So Kathryn, You Want To Wrestle, Do You?
By Abby Silvercloud
Kathryn is my little sister, who is not so little anymore. We call her Kate. She's grown a lot, and now she's an inch taller than me, with longer, slender legs. She's was a volleyball player at university. Until now, she had wisely chosen to stay at home, earning money at the family flower shop. She graduated last year, though, and has been having ideas for more sexier employment than filling orders for funerals and weddings.
I left the nest several years ago, and after an amicable divorce, I have been making ends meet serving drinks, occasionally filling in behind the bar, and as of late, earning tip money as an occasional wrestler at the club that my ex-husband opened with his new wife. Being a waitress in a short skirt is about the same anywhere you go. But, this club has a back room area set up for certain clientele to watch ladies wrestling. I am not one of the professional wrestlers, nor one of those who travel in a circuit, stopping at places like this. But my friend, Nora, used to wrestle professionally with a partner she doesn't hear from anymore. She is one of the ladies, retained here, for regular appearances.
Recently, Kathryn has showed more interested in what I do at the club. When she showed up here, she claimed that the demanding customers at the flower shop were getting to her. She had come almost 500 miles by bus, so I couldn't just send her back home. What could it hurt, if she watched me serve some lecherous customers and perhaps lose a wrestling match? That's what I do at the club now, when I am called on to so, by Denny, my ex-husband, who manages the shows. I lose, and try to do it in a convincingly sexy, animated way. The customers, come with money, and fetishes they wish to watch.
About a week ago, I figured that if Kathryn saw me lose, she'd gladly get back on the bus for home. I had worked it out with Nora, who has been coaching me along, that I was to lose in a humiliating and convincing fashion. Girl, was I wrong! It had the opposite effect. Kate is still here, staying with me temporarily, my refrigerator is bare, and now wants me to help her get an audition.
With no other means of teaching Kate, I began by bringing her to the club after hours, so that we could work on her technique. Denny approved it, because he trusts me and I promised to keep the doors closed while we worked out. After Kate learned how to fall safely, we moved onto some basic holds and the importance of selling them to the audience. Days turned into weeks, and soon, after a month, I am pleasantly surprised at the progress Kate is making. Kate was always an athlete, competing in volleyball and basketball in school. I know now that Kate's next step is to join Nora and I when we worked out together.
That evening, I spoke with Nora, and told her how well Kathryn was coming along, but now I thought she needed professional training. Nora was more than happy to train both of us at the same time, so we set up a time for the next day. Denny had been busy that night; only leaving his office long enough to hang the fliers around the club, advertising Friday night's event. Nylon Nights were popular. The the girls who regularly danced wrestle barefoot, matched up with one of the professional lady wrestlers, playing a heel.
So, the next day, Nora, Kathryn and I meet at the club, very late in the evening. We were dressed in leotards and opaque tights; Nora in peach and white, Kathryn in a cream leotard and brown tights, and myself in a mauve leotard and tan tights, we climbed into the ring together. Nora often plays the role of a jobber at our club, despite her size advantage and skill level. And, there was nobody better at showing Kate how to sell a hold.
Stepping behind Kathryn, I tugged her left arm behind her back, as Nora walked around us, watching Kate put some emotion into the small amount of pain I was causing her. Slapping at her shoulder, Kate moaned heavily, and stomped the canvas, with a pained expression to show her discomfort. Nora thought the display was going well, but wanted more emotion. So, Nora and Kate switched places.
Nora performed with much more emphasis, saying that you want the audience involved in your pain. Nora made excellent use of her expressions, over dramatizing the agony. She honestly made it look as though I were pulling her arm off. Clutching at her own hair, massaging her shoulder, whining to the referee that I was cheating, somehow. From what I saw in Kate's eyes, she was very impressed. Nora had noticed the long, slender legs of my younger sister, and asked me if we had been working on many leg holds, given that Nylon Night events were something that Denny liked to schedule. I shrugged and said that we hadn't progressed that far.
“Well, your auntie Nora will fix that,” my rotund friend said with a smile. And, she was right.
“Nora's right, Kate. Leg holds are a hot attraction on Nylon Nights,” I added, with a certain amount of remorse in my voice.
“Abby knows,” Nora added, “When Denny sees your legs, Kate, you'll have a job the very next night.”
Kate's eyes lit up with promise, clasping her hands in front of her, she turned with excitement in her voice, “Really, Nora? Abby's Denny? Do you really think I have a chance to do some work here?” Nora nodded, silently.
I looked at Nora with a troubled expression. But, she dismissed me entirely, “Of course, I do. Abby was right. You show a lot of promise. At first, with the right opponent, that will help you along the way, there is no way these audiences could not enjoy...,” Nora paused, as she blatantly walked around Kate looking her over, with a smile, “a leggy, young angel, such as you.” Nora lifted her eyebrows in my direction, as if to tell me, Kate has a future here, and I had better get used to it.
Resigned, now, to the fact that I haven't been able to send my sister home, I clapped my hands together, and addressed Nora, “So, what do you say, we start Kathryn's education with something you know all to well.” She knew exactly what I meant, and asked if she could do the honors. “Absolutely, my dear, please, with all expediency, wrestle on.” I stepped back to lean on the ropes in one corner, as Nora stepped forward, grabbed Kathryn's wrist, and monkey flipped the surprised girl to the mat.
“Don't hurt my little sis...too badly,” I joked with Nora, as I placed my right foot onto the lowest turnbuckle and folded my arms. Nora held Kate's wrist above her prone body. Kathryn stuck her tongue out at me, and went back to looking up at Nora.
Nora dropped the wristlock, and projected herself into the role of a heel as she stalked around the prone rookie rubbing her hands anxiously together. “Now, now, isn't this what wrestling is all about?” Nora wrung her hands with anticipation of hurting the newcomer, “Applying pressure until someone can't take anymore.” Nora's evil laugh frightened me, but my sister was giggling with her own sense of anticipation.
Reaching down, Nora grabbed her jobber's right ankle, and began the slow, torturous task of winding their legs together, before sitting down with the long trapped limbs folded with hers. Kathryn shot up instantly, and began to rub her thighs, “Wow! This really hurts! Owww!” Her eyes wide with the jolts of pain in her legs.
I could see Nora ease up on the hold, as she nodded, “It sure can, dear. That's why I said, with the right opponent, you will be fine, just as I have eased up on this figure four leglock just now. Feel the difference?”
“Yes, yes, I do. Wow. But, it still hurts, what's next?” Kate asked. Nora smiled over to me.
“Now, is when you begin to sell the hold. Do as you were, when the arm lock was applied to your arm. Scream, thrash about, pull your own hair. I'm in control. If I think you can do better, I will apply more pressure, so that you sell it harder. Understand?” My sister nodded, then closed her eyes, moaning as if the world were about to end.
Kate sold her anguish very well. Nora rose up on her hands and asked Kate to sit up. “Look at me with the most pleading pair of eyes I have ever seen. Tell me with your eyes that you need this hold to end.”
I must say, I was quite impressed with the performance so far. Nora then, warned Kate that when she felt the throb in her legs, “throw yourself back, hands to your face and cry, shriek, scream, anything to let the audience know that you can't take anymore, but you know you must.” And, that's exactly what my little sister did. It was a remarkable performance.
Just then, Denny walked into the room. There couldn't have been a more perfect timing, if Nora had invited him. It was clear, right away, that Denny didn't recognize Kate. He was often on the road in his truck during our marriage. But, knowing him, and seeing where his eyes were looking, he was preoccupied with the pair of long legs that Nora was working in the figure four. Same old, Denny.
Nora kept working Kate's legs, and in response, Kate wailed and reached for the ropes in vain. A complete over selling of the hold, but it looked great. Denny shot a glance at me, that said, he was impressed, and then pointed into the ring and mouthed, “Who is that?” Just as he motioned to the ring, Nora heard the jangle of keys he was holding.
Nora whispered across the expanse of leg, to Kathryn, “When he comes closer, sell the hell out of this hold.” The two winked to one another, and Nora spoke over her shoulder to Denny to come meet somebody. Denny approached the ring, holding his mail, watching the rookie moan and slap the mat. Then, without warning, Kate's expression looked as if something had just made her sick to her stomach. Kate's moan turned to a sickened cry, “AuuUUhhHH-Ohhhhhh.”
Whatever was happening, it made my sister squirm and try to pull away from Nora. My kid sister seemed to have had enough. But, Denny was sold by the performance. He began fanning himself as Kate moaned and plead to be let go, “Please, please, no more, Nora. Ow-ow-Ooowwww!”
Nora was obviously making the hold worse somehow, and the effect was endearing Kathryn to Denny's sense of showmanship. This was probably the first time that my sister ever had her foot folded in half. Kate didn't know what to do with herself, but continued to whimper like a sick animal, “I don't wanna wrestle, please Nora, stop.”
Nora chided her, “So you want to be a wrestler, do you? Well, take this!” Just then, Nora twisted the captive foot around to the outside. Kathryn reared upward, and caught herself with her hands. Nora shouted, “Denny, have you ever seen such a long pair of legs in your life?” Nora was baiting him. I tried to send her a message to knock it off, by shaking my head at her, but she continued, “I'd say she's ready for a Nylon Night match, wouldn't you, Denny?”
Nora saw me roll my eyes, as Denny stammered, “Uh, yeah. Sure. Where did you find her? I mean, what's your name, Miss? Sorry, if it's not too hard to speak at the moment.” Although Denny tried, he could barely keep his eyes of the slender opaque legs being tortured.
Kathryn looked up at him, and tried to say her name, but Nora didn't let the name spill from her lips. Nor was she through working the hold, she shifted her attack to one of Kate's toes, bending it backwards through the opaque tights, and Kathryn lost it, “KAAA-OW-OW-OWWWW!! Please, please, please. Stop. Please. OW-OW-OWWW!!” Kathryn covered her face, and laid back down, enduring the impromptu cruelty.
Just then, two small women stepped from out of the shadows, and patted Denny on his bottom, “We're here, just like we told you,” one of them said. Maddie followed the dwarfs into the lit area of the room. Maddie is Denny's new wife. The other short woman continued, “You have our contract, so let's get this over so the two of us can get back on the road.”
Maddie smirked in my direction, and said, “I trust that you all know one another.” Maddie thought that perhaps I knew the two tiny wrestlers. I didn't. But, Nora did.
Denny greeted both of them, “Hello, Midge, hello, Mabel, dear. It's so good to see you both, again. You must have got my message. I have you scheduled for our Nylon Night match, tonight. Your opponent's in the ring, right now, warming up for the two of you.”
Nora heard what Denny had said, and was more interested in helping Kathryn get a spot on the card. So, while Kathryn moaned and plead for the lesson to end, Nora decided to make it more realistic, and pressed the tip of her thumb into Kathryn's arch. The pain instantly made Kathryn push up, her eyes turned to saucers, and the moaning turned to warbled laugh. WAAUH-HAHA-OOHH-AAAUHHH! Oh-no. Not that! Stop! HAHA!” Kate hadn't realized it, but she just exposed a real weakness to her opponent. And, Nora wanted to know more.
Kathryn's squeal and laugh startled all of us, not the least of which, Nora, who, herself is quite ticklish. Nora giggled at the trapped girl, “My gahd, are you more ticklish than your sister!” Nora went right to work tickling my poor sister's nylon covered arch. I covered my face, and instantly Denny realized who he was watching in the ring with Nora.
Kate couldn't stop begging between the long gut wrenching laughs. She laid back on the canvas and thumped the mat with her fists, begging for it to end, and repeating, “I give! Damn it! I Give!, I Give-I-Give-I-Give! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”
Finally, Midge and Mabel looked up into the ring, and their stern business like manner turned to smiles, when they saw Kathryn writhing and squealing in hysterics. Whispering to Mabel, Midge said, “We want her.” Mabel nodded.
Denny interrupted, “Good, so you know Nora, already?”
Midge asked, “Which one is Nora, the ticklish one?”
Denny replied, “No, Nora is making the ticklish girl, I mean, Kate, laugh.”
Mabel spoke first, “We want her. Kate. Tonight. By herself.”
“Well, she's not exactly under contract, here,” Denny tried to explain in his usual half-baked way, “I don't, uh, I don't even know if she'd really work out, uh, as well as Nora would!” Denny was trying anything at this point. He couldn't understand the fascination with Kathryn. None of us could. “Nora's pretty ticklish, too, ya know.”
“The ticklish girl will work out just fine. Make sure she's our opponent, we will get back on the road to Evansville, right now.” Whoever these two were, Denny wasn't about to let them out of his club without wrestling. Denny was stuck, and he knew it. He must have pulled some strings to get these two professionals diverted here. He must have needed these two midget wrestlers for his show, tonight.
“Very well,” Denny was fanning himself, again, “You can have her. I mean, I will sign her up. Meet your opponent for tonight, ladies. I'll have a name for her, uh, well,” Denny's voice trailed off, but I heard him say, “whenever I find out who she is.”
Nora accomplished what she must have wanted to do. Patting Kate's foot, she released the hold, and blew Kate a kiss, “You're gonna be a star, now, kid.” Single-handedly, Nora had managed to get my sister, her first wrestling match. Unbelievable. My head sunk into my open hand, as I contemplated what I just saw. This couldn't be worse. Kate sat up and began massaging her foot.
Midge shouted to the exiting Denny, “And, remember, our contract says we get 45 minute matches.” By the Nylon Night rules, there are no submissions until time has expired. Usually that was 30 minutes. From the way those two smiled at one another, they knew that, and how they had Denny over a barrel. “And, no boots for her.” The tiny women grinned at one another, like Christmas had come again.
Denny nodded, “Pin only, after 45 minutes. Got it,” he sounded as if he were in a trance. “Is there anything else I, or my staff can do to make your stay more enjoyable, with us, ladies?”
Mabel snapped back, “No holds will be barred, either.”
“No holds barred?” Denny asked, incredulous. They both shot him the meanest look, and he backed down, “Alright, alright. No holds barred.” He shrugged in my direction, because I had pushed myself off the ropes and was standing, looking incredulously at him.
“Perfect, then,” Mabel, chirped, “Hide her boots, and we'll give you a Nylon Night your customers, and Miss Twinkle toes, won't forget.” Denny gave them a sick smile, and turned it on me, as if to gather sympathy. The two of them turned and left with Maddie.
Out of a mixture of frustration and a lack of appropriate timing, Denny shook his head and turned for his office, muttering, “Nora! Bring Twinkle Toes to my office, and help her find a costume. There's hardly any time before the show begins.” You hear in his voice that Denny was frustrated.
Nora smiled and told Kate that she was going to love this. “Being a Nylon Night jobber is fun,” she told my sister, clapping her arm around Kate's shoulder, leading the newest gal from the ring. Nora whisked Kate off to the costume closet, which is a tiny room next to Denny and Maddies' actual office.
There was no more than 45 minutes before the people would begin to arrive, so I remained in the back room and wandered around the ring. I was thinking silently; trying to convince myself that this was a good thing for Kathryn. She's still young at 21, and this is not like real wrestling. It's more of an eye candy show. She'll be fine.
End of PART 1
