This is purely satire for entertainment purposes only!
Finally at long last, the conclusion to our tale! If you missed the first two parts click below.
Part 1 |
Part 2
A shadow crept over Sather’s body as he tossed and turned in bed. The prior night’s events had begun to weigh heavily on his mind. Suddenly Sather felt very cold and he could see a mist spray from his mouth as he breathed out. Sather rose out of his bed shivering and quickly rolled out of his bed. Grabbing a sweater from his dresser he walked out in the hallway looking to adjust the thermostat.
As he walked slowly he couldn’t help but think he’s being watched. “Gretzky said they’d be three, didn’t he?” Sather thought out loud to himself. Sather whirled around to look behind him, but the hallway was empty. Sather turned back around slowly still looking behind him and as he took a step forward he walked face first into a large object.
Sather fell down on his rear and looked up and saw a dark figure standing over him, its entire body covered in a dark robe. Sather squinted to look at the figure’s face, but from under the shadow of the hood was he could only slightly see the barest of any facial features. Sather stuttered, “Who or what the hell are you?” Sather scrambled back up to his feet, as the figure remained silent.
The figure began walking, but it looked more like it was gliding. Sather mesmerized sat frozen then felt an overwhelming urge to follow. Sather hastily caught up to the figure and uttered, “Where are we going??” All of the sudden everything became dark around them.
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Sather looked around and realized he was standing in Madison Square Garden. The arena was completely desolate. Sather looked up at the rafters and noticed a giant Knicks 2012 championship banner hanging proudly. Sather looked toward the figure and asked, “We’re in the future?” The figure slightly nodded an affirmative to Sather’s question. Sather quickly looked over at the other side of the rafters searching, but found nothing but empty space next to the 1994 Stanley Cup banner. Sather sighed with a hollow empty feeling building inside of him.
The figure began moving again, everything around them turned dark. Sather rubbed his eyes as they adjusted to the lighting change. He looked around and realized they are standing in his office. Floyd Barrett stood staring out the window then he turned towards his desk. Sather noticed Barrett was hunched over slightly and his hair was more wispy and gray.
Then Sather noticed boxes littered around the office. Barrett began taking items off his desk and placing them in the boxes. A young man entered from the hallway, the man looked familiar to Sather but he couldn’t place from where. The young man spoke, “So what will you do now?” Barrett looked at the man and answered quietly, “I don’t know, but sometimes these overhauls need to take place, I’ll find something.” The young man grabbed one of the boxes to help Barrett carry them, then spoke, “It will be alright, Dad.”
Sather looked at the figure, then to the two men in the office, then back to the figure before stating, “Dad? That’s Barrett’s son…” Then Sather noticed Barrett’s son was wearing a NJ Devils hat. Sather backed away in horror muttering, “No! Why?! The Devils?!?” He looked back at the ghost, “Why must the gods be so cruel?”
The ghostly figure made no retort, but only began walking away as darkness once again enveloped the two men. Sather adjusted his eyes and saw he was standing in the hallway outside his penthouse door. The door had a sign pinned on it. Sather crept closer to the sign and gasped in horror, “For sale by the bank? Wait! What happens to me?”
Sather grabbed the ghost by the robe and screamed, “What happens to me?? Answer me dammit!” With a fit of rage he pulled off the ghost’s hood illuminating the area with light. Sather reeled back shielding his eyes. Sather waited for the light to fade then looked at the face behind the hood and gasped, “Mark Messier??”
Sather took a few moments to collect himself then addressed the ghost once again, “God, they really do let you do anything you want in this town, don’t they?” Messier shrugged and began walking away. Sather lounged toward the ghost and turned him around. “Wait! You didn’t answer my question.” Sather pauses and gulps nervously, “What happens to me?” Messier looked at Sather for a few seconds then pointed towards a newspaper rolled on the ground next to the door.
Sather looked from the ghost to the newspaper and back to the ghost, and then lounged for the newspaper ripping it slightly as he carelessly opened it to read the contents. There on the back cover in the Sports section he received his answer. Sather’s eyes read the headline as he mouthed the words, “Glen Sather Fired, to be Replaced by Mark Messier…”
Sather’s face turned pale white and the paper dropped to the floor in a heap. Sather turned his head back at the ghost and uttered in disbelief, “You replace me?” Messier winked back at Sather with a half grin imprinted on his face. Sather backed away in a panic, “NO! This can’t be!” Sather ran down the hallway and down the stairs.
Sather sprinted the 5 blocks from his penthouse to Madison Square Garden. He muttered, “This must be some kind of mistake… I need to talk to Dolan” As he reached the Garden entrance he tripped over something and fell to the floor on his face. Dazed, Sather reached for his glasses and saw they were broken. He looked over and saw he tripped over a body, the same body wrapped in a blanket from the night before. Sather shouted, “Glenn!” He began un-wrapping the blanket in a frantic pace, “Glenn! You have to help me! You were right! Please!”
The man under the blanket was stirred out his slumber and looked up at Sather. Sather recognized the man and dropped the blanket with a loud shriek. The man in the blanket was him, old and battered but him. The Glen Sather in the blanket looked back at him with no recognition, but muttered, “Can ya spare some change?” Sather stared at himself shaking his head in denial then grabbed the man by the shirt and screamed, “NOOOO! NOOOO! NOOOO!!” Sather’s eyes were wide with panic and tears streamed down his face, but all of sudden Sather realized he had his own blankets in his hand and he was in his own bed.
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Sather with his heart racing looked out the window and saw daylight was peeking through the shutters. He jumped out of bed and raced towards the window. He looked out with delight and exclaimed, “Its Christmas, I made it… there’s still time! There’s still time!!”
Glen Sather jogged the 5 blocks to Madison Square Garden with a spring in his step and song in his heart. Sather shouted at random people he met in the street, “And a Merry Christmas to you!” Then he whirled around, “And a Happy New Year!!”
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Floyd Barrett sat at his desk finishing the Teppo Numminen contract, as he finished the last paragraph the door bursted open. In stepped Glen Sather with his hands behind his back and a scowl on his face. Barrett rose to his feet and spoke, “Sir, ummm Mr. Sather… I wasn’t expecting you this early.” Sather peered at Barrett and barked, “And, what are you doing here??” Suddenly a big smile crept up on Sather’s face and he continued with a chuckle, “It’s Christmas! My good man! Go home and be with your family.”
Barrett looked curiously at his boss and asked, “Sir? Are you feeling alright?” Sather laughed as his large belly shook and shimmied, “Yes I am feeling quite alright!” Barrett still puzzled scratched his head saying, “But, sir the contracts, I finished them they just need to go out.”
Sather quickly retorted, “Throw that rubbish out! Tear it up, we need to build from within and bring in key players to better the team chemistry.” Barrett looked down at the contracts and then back at his boss and asked, “Should I call you a doctor?” Sather roared with laughter again, then grabbed the contract out of Barrett’s hands and began tearing it up, letting all the shredded paper fly up in the air. “There, and that’s that. Now go home sir… you need your rest. When you come back you will be the new Director of Operations. You’re a good man, Barrett. I should have listened to you more often. I hope you can forgive me.”
Barrett just stared at his boss speechless. Sather continued, “Oh, I have something for you… it’s for your son. Merry Christmas!” Sather reached behind him and handed over a wrapped gift to a stunned Barrett. Barrett took the gift from Sather and uttered, “Sir, I am speechless… I don’t know what to say.” Sather smiled and answered, “You don’t have to say anything at all, now go catch your train!” Sather grabbed Barrett’s coat and handed it to him.
Barrett put on his coat, grabbed his hat and walked towards the door, but suddenly he stopped. He turned around and said, “Merry Christmas, Mr. Sather.” Then he turned away and walked out of the office.
Sather watched him leave with a smile on his face. Suddenly the phone rang ruining the peaceful silence. Sather walked over and picked up the phone and answered. “Hello? … Oh hey Don … Merry Christmas! … What deal? … Marc Staal for Ken Klee? What are you high?! Forget it!” Sather slammed down the phone.
Sather paced to his perch at the window and looked out, now with a fresh new perspective and his mind racing on how to fix things. Just then, Petr Prucha who just happened to be walking by, stuck his head in the office doorway and shouted, “And God bless us, everyone!”
~The End
So tomorrow we'll get back to business as usual. Hope everyone enjoyed the Christmas piece.
Unfortunately there will be no live Sibling Rivalry tonight. BD is clearly ducking me! But, January 13th we'll resume our sibling loathing for each other for everyone to enjoy!
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