Post by slappy on Dec 4, 2013 9:12:01 GMT -5
"When we return, Susannah Frame will speak with WFWF Superstar Chase Landon about the upcoming event Scars and Stripes," said news anchor Dennis Bounds.
Susannah Frame, a veteran of KING5 News in Seattle, paced around the studio while on hold with the WFWF public relations department.
"Sorry for making you wait Ms. Frame. What seems to be the problem?" asked Jackie King, the assistant to the head of public relations.
Frame, "Where is he? Where's Landon? Our interview starts in 30 seconds. I can ask them to stall but not for long. Where is he?"
"I do not know Ms. Frame. He was supposed to be there."
"And I was supposed to be covering real news but here I am. Get him on the phone and tell him to get his ass here."
"Our apologies Ms. Frame but Mr. Landon does not have a cell phone."
"He doesn't have a cell phone? Try his home phone."
"Ninety-nine percent of the time his home phone is unplugged as he doesn't like to be bothered. Even if it was plugged in and I were to reach him, his residence is not close enough to the studio to make it in time for your segment."
"Son of a bitch. I'll call you back."
Frame slammed her brand new iPhone down on a table and began mumbling curse words.
News producer Tim Stewart, "You're on."
Frame, "He's not coming."
Stewart pulled his headset down and gave a puzzled look, "Excuse me?"
"I don't know where he is. If he is home it is too far away to get here before the broadcast is over."
"Well, they just blew their shot at promoting their event."
Stewart screamed to the director, "Segment's canceled. He didn't show. Move on."
"I am going to find Landon and get an interview."
"I can get one of the sports guys to do it."
"No way. He no showed on me so I'm going to track him down."
"Alright. Just be careful."
"I will."
Susannah walked over to Mikey, the brand new cameraman.
"I know you are new here and I should probably ask one of the regular camera guys to come with me but I want to give you your first break. Lets get going."
"Sure thing Ms. Frame. I'll go get us a van."
"No need. I have my own," she said as she pulled keys out of her pocket.
On the way out to the news van, Susannah stopped research assistant Marilyn Spencer.
"Mari, I'm going to find Chase Landon. He flaked out on an interview we were supposed to do. Find out everything you can about him and send it to me."
"Right away Ms. Frame."
Frame burst through the exit doors.
"Wait for me Ms. Frame," yelled Mikey.
"Hurry up!" she screamed back.
She pulled out her cell phone and redialed WFWF's public relations department.
"WFWF Public Relations. My name is Jackie King. How may I assist you?"
"Jackie, it's Susannah Frame from KING5."
"Hello Ms. Frame, how can I..."
Frame cut her off. "I need Landon's address."
"What for?"
"He didn't come to us so we're going to him."
"That sounds good. One moment please."
While waiting for Landon's address, Frame took out a pen but couldn't find a piece of paper to write on. Jackie King came back on and gave Frame the address. She wrote it on her palm. She then unlocked the van and sat in the driver's seat. Mikey asked her if she wanted him to drive but she waved him off.
It takes approximately 35 minutes to get from the KING5 station to the address Frame was given but with Frame not obeying the speed limit and violating several laws, she made the trip in 21.
She jumped out of the van and broke a heel on her favorite pair of shoes. She was used to that happening so she always carried an extra pair with her. She slid both shoes off and ran up to the house and pounded on the door. There was no answer. She yelled for Mikey to hurry up. She knocked again and yelled Landon's name. Still no answer.
Mikey finally got to the door with camera in hand when an elderly woman approached them.
"Hello? Hello?"
Frame turned around and answered, "Hello? Who are you?"
"My name is Marta. May I ask what you're doing?"
"I'm trying to interview Chase Landon. He didn't show up to our interview earlier so I thought I would try him at home."
"Oh dear. He doesn't live here."
"This is the address I have for him."
"This is not his house. This is his friend's house."
"Oh, well do you know when his friend will be home? I'd like to find out where Chase lives."
"I'm not sure if he'll come home."
"Why do you say that?"
"He was stolen."
"Stolen? Don't you mean kidnapped?"
"No. I mean stolen. He was taken by Reverend Shadow."
"A man of God stole him?"
"A man of God? A man of God?" she shouted. "No man of God would do the things he's done."
Startled, Frame asked the woman if she knew where to find Chase. She nodded her head. Frame asked for his address. The woman was hesitant but then she agreed.
"Somebody should know the truth. I'll tell you where Chase Landon is."
"Thank you. That's all I want."
"54 Felton Street."
"Hmm. I can't place that address. Where is it?"
"Peabody, Massachusetts."
"He lives in Massachusetts?"
"No."
"Then why did you give me that address?"
"Because that's where you'll find Chase Landon."
Frame thanked her then said they had to go. Frame and Mikey went back to the van. Once inside, Frame placed a phone call to news producer Tim Stewart. Before he picked up, a man knocked on the driver side window. She hung up the phone and rolled down the window.
"May I help you?"
"Yeah. Who were you talking to back there?"
"Marta somebody. I didn't catch her last name."
"Who?"
"I thought she said her name was Marta. I may have been mistaken."
"Nobody around here with that name."
"She's an elderly neighbor of yours."
"I'm sorry but we don't have any elderly women on this block."
"That's quite odd since I just spoke with her. She knew Chase. He's the reason we're here. We want to interview him."
"Chase Landon?"
"Yes."
"This is his friend Emile's house."
"She told me the house belonged to a friend of his."
"I was sorry to hear what happened to him."
"Oh, me too."
"Hopefully Chase can get him back."
"I'm sure Emile's family wants him back as well."
"Chase is Emile's only family."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. He doesn't know the difference."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think rats really care."
"What?"
"Emile's a rat. You didn't know?"
"He bought a house for a rat?"
"No. He rents it."
"Either way. That's a tad crazy don't you think?"
"He's crazy? This coming from someone who talked to a non-existent person."
"Well, I have to get going. We have to catch a flight to Massachusetts to find Chase."
"Why would you do that?"
"I want to interview him."
"I get that but why go to Massachusetts?"
"That lady said that's where he lives."
"That non-existent person doesn't know what they're talking about. I'll get you Chase's address. He lives not too far from here."
The man returned a few minutes later with an address written on a piece of paper.
"Thank you very much. By the way, what's your name?"
The man didn't answer. He just walked away.
Frame input the address into her GPS and found out it would take about 50 minutes including a ride on the ferry.
Without breaking any laws, this time, she made it in time for the 6:30pm ferry.
During the quick ferry ride, she told Mikey to get the camera ready so he could go to the door with her rather than a few minutes after.
Once off the ferry it was a short drive to the area the man had sent her. Driving around the wooded area was difficult. Some paths were dead ends and others were quite long but led to the wrong address. Finding the address took longer than the commute.
Frame drove up to an old, white house with black trim. The windows were boarded up and an address was not visible. Frame decided to take a chance. She parked the car and asked Mikey if he was ready. He was. They got out of the van and approached the house.
Frame softly knocked on the door and a man immediately opened it.
"What do you want?"
"I'm looking for Chase Landon."
"Ok."
"Do you know where he lives?"
"Yes."
"May I ask where?"
"Here."
"Oh, you're him. Hello Mr. Landon."
"What do you want?"
"I was supposed to interview you today for KING5 news but you didn't show up. So I decided to find you and interview you."
"How did you get past the gate?"
"You don't have a gate."
Landon grumbled and let Frame and Mikey in.
"Have a seat over there," he said before heavily sighing.
Frame sat on a black folding chair while Landon sat on a black velvet throne like chair. Mikey sat his camera down as he ran back to the van to get a better stand for it.
"May I ask why you didn't show up for our interview?"
"No."
"Alright. You were supposed to promote your show..." She looked down at her notepad. "Scars and Stripes."
"I was supposed to."
Mikey returned and said it would just be a couple minutes until he's ready.
"So did you just not want to or what?"
"Why are you asking me? You asked if you could ask and I said no."
Frame closed her eyes for a few seconds, took a deep breath and reopened them. "Sorry."
"It's ok."
"How long have you been wrestling?"
"Don't you want to wait for the camera?"
"We'll just talk about your show on camera. We won't get into anything else."
"Ok. I just had my first match in WFWF."
"Did you win?"
He glared at her.
"Sorry."
"I was distracted. He stole my best friend."
"You lost because Reverend Shadow stole Emile?"
He clenched his fists. "You know that but you don't know when I started?"
"I actually had no idea until earlier when an elderly woman told me about it."
"Even though I've only had one match I encounter a lot of fans. I don't much care for those interactions."
"I think she was more than a fan. She appeared at Emile's house when we were there."
"You what?"
"We were told it was your house so we went there but it turned out to be Emile's house. She told us you didn't live there. She actually said you live in..." She checked her notepad. "Peabody, Massachusetts."
Landon quickly stood up and asked her and Mikey to leave.
"But Mr. Landon, we need to interview you."
"No," he screamed.
"I apologize if I've done anything wrong but if we could just do the interview. It will only take a minute or two."
Landon collapsed back into the chair. Frame and Mikey exchanged glances as Frame slowly sat back down.
She points at Mikey.
"We're rolling."
"Hello. I'm Susannah Frame and with me is WFWF Superstar Chase Landon."
He sat in silence.
"So, you have a big event, Scars and Stripes, coming soon."
He didn't respond.
"When is this event?"
Landon stood up. Frame motioned to Mikey to keep filming.
"Is there anything you'd like to say?"
"What is there to say? Do I rant about Shadow and how he better not hurt my only friend in the world? Rant about how I will do everything I can to make sure I get Emile back? Or how I will make sure that Shadow pays for stealing him in the first place? He'll pay alright. I will inflict so much pain upon Shadow that he will wish for death. He stole my friend and I will steal his ability to move.
Do I proclaim I will win the battle royal? To be honest, I don't know if I can win it. I'll have to enter it after my match with Shadow. If I don't get Emile back, I don't know if I can go on. I'll be a broken man. Much more so than I am now. I won't have the will to win. If he's not with me then what's the point? Right now, I'm only hanging on by the thought of him soon returning to me. If I cannot get him back then it's all over."
"What's all over?"
"Everything. He's my friend. My only friend. If I don't have him then I have nothing. I don't have family. I don't have anything else. Just him. Without him, I am not."
"Not what?"
"Alive."
"I know people get attached to their pets. I love my dog. But is Emile really worth losing your sanity, your livelihood, your everything?"
"HE'S MY FRIEND!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
She was startled by the volume.
"He's worth everything I have." He paused then started to violently shake.
"Oh my god. Call an ambulance."
"NO!" He screamed. "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok. I was just..."
He cut her off. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Who were you talking to?"
"My mother."
Frame looked around the room and saw no one.
"Mother, I'm sorry. You taught me that what I love won't always be around. I held onto that for so long. I held onto that until Emile was stolen from me. I'm sorry mother but I cannot let it go. I need him back. You know why I need him back."
"Why do you need him back?"
Landon got in her face. "I already told you. He's my friend. I don't get why that is so hard to understand."
"This question is going to offend you. So I am sorry in advance. Rats don't live long. So what are you going to do when Emile dies?"
"I'll get a new rat."
"Then why can't you just get a new one now?"
"I need them to be together."
"Why?"
He grabbed and pulled her out of the chair.
"Please don't hurt me."
"I don't have to explain to you why I do things. If I want my dead rat to be with my living rat then I'll do it. I don't need your permission or your blessing to do it."
"I was just curious. Can we please get back to the show?"
She was about to sit when Landon told her to remain standing.
"How will you get Emile back?"
"The match is a ladder match. Whoever climbs up the ladder and retrieves the cage which he is in wins."
"I'm sorry. I don't watch wrestling. That sounds dangerous."
"It will be."
"You said there will be a battle royal. What does the winner receive?"
"A championship match at Super Brawl."
"For someone who just began their career this could be a huge moment for you."
"It could be if I get Emile back. If I don't then I lose the battle royal. If I get him back then nothing can stop me."
"When does the event take place?"
"This weekend."
"Alright. Thank you for your time Mr. Landon. For KING5 News, I'm Susannah Frame."
She extended her hand to Landon. He grabbed it and shook it.
"That went well. Especially since it was my first television interview."
"It wasn't live so we'll be editing it down to maybe a minute. They won't see everything you said or did."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
"From the tone in your voice when you said they won't see everything I said or did made it seem like I was vicious and frightening."
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"You did get a bit scary for a moment. I was a bit terrified when you pulled me out of my chair."
"I apologize. Talking about Emile brings up so many emotions."
"I could tell."
"If I don't get him back I don't know what Shadow will do with him. I don't want to think about what he'll do."
"Why did he take him in the first place?"
"I believe it was my mother's doing. She was punishing me. She's still punishing me. I mean no disrespect mother but you are punishing me. I've told you I'm sorry over and over again. When will you stop? Please stop punishing me."
"What is she punishing you for?"
"For the sins I've committed. I cannot go into that right now but she knows what I did and that's why she's punishing me."
"That's kinda funny."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, you say you're being punished for committing sin and a reverend was the one to unleash that punishment."
"How is Emile being stolen funny?" He started to shake.
"That part isn't funny. Committing sins and a reverend being involved." She chuckled.
"GET OUT!" he bellowed.
Landon started pushing her towards the door. Frame tripped over the camera, sending it to the ground and knocking her against the wall where several pictures hung. One fell as she hit it. Landon's expression changed to sadness. She reached for the picture. The glass was cracked but she could still make out who was in it. She was in disbelief. Could the person in the picture really be the same woman she talked to earlier at Emile's house?
"Who's this?" she asked as she held the picture. Her hand was trembling.
"That's my mother."
She dropped the picture and the glass broke.
"Please leave now," he said in an eerily calm voice.
Frame slowly moved away from the wall.
"Please?" He begged.
As she was leaving she received an email from Marilyn Spencer entitled "Chase Landon research."
"If you'll give me one moment. It's an email from work."
She started to read the first article attached to the email.
It has been two days since Chase Landon's seventeenth birthday. The day not only marked the anniversary of his birth but also the date of his disappearance. Landon was not the only one to go missing that day. His best friend Victor Danzmare, also seventeen, vanished as well.
Her head shot up from the phone and she locked eyes with Landon.
"May I...May I come back tomorrow?" she said quivering.
"If you can get past the gate."
Susannah Frame, a veteran of KING5 News in Seattle, paced around the studio while on hold with the WFWF public relations department.
"Sorry for making you wait Ms. Frame. What seems to be the problem?" asked Jackie King, the assistant to the head of public relations.
Frame, "Where is he? Where's Landon? Our interview starts in 30 seconds. I can ask them to stall but not for long. Where is he?"
"I do not know Ms. Frame. He was supposed to be there."
"And I was supposed to be covering real news but here I am. Get him on the phone and tell him to get his ass here."
"Our apologies Ms. Frame but Mr. Landon does not have a cell phone."
"He doesn't have a cell phone? Try his home phone."
"Ninety-nine percent of the time his home phone is unplugged as he doesn't like to be bothered. Even if it was plugged in and I were to reach him, his residence is not close enough to the studio to make it in time for your segment."
"Son of a bitch. I'll call you back."
Frame slammed her brand new iPhone down on a table and began mumbling curse words.
News producer Tim Stewart, "You're on."
Frame, "He's not coming."
Stewart pulled his headset down and gave a puzzled look, "Excuse me?"
"I don't know where he is. If he is home it is too far away to get here before the broadcast is over."
"Well, they just blew their shot at promoting their event."
Stewart screamed to the director, "Segment's canceled. He didn't show. Move on."
"I am going to find Landon and get an interview."
"I can get one of the sports guys to do it."
"No way. He no showed on me so I'm going to track him down."
"Alright. Just be careful."
"I will."
Susannah walked over to Mikey, the brand new cameraman.
"I know you are new here and I should probably ask one of the regular camera guys to come with me but I want to give you your first break. Lets get going."
"Sure thing Ms. Frame. I'll go get us a van."
"No need. I have my own," she said as she pulled keys out of her pocket.
On the way out to the news van, Susannah stopped research assistant Marilyn Spencer.
"Mari, I'm going to find Chase Landon. He flaked out on an interview we were supposed to do. Find out everything you can about him and send it to me."
"Right away Ms. Frame."
Frame burst through the exit doors.
"Wait for me Ms. Frame," yelled Mikey.
"Hurry up!" she screamed back.
She pulled out her cell phone and redialed WFWF's public relations department.
"WFWF Public Relations. My name is Jackie King. How may I assist you?"
"Jackie, it's Susannah Frame from KING5."
"Hello Ms. Frame, how can I..."
Frame cut her off. "I need Landon's address."
"What for?"
"He didn't come to us so we're going to him."
"That sounds good. One moment please."
While waiting for Landon's address, Frame took out a pen but couldn't find a piece of paper to write on. Jackie King came back on and gave Frame the address. She wrote it on her palm. She then unlocked the van and sat in the driver's seat. Mikey asked her if she wanted him to drive but she waved him off.
It takes approximately 35 minutes to get from the KING5 station to the address Frame was given but with Frame not obeying the speed limit and violating several laws, she made the trip in 21.
She jumped out of the van and broke a heel on her favorite pair of shoes. She was used to that happening so she always carried an extra pair with her. She slid both shoes off and ran up to the house and pounded on the door. There was no answer. She yelled for Mikey to hurry up. She knocked again and yelled Landon's name. Still no answer.
Mikey finally got to the door with camera in hand when an elderly woman approached them.
"Hello? Hello?"
Frame turned around and answered, "Hello? Who are you?"
"My name is Marta. May I ask what you're doing?"
"I'm trying to interview Chase Landon. He didn't show up to our interview earlier so I thought I would try him at home."
"Oh dear. He doesn't live here."
"This is the address I have for him."
"This is not his house. This is his friend's house."
"Oh, well do you know when his friend will be home? I'd like to find out where Chase lives."
"I'm not sure if he'll come home."
"Why do you say that?"
"He was stolen."
"Stolen? Don't you mean kidnapped?"
"No. I mean stolen. He was taken by Reverend Shadow."
"A man of God stole him?"
"A man of God? A man of God?" she shouted. "No man of God would do the things he's done."
Startled, Frame asked the woman if she knew where to find Chase. She nodded her head. Frame asked for his address. The woman was hesitant but then she agreed.
"Somebody should know the truth. I'll tell you where Chase Landon is."
"Thank you. That's all I want."
"54 Felton Street."
"Hmm. I can't place that address. Where is it?"
"Peabody, Massachusetts."
"He lives in Massachusetts?"
"No."
"Then why did you give me that address?"
"Because that's where you'll find Chase Landon."
Frame thanked her then said they had to go. Frame and Mikey went back to the van. Once inside, Frame placed a phone call to news producer Tim Stewart. Before he picked up, a man knocked on the driver side window. She hung up the phone and rolled down the window.
"May I help you?"
"Yeah. Who were you talking to back there?"
"Marta somebody. I didn't catch her last name."
"Who?"
"I thought she said her name was Marta. I may have been mistaken."
"Nobody around here with that name."
"She's an elderly neighbor of yours."
"I'm sorry but we don't have any elderly women on this block."
"That's quite odd since I just spoke with her. She knew Chase. He's the reason we're here. We want to interview him."
"Chase Landon?"
"Yes."
"This is his friend Emile's house."
"She told me the house belonged to a friend of his."
"I was sorry to hear what happened to him."
"Oh, me too."
"Hopefully Chase can get him back."
"I'm sure Emile's family wants him back as well."
"Chase is Emile's only family."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. He doesn't know the difference."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't think rats really care."
"What?"
"Emile's a rat. You didn't know?"
"He bought a house for a rat?"
"No. He rents it."
"Either way. That's a tad crazy don't you think?"
"He's crazy? This coming from someone who talked to a non-existent person."
"Well, I have to get going. We have to catch a flight to Massachusetts to find Chase."
"Why would you do that?"
"I want to interview him."
"I get that but why go to Massachusetts?"
"That lady said that's where he lives."
"That non-existent person doesn't know what they're talking about. I'll get you Chase's address. He lives not too far from here."
The man returned a few minutes later with an address written on a piece of paper.
"Thank you very much. By the way, what's your name?"
The man didn't answer. He just walked away.
Frame input the address into her GPS and found out it would take about 50 minutes including a ride on the ferry.
Without breaking any laws, this time, she made it in time for the 6:30pm ferry.
During the quick ferry ride, she told Mikey to get the camera ready so he could go to the door with her rather than a few minutes after.
Once off the ferry it was a short drive to the area the man had sent her. Driving around the wooded area was difficult. Some paths were dead ends and others were quite long but led to the wrong address. Finding the address took longer than the commute.
Frame drove up to an old, white house with black trim. The windows were boarded up and an address was not visible. Frame decided to take a chance. She parked the car and asked Mikey if he was ready. He was. They got out of the van and approached the house.
Frame softly knocked on the door and a man immediately opened it.
"What do you want?"
"I'm looking for Chase Landon."
"Ok."
"Do you know where he lives?"
"Yes."
"May I ask where?"
"Here."
"Oh, you're him. Hello Mr. Landon."
"What do you want?"
"I was supposed to interview you today for KING5 news but you didn't show up. So I decided to find you and interview you."
"How did you get past the gate?"
"You don't have a gate."
Landon grumbled and let Frame and Mikey in.
"Have a seat over there," he said before heavily sighing.
Frame sat on a black folding chair while Landon sat on a black velvet throne like chair. Mikey sat his camera down as he ran back to the van to get a better stand for it.
"May I ask why you didn't show up for our interview?"
"No."
"Alright. You were supposed to promote your show..." She looked down at her notepad. "Scars and Stripes."
"I was supposed to."
Mikey returned and said it would just be a couple minutes until he's ready.
"So did you just not want to or what?"
"Why are you asking me? You asked if you could ask and I said no."
Frame closed her eyes for a few seconds, took a deep breath and reopened them. "Sorry."
"It's ok."
"How long have you been wrestling?"
"Don't you want to wait for the camera?"
"We'll just talk about your show on camera. We won't get into anything else."
"Ok. I just had my first match in WFWF."
"Did you win?"
He glared at her.
"Sorry."
"I was distracted. He stole my best friend."
"You lost because Reverend Shadow stole Emile?"
He clenched his fists. "You know that but you don't know when I started?"
"I actually had no idea until earlier when an elderly woman told me about it."
"Even though I've only had one match I encounter a lot of fans. I don't much care for those interactions."
"I think she was more than a fan. She appeared at Emile's house when we were there."
"You what?"
"We were told it was your house so we went there but it turned out to be Emile's house. She told us you didn't live there. She actually said you live in..." She checked her notepad. "Peabody, Massachusetts."
Landon quickly stood up and asked her and Mikey to leave.
"But Mr. Landon, we need to interview you."
"No," he screamed.
"I apologize if I've done anything wrong but if we could just do the interview. It will only take a minute or two."
Landon collapsed back into the chair. Frame and Mikey exchanged glances as Frame slowly sat back down.
She points at Mikey.
"We're rolling."
"Hello. I'm Susannah Frame and with me is WFWF Superstar Chase Landon."
He sat in silence.
"So, you have a big event, Scars and Stripes, coming soon."
He didn't respond.
"When is this event?"
Landon stood up. Frame motioned to Mikey to keep filming.
"Is there anything you'd like to say?"
"What is there to say? Do I rant about Shadow and how he better not hurt my only friend in the world? Rant about how I will do everything I can to make sure I get Emile back? Or how I will make sure that Shadow pays for stealing him in the first place? He'll pay alright. I will inflict so much pain upon Shadow that he will wish for death. He stole my friend and I will steal his ability to move.
Do I proclaim I will win the battle royal? To be honest, I don't know if I can win it. I'll have to enter it after my match with Shadow. If I don't get Emile back, I don't know if I can go on. I'll be a broken man. Much more so than I am now. I won't have the will to win. If he's not with me then what's the point? Right now, I'm only hanging on by the thought of him soon returning to me. If I cannot get him back then it's all over."
"What's all over?"
"Everything. He's my friend. My only friend. If I don't have him then I have nothing. I don't have family. I don't have anything else. Just him. Without him, I am not."
"Not what?"
"Alive."
"I know people get attached to their pets. I love my dog. But is Emile really worth losing your sanity, your livelihood, your everything?"
"HE'S MY FRIEND!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
She was startled by the volume.
"He's worth everything I have." He paused then started to violently shake.
"Oh my god. Call an ambulance."
"NO!" He screamed. "I'm so sorry."
"It's ok. I was just..."
He cut her off. "I wasn't talking to you."
"Who were you talking to?"
"My mother."
Frame looked around the room and saw no one.
"Mother, I'm sorry. You taught me that what I love won't always be around. I held onto that for so long. I held onto that until Emile was stolen from me. I'm sorry mother but I cannot let it go. I need him back. You know why I need him back."
"Why do you need him back?"
Landon got in her face. "I already told you. He's my friend. I don't get why that is so hard to understand."
"This question is going to offend you. So I am sorry in advance. Rats don't live long. So what are you going to do when Emile dies?"
"I'll get a new rat."
"Then why can't you just get a new one now?"
"I need them to be together."
"Why?"
He grabbed and pulled her out of the chair.
"Please don't hurt me."
"I don't have to explain to you why I do things. If I want my dead rat to be with my living rat then I'll do it. I don't need your permission or your blessing to do it."
"I was just curious. Can we please get back to the show?"
She was about to sit when Landon told her to remain standing.
"How will you get Emile back?"
"The match is a ladder match. Whoever climbs up the ladder and retrieves the cage which he is in wins."
"I'm sorry. I don't watch wrestling. That sounds dangerous."
"It will be."
"You said there will be a battle royal. What does the winner receive?"
"A championship match at Super Brawl."
"For someone who just began their career this could be a huge moment for you."
"It could be if I get Emile back. If I don't then I lose the battle royal. If I get him back then nothing can stop me."
"When does the event take place?"
"This weekend."
"Alright. Thank you for your time Mr. Landon. For KING5 News, I'm Susannah Frame."
She extended her hand to Landon. He grabbed it and shook it.
"That went well. Especially since it was my first television interview."
"It wasn't live so we'll be editing it down to maybe a minute. They won't see everything you said or did."
"Did I do something wrong?"
"No."
"From the tone in your voice when you said they won't see everything I said or did made it seem like I was vicious and frightening."
"Well..."
"Well what?"
"You did get a bit scary for a moment. I was a bit terrified when you pulled me out of my chair."
"I apologize. Talking about Emile brings up so many emotions."
"I could tell."
"If I don't get him back I don't know what Shadow will do with him. I don't want to think about what he'll do."
"Why did he take him in the first place?"
"I believe it was my mother's doing. She was punishing me. She's still punishing me. I mean no disrespect mother but you are punishing me. I've told you I'm sorry over and over again. When will you stop? Please stop punishing me."
"What is she punishing you for?"
"For the sins I've committed. I cannot go into that right now but she knows what I did and that's why she's punishing me."
"That's kinda funny."
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, you say you're being punished for committing sin and a reverend was the one to unleash that punishment."
"How is Emile being stolen funny?" He started to shake.
"That part isn't funny. Committing sins and a reverend being involved." She chuckled.
"GET OUT!" he bellowed.
Landon started pushing her towards the door. Frame tripped over the camera, sending it to the ground and knocking her against the wall where several pictures hung. One fell as she hit it. Landon's expression changed to sadness. She reached for the picture. The glass was cracked but she could still make out who was in it. She was in disbelief. Could the person in the picture really be the same woman she talked to earlier at Emile's house?
"Who's this?" she asked as she held the picture. Her hand was trembling.
"That's my mother."
She dropped the picture and the glass broke.
"Please leave now," he said in an eerily calm voice.
Frame slowly moved away from the wall.
"Please?" He begged.
As she was leaving she received an email from Marilyn Spencer entitled "Chase Landon research."
"If you'll give me one moment. It's an email from work."
She started to read the first article attached to the email.
It has been two days since Chase Landon's seventeenth birthday. The day not only marked the anniversary of his birth but also the date of his disappearance. Landon was not the only one to go missing that day. His best friend Victor Danzmare, also seventeen, vanished as well.
Her head shot up from the phone and she locked eyes with Landon.
"May I...May I come back tomorrow?" she said quivering.
"If you can get past the gate."
I dont know good luck