Apocalypse 2024
{{ Tuesday, September 3
Kenner, LA
Dot’s Diner }}
Over the break after Rise to Greatness, Josh and I focused on looking for a house. You know, other than celebrating his big win, and him trying to talk me up into believing I can get the Adrenaline Championship back. But for the most part, we were focused on our family and the life we’re making together. To some it may seem fast, and maybe it is, but sometimes I feel like if neither of us had been so damaged the first time we connected, maybe it would have worked out better. But then again, maybe we both needed to be with the people we found to heal enough to get where we are. Anyway, we’re here now and I can’t wait until we find a place to call ours, not just mine.
Right now though we’re held up by life. I went to London with Amy for VWA’s Pandora’s Box, and Josh went to his hometown in North Carolina, to try to find out more information about someone from his past. He took Jalyn with him, while I allowed Dom to take Heath for the week. He hadn’t been to Santa Monica to stay there since Dom left, and it was just good timing. Dom is on a filming break, I didn’t have to worry about traveling internationally with a toddler. I admit I was nervous because I’ve never been away from my son more than two nights in a row, but I know he’s safe with his father.
I got home from London yesterday, and took the day to rest and readjust my sense of time. Today….. Jaina and I are having dinner with Amy. I told her we had something to talk to her about regarding the coven Jaina was involved with. Amy called me earlier today and mentioned it, so here we are. Jaina unfortunately had her house flooded in a recent storm, so for her it was good to get out and away from the mess, despite the mess we were about to dig into with Amy.
We meet at one of our favorite local chains, Dot’s Diner. They primarily serve breakfast foods, but you can get a good burger or pork chop if you want. Me? I usually order a western omelet. Amy gets a regular breakfast plate of two eggs, hashbrowns, three strips of bacon, and toast. Jaina orders loaded hashbrowns, which is just the hash with cheese, tomatoes, and bacon bits on top. After our server leaves to enter our order, Amy wastes no time.
“Okay you two. What is this all about?”
“Damn, we can’t eat first?” Jaina seems apprehensive.
“I mean, we can. But then I’d be curious and you’d be nervous for longer than necessary. So… spill it. What did that woman do?”
“Oh, well at least you already know it concerns Maia.”
“So, let me explain. At July full moon…” I go on to tell Amy about the ritual working Maia wanted us to do, and how she didn’t want to tell the coven who the energy was being directed at. I make sure to stress how proud I was of Jaina for really paying attention and deciding to leave with me.
“That sounds like her typical bullshit. But I’m not sure why you think I need to be involved.”
Jaina and I glance at each other. I had left one part out.
“Well… towards the end, the wind blew the papers off the altar and I caught one. It had the name of the person on it.” I pause, and glance at Jaina again, to see if she wanted to say it. She shakes her head slightly. Fine. “It was yours.”
Amy looks back and forth between me and Jaina, as if waiting for something else to be said. When we just look back at her, she speaks.
“You’re serious?” I nod. “That woman tried to get her coven, tried to get you, to put some kind of hex on me? For what?”
Jaina jumps in before I can speak. “Yes, she did. She said it was to protect them from someone trying to sully their name. I… have to admit that at first I was with it. Before I knew it was you. It didn’t even sound like a hex, the way she talked about it. But the more Aunt Bree protested and the more I thought about, it became clear.”
Amy laughs. Not the reaction I expected. “Sullying their name? Are you kidding me? She’s doing that all on her own, with this kind of shit. Do the other women actually buy this garbage?”
“They’re young, most of them.”
“Right, and the one lady that’s older than Aunt Bree is so new to the path that she hops when she walks.”
Okay, that made me giggle. A less-than-nice term for new pagans who believe everything is bubbles and light is a ‘fluffy bunny.’
Our food arrives, giving Amy a few moments to think about this. When the server leaves again, we start fixing our plates – adding salt and pepper, jam to the toast, you get it. Amy speaks thoughtfully as we do.
“So, here’s what I’m getting from this. This woman, Maia, started a coven of mostly young women—"
“Some are younger than me. One girl is in high school.”
Amy shakes her head. “That’s highly unethical, yet somehow not the worst part. So, she got all these young people in, started to use them and their power to call on entities she has no business dealing with, especially with so many inexperienced practitioners. And when I called her out and tried to educate her, now she’s turning them on me.”
“That’s pretty much it, yeah.”
“I wasn’t finished. Not only did she do that… but she recruited you two, and tried to con you into helping the hex against me. Do you really understand what that means?”
I do, and I nod, but I wait to see if Jaina does.
“Yes, Mom. I know. She was using me. Maybe not the whole time, but at least since the night you called her out. It wasn’t long after that she started asking me about Aunt Bree and if she’d be interested in joining. So I asked. And….” Jaina looks back and forth between us. “I’m sorry, I got you into this Aunt Bree, and Mom…” She looks near tears, her food forgotten. “I should have listened to you instead of pushing back. I just wanted to do something, anything, on my own. Not associated with you. But that’s wrong. I am who I am because of you.”
“It’s okay, babygirl. I understand that. I’m just glad you saw through it before she tricked you into doing something you’d never forgive yourself for.”
They grab hands across the table. I can tell that if we weren’t in public, they’d probably be hugging.
“As happy as I am that you two are on the same page again, I need you to focus here. After we left the park, Maia still led the ritual.”
“That’s right! I wanted to go stop them but Aunt Bree said no.”
“Good, as she should have. Doing that would have just made her target you two, as well. Do you have any idea what exactly they were going to do?”
Jaina shakes her head. “No. Maia only said it was something to stop the person—you, from harming us. I assumed it was like a strong binding.”
Amy shakes her head. “No, you don’t need an entire coven’s worth of energy to do that. If she needed that much energy, and wanted some of it to come from my blood…. It had to be something dark.” Amy stops as she’s about to take a bite of egg, then laughs. I frown.
“What’s so funny?”
“You said this was July full moon? The twenty-first?” I nod “Okay, you remember I told you I did something for protection before Rise?”
“Yes, you invoked The Morrigan.” I still can’t believe she did that. I mean, it worked, but still.
“That’s the day I did the first one. Before Rise. It had to be a week before the match to let Her energy build up for me to draw on.”
Jaina gets it before I do. “So wait. If you did a protection spell right before or at the same time as she was literally attacking you….” I gasp as I realize.
“Exactly. We don’t have to do anything. My wording for protection from my opponents included the phrase ‘and any other threats.’ I added that to account for if either of them had someone interfere to help them attack me. But…" Amy laughs again. “Anything Maia tried that night wouldn’t work. Just bounce right back to her. All we need to do is sit back and watch.”
Jaina smirks, but I’m skeptical. “Are you sure?”
Amy glares at me. “Of course I’m sure! I know what I put into that thing and I promise you, she’ll be cut off at the knees. Remember, I did the same working before Pandora’s Box. So if she tried again when the first time did nothing? She’s in for a universe of trouble.”
It makes sense. “Karmic retribution. Gotta love it.”
“I almost feel bad for her.”
“Don’t. She did it to herself. Thank you for coming to me with this though. I’ll know to keep a watch out for anything suspicious.”
The rest of dinner was light-hearted and relaxed. I think most of that was because Amy and Jaina were no longer at odds. If nothing else had come from this, at least there was that.
{{ Wednesday, September 4
Kenner, LA
Bree’s home }}
Josh got home from his trip last night. Jalyn was happy to see me, but seemed confused as to why Heath isn’t here. I told her he was with his daddy, and I think she understood. She went to bed soon after, and not long after dinner, so did Josh and I.
I woke up this morning to find Josh already awake, sitting up in bed reading something on his phone.
“Morning, babe.”
He turns and smiles at me. “Hey sweetness. I didn’t want to wake you up.”
“You could have.”
“I like watching you sleep. You look peaceful and it makes me feel peaceful.”
I sit up and lean against the headboard like he is. “Is that something you need after your trip?”
“Yeah…. Yeah, I’d say it is.”
“Did you find what you were looking for?”
Josh sighs, and sets his phone aside. “Yes and no. As you know, I was looking for Riley Moses. I couldn’t find him, because he’s dead.”
“Oh no. I’m sorry.”
“So am I… But I spoke to his father. He showed me Riley’s letters… and they triggered the rest of the memory I couldn’t quite piece together. I can’t say that I liked it. In fact, I wish I had left it alone and not remembered at all.”
Josh has that far away look on his face that sometimes leads to the moments he fades out. I grab his arm, hoping to prevent that. “What happened? Can you tell me?”
Closing his eyes, but in a way that I can tell he’s still alert, he nods. “It was when we were deployed. Riley came at the squad waving his gun… and it was either his life or ours.”
“Oh. Oh no… did you…?” Josh nods.
“My trigger stopped him.”
I lean against him, still holding his arm. “I’m so sorry, babe. I can’t begin to imagine what that’s like.”
“At least I know why I couldn’t remember.” Of course. The brain will block things out to protect us. I can barely remember anything from my assault a few years ago now, even though I know that at the time, ever detail used to run through my head and give me nightmares.
“I’m sorry the trip didn’t go the way you hoped.”
“I wanted answers. I got them. That’s what I wanted, even if I don’t like the answers.”
I don’t know what to say to that, so I just lean in a little more. He wraps an arm around me.
“But I’d rather not dwell on that. Tell me about London. How was your traitor show?”
I look up and he’s smirking me. “Ha. Ha. Well, other than the fact Amy somehow didn’t die when she got piledriven off the stage…”
“Holy shit. Really?”
“Yeah, it was insane. But she’s perfectly fine.” I shrug. I don’t think I could explain why she was fine, he likely wouldn’t buy it. “As for me though…. Well, I kinda got jumped from behind.”
“Kinda?”
“Okay, I did. I wasn’t even booked, I was there to support Amy. I was minding my business backstage and this woman runs up behind me and knocks me down. Something to do with a guy I dated a long time ago.”
Josh chuckles a little. “Seems like your ex’s starting trouble is a trend lately.”
“Oh stop it, Will isn’t actually the problem, even if his attitude lately leaves a lot to be desired. But no, it was his ex’s daughter, it’s a long story. As for Blake…” I glare, and I can’t decide if I mean it or not. “His targeting you has nothing to do with me.”
“Are you sure about that? He says its about the title, but he’s talked out of both sides of his mouth since he learned to speak.”
I can’t help myself from giggling. “I know, trust me. But I also know him better than most people do. He’s always had an obsession with the World Championship, simply because he’s never had it. It’s always in the back of his mind to win it someday.”
“Then why choose after I’m champion to stake his claim?”
“He didn’t. He chose right after Rise. He would have done the same thing to Selena if she was still champion. He just chose the show right after Rise to have the most eyes on the show to make the biggest impact. You saw what he told me at Breakdown.” Blake basically told me he’s simply staked his claim and didn’t care who the champion was when he got his chance.
“I did, but that doesn’t mean I trust him.”
“Oh no, don’t trust him. I’d never advise anyone to do that. I’m just saying that whatever he is up to, isn’t about me. We’re both past that.”
Josh sighs. “Okay, I won’t trust him. But, I do trust you.” He leans over and kisses me, which I take as his way of dropping it.
Seconds later, my phone rings. I lean the other way and grab it. “Its Amy.” Josh nods and starts to get up. I answer.
“Hey sis.”
“You know I like that, don’t you?”
“Yep.”
“Good. Keep it up. I have a question for you.”
“Okay.”
“Have you and Josh had any luck finding a house yet?”
“Not really. We’ve looked a few but none of them were really right for us.”
“That’s what I thought. I just might have found the perfect place for you.”
“Really? How? Where?”
“Yes, really. I found it by looking outside, and it’s fairly close by. As in, next door.”
I gasp. “No! Not Kara’s house?!” Amy and I’s good friend Kara Abheri who used to live next door to Amy, until she and her husband moved to Canada to be near his family. They’ve since split up but Kara went back to New York City. She sold the house shortly after moving to Canada.
“Yes, that house. I watched a realtor put the sign in the yard this morning. Want her phone number?”
“Are you kidding me right now?!”
Amy laughs. “That’s what I thought. I’ll text it to you. Let me know.”
Two hours and a phone call later, Josh and I are dressed and at the house in question, next door to Amy’s. I’d spoken to the realtor and she offered to meet with us right away. After dropping Jalyn off at Amy’s, we walk up the sidewalk to the house for sale. The front door opens as an Asian lady about my age steps out.
“Bree, Josh, so good to meet you!” She shakes both of our hands. She knew who I was when I called; we’re even more well known in New Orleans than the rest of the country.
“You too, Mary. I still can’t believe this house is for sale.”
“I take it you’ve spent a lot of time here?”
“A few years ago, yes. Why are the current owners selling, do you know?”
“The husband got a job offer out of state. They’re very motivated to sell, they’ve already moved.”
“Luckily we’re very motivated to buy.”
“If you ladies don’t mind, can I see the inside before we sign a contract?”
I laugh. “Of course. But you’re gonna love it, I know it.”
Mary leads us inside, although I could probably lead her. The place is mostly empty, other than some bookshelves in the living room. Immediately though I see that the current owners have made some changes. There used to be a wall between the living room and dining room. They’ve taken it out to make one large room, and dressed up the support beam to look like a skinny Roman column. It looks really good. I explain this to both Josh and Mary.
“I do have all the reno information in the file, to give to your inspectors. They made a few changes in the kitchen as well, from what I’ve read.”
We follow her into the kitchen. It looks much the same to me, other than paint and cabinet color. “What’d they do in here?”
“Replaced the appliances, but they also moved the dishwasher so the water line had to be moved.”
“Oh… I see that now.” I would have never noticed until the first time I went to do dishes. Josh walks around looking at everything closer. He’s the cook of this relationship so if he likes this, he’ll probably be sold.
“This all looks really good. Great stove they picked.”
Mary smiles. “Great. Let me show you the upstairs.”
We go upstairs, and other than paint everything is the same. Three bedrooms, two and a half baths. The kids would have their own rooms. And downstairs there’s a study that I remember Kara using for crafts, that we could make into a guest room if necessary. We go back down and stop in the living room.
“Well, what do you guys think?”
“Don’t ask me, I was sold over the phone. Josh?”
Making a show of looking around, Josh finally turns back to me. “I can see myself making great pasta dinners in that kitchen.”
I laugh. Him and his pasta. “So, yes?”
“If you’re ok with downsizing the primary bedroom…” I nod. As long as it fits the bed and the closet is large enough – and it is – then I’m happy. “Then yes.”
I squeal a sound that would put Jalyn to shame as I throw my arms around Josh in a hug. He laughs as he catches me.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to knock you over.”
“That’s for later” He whispers. I poke him to shush.
Mary and I discuss the financials. The asking price wasn’t ridiculous like I expected, she wasn’t kidding when she said they were motivated to sell. We didn’t see any reason to wait, so I made an offer for asking, contingent on inspection. Fifteen minutes later, they called back…. And accepted.
We bought a house!
All I need to do now…. Is find a reputable pool installation company. The backyard is dreadfully bare.
{{ Saturday, September 21
Kenner, LA
Kenner City Park }}
It’s afternoon and Jaina and I are in Kenner City Park. Today we are celebrating Mabon, the first of the harvest festivals on the pagan calendar. The holiday is actually tomorrow, but rituals tend to be on Saturdays so more people can attend.
Except we aren’t going to the one being held by Maia and Sacred Sisters. Instead, Jaina called the other women from the coven and asked them to meet us here, a few hours before that event is set to begin. In the last few weeks since she and I spoke to Amy, Jaina has been speaking with some of the women she’s friendly with individually, trying to convince them of what Maia has been doing to them. Jaina told me she didn’t think she was getting through to them, so I suggested this.
At the park, the last of the women arrives and we sit under one of the shelters near the playground, as the one near the pond was taken. Jaina defers to me when we get settled.
“Thank you all for coming. I understand that some of you are skeptical of what Jaina has been telling you. I’m here to try to help clear things up.”
“No, we get what you’re saying. We’re just not sure if we believe it.”
“Right. I mean, Maia was there for us over the last year. She taught us, she helped us find our strength and our power.”
Jaina sighs hard. “Okay, but don’t you see? None of that was for you. She had to build you up to get you to the level she needed for her purposes. None of her plans work if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
The women look around at each other, some nodding.
“Listen, ladies. Maia has a personal vendetta against Amy, who as you know is Jaina’s mom. Once Jaina joined your group, Maia felt like she had a secret weapon. She convinced Jaina to bring me in. I had no idea about any of this, but I’ve learned pretty quickly. Once she realized she could use familial power, energy from blood to blood, she did everything she could to try to get us to stay for that ritual. Imagine if we’d done what she asked! And none of you knew it. She refused to tell you who the working was attacking.”
“Because that’s what it was. An attack. You told me so.” Jaina points to the youngest one there, who’s name I don’t remember. She nods.
“The truth… is that she’s trying to turn you into a cult to suit her own agenda, and you don’t even realize it.”
That sentence hangs over the small group for what seems like the whole afternoon, but was really probably about a minute.
“She’s right.” A quiet voice from the back says.
“Yeah.”
“She used us?”
“She used us!”
I fight to stop myself from smiling, they get it! They talk excitedly and even angrily over each other, until one of them speaks louder than the rest.
“Wait, wait, I’ll ask!” The group hushs, and she turns to me “So what do we do about it? What can we do?”
“Nothing.” Jaina’s reply draws gasps of protest. “That’s what my mom said. She’s already done some protective work, it was for something else but any attack on her would bounce back, including whatever Maia did.”
“Maybe that’s why she lost her apartment.”
“Maybe,” I respond. Some of them have guilty expressions “But none of that is your fault. You didn’t know what she was really doing. Now that you do… you have a choice. You can go to her ritual tonight and participate, knowing full well that whatever she’s planning to send out, if it’s against Amy, it will bounce back to her. But because you now know, you may be affected by that as well. It’s a risk you’d have to take if you want her to continue to get rebounded. If you choose not to go, she won’t have the power she wants and may not do anything at all. Either way,, she’s defeated.”
The women look at each other, and murmur.
“I don’t know, Bree. If she’s so determined to go after Amy, she might do it anyway.”
“Then she’ll get the rebound all on herself.”
After a moment or two of silence, one woman speaks softly. “I’m not going.”
Jaina shoots me a smile.
“I’m not going either.”
“Me either.”
“Nope.”
One by one all dozen of them decide to not join Maia’s event. Jaina practically beams as she hugs the women closest to her.
“You’re all doing the right thing. I promise. I know you’re upset that you were wrong, I am too. But being wrong isn’t what matters. It’s what you do about it when you learn the truth. We’re all doing the right thing.” Every head nods. “And, I have an idea. Since none of us are going to her ritual, what if we have our own? Right here.”
Voices of assent all speak at once. I say nothing, I feel like this should be Jaina’s moment. These are her friends, this was her circle now. I just watch and listen, proudly, as she accepts their suggestion for her to lead.
Maia wanted Jaina to get me involved for her own nefarious reasons, but the real reason I was brought in was this. Not only to keep Jaina from doing something that might harm her mom, but to guide Jaina into leading this group away from a bad influence.
ON CAMERA
Didn’t I tell you, Yuyo?
I told you that I had nothing to do with the Shingami Foundation. Yet you continued to believe otherwise. For weeks it’s all you’ve thrown at me. Calling me a villain and sneaky and… I don’t even know what else. Yet when the Truth was right there in your face, on TV for all the world to see, what did you do?
Did you live up to what you say you stand for, justice, and send the Shining Maidens out to stop the rest of Shingami from attacking me? After it was clear that I was going to pin Alex Dumont and they couldn’t allow him to lose that way, so I got jumped and Dumont got a DQ loss instead. Shameful, really, that they couldn’t let him take being beat like a man.
But you, babe?
You’re far worse.
The Maidens, they wanted to help. I watched Breakdown over, and I saw why they didn’t come out to stop the men they’ve been having trouble with from what they were doing.
Because you wouldn’t let them!
You were perfectly happy to stand by and let Shingami put the boots to me, despite the fact that them doing so proved I have been telling the truth and you have been wrong. That isn’t justice, babe. That’s vengeance. That’s pettiness, because you don’t like being wrong so you let me suffer for it. But that’s not all. I saw the look on your face, and the way you looked at and held the Adrenaline belt. You were hoping they hurt me. You wanted them to continue and kept the Maidens from stopping them because weakening me,, hurting me, would make it that much easier for you to keep the Adrenaline Championship in your hands.
That makes you no better than they are, babe. You’ve called me out for weeks claiming I was behind Shingami attacking the Maidens, to get to you before Rise to Greatness. Yet… you did exactly what you accused me of! Sure, you didn’t set it up, but you were happy to let it happen. So not only are you a failed hand of justice, but you’re also a hypocrite.
I gave you all the credit you deserved for beating me at Rise, babe, but that’s where any grace I give you ends. Before I could have written off your transgressions and accusations as coming from a young woman inexperienced and maybe overeager. That’s where I was mistaken, though. This innocent and ignorant act you’re putting on? Is exactly that.
An act.
You’re not innocent or ignorant. You knew exactly what you were doing when you stopped the Maidens from running out to stop Shingami. You knew what you were doing continuing to throw accusations at me…... you were baiting Shingami into attacking me, to stop you from giving all the credit for their actions to me!
I really should have seen it before now. But I see you now, babe. I see you, and I’m coming for you, to get my championship back. I wanted to give you a chance to show SCW and the world that you could be a good champion but so far you’ve only proven otherwise. You could blame Shingami for breaking your staff. You could blame the fans who chose to cheer me instead of you in my hometown. You could blame the stars for all I care. If you want to lay blame where it belongs though, you simply need to look in a mirror.
The truth is that you’re just not ready for this. You reached too far, too fast, and now you’re panicking. You realized you were wrong about everything and that I’ve been speaking truth all along, and that shook you. Because if you were wrong about something so central to your message… if I’m not really the villain you’ve tried to paint me as… what else are you wrong about?
That’s not for me to answer, that’s something you need to ask yourself. Lux Veritatis will show you the path, if you open your eyes and your heart to see it. All I can do is the same thing I always do. Speak Truth.
And the Truth always wins.