An early Tuesday morning in Cleveland, Ohio. A fresh snowfall blankets the ground and clings to the leafless tress and bare bushes. Strange how the second Thanksgiving ends it's Christmas time. Already many houses have been ornamented with Christmas lights and the local church has begun assembling it's manger scene on it's front lawn.

As the sun begins peaking over the horizon people are beginning to wake from their beds and prepare for the day. One person, though, is up already. Shane Jackson had a rather sleepless night. It's not because of what happend between him and Paul Sterling several days ago, it's on Shane's mind but it doesn't keep him up at night. Shane's been disturbed by a letter he recently received. He knows who it's from but at the moment he's afraid of what it will say. After tossing for most the night Shane finally gave up and went down to his kitchen. He pulls the half empty bottle of Jack Daniels from the back of the fridge, the one that Sonic gave to him after he won the Pro Title, and sits down at his table. He reaches across the table and picks up the letter, it has no return address but Shane's name is printed clearly on it's front. Shane tears the top of the envelope and pulls out the letter inside. Before he unfolds it he untwists the cap on the bottle of Daniles and takes a quick drink, straight from the bottle.

Shane:

You knew it would happen eventually. The world is made up of wins and losses, in this case it just happened to be a loss. You did what you could to hold onto it, but in the end you knew you couldn't hold it forever. Even a man, surrounded by a legion of devout followers, won't be able to keep the prize in his arms till the end of time, someone WILL take it, that's assured.

Some people would be hampered by a loss like this. Don't be. Keep moving, don't let it slow you down. It's what you learn from your losses that allows you to succeed in the future. Already, you've got someone new to face and a new challenge.

Finish the bottle of Daniels, get some sleep and prepare for what lays ahead.

 

Sonic

Shane lays the note down on the table and picks up whats left in the bottle of whiskey. He raises it to his lips and begins letting the brown liquid flow across his tounge and down his throat, burning the whole way down. It hits his stomach and instantly warmth begins spreading through Shane's body. The last of the whiskey flows from the bottle and down his throat. Shane lowers the bottle to the table, he looks down at the note a second time, but only sees the name, Sonic. Shane slowly stands from his chair and leaves the kitchen, headed up stairs. Before he ascends the stairs he reaches over and flicks off the kitchen light, leving the room in darkness. On the table stands the empty bottle of Jack Daniles, beside it lays the note from Sonic.