Finally, Maggie had a night to herself, so she poured a glass of wine and went to sit on a lounge chair in her backyard and enjoy the peace and quiet. It was a clear, pleasant Friday afternoon at the end of the summer, and Maggie was enjoying the warm yet comfortable climate. She had just celebrated her 44th birthday on Sunday with her mother Leona and her husband John, but tonight she was all alone. She had dropped her mother off at the airport that afternoon, for her return home to Alabama, and John was away on a short business trip, returning tomorrow. So Maggie enjoyed the solitude, and her thoughts turned to wrestling. It had been about a month she had been in the ring, and she was starting to get antsy about wrestling again. She thought about the plan she and John had laid out for herself, “win 3 straight matches, and then pursue either a championship match, or a re-match with Marisol”. She had gotten 2 of the wins under her belt already, so the next match would be very crucial. A win would keep her momentum and bring her to the next level of her goals while a loss would de-rail her plan all together. But Maggie’s confidence level was at an all-time high, and she was feeling very proud of herself. She had beaten a newcomer named Kim about 6 weeks ago, and then beaten Helen last month. In reality, her match against Kim should have been much easier, Maggie struggled a bit with the young, inexperienced wrestler before she finally was able to pin her. And against Helen, Maggie suffered a terrific pounding before she was finally able to barely pin the vicious Helen. Both matches had taken their toll physically on Maggie, especially the match against Helen, but she refused to dwell on that, deciding to instead focus on the fact that she had won. So she now directed her attention to her next match, and pondered the possibilities for her next opponent. The first wrestler who came to mind for Maggie was Heather. An experienced wrestler, although new to the federation, Heather was ranked as one of the top 3 wrestlers in the federation. She had just beaten Marisa and seemed to be on course to wrestle for the championship very soon. Maggie concluded that a win over Heather would catapult her to the top of the federation, and insure her a match for the championship. Despite the fact that Heather was almost half her age and a very impressive wrestler, neither of those facts deterred Maggie. She settled back into her chair, and envisioned the match.

The next day, John sat on the plane on his way home from a 3 day business trip. As he sat there, his thoughts wandered to his wife and her wrestling career, just as Maggie had done herself the night before. But John’s thoughts were quite different than Maggie’s. Although she had won her 2 previous matches, John was not pleased with the results. He had watched a young rookie, someone whom his wife should have beaten easily, inflict some serious punishment to her. And her next match next match against Helen was even worse. Helen had given Maggie a beating the likes of which John had never seen before. Even though Maggie won the match, her chest was red and swollen for over a week and it took her more than 2 weeks to recover completely from all of her bruises. John thought back to 10 years earlier, when Maggie started wrestling to before she retired temporarily. She would always have tough matches then it seemed too, but the resulting bumps and bruises after a match never took more than a few days to heal and the opponents were no where near as brutal. Maggie retired for a few years, but had gone back to wrestling within the past year. This time around however, things were different John thought. The opponents were more stronger, more skilled and more vicious and Maggie was several years older as well. The matches seemed to much more brutal, and Maggie would often suffer much more than just minor bumps and bruises, which concerned John. As he thought about what was next for his wife, he remembered the plan they had agreed to. John knew that if Maggie were able to win her next match, she would want to immediately pursue either a match for the championship or a match against Marisol. But John was worried. He thought about some of the better wrestlers in the federation and envisioned Maggie facing them. In every case, John did not picture good things happening to Maggie as a result. He debated every possible opponent, and reached the conclusion that the best possible opponent for Maggie’s next match would be Fire. John knew that Maggie’s first match upon ending her retirement had been against Fire, and that Fire had won fairly easily, but Maggie was more prepared and in much better shape now. And this time, even if Fire were able to beat Maggie again, her smaller size and limited skills would surely restrict the amount of damage she could do. John settled back in his seat, satisfied with the conclusion he had reached, though still worried about his wife.

The next night, after Maggie and John had eaten dinner, they sat down to discuss the plans for the next match. John spoke first and relayed his idea about Maggie facing Fire next. Maggie was puzzled, and the expression on her face showed it as she questioned the choice. “Don’t you think it would be best for me to face someone who is higher ranked, like let’s say Heather?” Maggie asked in her slow, nasally drawl. John’s eyebrows raised at the suggestion and he almost coughed up his dinner before he patiently defended his logic. “Maggie, you only need to win one more before you move on to accomplish the important goals you set for yourself.” he said. “To be honest, I’m worried about you. You were in pain for weeks after the match against Helen, and I don’t want to see that happen to you again. I think you can beat Fire easily and that will allow you to take on either Marisol or the champ with confidence.” Maggie pondered his reasoning, rubbing her chin with her hand. Finally she turned to him, “well that makes good sense, but don’t you think I could beat Heather?” she asked in a shy, somewhat embarrassed voice. John knew he had to be careful with his answer. He didn’t want to do anything which might hurt Maggie’s confidence and yet he had to discourage her from pursuing a match against Heather. “Sweetheart, the next match is going to be a war! Doesn’t matter if it’s against Marisol or if it’s against the champ, so why don’t we use this match against Fire as a chance to work on some things and basically prepare for the more important match which lies ahead?” Maggie’s troubled expression slowly turned to a smile as she began to agree with John. She remembered her first match against Fire and how, even though smaller, the younger woman really pounded on her. But this time would be a different story, this time she had a purpose and she would be prepared. She gave John a big hug, but as she hugged her husband the thought lingered in her mind that he had lost some of his confidence in her. Similarly as John hugged her back, he felt relieved that Maggie would be facing an opponent whom, although not completely confident she could beat, at least he thought would she would be reasonably safe against.

The next day, they went and met with the matchmaker and proposed a match against Fire. He shook his head and said, “Well I have one opening in 2 weeks so if Fire agrees, I can fit it in then. It’ll be on the same night as the championship match.” he declared. Maggie’s eyes turned inquisitive. “Who is wrestling for the championship?” she asked. “Marisol will be facing ToniAnn” he replied. Maggie’s eyes opened wide and her heart sank into her belly. “In fact” the matchmaker continued, “yours will be the match directly before that one”. John looked at Maggie, unsure of how his wife felt about the news but sure that it would affect her, and they exchanged a quick glance without speaking. After the uncomfortable pause, they quickly finished their business with the matchmaker and then abruptly left. On the way home, Maggie was eerily quiet. John kept glancing across at her, but she did not look back. “Well, maybe Marisol will win, and then you can kill two birds with one stone! Not only beat her, but become the new champ at the same time!”, John declared, breaking the silence. Maggie shook her head but was expressionless and said nothing as they continued the ride home. They did not discuss the subject at all for the next few days, until the federation called and told Maggie that Fire had agreed and the match was set. Maggie was very determined. She did not want to look past her match against Fire, but she couldn’t help but think of the possibilities. If Marisol were able to defeat ToniAnn and win the championship, Maggie would finally get her shot at revenge. And then, not only would she get revenge, but she would also be crowned the new champ. John realized that his wife’s brain was working overtime, and tried to keep her focused on the match at hand, but it was a difficult task, and he had only limited success.

Lost in all of the excitement was Fire, a very interesting story behind this woman. Her wrestling career was undergoing a metamorphosis yet again, this time with a vicious slant. She had been wrestling for many years, starting out as a smaller, but very tough competitor. What she lacked in size, she compensated for with determination, a killer instinct and downright nastiness. Those traits served her well and she had achieved some success over the years, especially considering her physical stature. But within the past year, shortly after her first match against Maggie, her life took a turn for the worse. Fire became complacent both in the ring and out, and as a result her performance in the ring and her personal life outside of it suffered. She was beaten regularly in the ring, often not putting up much of a fight. But even worse, her husband slowly lost interest in her and eventually began to cheat on her. Too make matters worse, the new object of his affections became Helen, who was also brutalizing Fire in the wrestling ring. Eventually Fire and her husband split up and later divorced just a few short months ago. The divorce had turned Fire into a bitter and angry women, and judging by her last match (the first since her divorce), that anger surfaced in the ring. She faced Stacey and, infuriated by the youngsters showboating and posing upon her entrance to the ring, Fire attacked her before the bell, pummeling her until she was pulled off of the poor girl. And now Fire was looking forward to getting in the ring with Maggie. She had no respect for the older woman, in fact she had little respect for anyone, but seemed determined to do even more damage to Maggie this time than she had done to her the last time. “You better have some medical people at ringside” Fire warned the matchmaker upon accepting the match, “because when I get through with her, she’s gonna need it!”. Fire had no regard for Maggie’s wrestling skills, and even though the two women barely knew each other, her rage increased each day leading up to the match. She was determined to an example out of Maggie, an example of Fire’s new found prowess.

As was customary before all of her matches, John visited with Maggie in her dressing room prior to the start of the match. He gave her a kiss before departing and Maggie made her final preparations. As John walked down the hallway leading to the arena, Marisol passed him by on her way to her dressing room. He looked her square in the eye, but Marisol just passed him by. She did however stop by Maggie’s dressing room and stuck her head in the door. “I have a surprise for you Maggie. When I win the championship tonight, I’m going to give you the first crack at me!” she said before breaking out in laughter and walking away. Maggie’s heart began to race due to several factors. One of them being her obvious hatred for the woman, but the other being the challenge put before her. Suddenly the match which was about to begin again took a back seat to what lie ahead, and Maggie couldn’t help but think ahead. But then Fire walked by her dressing room on the way to entering the arena and also took the opportunity to relay a message to the older warrior. “I’m gonna kick your ass tonight!” she warned menacingly. Maggie disregarded Fire’s warning, unaware of the animosity her opponent felt for her, and besides, she was too entrenched in Marisol’s words to pay Fire much mind. As Maggie made her way out of the room, Fire had already been introduced and entered the ring. She had received a supercilious greeting from the crowd, befitting her new “bad girl” reputation. But as Maggie entered the arena, she did not do much better. In fact, at least the crowd had shown some emotion for Fire, little if any emotion was espoused for Maggie. Nonetheless she was unfazed. Finally, now in the ring, Maggie began to focus on the match at hand. In contrast to her preparations in the past and seeming disinterest in her soon to begin match, Maggie had thought about and worked on her strategy. Her mother Leona and she had gone over Fire’s weaknesses and formulated a plan for the first 3 to 4 minutes. They had practiced it over and over, and Maggie ran through the moves in her head as she waited for the bell, confident in her preparations.

Maggie was not only different in her preparation, but her appearance had also changed slightly. Gone was the skimpy bikini made of cotton material which, while giving her generous bust a soft and rounded look, absorbed perspiration and offered little support. In it’s place was a new, fuller cut bikini made of shiny Spandex material and more vibrant colors, which covered more and offered greater support than her usual outfit. The usual red, white and blue design was the only thing which remained unchanged, her new attire more flattering and appropriate for her body type. And speaking of body type, although still a full figured gal, her body was leaner, weighing in at just a tad over 160 lbs. Gone were the soft rolls of flesh which encircled her midsection, replaced instead by a much less flabby version. While her “old” body could best be described as pudgy, connotating plumpness, her “new” body was better described as stocky, still not thin, but definitely less flabby. Her face also looked thinner which enhanced it’s ordinary but pleasant appearance. Her upper arms and thighs, although still needing some work, were also less bouncy. That’s not to say that Maggie was by any means buff, but that it was obvious she had worked hard on her conditioning, and although she still had a ways to go, the changes were becoming apparent. She had also done away with the vinyl wrestling boots she usually wore, choosing instead to go barefoot. She did however paint her toenails red to match her outfit. Her dark brown hair was even more streamlined, cut short on the sides, shaved close to her head against the back of her neck, with a soft poof of hair on the top. Her brown eyes were, as before, still twinkling and inviting, but hints of the onset of wrinkles becoming more obvious. She couldn’t match the beauty of most of the younger girls, but Maggie was finally beginning to make the most of what she had. Across the ring, Fire was doing quite the opposite. The “new” Fire had little regard for her appearance, opting for an unflattering black leotard which did little for her petite body. At 125 lbs., Fire was at a significant weight disadvantage, but she was in very good shape, much better shape than even the new and improved Maggie. Additionally, in contrast to the friendly sparkle in Maggie’s eyes, Fire’s burned with intensity. Her focus was on the destruction of her opponent, which may have explained why she had not even taken the time to run a brush through her short, black hair or done anything for that matter to enhance her appearance. The size difference between the two women and Fire’s rumpled, unkempt appearance would lead the average person to view this as a severe mismatch in Maggie’s favor, but the look in Fire’s eyes seemed to at the least even the playing field. Finally the bell rang and the crowd tried to muster up some enthusiasm for the match, but it was obvious their hearts weren’t in it.

The two ladies made their way out of their respective corners as Maggie ran through her game plan again. She moved slowly and cautiously, but Fire wasted not time and charged at the older woman. Maggie was prepared though and blocked the charge by raising her arms and forcing Fire to clench onto them. They struggled for a few seconds before Fire stomped the heel of her barefoot onto Maggie’s, jamming it in the soft spot just above her toes. Maggie squirmed a bit, but did not make a sound as she kept her guard up, focusing on the moves she and Leona had practiced. Her first attempt was to hip toss Fire, so she tried to adjust her weight and flip Fire across her body. But Fire anticipated the move and made a corresponding adjustment. Instead of being tossed into the air, Fire ended up standing alongside Maggie and immediately stomped her foot into the side of Maggie’s right knee. Maggie’s entire leg buckled inward and a sharp pain shot through it as she felt herself wobble, but remained on her feet. Noticing this, Fire again stomped her foot down onto the side of Maggie’s joint, this time more fervently than the last. Maggie moaned loudly as her leg folded inward, a direction legs were never intended to go. The burning pain felt as if someone had lit a fuse and it was running right up her leg. But Maggie stayed on her feet and gallantly fought back. She regained her balance by placing most of her weight on her other leg, and then tossed Fire over her hip, completing the hip toss she had practiced. She then hobbled over quickly to the fallen Fire and grabbed her wrist, quickly twisting it and placing the fallen brunette in a side wrist lock. Fire gradually pushed herself up onto her feet despite Maggie keeping the hold in place, twisting Fire’s arm out to her side. Fire stood on her feet but her upper body pitched forward from the wrist lock. Aside from the pain in her leg, all was going according to Maggie’s plan. She then whipped Fire forward, sending her sailing toward the corner. The diminutive brunette flew at a brisk pace, Maggie’s weight advantage obvious in the speed with which Fire ran. Her back smacked against the turnbuckle as her body settled into the corner, Maggie slowly limping toward her.

Although she was in some discomfort, Maggie was satisfied with the results so far. She had gotten Fire just where she wanted her, and had a clear picture of her next few moves. She moved toward the corner, but as she reached it, Fire whisked her legs up into the air and quickly wrapped them around Maggie’s neck. Maggie was stunned by the bold move as Fire crossed her ankles behind Maggie’s head, securing her legs tightly in place. Fire’s stubbly legs scratched the soft skin on Maggie’s neck like sandpaper, but they were locked around it so tightly that Maggie could not get free. But just as Maggie tried to pry them apart, Fire pushed herself away from the ropes, the momentum orbiting her plunging body a half revolution around Maggie, who spun with her from a standing position, still trapped in the head scissors. Fire’s shoulders plunged toward the mat while forcing Maggie’s head down with her. But as Fire’s back hit the canvas, she launched her legs forward and thus, flipped Maggie right over her body. Maggie’s body did a midair somersault, just inches above the fallen Fire who opened her legs and released the scissors. Maggie completed her tumble before her shoulders crashed to the mat, followed by the rest of her body as she then slid several feet across the canvas on her back. Impressed by the quickness and athleticism exhibited by the smaller woman, the impartial crowd cheered her while Maggie struggled to recover from the quick assault. She wasn’t hurt, but rather was discombobulated as she remained on her back. Fire, sitting just a few feet away, wasted no time however and instantly did a backflip, tumbling rolling over once which landed her butt square in the center of Maggie’s large chest. Fire shimmied back and forth to adjust her position before staring down into the face of her foe, directly below her. Maggie was so surprised by Fire’s quickness that she had no time to react before the brunette pulled her right leg up and in toward her body, bending it at the knee. She moved it closer, pressing the top of her knee under Maggie’s chin and thereby forcing her head backward. She then pressed the bottom of her knee bone onto the craw of Maggie’s throat. This wasn’t part of Maggie’s game plan, in fact it was a devastating departure from it. Maggie began to flap her arms at her sides like a giant bird in protest of the dangerous move. Her esophagus was being crushed! But Fire simply grit her teeth, an evil sneer stretched across it as she dug her knee down into Maggie’s windpipe with all of her weight. The crowd began to come alive, though they still did not have any special feelings for either wrestler, they certainly enjoyed witnessing a good torment, and that was exactly what Fire was delivering to Maggie. The patriotically clad woman began to panic. She felt her throat starting to collapse under the pressure, but rather than ease up, Fire had only just begun. She raised one arm up high over her head and then cocked it and made a fist in preparation for the next phase of her attack. Letting out a loud, exertive grunt, she thrust her fist straight down, landing it directly on Maggie’s right eye. The sound of the punch connecting was gruesome and was greeted with a gasp from the crowd. Maggie tried to cry out, the shock and pain incredible, but her throat was still being pulverized. She began to see stars and the whole area around her eye immediately became red and puffy, even more so than the rest of her face. Maggie began to black out, unable to get any oxygen at all before finally Fire pulled her leg away, but remained perched on top of her suffering victim.

The viciousness displayed by the petite brunette shocked even the bloodthirsty crowd and John, sitting in the front row, felt his heart sink into his stomach. But Fire had just begun as Maggie moaned beneath her, clutching her throat with her hands. Fire stared down into Maggie’s face, whose right eye was now bloodshot and partially closed. She then slid across and off of Maggie, and knelt up alongside her. Reaching down, she grabbed a handful of Maggie’s short hair and yanked her head up off of the mat. Even Maggie’s good eye was glazed and the expression on her face was one of painful numbness. Fire hauled her head and upper body off of the mat so that the dumbfounded Maggie was now sitting upright with her legs spread in front. Fire, still kneeling alongside Maggie, then grabbed Maggie’s right wrist and pulled her arm up into the air. She raised it straight up and then bent it toward in toward her so that Maggie’s body pitched to the side, her arm bent at the elbow and resting on top of her head. Fire then slid herself back a foot or so, so that she was now kneeling in front of Maggie’s extended right side. Again she cocked her arm and made a fist, this time delivering a forceful punch into Maggie’s exposed ribs. The blow landed a few inches below Maggie’s right breast causing the large, injured woman to collapse to the side as a result. But Fire again grabbed Maggie’s right wrist, and used it for leverage while pushing herself up onto her feet, Again she raised Maggie’s now limp arm up over her head. This forced Maggie’s hunched-over torso upright while still seated, and again left the right side of her body elongated and vulnerable to the now standing Fire. The right side of Maggie’s body now displayed a bright red mark where Fire’s punch had connected. The outline of the bones in her ribs were slightly visible through her bruised skin since the right side of her body was stretched to the side. Not one to waste an opportunity, Fire this time cocked her leg and rammed the ball of her foot into the same section of Maggie’s ribs. The brown haired battler groaned loudly before toppling over, her upper body withered to the side. The crowd was astonished, but they cheered nonetheless, enjoying the dominance of the smaller woman over the larger. Maggie meanwhile was a wreck. The entire right side of her body was devastated, from her eye to her throat, her ribs to her knee, all ravaged by Fire’s vicious attack. This was not turning out to be the easy match it was supposed to be, and Fire showed no signs of making it so going forward. But as Maggie suffered, she remembered what was at stake. She remembered her goal and how this match was to be her third win in a row, if she were able to win. With renewed conviction, she fought through the pain and gradually pushed herself up onto her knees, and then onto one knee, although struggling the entire time. Her ribs screamed with pain at each movement, her knee throbbed since she was forced to put pressure on it, her throat had still not opened up completely and her eye was open just a slit, but she moved on and was kneeling upright.

Fire seemed content to let Maggie get to this point, but no further. She reached down and grabbed a handful of the soft hair on top of Maggie’s head, yanking her the rest of the way up. Maggie grimaced as she rose, but despite the ugliness of her eye, a look of renewed determination emerged on her face. Fire tugged Maggie forward, but the embattled older woman resisted, and instead turned to the side and quickly grabbed hold of Fire’s hair with both hands. She then forcefully yanked her forward, sending her flipping over her hip again. Fire tumbled over and landed on her backside as Maggie regrouped and hobbled forward. She limped over directly in front of Fire, but the alert brunette abruptly lunged her legs forward and up like a bucking bronco, ramming her feet into Maggie’s stomach. Maggie doubled over, clutching her midsection, which gave Fire time to get to her feet, which she did. She then wrapped her arm around Maggie’s bowed head, placing her in a front headlock. Fire stared down at the back of Maggie’s shaven neck, dark brown peachfuzz covering it . She then took her free arm and sent a vicious karate chop right into that peach fuzz. But before Maggie could whine about the blow, Fire quickly placed one hand beneath Maggie’s chin and jerked her head to the side, jarring her neck and sending a shooting, flaming pain through her neck and shoulder. Maggie’s arms gradually drooped down to her sides as she remained hunched over in front of Fire, her head still trapped beneath her arm. Mercilessly, Fire then launched her knee upward, ramming it into Maggie’s midsection. Maggie’s entire bowed body lifted upright before slouching back down, only to be greeted with an elbow smashing directly between her shoulder blades. Maggie was distraught. Her whole body was engulfed in aches and pains. But she couldn’t give up, she had too much on the line. So before Fire could pummel her further, she reached forward and wrapped her arms around the back of Fire’s legs, and with all of the strength she could muster, pulled Fire down. It was just enough to knock Fire off of her feet, and now Maggie had a firm grip on Fire’s legs as she lay with her shoulders against the canvas.

Maggie needed to pause for a few seconds. Her movements were clumsy and awkward, every twitch of her body painful. But she pressed on anyway, trying to assume control of the match. Catching her breath, she pulled Fire’s legs up, lifting her off of the mat before completing a half revolution and then tossing Fire’s body across the ring. Well, at least that was the intention. Actually Fire only sailed a few feet, but it was enough to cause her to tumble over. Maggie moved like a toy robot whose batteries were running low as she stumbled over to Fire. Reaching her, she tried to grab hold of Fire just as she was getting to her knees, but Fire reacted more quickly and grabbed Maggie’s hair with both hands as she simultaneously threw her own body to the mat. As Fire plunged downward, she tugged Maggie’s head down with her before yanking it forward and sending her tumbling through the air. Maggie’s legs lifted off the mat and sailed over her head before she crashed to the mat, landing on her back in a sweaty heap. Fire, seated near the fallen Maggie, quickly backflipped toward her, just as she had done earlier. And just as before, Fire again plopped herself down on Maggie’s chest, but this time however she ended up looking down into Maggie’s midsection. She immediately grabbed Maggie’s right arm and pushed it in towards her body, stuffing it up against her side. Fire then locked her leg outside of it, effectively trapping Maggie’s arm at her side. Fire then did the same to her left arm, wedging it against her body before she placed her leg outside of it and clamped it in place. She now had Maggie laying on her back, her arms trapped at her sides as Fire sat in the catbird seat, perched atop her chest and looking down at her stomach. Mechanically, Fire then opened her right hand and slowly moved it towards the left side of Maggie’s new and improved tummy. She mashed her spread fingers down onto it and as she pushed it into the fleshy region and began to clench them together, locking in a painful stomach claw. Though Maggie’s midsection was much tighter than it had been, her skin succumbed to Fire’s grip and squished between her fingers as Fire tried to grab hold of whatever abdominal muscles she could. The hold was made even more effective by the impressive strength of Fire’s hands and her unusually long fingers. Fire was able to grab a sizable portion of Maggie’s abs with her long digits and her vice like grip began to cause excruciating pain to her victim. Maggie began to thrash her head from side to side, screaming in pain as Fire began to squeeze the cells, muscles, tissue and fat from Maggie’s stomach all into one compacted pile. Fire grimaced as she squeezed her fingers as tightly as she could, further digging into Maggie’s paunch.

The crowd began to get a bit more involved in the match as Fire continued to exert her dominance. As if to respond to their cheers for more, Fire then grabbed another patch of Maggie’s stomach with her left hand, picking a spot on the right side Maggie’s midriff and squishing it all together. Maggie was in torturous pain, and John sat helplessly as his wife was being abused by the smaller woman. “What have I gotten her into to?” he thought to himself as he cringed with each scream Maggie let out. His wife was in a perilous position. She was flat on her back with her arms trapped at her sides. And Maggie felt as if Fire were about to rip every muscle in her stomach right through her skin and out of her body. Her head rolled violently from side to side as she continued to scream in agony. She knew that if she didn’t do something fast, she was risking permanent damage. With only one option, she began to try and kick her legs up as high as she could, hoping to either force Fire off of her, or more unlikely, connect with one of her wild kicks. She started with her right leg, kicking it straight up and then back as far as she could, but her knee began to burn and ache, causing her to stop. She then resorted to her relatively undamaged left leg. She forced it up toward Fire once, but it missed reaching her by several feet, and did little in the way of jostling her. As the pain increased in her tortured stomach, she kicked it up again, but this time Fire released the grip on Maggie’s stomach, and instead grabbed hold of her elevated thigh. Fire wrapped her hands around Maggie’s thigh, pulling it up closer to her. The pain in Maggie’s stomach diminished to an agonizing, but bearable level, but her left leg, the good leg, was now in trouble. The large muscle on the back of Maggie’s thigh began to bulge from the awkward, stretched position in which Fire held it. Noticing this, Fire grabbed hold of the protruding muscle with both hands and dug her fingers around it, just as she had to Maggie’s tummy. Maggie again began to scream as started to feel a burning sensation, which quickly turned to a searing pain and then into an agonizing pain. Just as her abdominal muscles had felt as if they were about to ripped out of her, now her thigh muscle felt the same way. Maggie’s thighs also were the least improved aspect of her new body, and the loose skin on it acted like jelly around Fire’s hands, which seemed to disappear in the mass of skin. Things looked bad for Maggie, her leg elevated in the air and yanked in close to her body as her screams turned to pathetic pleads for mercy, which only caused Fire to tighten her grip. The abuse continued for about 20 seconds longer until Fire grew bored and dropped Maggie’s debilitated leg back to the canvas. Fire then slowly and tauntingly pushed her butt up off of Maggie, almost as if to further ridicule the already tormented woman. She moved up gradually, lifting her legs and finally freeing Maggie’s arms as she continued to rise. But despite the use of her liberated arms, Maggie was in no condition to use them, and Fire knew that. She finally got to a standing position, her straightened legs straddling Maggie’s chest. But before Maggie could even breathe a sigh of relief, Fire abruptly plunged downward, slamming her rear end into Maggie’s chest. Maggie’s legs and head flew into the air involuntarily from the impact, and Fire sat there for a few more seconds before rolling off to the side and gradually getting to her feet.

The crowd cheered Fire as she stood up and looked down at Maggie who had curled her injured leg in toward her body and was trying to massage it as she whimpered. Fire then began to taunt her battered victim. “Come on, get up!” she yelled. Maggie ignored her, but Fire screamed at her again, “Come on you fat, old bitch, get up!” Maggie heard her, and the words would have normally angered her, but she was in so much pain that she had other things to worry about. Finally Fire walked in her direction and stood over her. Maggie was still huddled together, her white skin covered with bruises as she perspired heavily. Fire jammed her foot into Maggie’s back and again challenged her to continue. “Had enough? Then you better submit cause I ain’t done with you yet!” Fire threatened. Finally Maggie began to squirm. She moved slowly, but gradually she got into a sitting position, then painfully got to one knee, and eventually the other. Although she was only kneeling upright, that alone was a major accomplishment. Maggie looked up at Fire, her right eye now about completely closed, her body covered with red bruises, but she nonetheless pushed on. Pulling one leg away from her body, she planted one foot on the floor. She then pulled out the other leg and began to plant that foot when Fire stepped up and mercilessly windmilled her arm and slammed the bottom of her fist into the back of Maggie’s head. Maggie was stopped in her tracks, her raised foot dropping back into a kneeling position, but the other still planted on the mat. With incredible commitment, Maggie trudged on and again languidly pulled her foot out and got it beneath her. She grimaced as she slowly straightened up, but she had done it. Both feet were planted and she was standing! Unimpressed, Fire again stepped closer and callously slammed an uppercut into Maggie’s stomach, causing her to bow forward, but still on her feet. Fire then again delivered a windmill punch, slamming the bottom of her fist into the back of Maggie’s head. Maggie could not handle it and dropped to her knees. The crowd began to cheer more loudly, unclear whether they were applauding Maggie’s heroic though to this point unsuccessful efforts to get up, or Fire’s depraved punishment.

But fun time was over, and now Fire was unwilling to give Maggie the chance to get up on her own. She grabbed her by the hair and plucked her off of her knees and up onto her feet. Maggie rose painfully, grimacing with each inch she ascended until she was finally again standing upright, not that she had a choice in the matter. She was very shaky, so shaky in fact that it appeared a strong wind would blow her over, and looking at Fire, she seemed to have the intention of being that strong wind, or more likely a hurricane. She stepped behind Maggie, lowered her shoulder into the small of Maggie’s back and began to push her forward, heading for the corner. Maggie hobbled across the ring, forced forward at an increasing pace until the front of her body smacked against the turnbuckles in the corner of the ring. The impact jarred Maggie but Fire continued to push forward even after Maggie had struck the corner. The force of Fire’s propulsion began to bend Maggie in half, her midsection pushed firmly into the corner as her upper body began to bend backward from the forward drive of Fire’s legs. “UUNNNHHH” she groaned until eventually Fire relented and backed off, causing Maggie to collapse into the corner, her arms draped over the top rope. As Maggie hung from the ropes, she felt ashamed of herself. How could she have let this 125 lb. woman beat up on her so easily? It seemed like every part of her body was sending warning messages to her brain, and the pains were all jumbled together. But she couldn’t give up, she had worked to hard to get where she was. So as Fire walked up behind her, Maggie breathed deeply and prepared to fight back.

Fire grabbed Maggie by the back of her shorts and pulled her out of the corner. Maggie was angered by the obnoxious gesture, but her body wasn’t cooperating. Fire spun Maggie around so the two women faced each other, and then reached forward to grab a handful of Maggie’s hair. But prompted to react, Maggie leaned forward and, placing her arms over Fire’s shoulders, shoved all of weight against the smaller woman. Fire was forced back against the ropes, unable to withstand the force of Maggie’s weight. Their two bodies met, and Maggie used her girth to force Fire into the corner, leaning up against her the entire time. Fire’s back landed against the turnbuckles as her arms grabbed hold of the top rope on either side of her body. Alertly, Maggie lifted her arms and then locked Fire’s wrists against the top ropes with her hands, holding them in place. Again she pressed herself up against the petite wrestler, almost as if she were trying to rest. Fire tried to squirm and wriggle, but she was unable to free herself from beneath Maggie’s sweaty body. She thrashed her head forward, trying to connect with a head butt and also tried to kick her legs, but she was pinned too tightly in the corner for any effective defense. Maggie then finally pulled herself back off of Fire, then thrust herself forward and slammed her body into Fire’s. She kept hold of Fire’s wrists against the rope, so the brunette was left open, unable to defend herself from the body slams. A SMACK could be heard from the two bodies connecting, Fire taking the brunt of the collision. Maggie pulled herself off and then again pushed forward, repeating the maneuver several times until Fire began to slump in the corner. Maggie was finally using her size to her advantage, and had effectively pinned Fire in the corner while slamming her over and over. The move was made even more effective by the fact that it did not require Maggie to expend much energy, gave Fire virtually no chance to retaliate and also allowed Maggie the chance to try and recover some of her strength. After almost 2 full minutes of slowly slamming herself against Fire over and over, Maggie again leaned in and rested her body against the smaller woman’s. The pounding had taken it’s toll on Fire, and having Maggie’s clammy body resting up against her was not a comfortable situation either. Maggie began to gain confidence however, and released the hold on Fire’s arms as she remained leaning up against her. She knew that she couldn’t stay that way much longer though, and so took her last few deep breaths before moving on.

For the first time in the long, grueling match, Maggie now had the upper hand. She slowly backed off of Fire, still holding her hands against the ropes to restrain her arms. Maggie looked Fire in the eye with satisfaction before picking her arms up and releasing the trapped brunette. Fire responded instantly with a quick knee into Maggie’s gut, startling the older woman and causing her to stumble backward. But Maggie had come to far to give in so easily, and charged forward, again jarring Fire back into the corner. She backed away, but again Fire landed a knee into her stomach. Maggie doubled over, but with gritty determination, charged forward, ramming her shoulder into Fire’s stomach. The smaller woman was taking the exchange much harder than Maggie, and she slumped into the corner. Maggie drove her shoulder further into Fire’s belly, causing her to pitch forward and drape across Maggie’s shoulder. Sensing an opportunity, Maggie backed out of the corner, wrapping her arm around Fire to hold her in place. She straightened herself as she backed up, lifting Fire into the air on her shoulder. Fire went willingly at first, but as Maggie struggled to straighten herself up completely, Fire began to protest. She began to kick her legs and punch her fists into Maggie’s back, but the veteran continued walking forward. She finally reached the side of the ring and after absorbing several more blows to her back, finally dumped Fire over the top rope and sent her sailing out of the ring. Fire landed on the ring apron with a THUD before rolling off and falling to the floor. Maggie drooped down against the ropes, a look of relief on her face as she watched Fire roll ton the floor. The crowd booed Maggie, unimpressed with her dramatic comeback. But she turned her head and with only the use of one eye, caught a glimpse of John. His face was pale white and perspiring, but he smiled from ear to ear as he blew Maggie a kiss. She smiled back and then turned her attention back toward Fire. Maggie’s arms lay over the top rope like two hanging cables, limply swinging from side to side. Her body was drenched and glistening, the once red bruises on her face and body were beginning to turn an ugly grayish purple. Her eye had swollen considerably, and it too was turning black and blue. Her whole body felt as if it had been through a war, which in fact it had.

Fire, meanwhile had rolled onto her side and stared out into the crowd. Her expression began to change from one of bewilderment, to gradually intensity before it became red with rage. She had beaten this old woman the entire match, but now she was the one who was laying outside the ring. As if something snapped in her head, Fire began to pick herself up, slowly at first, but then hastily getting to her feet. Her eyes darted around the perimeter of the ring as if she were looking for something, their coldness casting a chill over those at ringside, especially John. He looked up at Maggie, who was still laying against the ropes, and feared that Fire was about to resume her attack. John’s assumptions were right, but first Fire had something else in mind. she charged over to a table alongside the ring, and grabbed a microphone off of it. It was a long skinny model, with a large ball covered in metal screening on top of it. The device was attached to a long cord, and before anyone could stop her, Fire jumped onto the table, carrying the microphone. She then jumped up onto ring apron and hurdled over the top rope, still carrying the device. Maggie, still sagging against the ropes on the opposite side, pushed herself up and turned to face her foe. But Fire charged at her like a wild animal, raising the microphone over her head as she approached. Maggie’s good eye opened wide as Fire reached her, but before she could defend herself, Fire struck her on the top of her head with the metal rod. Maggie raised her hands, but before she could cover up, Fire struck her head again with a powerful shot. Maggie dropped to her knees as the crowd began to boo the malicious and dirty tactics of the enraged brunette. Maggie, kneeling upright, covered the top of her head with her hands, but Fire wrapped the cord of the microphone around her throat before she knew what was coming. Fire began to yank the cord upward, choking Maggie with it. The red, white and blue victim’s knees lifted up off the mat from the tension Fire was placing on her throat. Suddenly the bell rang wildly, signaling the end of the match, but Fire could not care less. She continued to choke away on Maggie’s throat, cutting of all circulation and causing Maggie’s eye to turn glassy. Finally, 3 security guards jumped into the ring and, after a struggle, were able to pull Fire off of Maggie and retrieve the microphone. Maggie fell to the mat, covering her throat and rolling from side to side as Fire was carried out of the ring. John jumped out of his seat and climbed into the ring to check on his battered wife. The announcer climbed in as well and announced that Fire had been disqualified and that Maggie was the winner of the match, to which the crowd cheered. Despite their indifference toward Maggie, they didn’t appreciate cheating, and Maggie received a much deserved round of applause.

Eventually Maggie was carried back to the dressing room and placed on the massage table. The doctor came in shortly after and administered smelling salts, which startled Maggie, but woke her up. She was fine, bruised and beaten, but nothing serious. Her eye would be swollen for at least a few more days and her body and throat sore, but no permanent damage. John stayed in the dressing room with her for an hour or so, before slipping her coat over her shoulders and helping her to the car. She was too tired and sore to change, so she kept her suit on. Finally arriving home, John helped Maggie to their bedroom and placed her down on the bed before slipping the coat off of her shoulders. She looked up at John and to his surprise said, “That’s 3 in a row. If Marisol wins the championship tonight, she’s next!” she whispered. John was shocked at his wife’s comments, and gave her a kiss before telling her to go to sleep, which she immediately did. He stood there for several more minutes, staring at her. Her face was puffy, one eye swollen shut and black and blue. Her throat had an ugly red line around it, in addition to also being swollen and red. Her stomach had several bruises scattered over it and both legs were bruised as well. He knew it would take her at least a couple of days before she could even get out of bed. Staring into Maggie’s face, John got a lump in his throat. He remembered back to when they were first married and how beautiful she was. Aside from the bruises, she was still quite pretty he thought. But her face had aged beyond it’s years thanks to wrestling, and John felt horrible about that. He then looked at her swollen eye and bruised body and felt worse. Is this is what a 125 lb. woman could do to his wife, what would Marisol have in stall for her, he thought before covering her up and turning the light out as he left her to her dreams, or nightmares.

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