Eavan Maloney vs. Kimberly Williams

[The Matt]

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June 6th, 2024
East Bethany, New York
Off Camera
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Kimberly Williams has made a habit of putting on some great performances when Rise To Greatness season rolls around and this year was no different. Starting with Taking Hold of the Flame, The Woman Scorned won a chaotic six person Underground Rules Match. Well, technically it was a six person match, but in reality five of those individuals…namely the three members of the European Fiery Nation, SCW United States Champion Deanna Frost, and Kimberly herself…all wanted The Enigma’s head on a platter. Instead of a five on one beat down on the mysterious monster who has been plaguing SCW since his arrival, it devolved into utter chaos as everyone had their own reasons for wanting to take apart The Enigma and everyone wanted the masked fiend all to themselves. In the end, Kimberly picked up the win after dropping Enigma through barbed wire. She got payback on Enigma for his attacks on her and her twin sister Marie, and in the process she defended her turf as the undisputed Queen of the Underground. And if that victory wasn’t enough of an impressive performance, she went right back out to the ring later in the night and competed for over twenty minutes in Taking Hold of the Flame and, for the second year in a row, came oh so close to winning it all. Enduring the chaos of the Underground and to still go that far in Taking Hold of the Flame is quite the impressive feat to say the very least.

Unfortunately there is no rest for the weary. Taking Hold of the Flame saw the return of James Evans. After their first two violent, bloody Underground encounters, James obviously still holds a grudge against Kimberly, whom he targeted in the rumble itself. Not only that, but Kim has to defend her turf on the January 20th edition of Breakdown as she puts the SCW Underground Championship on the line against Eavan Maloney. The Woman Scorned knows that her dance card is quite full as she marches towards yet another Rise To Greatness where she hopes to once again walk in as the defending SCW Underground Champion, her third year in a row if she makes it to the greatest show of SCW’s calendar year as champion. Still, she cannot look too far ahead. In order to make it to Rise To Greatness as Underground Champion, she will need to defeat Eavan Maloney first, a newcomer to SCW who has taken a bit of an interest in Kimberly and her Underground.

That Underground Title defense is still two weeks away and Kim knows she has plenty of time to prepare herself for this inevitable war. First she is going to rest her body after the events of Taking Hold of the Flame. Resting doesn’t necessarily mean just lounging around and doing nothing. Quite the contrary, The Woman Scorned has a project on her “to-do list” that involves her good friend Larry Dempsey. Kim and Larry met when they were both locked away in a mental hospital. Kimberly was suffering through severe bouts of depression and feelings of hopelessness while locked away in the asylum. Larry helped her survive. He helped her stay focused on getting well and getting out. When both of them were released, they promised to watch each other’s backs and they promised to keep each other honest; in other words, they promised to make sure neither one fell back into the same insanity that got them locked away in the first place. Unfortunately it appears that Larry Dempsey is having a renewal of the symptoms of his insanity. He hears voices and it takes every bit of his will power to ignore them. This is what prompted Kim to help her friend Larry. She promised she would watch his back and keep him from regressing, and so she will. But Kimberly’s methods are always unorthodox and unusual. Larry would probably prefer any method of treatment other than the one Kimberly has chosen this afternoon.

The Woman Scorned stands outside in East Bethany, New York on a bright sunny afternoon. Williams is wearing faded torn denim jeans, black boots, and a white penguin logo t-shirt with the name “Wasley” printed on the front in bold black lettering. Her long red hair flows down to past the shoulders. She is wearing a black leather jacket. Standing next to her is a very nervous and exceedingly anxious Larry Dempsey wearing brown khaki pants and a plaid button up shirt. Why is Mr. Dempsey so upset and nervous? Anyone would be nervous considering what stands before them; Rolling Hills Asylum stands ahead, a grand and eerie relic of the past, its stone walls weathered by time but still imposing. The sunlight created stark contrasts, highlighting the textures of the building's aged façade and casting long shadows that stretched across the overgrown lawn.

“Why did I agree to let you drag me out here?” Larry asks with a low growl as he expresses his frustration.

“What can I say?” Kim shrugs. “I am quite a charmer!”

“You are something, my dear, but I am not sure I would call you a charmer…” his voice trails off. Kimberly winks knowingly and playfully at him.

“Now don’t take that tone with me, buster. You knew damn well that I was fucking insane the moment you asked me to help.” She points a finger at Larry. “So the fact that we’re here is entirely on you!”

“I knew you were…unorthodox…but I never anticipated this!” He exclaims.

“Oh come off it, Lawrence of Arabia…”

“Larry.” He says defiantly, correcting her. Kim just shrugs her shoulders.

“Whatever. Larry. Just come off your high horse. You said it yourself that you are not superstitious, you don’t believe in the supernatural. If you can see it you will believe it. Am I right?”

“If it can be proven by scientific method then yes, I believe, but what does that have to do with anything?”

“Need I point out that despite your oh so scientific outlook on life, it was YOU who opted to have a freaking priest perform exorcisms on you on a regular basis. You called it ‘placebo’ in addition to your medication, but if you really didn’t believe in the power of what that priest was doing, why did you get so upset when the diocese forced him to stop treating you? Do you believe in science or the supernatural? Which is it Lawrence of Arabia?”

“Science…” Larry answers quietly.

“Then you should be fine!” Kim exclaims. “Coming here should not be a problem, should it? So what if it is supposedly one of the most haunted buildings in the nation? So what if this is where lunatics like you and I were locked away to die once upon a time? So what if so much torture and inhuman acts went down at this very place? It’s not like they’re gonna hurt you, right? Because none of it exists…” she pokes Larry on the chest “...according to you.”

“Yes but…” Larry is trying to sound confident but his fears are showing as he looks anxiously at Rolling Hills Asylum and then back at Kim “...why here? What is the point of coming here? You know how I feel about places like this?”

“You mean lunatic asylums? Yeah, I do, because I feel the same way.” She grins from ear to ear. “It’s like a homecoming!”

“Please, Kimberly, focus!” He exclaims. “Focus and explain why are we here?”

“Fine, party pooper.” She sighs. “You were locked up in the mental hospital because you heard voices in your head, voices that told you to commit unspeakable acts of violence. Before being locked up, before your treatment began, you were convinced that those voices were demons.”

“Yes, and now I know better!”

“Do you?” Kim asks playfully. “Or are you trying to convince yourself? I mean, you DID hire that priest for a reason. Maybe subconsciously you still believed that it was demons, and now you still fear those demons? That brings us to Rolling Hills Asylum and flooding!”

“Flooding?” Larry arches a brow out of curiosity.

“Flooding therapy is an intensive type of exposure therapy in which you must face your fear at a maximum level of intensity for an extended amount of time.”

“For the love of God…” Larry says as he fully begins to realize what Kim has gotten him into.

“That’s right! We’re gonna march into that ‘haunted asylum’ chock full of evil galore and put your body’s fight or flight system into overdrive until it exhausts itself! Then BAM! You’ll be healed!”

“How the hell do you know this will work?!” He exclaims. Kim shrugs her shoulders.

“How should I know? I’m not a therapist!”

“But you are supposed to help me!”

“Then maybe you should hire an ACTUAL therapist.” Kim winks. Larry sighs and shakes his head.

“I would rather not.”

“If you still refuse to see an actual psychiatrist or therapist then you’re stuck with me.” She motions for him to follow her. “Let’s go, bucko!”

As they walked up the cracked path towards the asylum's entrance, the gravel crunched under their feet, each step bringing them closer to the mysteries that lay ahead. Kimberly's stride was purposeful, her steps light and eager, while Larry's pace was more measured, his gaze darting from the building to the surroundings as if assessing potential threats or hidden secrets. The asylum loomed larger as they neared, its tall windows dark and foreboding, some of them boarded up while others seemed to watch like silent sentinels. The air was filled with the scent of wildflowers and freshly cut grass, a deceptive calm that contrasted sharply with the ominous presence of the asylum. As they get to the front entrance they spot a woman, middle aged, with brown hair in a green pantsuit and simple black flats. She is smiling pleasantly waving at Kim and Larry.

“Hello there!” The woman says. “You must be Kimberly Williams?”

“Yep, that’s me!” She extends her hand and the woman accepts the handshake. Kim motions to Larry. “And this is my friend Lawrence of Arabia!”

“Kim!” He exclaims.

“Larry.” Kim says. “His name is Larry Dempsey.”

“Well my name is Susan Conklin, I am a local historian and I can take you on a tour of Rolling Hills if you like? I have all the right permissions for us to tour the grounds.”

“You got us a tour guide?” Larry asks. Kim elbows in the ribs to silence him.

“That sounds great, Susie!”

“Excellent. First some background information.” She points to the huge structure that is the asylum itself behind them. “This used to be called the Genese County Poor Farm. It was built to house so many of what many considered society’s rejects back then; not just the poor but orphans, widowed women, the disabled, minor criminals, and yes, the mentally ill.”

“Is it haunted?” Kim asks cheerfully. “Where are the demons?”

“Kim!” Larry exclaims again, only to receive another sharp elbow to his ribcage. Susan just chuckles lightly.

“Well I don’t know about demons but there have been reports of strange occurrences. People have told me about hearing whispering and murmuring but there is no one around to have made the sounds. People have reported footsteps when the asylum should have been empty. People have been touched and have had their clothes tugged and hair pulled.”

“Well that’s kinda lame.” Kim sighs, as if she is disappointed.

“Perhaps you might see something more interesting if we walk inside and get a closer look?”

“I’d really rather not…” Larry tries to protest but Kim interrupts.

“Lead the way!” The eccentric ginger exclaims happily.

“Ok then! Follow me!” Susan starts heading towards the entrance. But just as she is about to open the doors Larry turns and takes off running in the opposite direction. Susan looks on at the man running away and she appears confused. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Oh don’t mind Larry.” Kim says. “He’s getting his afternoon exercise!”

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June 8th, 2024
Baltimore, Maryland
Off Camera
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She meant well. She really did. The SCW Underground Champion Kimberly Williams had hoped to ‘treat’ her good friend Larry Dempsey of his recurring mental issue. Apparently ‘flooding therapy’ doesn’t work that well, or maybe it was the fact that she tried to use Rolling Hills Asylum as the site of the flooding therapy? Whatever the case may be, it did not work. Granted, Kim really would rather him go to a psychiatrist, an actual therapist who can give him legitimate help. But Larry has refused to see a therapist in fear that they would recommend a return to a mental hospital. It is the reason why Larry decided to run away from Rolling Hills before the actual tour could even begin. Kimberly can relate to his fears. She, herself, gets nervous around mental hospitals. But she learned to handle her fear, she learned how to conquer it. She wants to help Larry and she wishes he would just see a therapist. Unfortunately therapy is exactly what he is afraid of; what if the therapy sends him back to the mental hospital? He does not want that and he will do anything to avoid it; even letting the deranged Kimberly Williams try to conquer his issue.

Kimberly isn’t giving up on hopefully talking him into seeing an actual psychiatrist but in the meantime she will do anything to help her friend. This is why she now finds herself at Larry’s home two days after the Rolling Hills incident. The living room of his room is rather quaint and simplistic in the decor, the sofa is somewhat raggedy and the television set is a relic from the eighties. Larry lives a simple lifestyle much like Kim herself, which makes The Woman Scorned feel even more at home in this place. There is a chair set up by the sofa and Larry finds himself sitting in the chair but that is probably the only normal thing about this particular scenario. Kimberly, who is wearing a long black hooded robe, is currently in the process of tightening leather straps around Larry’s wrists. His feet have already been strapped down to the chair.

“Y’know, Lawrence of Arabia, if my boyfriend found out about this, he’d be pissed…”

“Why is that?” Larry asks curiously. He winces a little as Kim tightens the strap on his right wrist before moving to the left.

“Well, I mean, leather straps…” she winks “...I can get kinda kinky…”

“Kim!”

“Hush it or I make it tighter.” Kim smirks before tightening the strap on his left wrist. “I don’t even know why you want me to do this.”

“You agreed to help treat me, my dear.”

“Yeah, and I did try but you ran off!”

“Being forced to confront my fears by taking a tour of an abandoned asylum like Rolling Hills is not exactly my idea of treatment.” Larry says in a low monotone voice.

“And this kinky shit is?” Kim asks.

“You know that’s not what I want!” Larry complains. “Why you insist on these straps is beyond me.”

“Yeah, you wanted me to perform an exorcism since your old priest pal can’t. That sounds crazy to me but hey! Who am I to judge someone else’s crazy? So if we’re gonna do an exorcism we’re gonna do it right. Every movie I watched they strapped the patient down just in case they start crawling up the walls or some shit like that.”

“I assure you, Kimberly, that I will not be crawling up any walls.” He sighs. “And I am not possessed.”

“Then why the hell are we doing this?” Kim asks frustratedly. “Let me unstrap you and you can go get some real help.”

“No…” he shakes his head “...I need this…”

“Then explain it to me!” Kim sighs. “Look, I am just as unbalanced as any other loony tune, but even I can’t make heads or tails of this crap!”

“I do not believe in exorcisms but…” he sighs “...trust me, something about these prayers and the knowledge that this rite of exorcism was being performed, it seemed to put my mind at ease. I know that if I can just get this done then these voices will go away.”

“I think you’re grasping at straws, Larry.” She shrugs her shoulders. “But ok…” Kim walks away briefly and then returns wearing a purple priestly stole around her neck. This isn’t any ordinary stole. On one side of the stole is a picture of Deanna Frost and on the other side of the stole is a picture of Konrad Raab. Larry furrows his brow.

“What is that?”

“It’s a stole silly!” She laughs. “Surely your priest pal wore one?”

“Yes but…the pictures…”

“Oh, Deanna and Oktoberfest.” She grins from ear to ear. “I’m hoping to channel the energies of The Revengers!” She puts a hand over his mouth. “Now hush! We are about to begin! Ready?” She waits and Larry nods his head. “Good. Repeat after me…”MR. D HAVE MERCY!”

“Huh?” Larry looks confused. Kim smacks him in the back of his head.

“I said repeat after me! Mr. D have mercy!”

“Mr. D have mercy…”

“CHBK have mercy!”

“CHBK have mercy…”

“Juneau McFrosty have mercy!”

“Juneau McFrosty have mercy…”

“Magical Cosmic Princess YUYO graciously hear us!”

What the…?” He shakes his head “...Kim…” she smacks him in the back of the head and he sighs “...Magical Cosmic Princess YUYO graciously hear us!”

Kimberly reaches underneath her black robe and produces a bottle of Holly Adams Brand Trademarked holy water. She pops the top and tosses it repeatedly all over Larry, dousing him in the holy water. “In the name of the Queens of Chaos, I CAST THEE OUT!”

Larry has finally had enough of Kimberly’s nonsense. He starts to pull at his restraints. Kimberly watches him struggle and smirks. “See, Lawrence of Arabia? Told you those restraints would come in helpful!”

“Let me go, Kimberly!” He shouts. “You obviously are not taking this seriously!”

“Do not speak unless spoken to, unclean spirit!” Kim declares. “What is your name?!”

“My name is Larry!”

“No it’s not!” Kim shakes her head. “Is your name James? You sound like a James I know.”

“MY NAME IS LARRY!” He pulls harder at the restraints, they start to give way. Kim doesn’t notice and just pours more holy water on Larry.

“I CAST THEE OUT!” Kim declares. Suddenly Larry, with one final mighty pull, pulls free of his wrist restraints and lunges forward, bringing himself and the chair, which still restrains his feet, onto Kimberly. He glares angrily at her and is about to strangle her but Kim just breaks out into laughter. Shockingly, Kim’s laughter brings Larry back into reality. He calms himself and rolls over off of Kim.

“I…I am sorry…” he says quietly.

“Eh, no biggie. It isn’t the first time someone tried to murder me.” She smirks. “Some of my best friends have tried to murder me.” She approaches Larry and kneels down next to him in order to undo the straps on his feet. “You promise not to strangle me, right?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Kimberly continues to work on undoing the leather straps on his feet. He frees Larry and then she stands up. She helps Larry back to his feet. Larry shakes his head.

“Look, I appreciate the…attempt….but perhaps you performing an exorcism just isn’t a good idea.”

“I tried telling you that!” Kim exclaims with a big grin. “But noooo, you insisted…”

“Yes, my fault.” He sighs. “A proper priest would be best but alas the diocese will not condone an actual ordained priest performing any further rituals on me.” He shakes his head with disappointment. Kim wraps an arm around his shoulder.

“That’s because the church doesn’t think you are actually possessed. Neither do I! And in your own words, you don’t believe in this shit anyway! So why on earth are we doing this?”

“Because it might help! If only there was an actual priest who could do this…”

“Well…” Kim pats him on the back “...I don’t particularly agree with this ‘treatment’ of yours, but if it makes you happy, then I will do my best to track down someone, anyone, who is willing to do this for you.”

“Can you?” Larry asks hopefully. “Would you?”

“Of course!” Kim smiles happily. “You’re my friend, Larry. I would do anything for you.”