Post by K.I.S.S. on May 28, 2015 22:29:39 GMT -6
Sitting at home is usually a nice, relaxing way to spend your days, especially when your jobs tend to involve dangerous levels of violence. For Bethany Kenyon, this is even more true when there’s a friend over to her home, in this case, her manager for both business ventures, Nikki Peltier. Nikki had brought her big playful great dane, Cain, with her and the dog was not lounging happily on Bethany’s couch in her living room as Bethany sits at a small slide away desk that doubles as both a food tray and a handy place to use a laptop, the laptop option being the one currently being employed. Nikki sits in an overstuffed armchair, contemplating taking Cain out to the backyard to throw the ball some when Bethany looks up, shaking her head.
Bethany Kenyon: What is he playing at?
Nikki shrugs.
Nikki Peltier: We could ask you the same thing, B.
Bethany looks up from her computer in shock, finding her friend staring at her expectantly. Bethany closes the computer and shrugs.
Bethany Kenyon: About what?
Nikki nods to the computer.
Nikki Peltier: To what you said…
Bethany just stares at her friend and Nikki nods back to her again.
Nikki Peltier: How could you go out there and say what you did about the stalker situation, Bethy? You know the evidence against him, you know Jezzy thinks he did it…
Bethany shrugs.
Bethany Kenyon: I love Jezzy, Nik, but doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything she says and does. Hell, I love Ash, but that doesn’t mean I think she was right to do what she did the other day with Lis and Kels and then the next morning with us.
Nikki ponders this for a second, nodding a little. It was true, certain things had happened recently that they could all agree on and accept as being mistakes but what about the stalker? Was that one of them?
Nikki Peltier: I know… but…
Bethany just looks at Nikki, seemingly both pleading and hopeful.
Bethany Kenyon: Nik, do you honestly believe, in your heart of hearts, that Sentinel is capable of being the stalker and doing all the things Jeszika thinks he is?
Nikki swallows hard and shrugs, seemingly unsure of herself.
Nikki Peltier: Jezzy thinks so…
Bethany shakes her head, knowing exactly what Nikki is doing and having none of it.
Bethany Kenyon: I’m not asking her, I’m asking you, Nicholette Gold Peltier, do you think Sentinel did it?
Nikki stares at Bethany, the whole thing playing in her head again. Everything going back to the first batch of flowers in the back yard, to the incidents in the bar in Kansas, to the roses a few weeks ago, to the video where the stalker was actually seen, to knockouts given out by Sentinel, the job they just worked with him and the Dead Men and on to the triple superkick this past show. Finally, she shakes her head.
Nikki Peltier: No…
Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Do you think anybody connected to Sentinel, one of the Dead Men, one of his extended family, that Blood guy, did it either for him or on his orders?
Again, Nikki stares at Bethany as she allows everything to wash over her mind all over again. After another minute or two that feels a thousand times longer, Nikki shakes her head again.
Nikki Peltier: No…
Bethany nods again, almost like she’s going down a mental checklist but without any sense of knowing or having any kind of answer in mind when she asks.
Bethany Kenyon: Do you think he’s the kind of guy to act that…
She searches for the right word, trying desperately not to use the first one that came to her mind.
Bethany Kenyon: You worked with him, saw what he can do, would you do it again?
Nikki nods without hesitation.
Nikki Peltier: I would…
Bethany nods gravely.
Bethany Kenyon: So would I, and that’s what is… sorta…
Nikki nods knowingly.
Nikki Peltier: That’s what’s messing with you about the whole stalker thing? That somehow it’s landed on him because he was trying to be nice to you and it just so happens it’s when somebody else was being exceptionally not nice to Jeszika?
Bethany sits there for a second, as if this was a question new to even her.
Bethany Kenyon: I just, I listen to Zechariah, I watch what Sentinel’s doing and I can’t help but ask, which is worse?
Bethany cuts herself off, seemingly almost afraid to give voice to the choices. Nikki waits for a second, patiently expecting bethany to finish her thought.
Nikki Peltier: Which of what?
Bethany almost absently nods to the computer screen before her where the promo had just played a few minutes previous.
Bethany Kenyon: If Zechariah was bullshitting… or if he wasn’t…
Nikki looks from bethany to the screen.
Nikki Peltier: I don’t understand, why would…
Bethany nods to it again as she looks back to Nikki, a new seriousness to her voice.
Bethany Kenyon: When was the last time you heard anyone say Sentinel couldn’t do something? When was the last time you heard somebody close to him say, in public, that he couldn’t beat somebody’s ass?
Nikki pauses, contemplating this and slowly rolling over everything she’s ever heard from anyone regarding the Silent Destroyer.
Nikki Peltier: I…
Shaking her head, Nikki shrugs.
Nikki Peltier: I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything like that…
Bethany nods, turning back to the screen.
Bethany Kenyon: Me either and that…
She shakes her head, chuckling in spite of herself.
Bethany Kenyon: I’m probably way overthinking this whole thing…
Sitting back in the chair, she stares at the screen, the same thought repeating itself seemingly on a loop.
“Why would Blood say that?”
Sighing, she turns back to Nikki.
Bethany Kenyon: Did you try and call Ash yet?
Nikki nods sadly.
Nikki Peltier: Yeah…
At the sound of Nikki’s voice, Bethany’s heart drops.
Bethany Kenyon: Oh no…
Nikki nods and stands up.
Nikki Peltier: Can we take Cain outside?
Bethany nods and as she stands, Cain hops up, excited and ready to go. Both women smile as Cain trots up to Nikki and then starts for the back door.
Nikki Peltier: Good boy…
Bethany just shakes her head.
Bethany Kenyon: He even knows where to go in my house…
Nikki can’t help but laugh as she follows her dog to the back door.
Nikki Peltier: He knows his way around all our houses…
Bethany follows them to the door and then out through the screened in pool area into the yard. Cain starts running around the grassy area, loving the wide open space even before Nikki throws the ball for him. Like a flash, he takes off after the ball, Nikki and Bethany both loving the sight.
Bethany Kenyon: Bless him…
Nikki nods.
Nikki Peltier: He’ll have us do this until we’re tired… and then he’ll want us to keep going.
Bethany nods slowly.
Bethany Kenyon: I’d say I should get a dog but I’m not sure Brody would be that enthusiastic about it.
Nikki frowns.
Nikki Peltier: Brody doesn’t like dogs?
Cain brings the balls back and Nikki throws it for him again.
Bethany Kenyon: I don’t know, he’s only just now starting to be more… awake…
Nikki nods slowly as Cain brings the ball back again. She slips it from him, teases for a second and then unleashes a deep one that bounces up against Bethany’s fence.
Nikki Peltier: So you’ve got that all over, don’t you?
Bethany shrugs as she watches Cain race across her yard after the ball. Cain overshoots the ball and almost slides into the fence before coming to a momentary stop. He finds the ball, grabs it up and races back over to the two women. This time, Nikki takes the ball and flips it to Bethany. Cain cocks his head in confusion before Bethany lets it fly the same way Nikki had.
Bethany Kenyon: Yeah, I guess…
They watch Cain run for the ball, loving every second of this.
Bethany Kenyon: The Children really fucked him up.
Nikki nods as she waits for her dog to return with the ball.
Nikki Peltier: I think we might have to admit that several of our friends are well and truly falling into that abyss too, Bethy.
She pauses as she accepts the ball from Cain and throws it for him.
Nikki Peltier: Or rather, I should say, falling back into that abyss.
Bethany frowns in confusion.
Bethany Kenyon: Back?
Nikki nods as they watch Cain chasing the ball furiously.
Nikki Peltier: Carrie and Jezzy both admit they’ve already been there and… we kinda…
Bethany raises a hand to stop her right there.
Bethany Kenyon: Nik, we have never been where Jezzy and Carrie have. Ash might be teetering on the brink but you’ve never been close and I haven’t been there either.
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki accepts it from him.
Nikki Peltier: Who’s a good boy? You ready?
She nods and then fires the ball across the yard.
Nikki Peltier: Jezzy thinks we’re all addicts, you and I just hide it way better than they do.
Bethany crosses her arms, clearly unconvinced.
Bethany Kenyon: When was the last time you snorted anything?
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki shrugs as she takes it from him.
Nikki Peltier: Probably a good year…
She throws the ball and Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Did you have to think about it at all when you stopped?
Nikki shakes her head.
Nikki Peltier: No.
Bethany nods again.
Bethany Kenyon: Struggle at all?
Nikki shakes her head as Cain brings the ball back again.
Nikki Peltier: No, can’t say I did.
Bethany nods as Nikki tosses her the ball.
Bethany Kenyon: So why would you be considered an addict in the slightest?
She throws the ball and Cain takes off while Nikki ponders this question for a second.
Nikki Peltier: I guess I’m not.
Bethany nods as Cain brings the ball back. Nikki accepts the ball and rubs her dog’s head.
Nikki Peltier: Pretty boy… you ready?
She nods and fires the ball across the yard.
Bethany Kenyon: And me?
Nikki exhales, seemingly questioning herself again.
Nikki Peltier: Did you ever feel the pull?
Bethany shakes her head.
Bethany Kenyon: No, scared myself with that one incident and after watching what happened with Jez, I was like, I don’t wanna go down that road…
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki fires it off again.
Nikki Peltier: But you could see yourself… ?
Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Scared me to death thinking, “Oh my God, Jezzy’s going there, Ashley’s going there, carrie’s been there… I’m not going there…”
Nikki smiles.
Nikki Peltier: Good for you, Bethy!
Nikki gets the ball from Cain and tosses it to Bethany.
Bethany Kenyon: So was she high, not answer or tell you to piss off again?
As Bethany throws the ball, Nikki sighs.
Nikki Peltier: All of the above…
Bethany’s eyes slam shut and her chin falls to her chest.
Bethany Kenyon: Let me guess, the first time, you got her voicemail…
Nikki nods.
Nikki Peltier: Second time, she was drunk and told me she’d call me when she was ready and hung up on me.
As Cain trots back with the ball, Nikki’s phone goes off. As she checks the message, her eyes close.
Nikki Peltier: Shit…
Bethany frowns hard.
Bethany Kenyon: What?
Nikki clears her throat.
Nikki Peltier: I need to take Cain home and then come back over here. That was Kris, Jezzy’s had something happen and now she’s in the swamp, drunk off her ass.
Bethany nods slowly.
Bethany Kenyon: Bumblebee.
Nikki nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Ok, I think I’ve got her spare keys here.
Nikki nods and leads Cain out to her car, firing it up and driving off to take the dog home. Bethany walks into her house and fires up the camera on her computer. She sits down and nods the camera.
Bethany Kenyon: I really don’t understand you at all, Mister Blood. I mean, I know you live here too and I know you have a rep for…
She pauses, nodding acknowledgingly.
Bethany Kenyon: Things...
She glances towards the door, craning to see if Nikki has come back yet.
Bethany Kenyon: But I’ve never heard anyone talk about Sentinel like that before and I find myself asking, which is actually worse in the big picture?
Looking back, she nods to the camera as if it might actually answer back.
Bethany Kenyon: On the one hand, how bad is it if what you said was actually bullshit you don’t believe and it was all reverse psychology? In that case, I’d wonder just how fucked in the head you are for trying to poke the beast in his cage when he was already on the edge of tearing through the bars and then I’d also wonder if that was actually more for my benefit than his…
Pausing again, she glances down at the keyboard as she contemplates this question.
Bethany Kenyon: Knowing you, it would probably be a combination of trying to lull me into a false sense of security while also scaring the hell out of me to put me off my game while simultaneously guaranteeing Sentinel would go all out to prove you wrong.
She nods in acknowledgement again as she looks up.
Bethany Kenyon: Not a bad plan since, it would at least half work since I’ve always admitted up front that Sentinel is a scary opponent to get in the ring with.
Pausing, she nods again.
Bethany Kenyon: Ok, so I’ve seen him in action outside the ring too and, that was just as…
Letting out a deep breath, she can’t help but shake her head in wonder.
Bethany Kenyon: Then there’s the other side… what if you really believe what you said?
Her hands come together, almost as if she’s started praying.
Bethany Kenyon: I can’t begin to fathom how bad that would be if you really, honestly don’t believe in Sentinel and really just told the world, in all seriousness, that you don’t think he can beat me. Sentinel is already on edge and if he were to find out that one of his best friends in this world doesn’t believe in him just when he needs it the most…
Her hands fall and her jaw joins them in their fall.
Bethany Kenyon: This is where I have to say, Mister Blood, I disagree with you entirely if you really believe that. There is nothing Sentinel can’t do when it comes to that ring, no one he simply cannot beat. I may have emerged victorious before but that doesn’t mean this time will be the same. If he gets his head into that, gets that kind of tunnel vision we both know he can attain, have that focus he’s famous for, then I’m in for a long day and we all know it! He is not just a dog chasing the ball destined to never catch it…
She looks into the camera, dead serious.
Bethany Kenyon: He’s the dog that is fully capable of catching the ball and tearing it to pieces. He’s like the Rottweiler in that viral video from last year protecting the smaller dog from the coyote and if you don’t think he can be that lion I spoke of last time then I don’t know what you’re on, but you need a fucking drug test worse than a lot of the people I know are on something nasty!
Sitting back in the chair, her gaze moves off into the distance.
Bethany Kenyon: Good God, you make him sound like Charlie Brown trying to kick that football that just won’t ever be there anymore when his foot comes through!
Her gaze moves back to the camera again.
Bethany Kenyon: And I’m not Lucy...
She nods solemnly, as if coming to a decision.
Bethany Kenyon: I won’t move the ball when he tries to kick it. He gets to take his shot just like I did, and then we see which one of us scores the big one this time. I know he can make the kick and he knows I can too. The question is which one of us can manage to block the other…
She stands up as Nikki’s car pulls into the drive.
Bethany Kenyon: This is gonna be the biggest test of my life and it’s not one I plan on failing! Mister Blood, thank you for the warnings and Sentinel, thank you for the privilege of letting us both prove each other right!
Bethany Kenyon: What is he playing at?
Nikki shrugs.
Nikki Peltier: We could ask you the same thing, B.
Bethany looks up from her computer in shock, finding her friend staring at her expectantly. Bethany closes the computer and shrugs.
Bethany Kenyon: About what?
Nikki nods to the computer.
Nikki Peltier: To what you said…
Bethany just stares at her friend and Nikki nods back to her again.
Nikki Peltier: How could you go out there and say what you did about the stalker situation, Bethy? You know the evidence against him, you know Jezzy thinks he did it…
Bethany shrugs.
Bethany Kenyon: I love Jezzy, Nik, but doesn’t mean I have to agree with everything she says and does. Hell, I love Ash, but that doesn’t mean I think she was right to do what she did the other day with Lis and Kels and then the next morning with us.
Nikki ponders this for a second, nodding a little. It was true, certain things had happened recently that they could all agree on and accept as being mistakes but what about the stalker? Was that one of them?
Nikki Peltier: I know… but…
Bethany just looks at Nikki, seemingly both pleading and hopeful.
Bethany Kenyon: Nik, do you honestly believe, in your heart of hearts, that Sentinel is capable of being the stalker and doing all the things Jeszika thinks he is?
Nikki swallows hard and shrugs, seemingly unsure of herself.
Nikki Peltier: Jezzy thinks so…
Bethany shakes her head, knowing exactly what Nikki is doing and having none of it.
Bethany Kenyon: I’m not asking her, I’m asking you, Nicholette Gold Peltier, do you think Sentinel did it?
Nikki stares at Bethany, the whole thing playing in her head again. Everything going back to the first batch of flowers in the back yard, to the incidents in the bar in Kansas, to the roses a few weeks ago, to the video where the stalker was actually seen, to knockouts given out by Sentinel, the job they just worked with him and the Dead Men and on to the triple superkick this past show. Finally, she shakes her head.
Nikki Peltier: No…
Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Do you think anybody connected to Sentinel, one of the Dead Men, one of his extended family, that Blood guy, did it either for him or on his orders?
Again, Nikki stares at Bethany as she allows everything to wash over her mind all over again. After another minute or two that feels a thousand times longer, Nikki shakes her head again.
Nikki Peltier: No…
Bethany nods again, almost like she’s going down a mental checklist but without any sense of knowing or having any kind of answer in mind when she asks.
Bethany Kenyon: Do you think he’s the kind of guy to act that…
She searches for the right word, trying desperately not to use the first one that came to her mind.
Bethany Kenyon: You worked with him, saw what he can do, would you do it again?
Nikki nods without hesitation.
Nikki Peltier: I would…
Bethany nods gravely.
Bethany Kenyon: So would I, and that’s what is… sorta…
Nikki nods knowingly.
Nikki Peltier: That’s what’s messing with you about the whole stalker thing? That somehow it’s landed on him because he was trying to be nice to you and it just so happens it’s when somebody else was being exceptionally not nice to Jeszika?
Bethany sits there for a second, as if this was a question new to even her.
Bethany Kenyon: I just, I listen to Zechariah, I watch what Sentinel’s doing and I can’t help but ask, which is worse?
Bethany cuts herself off, seemingly almost afraid to give voice to the choices. Nikki waits for a second, patiently expecting bethany to finish her thought.
Nikki Peltier: Which of what?
Bethany almost absently nods to the computer screen before her where the promo had just played a few minutes previous.
Bethany Kenyon: If Zechariah was bullshitting… or if he wasn’t…
Nikki looks from bethany to the screen.
Nikki Peltier: I don’t understand, why would…
Bethany nods to it again as she looks back to Nikki, a new seriousness to her voice.
Bethany Kenyon: When was the last time you heard anyone say Sentinel couldn’t do something? When was the last time you heard somebody close to him say, in public, that he couldn’t beat somebody’s ass?
Nikki pauses, contemplating this and slowly rolling over everything she’s ever heard from anyone regarding the Silent Destroyer.
Nikki Peltier: I…
Shaking her head, Nikki shrugs.
Nikki Peltier: I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say anything like that…
Bethany nods, turning back to the screen.
Bethany Kenyon: Me either and that…
She shakes her head, chuckling in spite of herself.
Bethany Kenyon: I’m probably way overthinking this whole thing…
Sitting back in the chair, she stares at the screen, the same thought repeating itself seemingly on a loop.
“Why would Blood say that?”
Sighing, she turns back to Nikki.
Bethany Kenyon: Did you try and call Ash yet?
Nikki nods sadly.
Nikki Peltier: Yeah…
At the sound of Nikki’s voice, Bethany’s heart drops.
Bethany Kenyon: Oh no…
Nikki nods and stands up.
Nikki Peltier: Can we take Cain outside?
Bethany nods and as she stands, Cain hops up, excited and ready to go. Both women smile as Cain trots up to Nikki and then starts for the back door.
Nikki Peltier: Good boy…
Bethany just shakes her head.
Bethany Kenyon: He even knows where to go in my house…
Nikki can’t help but laugh as she follows her dog to the back door.
Nikki Peltier: He knows his way around all our houses…
Bethany follows them to the door and then out through the screened in pool area into the yard. Cain starts running around the grassy area, loving the wide open space even before Nikki throws the ball for him. Like a flash, he takes off after the ball, Nikki and Bethany both loving the sight.
Bethany Kenyon: Bless him…
Nikki nods.
Nikki Peltier: He’ll have us do this until we’re tired… and then he’ll want us to keep going.
Bethany nods slowly.
Bethany Kenyon: I’d say I should get a dog but I’m not sure Brody would be that enthusiastic about it.
Nikki frowns.
Nikki Peltier: Brody doesn’t like dogs?
Cain brings the balls back and Nikki throws it for him again.
Bethany Kenyon: I don’t know, he’s only just now starting to be more… awake…
Nikki nods slowly as Cain brings the ball back again. She slips it from him, teases for a second and then unleashes a deep one that bounces up against Bethany’s fence.
Nikki Peltier: So you’ve got that all over, don’t you?
Bethany shrugs as she watches Cain race across her yard after the ball. Cain overshoots the ball and almost slides into the fence before coming to a momentary stop. He finds the ball, grabs it up and races back over to the two women. This time, Nikki takes the ball and flips it to Bethany. Cain cocks his head in confusion before Bethany lets it fly the same way Nikki had.
Bethany Kenyon: Yeah, I guess…
They watch Cain run for the ball, loving every second of this.
Bethany Kenyon: The Children really fucked him up.
Nikki nods as she waits for her dog to return with the ball.
Nikki Peltier: I think we might have to admit that several of our friends are well and truly falling into that abyss too, Bethy.
She pauses as she accepts the ball from Cain and throws it for him.
Nikki Peltier: Or rather, I should say, falling back into that abyss.
Bethany frowns in confusion.
Bethany Kenyon: Back?
Nikki nods as they watch Cain chasing the ball furiously.
Nikki Peltier: Carrie and Jezzy both admit they’ve already been there and… we kinda…
Bethany raises a hand to stop her right there.
Bethany Kenyon: Nik, we have never been where Jezzy and Carrie have. Ash might be teetering on the brink but you’ve never been close and I haven’t been there either.
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki accepts it from him.
Nikki Peltier: Who’s a good boy? You ready?
She nods and then fires the ball across the yard.
Nikki Peltier: Jezzy thinks we’re all addicts, you and I just hide it way better than they do.
Bethany crosses her arms, clearly unconvinced.
Bethany Kenyon: When was the last time you snorted anything?
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki shrugs as she takes it from him.
Nikki Peltier: Probably a good year…
She throws the ball and Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Did you have to think about it at all when you stopped?
Nikki shakes her head.
Nikki Peltier: No.
Bethany nods again.
Bethany Kenyon: Struggle at all?
Nikki shakes her head as Cain brings the ball back again.
Nikki Peltier: No, can’t say I did.
Bethany nods as Nikki tosses her the ball.
Bethany Kenyon: So why would you be considered an addict in the slightest?
She throws the ball and Cain takes off while Nikki ponders this question for a second.
Nikki Peltier: I guess I’m not.
Bethany nods as Cain brings the ball back. Nikki accepts the ball and rubs her dog’s head.
Nikki Peltier: Pretty boy… you ready?
She nods and fires the ball across the yard.
Bethany Kenyon: And me?
Nikki exhales, seemingly questioning herself again.
Nikki Peltier: Did you ever feel the pull?
Bethany shakes her head.
Bethany Kenyon: No, scared myself with that one incident and after watching what happened with Jez, I was like, I don’t wanna go down that road…
Cain brings the ball back and Nikki fires it off again.
Nikki Peltier: But you could see yourself… ?
Bethany nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Scared me to death thinking, “Oh my God, Jezzy’s going there, Ashley’s going there, carrie’s been there… I’m not going there…”
Nikki smiles.
Nikki Peltier: Good for you, Bethy!
Nikki gets the ball from Cain and tosses it to Bethany.
Bethany Kenyon: So was she high, not answer or tell you to piss off again?
As Bethany throws the ball, Nikki sighs.
Nikki Peltier: All of the above…
Bethany’s eyes slam shut and her chin falls to her chest.
Bethany Kenyon: Let me guess, the first time, you got her voicemail…
Nikki nods.
Nikki Peltier: Second time, she was drunk and told me she’d call me when she was ready and hung up on me.
As Cain trots back with the ball, Nikki’s phone goes off. As she checks the message, her eyes close.
Nikki Peltier: Shit…
Bethany frowns hard.
Bethany Kenyon: What?
Nikki clears her throat.
Nikki Peltier: I need to take Cain home and then come back over here. That was Kris, Jezzy’s had something happen and now she’s in the swamp, drunk off her ass.
Bethany nods slowly.
Bethany Kenyon: Bumblebee.
Nikki nods.
Bethany Kenyon: Ok, I think I’ve got her spare keys here.
Nikki nods and leads Cain out to her car, firing it up and driving off to take the dog home. Bethany walks into her house and fires up the camera on her computer. She sits down and nods the camera.
Bethany Kenyon: I really don’t understand you at all, Mister Blood. I mean, I know you live here too and I know you have a rep for…
She pauses, nodding acknowledgingly.
Bethany Kenyon: Things...
She glances towards the door, craning to see if Nikki has come back yet.
Bethany Kenyon: But I’ve never heard anyone talk about Sentinel like that before and I find myself asking, which is actually worse in the big picture?
Looking back, she nods to the camera as if it might actually answer back.
Bethany Kenyon: On the one hand, how bad is it if what you said was actually bullshit you don’t believe and it was all reverse psychology? In that case, I’d wonder just how fucked in the head you are for trying to poke the beast in his cage when he was already on the edge of tearing through the bars and then I’d also wonder if that was actually more for my benefit than his…
Pausing again, she glances down at the keyboard as she contemplates this question.
Bethany Kenyon: Knowing you, it would probably be a combination of trying to lull me into a false sense of security while also scaring the hell out of me to put me off my game while simultaneously guaranteeing Sentinel would go all out to prove you wrong.
She nods in acknowledgement again as she looks up.
Bethany Kenyon: Not a bad plan since, it would at least half work since I’ve always admitted up front that Sentinel is a scary opponent to get in the ring with.
Pausing, she nods again.
Bethany Kenyon: Ok, so I’ve seen him in action outside the ring too and, that was just as…
Letting out a deep breath, she can’t help but shake her head in wonder.
Bethany Kenyon: Then there’s the other side… what if you really believe what you said?
Her hands come together, almost as if she’s started praying.
Bethany Kenyon: I can’t begin to fathom how bad that would be if you really, honestly don’t believe in Sentinel and really just told the world, in all seriousness, that you don’t think he can beat me. Sentinel is already on edge and if he were to find out that one of his best friends in this world doesn’t believe in him just when he needs it the most…
Her hands fall and her jaw joins them in their fall.
Bethany Kenyon: This is where I have to say, Mister Blood, I disagree with you entirely if you really believe that. There is nothing Sentinel can’t do when it comes to that ring, no one he simply cannot beat. I may have emerged victorious before but that doesn’t mean this time will be the same. If he gets his head into that, gets that kind of tunnel vision we both know he can attain, have that focus he’s famous for, then I’m in for a long day and we all know it! He is not just a dog chasing the ball destined to never catch it…
She looks into the camera, dead serious.
Bethany Kenyon: He’s the dog that is fully capable of catching the ball and tearing it to pieces. He’s like the Rottweiler in that viral video from last year protecting the smaller dog from the coyote and if you don’t think he can be that lion I spoke of last time then I don’t know what you’re on, but you need a fucking drug test worse than a lot of the people I know are on something nasty!
Sitting back in the chair, her gaze moves off into the distance.
Bethany Kenyon: Good God, you make him sound like Charlie Brown trying to kick that football that just won’t ever be there anymore when his foot comes through!
Her gaze moves back to the camera again.
Bethany Kenyon: And I’m not Lucy...
She nods solemnly, as if coming to a decision.
Bethany Kenyon: I won’t move the ball when he tries to kick it. He gets to take his shot just like I did, and then we see which one of us scores the big one this time. I know he can make the kick and he knows I can too. The question is which one of us can manage to block the other…
She stands up as Nikki’s car pulls into the drive.
Bethany Kenyon: This is gonna be the biggest test of my life and it’s not one I plan on failing! Mister Blood, thank you for the warnings and Sentinel, thank you for the privilege of letting us both prove each other right!
