ST and Shelly are at home,sitting on the kitchen table.
There are papers everywhere,as they are planning the wedding ceremony.
"Ok,we got the church,the wedding dress,the costume and the decorator" Shelly says, "but here comes the hard part-who are we going to invite?"
ST looks stressed over this-he hesitates for a while and then says reluctantly "Honey,I gave it a lot of thought and the truth is that,I'd like a very private ceremony and a huge after party."
Shelly seems interested.
"That's not a bad idea-not bad at all!Since all my friends and all of yours are not the type of people that enjoy ceremonies,we'll save them the trouble!Only one small problem though...."
Shelly took a deep look into her future husband's eyes and said with a soft voice.
"I will have my family present at the ceremony,but you?Your mom's not alive,your dad wants nothing to do with you since you were born,who's gonna be there for you,besides me?"
ST drew a deep breath and said "I'll ask DaWolf!"
"WHAT?" Shelly shouted and stood up,"You can't be serious,after what he's done to the Pack!"
ST stood up himself and took Shelly's hands into his.
"Will you just give me a second,my love?DaWolf the wrestler,DaWolf the Leader,has done mistakes.However,Dawolf the friend,always stood like a brother to me and he's the closest thing I got to a family.Before you,it was only Dawolf standing between me and..."
He shuddered.
"What?" Shelly asked worried.
ST remained silent,as he lowered his head.
"Insanity" He finally whispered.
"Oh,c'mon,don't give me that crap!" Shelly exploded "Insanity?You're tough as nails and more self disciplined than Mr. Spock!"
ST looked Shelly straight in the eye and said "Try to convince Mank about my sanity..."
"Mank?" Shelly looks baffled.
"What does Mank have to do with it?"
ST said "Nothing,forget it....I'll find someone else" and turned away...
"Oh no,you won't get away that easy!" Shelly said and grabbed ST's shoulder "What are you hiding?"
ST turned and the look on his face almost broke Shelly's heart-he seemed so scared,so desperate...she never saw him like this before-not even during the hardest days of his recovery.
"Ok,sit down and I'll tell you-I can't stand hiding it from you anymore"
Shelly sat down.
ST started.
"I suffer from a rare condition that has been both the curse and the blessing of warriors since the dawn of mankind.
It is known with many names-Berzerkergang to the Vikings,Menis to the Spartans,The Tain to the Celts,Amok to the Polynesians....Yet,there is a scientific name that sums all of the above-Temporal Homicidal Mania and it can be cured permanently,only by electroshock and lobotomy."
Shelly looked stunned-she almost stopped breathing!
"Luckily,I realized my condition when I was barely a teen and have spent-hell,still spending-my whole life to harness it and only in moments of extreme emotional stress I lose my control."
Shelly gasped..."How..how you got it?How serious is it?"
"Well,it is estimated that a combination of extreme violence and the absence of any emotional attachment during childhood,will make you grow up like this or autistic or..."
"Or?"
"You kill yourself before you grow up....."
"Sh*t!" Shelly cursed.
"But how serious is it?I mean,what happens during..."
"Seizures"
"Seizures?Like in epilepsy?" Shelly asked.
"Yes and no.In epilepsy,you don't have control of your body,yet,when the seizure is over,you can't remember anything that happened during it"
"Alright,but you haven't told me yet what's it like?"
Ok,the preliminary stage is like this...I feel my head swelling,my peripheral vision obscured by something that resembles Red Mist and then,I lose my consciousness.
The main part consists of attacking to the source that caused the emotional stress,in a manner that seems like being reverted to an animal state,but of an animal that feels no pain,fear,or remorse-an animal that attacks with inhuman strength and agility and will not stop attacking until the opponent lays to pieces or...."
"Or?"
"I can't explain it,but somehow,the interference of DaWolf,snapped me out of it,before I kill Mank"
"You?You couldn't even match Mank before your accident!" Shelly protested.
"Can you see now?" ST asked gently.
"Oh my God!" Shelly sighed and paused.
"How's your control over it?" she finally asked.
"As long as I control my emotions,there's no fear.
It's anger and fear that trigger the seizures and it takes a lot to make me angry,as for fear,I only fear two things.The seizures and losing you." ST stated and remained silent,with only his clenched fists betraying his anguish.
Shelly stood up,approached ST and embraced him.
"One fear less,my love...One less." she said gently,caressing him.
St could do nothing but hold her tight...
Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:12 pm