Date: Thu, 19 Sep 1996 13:27:22 -0600 (MDT) From: "Katherine R. Freymuth" Subject: The Impossible Dream - Chapter 2 Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Well, I was going to post more of Theresa today but due to minor difficulties, like not having the disk Theresa is on with me, I will ppost more of "The Impossible Dream". Just to let you know, there really isn't a stunt show on the outskirts of Colorado Springs but it's nice and wide and flat so it would be a good place to have one, I think. Anyway, enough of my rambling. On to the story. --------------------------------------------- Chapter 2 "Welcome to the greatest stunt show in Colorado!" Bill announced, standing in the center of the arena, holding a microphone. "Only here will you see the country's greatest amateur stuntpeople! Our performers today are Susie Paprocki, head stunt coordinator; Shaakeen Baker, assistant coordinator; and, straight from Holoywood and a professional movie stuntman, Jack Stutzman the Stuntman!" It was all show, of course. Jack wasn't a movie stuntman anymore and Bill wasn't that excited about him being part of the show. But the crowd was and that was what mattered. Without another word, Bill hurried off of the arena to allow Susie onto the arena with her car. She performed several stunts, many involving side-winding (driving on only two wheels on either the left of the right side of the car) and jumping over cars. Once her act was done, Shaakeen went into his act. His act involved several motorcycle stunts in the same vein as Susie's car stunts. After his act came Bill's musical interlude, an up-beat pop-rock song to which he did his own choreography. This allowed the others time to prepare for the next stunt. After bowing to his applause, Bill lifted the microphone to his lips. "And now the moment you've been waiting for! The stunt to ent all stunts! A stunt so dangerous only a professional stuntman can do it! Ladies and gentlemen, Jack Stutzman will now perform this death-defying stunt. He will jump over this semi..." As he spoke, Shaakeen drove the thirty foot semi into the arena. "... on his own motorcycle. I know what you're thinking: "I've aleady seen this. He's going to jump over the width of the truck." And that's where you're wrong. He's going to jump the _length_ of the truck... and with no end ramp to soften the landing. You heard it right! One ramp and over thirty feet of truck to jump over! Because of the dangers involved in this stunt, we ask that you remain silent until Stutzman has completed his jump." "Just outside of the arena, his engine running, Jack waited. His heart was pounding like crazy. He'd done this a million times before but still a million things could go wrong and, everytime he did the stunt, he worried. "Please welcome Stutzman the Stuntman!" Bill announced. On cue, Jack roared into the arena and circled the semi before stopping in front of the ramp. He waved to the crowd and drove nearly a hundred feet away from the semi to give him room to build up speed. After the audience's applause had died down, Jack started his run. He sped towards the ramp and up it. The motorcycle flew over the semi in a beautiful arch! The back wheel grazed the back of the semi slightly, causing the bike to lurch slightly. Jack landed abruptly on both wheels, forcing him to fight for contrl of the bike. Despite the complication, Jack succeeded in regaining control. Coming to a stop, he got off the bike, took off his helmet, and bowed grandeously to the loud applause of the audience. "The incredible Stutzman the Stuntman!" Bill announced as Jack got back on his bike and rode back into the warehouse. "Thank you for joining us for an afternoon of fabulous entertainment!" Bill was saying as Jack shut off his engine and got off the bike, throwing his helmet angrily down on the concrete floor. "Damn it, Susie! I'm not doing that stunt anymore! I'ts way too dangerous! I was nearly killed out there!" Jack screamed. "Well, aren't you the hypocrite!" Susie said in an annoyed voice. "You're the one that suggested it. And now that we have been doing it for over two months, you want to stop. Well, unless you want to think of another show-stopper, we stick with this one. This one's bringing in the audiences and, if you don't want to do it, I'll do it. I've done a lot more dangerous stunts than that one. And that isn't that dangerous." Jack laughed. "Oh, that's funny. Not that dangerous." He looked roughly at her. "Listen, lady. You're not the one doing the stunt." "I could be," Susie said firmly. Jack looked at her seriously, moving towards her. "Don't joke with me, Paprocki. It's not funny." "I'm perfectly serious," Susie told him. Jack sighed. "I'll think of something." "Before tomorrow? Before Friday's showing?" It was Wednesday already. "Yes. Before Friday. Now, let's just get today's show closed up, okay?" He walked back to the arena, knowing that, by now, the stands were nearly empty. Saturday came and Susie had not yet gotten another idea from Jack to replace the semi-truck stunt. "Everything I came up with isn't daring or spectacular enough for you!" Jack complained to her, pacing her small office. The office was sparcely furnished and decorated. It had a desk, two chairs, and a filind cabinet. There was nothing a decoration except two posters: one was a poster print of the Broadmoor at Christmas time, given to her as a present for her thirtieth birthday; the others wass an advertisement for a stuntshow in Nebraska. "Well, I can't help it if you can't top yourself," Susie teased, leaning back into her chair and making it tilt slightly. "Get serious, Sue!" Jack told her. "You want the impossible. You want a stunt better than the semi-truck stunt and I want something less dangerous. Well, those are two sides of the spectrum and never the twaine meet." Susie looked at him. "You won't do it?" "No, ma'am," Jack said emphatically. Susie thought a moment. "Well, don't worry about it. I'll think of something." She stood up from her desk and started for the door. "Hey, Mrs. Paprocki," Jack interrupted her stride. "Promise me one thing." Susie sighed. "You know I hate being called that. What is it?" Jack looked into her eyes. "Promise me we won't do the semi-truck stunt on Monday. No one has ever been able to do it outside of Hollywood besides me and Mike McColly. And he's been in the hospital for the past two weeks besause of this stunt. So, promise me?" Susie nodded. "Okay, Jack. I promise you won't have to do the semi-truck stunt on Monday. Maybe you can do some of the other stunt you suggested." With that, she left the office and headed for the warehouse. Jack took a deep breath and sighed. *At least no one will be hurt by that stunt in the show*, he thought. As he left the office, he heard a motorcycle being started in the background. *Shake 'n' Bake starting his practice*, he thought as he walked towards the arena. He figured that since he had some new stunts to do Monday, he should get a little practice in himself. Funny, he thought he had left his bike in that far left corner of the warehouse. In fact, he was sure he did. His face tightened with realization. "That crazy bitch!" he shouted as his stroll became a bolt, his running into the arena. "Susie! Stop!" The motorcycle and its rider flew over the semi-truck in a gentle arch. The back wheel hit the back of the semi hard and the bike started to spin out of control. Shaakeen was laughing as he and Bill talked while working on Shaakeen's bike, readying it for practice. "So, how'd she take it?" Bill asked Shaakeen with a smile. "Anna? Not well," Shaakeen told him. "I really think she's so in love with Keith that, after being dumped by him, she'll try to commit suicide. Just wait." Bill laughed. "I can't believe they put that crap on television. _And_ I can't believe you watch it." "Hey, my girlfriend likes it, okay? It's not my fault she has it on when..." "Bill! Shaakeen!" Jack's voice busted into the conversation. "'Shaakeen'?" Bill asked. Jack had never called Baker by that name. And both Shaakeen and Bill knew it. Immediately they ran into the arena. They both hesitated when they saw the sight. Jack knelt by Susie who now laid motionless on the arena's concrete surface. The concrete was smeered with blood as was also the back of the semi-truck and Susie's clothes. Jack was touching her hair and hands gently, afraid that anything he did might hurt her more than she was already. "Oh, my gawd!" Shaakeen whispered. "Go call an ambulance," Bill ordered him as he hurried over to Susie. Shaakeen nodded and hurried to obey. "What happened?" Bill asked, going to Jack and Susie. "She tried..." Jack started. He gulped hard. "She tried to do the semi stunt." He held her hand delicately. "Gawd, Susie! Why'd you want to do a stupid thing like that. But, don't worry, baby. You'll be okay. You'll be okay." Bill quickly checked her. There was blodd all over her body. It matted down her short brown hair, making it look auburn in the June sun. Her head was tilted at an unnatural angle. Bill had a sinking feeling in his gut. Reluctantly and yet hopefully, he checked her pulse on her wrist. He closed his eyes. Jack noticed the action. "What?" he asked quietly. "Bill?" Bill looked at Jack in the eyes. "Bill?" Jack begged with his entire being. Bill couldn't look at those pleading eyes anymore. "She's dead." The words were barely audible even to himself. "She can't be!" Jack insisted. "She can't be!" He quickly knelt over Susie's immobile form. "Come on, Susie! Come back!" he ordered as he performed CPR on the body. "Come back!" "Jack," Bill said quietly, pulling him back. "She's dead." "No!" Jack declared. "Her neck's broken, Jack," Bill said more calmly than he felt. "She's dead." Jack slumped back onto the concrete. "No, no, no," he mantra-d as Shaakeen returned with the paramedics. Even after she was declared dead by the paramedics, Jack's mantra continued. It was a while before Bill was able to get him inside the warehouse. Three days later, after the funeral, Jack tore apart the red 1975 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, now severely scratched, with his bare hands. ------------------------------------------ So, what do you think? I know it's a little unusual to show what happened in the original history before the leap but having it come from Al all the time does make the story a little too predictable. More to come soon. Kat