The Saddest Thing I Ever Saw. // Chapter IX

"You want to know the saddest thing I ever saw?

When I was a boy, my brother and I wanted a dog, so our father took in an old greyhound. A greyhound is a racing dog. Spends its life running in circles, chasing a bit of felt made up like a rabbit.

One day, we took it to the park. Our dad had warned us how fast that dog was, but... we couldn't resist. So, my brother took off the leash, and in that instant, the dog spotted a cat. I imagine it must have looked just like that piece of felt. He ran. Never saw a thing as beautiful as that old dog... running.

Until, at last, he finally caught it. And to the horror of everyone, he killed that little cat. Tore it to pieces. Then he just sat there, confused. That dog had spent its whole life trying to catch that... thing. Now it had no idea what to do."

* * * * * *

There's been this reoccurring dream for a couple weeks now.

It was hazy, foggy, and Issak felt strange within his body. He looked down to his hands, noticing how small they had become. However, it wasn't just his hands, but his arms, his legs, and so on. A thought came over him, he somehow knew that he was in the mind and body of his younger self. Somewhere around fifteen years ago probably. With this knowledge, he looked around with new sight, taking in everything he could.

It was as if he were living inside a memory, his small family house on the outskirts of Stockholm looked exactly how he remembered it. His legs dangled off the brown leather couch, and could almost feel the leather sticking to his legs. It would be cold outside in Sweden this time of year, but the heater was certainly on inside. The decor was very obviously chosen by his mother. She was always in love with the Spring, so their house was decorated with fresh flowers and spring colors. Growing up, Issak had always remembered this time as a happy moment in his life.

"Issak, come on we've got to hurry!"

In walked Issak's mother, whom he hadn't seen in about twelve years now. Dreaming about the dead was always so bittersweet. It was nice seeing them again, but always hurt knowing you'd have to wake up and they'd be gone again. This was a familiar scene though, one Issak had lived while asleep multiple times so it was almost like second nature. He grabbed hold of his mothers hand, allowing her to help him off the couch. He brushed himself clean, before grabbing his mothers hand again.

She lead him into the dining room, which had a much different feel to it. The lights were much dimer, with Issak's father sitting at the head of the table reading an open newpaper.

"How about some pancakes then, huh?"

Still clutching his hand, his mother lead him up into the chair and sat him down. She turned back to the various pots and pans that remained on the stove. Although the three of them were in the kitchen/dining area, Issak sat at the table alone with his father. In Issak's dream brain, the newspaper was constantly in the way of his father's face. If he moved to the side, the open paper moved with him. From behind the paper he mumbled something that Issak couldn't understand. A common occurence in the Otto household when your father is drunk at breakfast.

A fear rushed over him as Issak gazed at the back of the newspaper, unable to say a word. Although he knew he couldn't, Issak always felt as if his father could feel him starring, could feel his fear seeping his very being. That's when the man would suddenly lower the newspaper, leaving an amalgamation in the place of his fathers face.

An expression of the fear a child felt for his father at that age. He'd lean in close to Issak, and begin to whisper into his ear.

"You want to know the saddest thing I ever saw? When I was a boy, my brother and I wanted a dog, so our father took in an old greyhound..."

..

Without warning, Issak's mind was transported back into his modern mind and body. The sudden smack back to reality came due to the warm and wet feeling slapping him in the face. For a moment, Issak forgot where he was and what was going on, lost in time and space between now and his 7-year-old self. It took a second for him to remember that he was back home in Scotland. Just when he gained his bearings mentally, Issak opened his eyes to see one hell of a surprise.

"What the hell? Where did you come from?"

Standing in front of him, wagging its tail from side-to-side, a small Italian greyhound. It had hopped up onto the bed in order to give Issak a morning facial bath, thus waking him from his slumber. Issak was shocked more than anything. The dog hopped back up onto Issak's bed as Otto sat up. He made sure to give the unknown greyhound lots fo scritches, even though he was still groggy. A few seconds later, Carson Campbell was lightly pushing on Issak's door.

"Oh sorry man, my bad, didn't mean to wake you. I turned around for one second and the little bugger got away from me."

Carson reached over, scooping the greyhound off Issak's bed.

"Cute dog though, so it makes up for it. Where'd you get him from?"

Otto got up out of his bed, wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and black socks. Apparently there's a whole thing about men who wear socks to bed being serial killers but it simply isn't true! He quickly walked to his closet and through open the sliding glass door, yanking down a random shirt off a hanger. It was cold in Scotland, so you can imagine how great it must've felt to get that heavy shirt on. See, this is why he wears the socks to bed.

"Well, I actually got him from the pound. He's yours! Got him as a surprise housewarming gift but he wanted to meet you so bad!"

Issak's eyes shot open as Caron placed the small greyhound back into his lap!

"Wait what?! Mine? Carson what is this??"

"Listen buddy, now that your place is all but sold, I won't be around every day like I have been. You're going to need yourself a little friend to keep you from getting lonely. I know how you get."

Carson sat on Issak's bed next to him, placing his arm over his shoulder. He had a way of speaking that made you believe he was joking, but then again here was the dog in Issak's lap, so there was no denying this as a joke.

"Plus, you're going to make me take this cute little guy back to the pound?! Are you a monster?!"

"Carson I'm not even moved out of this place yet, why would you think that I would be okay with this? Not to mention, we don't even know if I can HAVE a dog at the new place I end up in..."

"But that's the beauty of things, Issak..."

He scratched the greyhound puppy behind his ears, still holding his massive arm over Issak's shoulder.

"you have the power to move anywhere you want. Make a list. It's not like you won't have the funds after that shmuck bought this damn castle in the middle of nowhere - in THIS economy. So rule number one, screw anywhere you can't have pets. Maybe some wood floors? That's probably best for dogs, right? I don't really know how to take care of them."

Carson laughed, smacking Issak on the back before getting to his feet. Issak still looked overwhelmed with everything, but at the end of the day Campbell was right. Otto had the power and ability to take himself anywhere in the world. He could go live in a damn tree if that's what he wanted to do. He wasn't used to so much freedom, and the thought scared him a little. Maybe it was a good idea to invest in a pet, just as a supportive animal and little buddy.

"There's still so much to do, what is he going to do, run around the place while we move boxes?"

"We'll make him a little playpen or something..."

Issak grew silent again, gazing at the little greyhound puppy in his hands who was gazing back at him with a big smile on his face. This little greyhound puppy didn't know any better, didn't ask to be mixed up in this whole thing. Issak was also lacking motivation in beginning the process of moving out.

"With you not being booked on Call Your Shot: Reloaded, you've got plenty of time to get all your shit moved out. The new owners aren't going to be very happy if you're still crashing here when move in day comes. I've spent all this time packing up every room you have, all we need to do is move the damn stuff."

Otto placed the pup on the ground, and it ran around the room for a moment before darting out the open door.

"There he goes again, damn he's fast!"

"Yeah you gotta catch him before he guns it down the hallway. Little bugger is going to run into the wall if he isn't careful."

Issak took a deep sigh.

"Alright."

"Alright? Alright he's going to run into the wall?"

"No! Alright I'll keep him. I see where you're coming from, and I have always wanted a dog. Albeit, super strange of you not to ask me! But this time I'm willing to look the other way."

Carson yipped for joy, opening the door wider to Issak's room. He placed his head into the hallway, shouting.

"You hear that, little bugger? You got yourself a new dad!"

Issak laughed as he moved past Carson into the hallway. He quickly walked down towards the livingroom in an attempt to find the pup before he got into some mischief which he probably already was in. Carson ran after him.

"What are you going to name him?!"

"I've been thinking on Allen Chaney and his Excellence reign a lot. Some could say it's one of the only things I've been thinking about since coming to PWE. The first night I was here, was the very night Allen won the title. I began not just his reign as Excellence Champion, but it began my thirst for the same championship.

Although it was the beginning of my Professional Wrestling Excellence career, Allen's first page in PWE begins far before that. Allen has actually been here since the very beginning. That was a bit of information I knew going into The Upside Down, but I must say I vastly misjudged the weight that was on your shoulders during that time. I've had four months, four long months to figure out who Allen Chaney really is, and you better believe I used every resource I could.

Allen's story is one of perseverance and determination, at least the first part is. Chaney was always meant to be in the Excellence title picture, and we saw that from the jump at The First Victory when he only lost out to the man that would ultimately become our first champion, Damian Ayla.

That was Allen's "Come To" moment as they say, the moment he knew he had to beat Damian Ayla, had to win the Excellence Championship, and nothing would stop him.

From there it was an uphill battle, fighting anyone and everyone who got in his way. There were some downs, but there were definitely some ups. It's in these early months that Allen becomes a PWE Darling, and proves that he's here to stay. Scratching and clawing his way up the ladder until the opportunity you'd been waiting for, It was almost a year ago, at Magnificence I that saw Allen win the Olla Rumble and secure himself an Excellence title shot.

It would be the same prize that gave him the final spot in the gauntlet at The Upside Down. Maybe we didn't get to see Allen and Vodkha clash, but Allen still ended up with the title at the end of the day.

And so it brings me to the modern era, and Allen Chaney has champion. The same reign that I haven't been able to get my mind off. You spent your entire time in PWE clawing and chasing the Excellence Championship. The moment you had it, you ignored everything else in the room and focused in on the one person you had in your sights since the beginning, Damian Ayla. You got to rip each other to pieces, but since then you've just stood there. Confused.

You got hold of the one thing you wanted the most in this world, and then you didn't know what to do with it. If I can be frank for just a moment, I know for a fact that a lot of people expected more out of your reign, Allen. Instead of sticking around, and being the head of the company, you've been sitting on your thumbs.

I understand that you were out with an injury. I've been around the industry quite a while, so I understand more than most about how careful you have to be in taking care of your body. I do.

But you could've found yourself on the show, you could've been here with the championship. Sometimes people ask if I'm ready to be champion, but as far as I'm concerned I have been. The only thing I'm missing is the gold-plated strap that goes over my shoulder. As far as leading the locker room, as far as performing week in and week out, being a role model, that's me. Every person that PWE has put in front of me, I've made sure to show them why I deserve the spot I'm in. Even prior to Rebirth when I won the championship, PWE knew I was the guy to go to for a solid ranking match. I put my heart in the ring every time I'm out there, and there hasn't been a single match I've faltered. I've been the definition of consistent.

My last seven matches over the last sixteen weeks or so, I have pinned every person I've been in the ring with. I've even defeated the current Impulse Champion. This is not to gloat, but it is to say that I have pressed on. I took my loss in the gauntlet match and I made good on it. I never lost a match again, leading us to the tag match together. You saw, first hand, what it looks like when I'm determined and focused. You saw first hand how I've grown since The Upside Down.

Every step I've taken up the ladder, has been to lead me to this very spot. Magnificence II with a one-on-one against Allen Chaney for the Excellence Championship!

They say that nice guys always finish last, and I had to ask myself where that comes from. There's this idea that anyone who is kind, must be weak. Showing generosity and giving respect where it's due, isn't seen as a strong quality here in the wrestling business. It even paints you as gullible, and undriven, as if someone would need to choose between being a good person and being a good competitor. They are not mutually exclusive, you can be one and the other.

Take me and my journey for example, not once has it stopped me from moving towards what I want, not once has it stopped me from moving up the proverbial ladder and if it did, I wouldn't be standing here now. Being driven doesn't mean you have to show that by going outside of the rules. I am proof of that. I've done everything by the book, and I've placed my drive and determination on show for the world to see. Not once was I able to be taken advantage of, or tricked. Believe it or not, you can also be a good guy AND a good judge of character, go figure.

When it comes down to it, it'll be just you and I in the middle of the ring. No Kana, no Klayton, no Damian. It just comes down to you and I. Despite you insinuating I've been using the gauntlet as an excuse, I haven't. You won your prize fair and square, Allen, and if repeating that you won the title in a gauntlet match has you feeling some type of way then maybe you should take that up with the Allen inside the mirror. The only thing I've ever done is state the facts.

Now, do I believe that I can best you when it comes to straight technical wrestling? Yes.

Your specialty lies within the hardcore realm and you bask in the glory of having blood on your face. My realm is a little different. You can still leave the ring covered in blood, but it'll be because your opponent hit you so many times that now you're bleeding. As far as PWE goes, I'm one of the better submission specialists as well, so if it's pain that you're after, Allen, then I got that for you, too. Don't worry about that. You'll have to rely on your power if you want to get anywhere, but I'm left to wonder just how much your strength can compensate for the areas you're lacking in.

In part, yes, that's why I chose the Pure Rules match for Magnificence II. I knew that I stood a better chance inside a match that didn't allow us to use foreign objects, and I took advantage of that. Yet, it'll also force you to do the very thing we're contracted to do - wrestle. While I'll always hold ultraviolent wrestling in high regard, it doesn't compare to technical prowess as an artform. If you want to retain the Excellence Championship, you're going to have to prove to us you're more than just the guy who flings himself off high places. Win this, and you'll have the respect as champion that you've so desired. This stipulation is to help me, as much as it is to help you, Allen.

No matter how our match goes, you will always be one of the PWE favorites. There's simply no taking that away from you. The crowd loves getting behind you, loves to see you triumph. More than that, is that you have triumphed. You've already made it to the top of the ladder. You've proven that your career is far from over. Once the match is over, I would be grateful to shake your hand either way, because you are a phenomenal competitor. Plus, in a time where PWE was being held captive by a tyrant, it was you who stepped up, and you who continued fighting when that tyrant tried to come back and take the Excellence Championship. I'm not taking anything away from you, you've been an absolute monster...

but time undoes even the mightiest of creatures.

Over time, I think your drive slowed and your determination became stagnant. Mentally, you didn't see anywhere to go except for in a straight line. As you healed up, I became the guy that holds down the top of the ladder. This match at Magnificence II, it's to solidify my entire journey up until this point. When you were away, PWE changed and the landscape became different. I've prevailed against the rest, and I know I can prevail against you now. With all do respect, I can stand in front of you here and now and say that given everything I just said, I do want this more than you. I've had to come back from mere extinction as far as the wrestling world is concerned. I had to build a new reputation, and a new name for myself. For me to enter this season the man I was, to entering the ring as the man I am now, is the difference of worlds. I am a worthy contender, and I know I can be a more than worthy champion!

We started this season together, bonded by that one moment. You had your arm raised then, you stole the moment. Allen Chaney, Excellence Champion, written in the history books.

I may be a Class Act but I'm not about to let this moment pass me by.

Magnificence II, going back to the Ball Arena in Denver on December 20th.

This time, it's my turn."

"You have NO new messages."

The oldschool answering machine echoed throughout the hallway, the same way it always did. But now it seemed so much louder. With nothing in the rooms to absorb the sound, it seems like you'd be able to hear it throughout the entire house. By now, just days away from Magnificence 2, Issak and Carson had completely moved everything out of his old castle in the hills of Scotland. The vast emptiness made the place even colder than usual. A moment later there was a spook down the hallway, and a small greyhound pup came bounding towards Issak.

"Aww Blue, did that voice spook ya?"

Blue, the greyhound pup, ducked behind Issak, looking out into the darkness to where the electronic voice may have come. What a difference three weeks makes, as both Issak and Blue have become much more accustomed to one another. There's already a clear bond formed between them. Issak lunged forward, unplugging the culprit from the wall. He held up the answering machine and the chord to Blue, as if he could understand what was happening.

"See, all gone now. The answering machine can't hurt you anymore."

Blue cautiously snuck forward, nudging the answering machine with his head and bearing his teeth.

"OOOOH scary puppy."

Issak scooped him him up and began walking around the hallways with his trusty answering machine in his other arm. Of course, out of sight from Blue who was having the fued of a lifetime with the electronic device.

Issak walked by the post where he and Kaia had marked one another's heighth. The markings themselves had long since been scrubbed off, the ink washed away. But there still remained small notches in the wood, where only Issak would know the truth behind them. There were many memories in the house that he'd have to say goodbye. Lots of good memories like that, or one where he and Kaia had decided to start a family of their own.

There were also plenty of bad memories that remained within these walls, such as the day that Kaia decided to leave him, or the months that Issak spent here alone and depressed.

There were many memories that would be lost within the walls, but as Issak continued walking through the halls he couldn't help but feel sad for the memories that the house would never get to see. The last several months, this house had seen Issak burst back onto the wrestling scene and once again become a name in the business that he loves. It saw Issak pick himself back up, and walk with his head high after a devastating breakup that made him feel like he'd never make it back. At one time, this house was one of Issak's only friends, and now it was being sold away.

It had been there through the beginning, but it would never get to see Issak's future triumphs.

It would never get to see Issak walk into Magnificence II, so full of confidence in himself. It would never get to see him as Excellence Champion, and bring home the championship to these very halls. It would never get to see where Issak took his reign, and what he managed to do as the top champion of a company. Issak still had so much life left to live, but it wouldn't be around to see it. He circled back around to the front, where Carson had walked in.

"You almost ready to go? I thought you just had to grab the damn answering machine that's clearly very outdated..."

Carson stopped for a moment, seeing that Issak looked a little emotional. In fact, it looked as if Issak was about to cry.

"Hey now, don't get all emotional on me now, my boy!"

"I know, it's just, it feels like I'm losing a friend or something, someone I need to say goodbye to."

The behemoth of a man known as Carson Campbell reached his long arms over Issak's shoulder, like he always had for his friend. He pulled him in close.

"Issak, you are some goddamn sentimental. This is a damn house, and you're going to find another house somewhere else, in a better place that fits your life trajectory. You are only going up, Issak. There's no looking back. Think about where you've been, and think about where you're going. Sometimes in order to move on, you have to let go of the people you used to be. This isn't you anymore, Issak. You've got to move on."

Carson nodded his head, giving Issak a soft punch to his chest before taking Blue from him. Carson carried the greyhound pup outside, giving Issak however much time he thought he needed. But in truth, Issak didn't need anymore time. He'd already spent enough time here...wasted enough time here. Carson was right for the most part. He'd never forget the people he used to be, but he needed to let them go in order to reach that pinnacle he'd been searching for.

Issak followed Carson out, grabbing the doorknob on his way and closing it shut. This time, he didn't look back.

He couldn't, and he'd never look back again.