Revival.

The mask of Hysteria is the first image shown. It’s placed on manikin head placed on a desk. The ink is frozen in place not rotating as it had when been worn. Resting on top of the mask is the black hat that had been donned by Hysteria in the past. The roaming camera finally stops directly in front of the mask. A booming voice comes in over the view.

A mask. An art of disguising. I am not the first to incorporate the mask as an art of deception, but I am the first to use it not for selfish purposes. I did not do this to put a belt around my waist. I didn’t create the identity of Hysteria to further succeed my career. No, oh no… I did it for you. I did it for the people of this world.

I did it for Gator.

I did it for Justin Sane.

I did it for Mystica.

I did it for Game Boy.

This world… this place. It needed me. It needed to know the love and adoration of Doctor Louis D’Ville. It needed to know his firm hand and his teachings. So now I just have one question for you all…





Do I have your fucking attention now?

LH Harrison suddenly comes from the shadows behind the mask. He’s torso is covered by a black button down shirt and his pants are black as well. He places his hands on the table on opposite sides of the mask. The left hand auspiciously has a tan line on the ring finger. His gaze bores down into the camera lenses. The greenish tint is off-putting by so much darkness in the room.

A smile spreads across the face of Harrison as he begins laughing softly under his breath.

I felt that cringe. So long I have lived under the ruse of an altar boy doing good diligence. No more. I tried that lifestyle. After doing my best to my family and those around me, what did I receive? What did I get in return?!

A dead wife. A dead kid. Another child now confirmed dead. All for letting my guard down and being this ‘nice guy’ you all wanted. Fuck that. I’m taking my daughter back. I’m taking back control. Starting with the big, bad wolf Sebastian Duke.

You, my unintellectual friend, have come up on the short end of the stick tomorrow night. For ‘Hysteria’ is coming for you. I’m coming in hot and I’m going to leave an everlasting burn. But despite being mad about my family… there weren’t my true love. My true love, the woman I most connected with did not die at the hands of a dunce like Morbid Angel. She was murdered in the street like vermin.

Let me explain. While I may have been married to Jessica, there was a time in which she requested I leave the home. In that time, I did not return to my home in Hope, Arkansas. Oh no. I went to another place. A place you need not worry yourself on its location. There I went to a casino. The bitch didn’t want me at home? I wouldn’t be at home, but I wasn’t going to be miserable either. I decided to play some roulette.




Place your bets.


LH Harrison looking dapper in his black suit while wearing dark black sunglasses. He places a few tokens on red. He plays with several chips while his friend Steven sits beside him. The two converse for a few seconds before the roulette wheel begins to spin. The thing turns and turns before a ball is finally put into the roulette. The wheel bounces up and up before finally settling down and finding it’s place on 21. Which is a red square.

LH and Steven both leap to their feet!

Steven: Dammit, LH! That’s the fifth spin in a row! Luck must be your lady tonight.
Calm down Steven Wilson. Sit down for a moment. Let’s see how far this streak will go…. And don’t call me LH.
Jeez, get off your high horse, mate. Sorry, Mr. Harrison.
Steven.

Steven sighs and rolls his eyes. The young boy of 18 was barely old enough to be in here yet he just seemed indignant to the fact Harrison cared what he was referred as.

Fine, Mr. Henry.
Thank you. I don’t wear these glasses to be ‘cool.’ I don’t need someone going to tell my wife about this little trip. Understood.
Yeah okay, whatever.

The kid quietens down for a moment before hitting Harrison’s arm quickly. Harrison groans and brushes him off as the next spin is going. Harrison has placed his token on the halfway point between 18 and 15. The kid looks across the table at the incredible blonde who just stands at the table with a man who looks to be 30+ years old. The boy hits him with his arm again, but, once more, Harrison shakes him off. The ball finally stops and it’s…


EIGHTEEN! Yes!

Harrison raises his arms into the air and turns around to celebrate with Steven when he notices the kid looking with his mouth slightly agape towards the blonde across the table. Harrison’s eyes follow him and that’s when he sees her. Even through the sunglasses, Harrison can feel him forcibly feel her staring into his eyes.

A moment passes.

Finally the man grabs her arm and begins whispering in her ear something intended to be threatening. Her face visibly is saddened which forces Harrison to bite his lip and to avert his eyes.

He places three tokens on the circle labeled “9.”

Harri-
Steven.
Ugh Davis, whatever. Are you going to help that girl?
What do you mean?
Are you… going to… help that… girl!?
Help her how?
Did you not see that asshole with her? You could kick his ass.
For what?
For being an asshole! You’re a trained wrestler. You can do it.

Harrison stops talking and stares back at the roulette wheel which has just began to spin. His thoughts fade back to her face. Her beautiful half-smile she had flashed him. Her beautiful azure irises hitting the coast of her dark abyss of pupils. Her bouncy blonde hair curled to perfection. Her makeup… flawless. The silkiness of her dress showing off her smooth skin, but leaving enough to the imagination to drive him mad. Her radiance fills him with a guilty feeling.

Harrison suddenly stands up and places a hand on Steven’s shoulder. He reaches down and whispers in his ear.

I’m going for a walk. Collect our winnings after this spin and meet me outside.
But Mr. Davis…
Just do it.

As he begins to walk away, he faintly hears the supreme sound of jubilee as Steven leaps from his seat. Unaware or detached, Harrison continues walking out of the main area of the casino. He exits the doors as the usual clanging and chiming fades following the closing of that door. It’s only then that he hears the voice of what can only be assumed was an angel. Harrison looks through the front window and that’s where he sees them. The tall, greasy-haired older gentleman with the beautiful maiden grabbed by the arm. He’s transfixed on her face. His heart pounding on his chest as if it were a hammerhead striking a nail.


CRACK


The slap.


The man struck the woman across the face with the back of his hand. He begins yelling in her face before yanking her towards the parking lot by the wrist. Twitching with disgust and fury, Harrison clenches his fists and begins stomping towards the front door. He exits the building and stalks after his prey and its catch. So focused on his destination, that we doesn’t even see the car.


SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

“Hey what the fuck ya doin’ man?”

Harrison glances at them with a look that could kill. The car had slid to a stop right beside him. Dust and gravel had sprayed up as the car had attempted to stop from running him over. Harrison looks back towards the parking lot as he continues following the couple. The car speeds off throwing an unfriendly retort in his general direction in which Harrison ignored.

He enters the parking lot of the casino and scans the area. That’s when he heard the sobbing. He quickly moved down the gravel lot looking towards where he heard the noise. He finally passes a large Hummer and sees the man standing over the lady berating her with words of malice and belittlement. Harrison’s hand clench until the knuckles are white. He grabs the guy by the scruff of his shirt and throw him out over his very expensive car.

"Hey what the fuck dude?"
Dude? How about you lay off the lady, alright? Whatever she’s done to piss you off, it’s not worth hitting her.
"You don’t even fucking know what this bitch did!"
Well, enlighten me tough guy.

The guy pushes LH off and adjusts his suit.

"This bitch has problems gambling. She stole money of mine and went to the Texas Hold’em table and lost it all in eight rounds. No one was buying her bluff and she didn’t even fucking know how to play. It ain’t the first time neither. Dumb bitch."

Harrison stops, looks at the young lady still laying on the ground with tears coming out of the corners of her eyes. Their eyes meet and it seems like the world comes to a halt. He has to shake his head to come out of the vision.

Is this true? Did you lose all of this man’s money? Did you gamble it all away?

The girl’s eyes begin to flood with tears. She nods her head slowly. Harrison places his hands on his hips and sighs. The man beside him sizes up beside him.

"Yeah, fucker, now back the fuck up. This is between a man and his bitch."



Harrison smirks, turns abruptly and decks the man sending him careening onto his car. Harrison leaps on top of him and begins punching him time and time again until his nose is bleeding and Harrison finally backs away. The man scurries away screaming profanities over his shoulder. Harrison squats down and helps the lady to her feet. Harrison takes off his sunglasses which by now were broken during the scuffle. She notices the blood on his hands and pulls a napkin out of her purse.

No man should ever hit you like that ma’am.
He had a right to be… I did use his money.
Not true. It’s never okay.
Well whatever you say cowboy.


She turns away and begins swaying away. Harrison begins to walk after her.

Wait, that’s it? You’re just going to walk away?
Maybe you should check your hand before you show your cards, Mr. Harrison.

She winks and continues walking away. Harrison looks confused but looks at the napkin she handed him and reads ‘Christine 724-888-0881.’ He looks back up and she’s vanished from sight.

He begins turning around and walking away while pulling a phone from his pocket. Not his usual iPhone, but a smaller, lesser known brand phone. He flips it open and dials a number from memory. A few seconds pass as he walks.

John, what can you tell me about a woman by the name of Christine at the num…

The camera pans up and away from the scene before fading to black.