City on Fire

[Denise du Pris]

Act 1: Welcome to Atlanta

"War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it will be over."
General William Tecumseh Sherman

The scene opens on the beautiful city of Atlanta Georgia. The sky was filled with low clouds, and threatened rain. A few tourists still moved about the streets taking in the sights of the old city. The traffic moved along the streets in a rush as always while the planes at the airport were coming and going once again after the storm that raged along the coast just a few weeks before. We soon see Denise sitting in one of the many parks within the city. She looks around and sighs. The night that Klayton and her had spent together was one that she wouldn't forget. The date had gone perfectly, and everything felt right. There had only been one other that had ever made her feel that way, but she could, and probably would never find him no matter how long she looked. As she looked around the park, her mind started to drift back to another time. She closed her eyes and once again she was in the middle of Atlanta when the Union had occupied the city. The southerners at the time didn't care for those around them or who had taken their city from them. Confederate troops had long since disappeared from the city, only to head further south to keep the Yankee's from getting the rest of what they owned. Farms and homes had been destroyed on their march south, and taking whatever they could get their hands on to keep themselves alive. Atlanta had to cater to whatever the Yankee's demanded until that one faithful day when the city would burn.

Denise: I'll never forget the night that the city was set ablaze. The Union went through and destroyed the railroad depot, but the fire spread through out the city destroying everything. I watched from one of the hillsides, as the last bit of the city fell into the flames that spread quickly through the wooden homes. Most of the people had left in search of a safer place, but there were none. The Union had told the people that lived in the city to leave. Only a handful stayed to cater to those that had taken over. I was one of those few. I watched the flames burn into the night, never forgetting the horror of it all. After the war everything was rebuilt, and once again the country grew, as did the people that kept landing on the shores.

Denise opens her eyes as she hears her cell phone ring loudly in her pocket. She answers it, and gets to her feet.

Denise: Hello?

Sam: Did you forget to call me?

Denise: Sorry. The other night went so well, that I couldn't sleep, and I forgot to call.

Sam: You didn't sleep with him did you?

Denise: No. We just went out on a date and nothing more.

Sam: Would you have if he had asked you?

Denise: No.

Sam: Why? Isn't he cute?

Denise: It's not that. He's really cute. I'm just not ready to go to the next step of a relationship yet. I mean I...

Denise looks around feeling someone watching her. It was a feeling that she had always felt when someone like herself was near by.

Sam: Denise? Denise are you still there?

Denise: Yeah I'm here. I'll talk to you later.

Sam:... Ok. What's wrong?

Denise: I think someone is nearby. I'll get in touch with you later.

With that Denise hangs up her phone and gets to her feet. She looks around the park and that's when she saw him. A blond haired man, a little bit older then she moved through the trees watching her approach.

Denise: Hello Daniel.

Daniel: Hello Denise. It's been a while. What are you doing here?

Denise: I could ask the same of you. I thought you were dead.

Daniel: You should have made sure before you walked away Denise. You should know better than to leave the job undone. Why did you let me live?

Denise: I didn't mean to, that's for sure. How did you know I was here?

Daniel: Just a run of luck I guess. I just got into the city today and knew someone was here. I thought it was someone else.

Denise: If you want to end this, then lets do it. I'm not afraid of you Daniel. I never have been.

Denise: Defiant to the end aren't you. I should have sold you when I had the chance. Any man would have loved to have you serve him.

Denise: I'm slave to no man. Now lets end this.

Daniel: I agree.

The two of them walk to a secluded part of the park, and the battle begins. Sparks fly from the blades as they clash together. Denise's thoughts go back to another time. She was in London during the time of Jack the Ripper murder. She was a respectable woman in the city, but there were people that would have liked to see her fall. That's when she met him. He was suave and had a silver tongue. Daniel would get Denise to invest in ideas he had only to dwindle the fortune that she had made. The day finally came when she lost everything, and Daniel had blamed her for losing it all. There was only one way to get any money back... and that was to sell Denise on the streets. Her mind flashes back to the present as her anger rose with each swing that she made.

Denise: You destroyed everything I had Daniel.

Daniel: If you had only done what I wanted you could of had everything you wanted back, including me.

Denise: Do you ever listen to yourself? I wouldn't want you back then or now. Not after what you did to me.

Daniel: Oh come now lovey... I know the last few guys that you've been with have let you down... Why don't we end this and you can come back to London with me?

Denise saw her opening, and she took it. As he lowered his blade, Denise came up with hers and his head fell to the ground beside her. The sky clouded over, as the lightning began to flash around them. She drops her blade and lifted her arms to the sky, as each bolt of lightning hit her body. The lightning soon fades and she falls to the ground. She sits there for a few moments and looks up at the sky with her eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun.

Denise: Goodbye Daniel... May the demons ram sharp objects up your ass for all eternity.

Denise closes her eyes as she lies back on the bright green grass and stares up at the clouds once again, letting her thoughts go to her match against Klayton. She had caught his promo and what he said didn't really bother her. Both of them had to put on a show, and it was nothing but business in the ring, it wasn't personal.

Denise: Klayton I caught your promo and I have to say I'm not impressed. I know that your words are hollow and both of us want to walk away with the number one contender spot, but you and I both know that only one of us will be able to walk away with it. Monday night you and I will stand in the middle of that ring, face to face to see who truly is the better person to hold the number one contender spot for the TV title. I've never been one to back down from anyone, and I will stick by it, even when it's against someone that I care about.

Denise sits up slowly as her cell phone rings. She answers it and sighs, as she gets to her feet.

Denise: Hello?

Sara: Are you all right? I tried to call but there was no answer.

Denise: I'm fine. Just ran into one of my old flames that's all.

Sam: Was it Jason?

Denise: No. It was a really old flame. It was Daniel.

Sam: Whoa! I thought you killed him before you left London that night?

Denise: So did I. But he was immortal. I just took his head a few minutes ago, and that was really strange. I know he wasn't when I was with him.

Sam: He was like you then. One of the Princes of the Universe... Man that must have been a shock to you.

Denise: Gee, you think? It's been a long time since I saw him or at least what I thought was a corpse. But there he stood. I knew it couldn't have been good.

Sam: I can only imagine. Are you headed back to your hotel?

Denise: Yeah to pack.

Sam: What? Where are you going?

Denise: I'm going to take someone up on an offer.

Sam: You're going to stay with him aren't you? Are you insane? You're facing him on Monday night.

Denise: I know but now... I mean ever since Daniel showed up I'm not sure how many others know that I'm here, or if anyone else is in the city. Remember the more heads I take the more powerful I become... And that is not a good thing.

Sam: Ok, you have a point. Just be careful and don't do anything stupid. I mean you want to win this match don't you?

Denise: Of course I do. I'm not going to let my emotions get in the way of this match, and neither is he. Whatever happens in the ring, will be the end of it. But I will make sure that I am the one that is going to be walking away with that number one contenders spot at the end of it.

Sam: Good girl. Just remember that when you stand in the ring across from him on Monday night, and you'll be just fine.

Denise: Yes mother. Listen I'll call you when I get to his place and let you know I'm all right.

Sam: Wait... What about Daredevil? Are you taking him with you?

Denise: No, he's safe. Markus knows the people that have him stabled right now, so he's in good hands. I'll call you as soon as I get there.

Sam: Good. I'll talk to you later.

Denise: All right. Talk to you soon.

With that Denise hangs up the phone, and starts back toward her hotel as the scene fades to black.

Act 2: Leave it all in the Ring

The scene opens on the Ellis Hotel in Atlanta. We soon see Denise coming out of the lobby with her bags. She sighs as the valet goes and gets her car. She didn't want to have to leave the city but after the run in with Daniel she had no choice. If he had found her, it was hard to tell who else would find her. She had left a message for Klayton, and hoped he wouldn't mind her company for the weekend until their match at least. The valet soon returns with her rental car, and hands Denise the keys. She just smiles and gets into the car, and pulls off heading toward the airport once again.

Denise: Monday night is drawing closer Klayton, and I know of us don't really want to do this. I mean we just met and yet... There's something about you that I can't put my finger on. You understand me more than anyone else ever has, and now we have to face each other in the ring. I know you are going to do what you have to, to win this match, and so will I. Like I said, I will not just sit back and let you walk away with the number one contenders spot without a fight, no matter how much we care for each other. I've been out of this business for 4 years and last week the match didn't go as I had planned, but this week, I'm going to make sure that nothing goes wrong this time. I was surprised to get as far as I did last week, and came the closest of any of us in that match to get my hands on the Title. Monday night I will not stop until I reach the top and walk away with the victory. I am not afraid to bleed or to make someone else bleed... But since it's you, I will feel bad when all is said and done in this match.

Denise moves through the city, until she comes to the airport. She parks in the rental spot and heads inside. The terminal was quiet for the weekend, but then again with everything that had occurred over the last week, Denise wasn't surprised. She walks to the ticket counter and gets her tickets before heading through security, and toward the gate. She reaches the gate, and looks out the window at the planes taking off and landing along the vast runways.

Denise: *Voice Over* I'm leaving on a plane to spend time with a man that I have just met, and yet I know I shouldn't. This weekend we'll have a good time and then Monday night we will face each other, to see whom truly deserves to be the number one contender for the TV title. If you want that spot that bad, then you better make sure that you knock me out, and make sure that I don't get back up to take you down and gain the upper hand, and the win.

Denise sighs, as she watches as a plane pull up to the gate. It wouldn't be long before she was in the air and on the way to Klayton's.

Denise: *Voice Over* You seem to be underestimating me Klayton, but let me tell you, anyone else that I have faced that has underestimated me has never gotten back up again. I have taken out anyone that has stood in my way, except for last week. I'm not going to lose to you, no matter what you throw at me. This week will be a match that no one will ever forget. See you soon Klayton.

The announcement was made for her flight, and she heads for the small booth that sat beside the door, that would lead her to the plane. She moves down the long ramp way and out onto the tar mat, to where the plane was waiting for her, as the scene fades to black.