Tears of a Stranger

___________________________________________

The man stood stony-faced despite the unimaginable sorrow consuming him.

He stood there with his back straight, his head bowed, as he looked down and issued a silent prayer in his head.

"Johnny... It's been awhile," Paul Heyman said in a soft voice. "And I apologize for not coming to see you as much as I used to."

No answer.

Heyman sighed as he tried his best to remain composed.

"I know it's no excuse, but I've been quite busy with my career. Since ECW folded under, I've found a new home in the WWE." He paused for a moment, swallowing hard as he kept his eyes focused on the target ahead of him.

"I've carved my own little niche there." Paul chuckled. "It's ironic, isn't it? The very company that put my own out of business..."

There was still no response. Only dead silence followed his speech.

"A-anyway," the fat, balding man went on, "I wanted to come see you today, Johnny. I wanted to let you know that I never forgot what she did to you." A scowl crossed Heyman's countenance. "And I never *will* forget - this I promise to you, Johnny. You're my nephew, and damn it, I love you. You always looked out for me, so I've been continuing to look out for *you*." He raised one fat, meaty fist into the warm, sunny air and pursed his lips together. "She won't get away with it. This is my vow to you."

The day remained as still and calm as it had been before Paul had arrived here.

"Amy Dumas is going to suffer... And she *has* been suffering!" Heyman exclaimed in an almost jubilant fashion. "I've been seeing to it, Johnny!" he exclaimed, his hands coming up before his face, hands clenching with intensity. The chubby man chuckled. "You would *love* what I did with my tape recorder," he continued. "I always *could* do a terrific verbal impression of my favorite nephew."

Silence resumed and was his response.

Paul sighed sadly as he fought back tears he suddenly felt threatening. Then, ignoring them for the time being, he spoke again.

"Justice will be done, Johnny... I swear it. If it's the last thing I do, I'll see to it myself that justice will be served!" Fierce anger surged through him at the memory... the memory of what had happened to his nephew. Johnny had been tried and convicted of rape and false imprisonment, not the mention cruel and unusual punishment. He'd received a very hefty sentence subsequently, but it had been far more severe than it seemed. John Heyman's fate had been of the gravest, utmost severity.

Heyman tried desperately to push those dire thoughts from his head, instead concentrating on the redhead he despised so greatly.

"If all goes according to plan, Amy Dumas will go insane within a month," he said, a slow, sadistic smile spreading across his fat face. "She's already been showing some definite signs."

Paul sighed as he kept his gaze fixed on the gray marble headstone. He wished Johnny could answer him, that he could be given some kind of sign that his nephew could hear him. But there was none, just as there had been none ever since that horrible night just over three years earlier - when John Heyman had committed suicide in his prison cell by hanging...





Part 44

Back