(FADEIN: The First sitting on the steps on front street in downtown Salem. He's wearing his mad hatter jacket, coke bottle sunglasses and black lipstick...His hair is jet black and pulled into a pony tail.)
THE FIRST: "I'm Challenged? And how am I challenged by you Mr. Benjamin? Are you seeking to challenge me...Spiritually? Do you seek to test my faith in my convictions about religion, spirits, what happens after we die? Is that your objective? Are you a Christian good man Mr. Benjamin? Shall we debate the merits of Hell, I find it a very odd place...Doesn't make much sense to me once you get down to it...But perhaps you do not seek to challenge me in such a manner...No, most likely not...
Will you challenge me emotionally? Strain my mind to the breaking point by bringing about plagues of apathy, perhaps you will insult and slur me such that I will be brought to heel...Broken by the razor tounge and whip like wit that you possess...But I doubt this, most likely the only emotions you will bring forth in me are anger and the will to compete...What's the fun in that? That's every match...Maybe we should just go to an art show and both of us can spend the night looking at beautiful paintings...They can hook us up to some fancy machines and whoever has the more truly fulfilling night will be declared the winner...I truly do enjoy art, a great still live can be a truly inspiring thing...Do you enjoy art Mr. Benjamin?
Maybe perhaps, you seek debate over politics or sports? Hillary or McCain, Brady or Manning, Cubs Vs White Sox...All wonderful topics for discussion, we as a nation spend so much time on them, I'm sure the two of us could spend a little more...Maybe we'd get to the bottom of this whole Iraq thing if we just aired out our feelings in the ring...I really don't care what side I am to play, devil's advocate is fine with me...But I will draw the line on the whole Anna Nicole thing, never cared much for her and I don't care who her baby's daddy is...
But most likely you just want to fight me...You want to shamble out to the ring and demand that I fight you in a one on one battle, winner of which gets a shiny belt and whatever level of respect said belt commands in the world...Oh Mr. Benjamin, how dull, how droll, must it always be about the belt? Must it always be about being champion? If I didn't know better I'd think you wouldn't give me the time of day if I didn't have this title...
I feel like the pretty young girl in Anytown USA who always hopes for something special with every new guy she's with, but in the end they just screw her and ditch her...Poor naive thing...So trusting...She gives them what they want in the hopes of something more, and gets nothing...
I, sadly for you, am not so foolish...No...You may challenge me Mr. Benjamin...But dinner and movie won't be enough to pry the title away from me...Nor will anything else you try to do...I lost it once...And unlike that sweet girl's virtue...I was able to get it back...
I shall not lose it again...
(FADEOUT)
