have gotten to who you are today and blah blah blah but clearly what you're doing now isn't the right way to go so Shawn, I ask you again. Tell me what's going on?
She says it as if it's a threat. A threat of what? What could she possibly do?
Shawn I'm fine.
* Brooke has had enough as she turns and goes to walk up Shawn's stairs. *
Shawn BROOKE!...BROOKE!...BROOKE!....Brooke?
* Shawn pulls himself out of the chair makes his way up the stairs and to his bedroom. He looks inside to see that he has drawers thrown open and clothes thrown onto the floor. He is shocked at what he's seeing before a glimpse of Brooke in the bathroom emptying a bag into the toilet. Shawn rushes towards the room. When he gets there Brooke flushes the toilet with Shawn's cocaine emptied into it. Shawn drops down to his knee's. Brooke stands against the wall kind of scared at what she's done and what Shawn might do. She had this planned in her head after finding out that he had been using however never thought this would happen. *
Shawn What the fuck?!
* Shawn gets to his feet and corners Brooke into the wall as she's clearly scared but tries to put up a front. *
Shawn What the fuck do you think that you're doing? Huh?! This is my fucking life NOT YOURS!!! I have the right to do whatever the hell I want with it!
Brooke Not when people lov-
* Shawn punches the wall beside her face. *
Shawn SHUT UP!!! You have no fucking right!
* Shawn pushes away from the wall and turns in a few circles frustrated and thinking. He grabs his hair as if he's about to rip it out and taking death breaths and grinding his teeth. *
Shawn FUCK YOU!!!
* Shawn throws himself at Brooke only to take himself away. *
Shawn GOD DAMN IT!!! What is wrong with you?! Huh?! Why do you have to poke your nose into somebody's business?! Huh?! Who do you think you are?!
Brooke I'm your sister!
Shawn The fuck you are! Fuck you! You're nothing!
Brooke Shawn...I love you...I'm your only family that you have left.
Shawn No...not anymore. You're nothing to me! Family? FAMILY?! You're not family! You're just like everyone else! You're just judging me! You're just here to tell me that I'm wrong or that I'm not right!
Brooke Shawn, you're not making any sense!
Shawn THE FUCK I'M NOT! No...family is nothing to me. You...
* Shawn gets in Brooke's face holding her cheeks together in rage as she begins to cry. *
Shawn You're nothing to me! I want you out of my house! I want you out of my life! And I want you to...
* Shawn doesn't finish his last sentence as his rage and anger prevents him from doing so. Brooke however has tears down her cheek as she's never seen Shawn this angry, especially at her. They are one of a kind which is why she treated Shawn this way to begin with. However never seeing this side of him before has left her afraid like never before in life. Somehow she's able to muster some words. *
Brooke Shawn, please-
* Shawn punches a hole in the wall behind her. She jumps to the side afraid like never before. *
Shawn SHUT THE FUCK UP!
* Shawn pulls his fist out of the wall and rubs his fingers through his hair before yelling at the top of his lungs in anger. Brooke steps backwards out of the room as he stares at her. She's crying. *
Brooke I'm sorry....I'm.....I'm sorry.
* Brooke runs away as Shawn drops down in his bathroom floor. His anger begins to go away as he falls to the floor on his side breathing deeply. It's not long before the sound of the door closing is heard as Brooke has left. Shawn's now left alone laying on his bathroom floor. *
I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle...victorious. - Vince Lombardi
* The scene shows Shawn Winters sitting in front of an SCW backdrop with a glass of scotch in hand and a empty bottle of water in the other being used as a spitter. The bottom left side of his lip is packed full of chew as he spits the wash right into the empty water bottle. *
Shawn You hear that quote Chad? Every single noun and verb in that sentence instigates an anger in which I have for you. Every word spoken from that great man's mouth...has never felt truer than right now. There's no way around it...no matter which way I turn I will have glass walls surrounding me reminding me of the nightmares of my worst career moments. Something that you were banking on Chad. See, I'm not afraid to admit it...you played me. You played me like pocket ace's just waiting for me to jump all in. On Breakdown you got what you wanted...you brought my son Alex into the pot and you got that emotion kick started in me...you got me to be brash and inconsistent. You got exactly what you wanted out of it. You got me to be off of my game for a split second to give in to your demands. I asked...no I begged for Mr. D to reinstate you just so I could get my hands on you just like you wanted to get your hands on me at Gang Rulz. All you had to do was name your price and for Mr. D to not back track from the demand. In the span of one night my world came crumbling down. My arrogance and my bravado blinded me to walk right into your sick little game. Looking back in hindsight isn't really fair as all I can tell myself is why did I do it? Yeah...hindsight isn't fair because emotions don't seem to carry over. They build up to make people do drastic things...make them do things that they could never possibly imagine themselves ever doing...much like love. A love for your sister...a lack of love that I have towards my son Alex.
* Shawn sighs as if he's trying to think of his next words carefully. He spits into his water bottle before taking a slow sip of his scotch. *
Shawn You took advantage of that Chad. Just like I took advantage of it a month prior. As much as you and I pretend to be absolute opposites it seems that out long forgotten friendship with each other has taught us something. How exactly to manipulate the other into giving away their free will and giving in to ours. I manipulated you Chad just like you manipulated me and I'll admit...I didn't see it coming. Maybe I should of, maybe I was too arrogant to possibly think that you could ever get the step up on me. Maybe I was arrogant...or maybe I was just a fool. Either way you got what you wanted Chad. You got me inside the ring once again. Walls...walls surrounding us, blocking us in like a prison cell. Letting no man out no matter how loud he screams or how bloody it gets. If only those walls could talk right Chad? What would they say? I'm sure they would echo your thoughts of how it nearly ended my career. If anything cut it short by possibly a decade. The blood that it forced me to spill, the cuts, the scares that it forced upon my body. The nightmares in which it caused me as I laid awake in a hospital bed fearful of even falling asleep again.
Am I afraid? You're damn right I'm afraid. I'd be an idiot not to be. This match is my nightmare. Reached down to the deepest darkest place of my mind and formed into reality. So you're damn right I'm afraid because I am a man. I'm not someone trying to convince themselves a God. Like it or not Chad, you're afraid too. You see I know what this match can do to someone, you however are going into this blind, deaf, and dumb.You're going into it naive. You might as well be Helen Keller walking into a prison. No idea of your surroundings. If I have any sort of advantage here it's the fact that I know what pain this sick prison can cause. I know what scares will be left on my psyche. You however have no idea. Sure, you may pretend that you don't care, I remember doing that once...look what happened to me? The fact is Chad you have not even the slightest clue of what to expect inside that box. To you...the Glass Box might as well be Pandora's because once it's opened and you're inside...everything that happens to you will be of a mystery. The only thing you have to reference this match on is my own personal experience inside of it. You look at this thing and you see my hell. You see my torture and you see my pain. That glass box might as well be painted red in my own blood because I have spilled so much inside of that thing, so much blood that...(sigh)...so much blood.
* Shawn seems to have gone into a trance for a second before shaking out of it. *
Shawn You've seen me inside of that match and what it has done to me mentally and psychically which in turn makes you blind to the reality of it Chad. Your blind hatred for me has lead you to make this leap of faith. This leap that you have no idea whether or not you will even survive. You're jumping head first inside of this Glass Box unknowing of the dangers, of the ramifications that it may cause. You want to end my career so badly that you looked back into our past...a past in which we used to be friends...a friendship which you and I both are taking advantage of now. You looked back and you opened up that little tiny black box pushed deep behind every memory that I possibly had and you saw it...you saw what could be the end of days. The end of each of our career's as we know it. Don't you think that you're coming out of this thing unscathed Chad. Don't you dare think that for a moment because every single blow you give me I'll be giving you one better.
Have you ever fought a scared animal Chad? One that knows it's cornered with it's own life hanging in the balance? Picture a snake...that you've backed into a corner as you hold a shovel in your hand just ready to cut it's head right off. Now, you're afraid...just like that snake is. The both of your eyes dead locked on the other just waiting for the other to make a move. Each one of you trying to get inside the mind of the other to simply make a guess at what their next move will be. You stand in a stand still only to get impatient and go for the strike only to find yourself bitten in the ankle as your shovel misses.
Now sure...you may get that second attempt at that snake quickly before the venom and the poison sinks in and you may chop it's head clean off. But you'll fall...slowly dying as the venom and the pain corrupts your body. This match Chad...will end the both of us. Don't for a second think that it won't. My arrogance and bravado blinded me to walk into it...yours? It's blinding you from ever walking out.
* Shawn stands up and walks away as the camera fades to black on the SCW logo. *
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