”The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
- H.P. Lovecraft.
The darkness looms over the Beaufort Docks, situated in Beaufort North Carolina just a few hours drive from Charlotte where Friday night’s IIW Combat is going to be taking place… Sebastian Hamilton is standing on one of the jetty’s, wearing a dark three-piece suit and heavy black woollen overcoat, his trademark peaked cap adorns his head and he puffs on a cut cigar…
The jetty space is empty, but it won’t be for long as the spotlight of a boat preparing to pull in. The boat begins to moore and Sebastian turns his back, reaching into the shadows and turns back with a black leather attaché briefcase. The engine on the boat cuts out and a young man jumps over the side onto the jetty and approaches sebastian.
Sebastian I’m glad you could make it…
Man Mr. Hamilton… I’ve got the item on the boat.
Sebastian And the money, is right here…
Sebastian sets the briefcase onto the front of the boat and opens it, turning it towards the young who lets out a low whistle before climbing back onto the boat, leaning into his cab and pulling out a case of his own. He drops back down to the jetty and opens his case showing something to Sebastian we can’t quite see. He spends a moment looking through it before flipping the attaché case shut and pushing it towards the young man before shaking his hand, placing the cigar between his teeth and walking away…
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…We come to life again, less than an hour later when we find ourselves in a room in the Beaufort Hotel. Sebastian pours himself and his brothers Edward and Benjamin a drink. The other two Hamilton boys sit on the end of the bed, watching him curiously… They look to one another, then Edward clears his throat as Sebastian hands them both their beverages, before turning back to his own glass.
Edward So why were you out at the docks tonight brother? What did you need all that money for?
Sebastian I’m finally able to begin my collection, lads…
Benjamin What collection, Sebastian?
Sebastian The collection I’ve been trying to work on, since I was sixteen… I finally got the first piece.
Benjamin You mean the dark, esoteric, mythological stuff?
Sebastian places the case on the bed as Benjamin and Edward stand and look around, watching him open the case and both men suck in breath as he holds up the book and it looks every bit as horrible as it has been described over the decades.
Edward Mate… Is that what I think it is??
Sebastian An original copy of The book of the Law, by Aleister Crowley…
Edward How did you manage to find it after all this time?
Sebastian Tyde and Shante put me in touch with someone and in a matter of days when we arrived here, poof… There it is. I will also be in receipt of an original numbered and signed copy of The Book of Thoth, soon…
Benjamin That is insane bruv… So what’s next? Robert the doll? A Divock Box?
Sebastian Honestly I’ve not thought that far ahead, Benji. Right now my focus is about this week on Combat and showing these muppets what The Nightmare Court is all about… Tex is going to have another rude awakening when Jack is done with him and then I, will remove the scum and algae from the bottom of the ship when I win against four cretinous individuals in some random match that Kalvin Dayspring definitely put together to get back at me, for outing his lack of leadership ability…
Sebastian zips the book back into the case and places it in the wardrobe. He grabs his jacket and slides it on, taking a cigar from the inside pocket and opening the door.
Edward You headed back out?
Sebastian Just gonna take in the night are, around the area, before we drive off to Charlotte in the morning mate, care to join me?
Edward Nah, there’s a Casino boat cruise in an hour, that me and Benjamin are gonna go to, if you want to come for that in a bit?
Sebastian I’ll see you at the port… Boys.
Sebastian salutes with two fingers and exits out of the hotel room, as we leave the other brothers finishing their drinks and dive into the dark depths…
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“I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity.”
- Edgar Allan Poe.
The moonlit sky casts an ocean of dirty white across the empty North Carolina streets as Sebastian Hamilton strolls along, cigar once again in hand, his mind ticking away as he eyes his surroundings…
Sebastian Welcome to your worst nightmare ladies and gentlemen. Court is in session and I am your judge, jury and executioner presiding… This week I’ve been given the opportunity to take on FIVE Unimpressive challengers in the form of El Landerson, Ryan McCann, Chris Norton, Eddie Charisma and The Silence and not one of those men has impressed me whatsoever… I mean we can give the rundown if you wish… But it won’t change a thing.
But let’s do that, let us first look at Chris Norton and Ryan McCann, these two are actually a tag-team and are known as Pretty Technical, pretty anal is more apt, maybe even pretty uptight, something along those lines at least… The last time I saw those guys in action they were getting slaughtered by Bear-O-Dactyl and now? Now they're a bit part, of the big part of The Nightmare Court’s beginning… Can we really be certain these guys are even going to show up, let alone take the match seriously?? I have my doubts…
Who’s next up, then?? Who’s going to bring the fight to The Hamilton Establishment, to The Nightmare Court?? El Landerson? You know I’ve got to say I’ve never witnessed anyone with as much as confidence as The Landerson even with pinfall after pinfall after pinfall not quite going their way, but they just keep rising to the top! Perhaps my toughest opponent in this match…
Sebastian takes a puff of his cigar and looks around, spotting the Casino Ferry he begins to walk down that way, slowly and methodically.
Sebastian So who else has Kalvin Dayspring put in front of the Court? In front of Judge Hamilton? Well let’s see now, oh yeah… Eddie Charisma, a man who’s been doing this since he was quite literally a child… A man-child, but one who’s held titles from two other promotions before coming to IIW, so he’s quite experienced but does that matter to Sebastian Hamilton? Does that matter to The Nightmare Court? That’s a bloody rhetorical question so don’t bother answering… He’s just yet another that’s going to be crushed under the boot.
Finally The Silence, a man who doesn’t speak and seemingly doesn’t look or listen either! A man who’s mouthpiece in The Captain conveniently completely forgets who’s actually in this match… Was that intentional? Did you purposely not mention the one man who’s done more in his career than every single one of you put together? That’s okay, don’t worry about it Silencio, El Capitan… Because you will realise the mistake you’ve made when Combat comes on Friday.
You see the truth is, there is only one true Captain on this ride, there is only one man in charge on this ship and there is only one group that can dish out the punishments as they are set! That man is me, the dealer of death… The group is The Nightmare Court… When the call comes, we must be ready to answer it and at combat it starts… Five men are about to receive burials at sea. Five men are about to potentially have their careers end and that’s the judgement being passed tonight…
Court dismissed.
Sebastian straightens the lapels on his coat collar, fixes his Peaky cap and walks away, towards the Casino.
Fade out.