Curled up like a kitten on the sofa of her Santa Barbara, CA, home is the battered and bruised Wisdom. It’s been a few days since she’s been a full week now since her overnight trip to the hospital following her match with Butch at Havoc. Various parts of her bare purple bruising but none more prominent than the marks around her neck. She winces in pain as she lifts up from her nap and sits upright. Before her on the coffee table is a bottle of Ambien, a few dregs of a martini in a class, her expired HWA contract sitting right next to an offer from Japan and an e-mail she’s printed out from Dixie Carter regarding setting up a meeting. She gets up and walks to the balcony to hear the calming thrust of waves hitting the shore, the salty warm breeze reviving her senses as she stretches her pained neck and back. Her doorbell is buzzed and she heads over not bothering to ask who it is, and there is the HWA crew with full equipment in tow.
(Wisdom): What are you doing here?
(Crewman): We were sent for your promo.
(Wisdom): If you geniuses haven’t been in the loop, my contract expired at Havoc. It was my last match with HWA, why do you think I had it against Butch dumbasses.
(Crewman): Ummm, yes…we know about that…they sent this for you.
He hands Wisdom an envelope and she opens the letter from Senester’s HWA offices and reads.
Talent Name: Wisdom
Contract Discharge Date: October 5, 2010
Renewal Status: Pending
At this time HWA Offices have not received your return of, or response to the contract renewal previously provided. As of 11:59p.m., October 5, 2010 your HWA contract has been expired. However, after careful review, it appears that there are unfulfilled obligations to your previous contract that we hope to mitigate:
• Two recorded promos for either television or online broadcast.
• Three guest appearances for Fan-Fare house shows.
• One photo shoot for the October issue of HWA Magazine. (Photo date September 3, 2010)
Failure to perform per signed agreement has left you in breach of contract. HWA seeks remedy from the damages incurred. The bearer of this "notice to seek remedy" has been authorized to record one promo. Along with your agreement to attend Blood, Sweat & Tears at your own travel expenses, our offices are willing to waive a second promotion, and damages from your failure to perform (appearance, signings, photos) at the three Fan Fare dates in question this past summer.
You have the right to reject this proposal to seek remedy, as HWA has rights in recovering monetary damages incurred from your breech. As a result of these circumstances, the HWA has withdrawn its original renewal agreement. A revised renewal agreement is attached.
Wisdom opens a second envelope to find a new contract, heavily revised from the one on her coffee table. She glances it over, and immediately recognizes the words (ring announcer, backstage interview standby, and talent-support) along with a significant, and definitely embarrassing pay cut. Her eyes begin to swell with tears. Even she cannot distinguish if it is from rage or sorrow, but it appears that answer soon comes. She looks at the camera crew.
(Wisdom): Is that thing on, has it been running?
(Crewman): Yes ma’am.
(Wisdom): There’s your fuking promo then.
With that Wisdom slams the door in the crews faces. Crumples the contract in her hand and tosses it aside. She goes to the table grabbing her Ambien and pops a few pills in her mouth. She grabs a bottle of vodka from the bar, takes a swig and returns to the sofa where she curls up once more, closes her eyes and pretends that nothing exists.
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