Taking Hold of the Flame 2025

[The Matt]

2 of 2
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May 26th, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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It was one of those clear, golden mornings; the sunlight, filtered through the early bloom of dogwood and maple trees, bathed the backyard of Kimberly Williams and Tommy Wasley in a soft, honeyed glow. The breeze was gentle, carrying with it the faint perfume of newly mown grass and the distant, hopeful trill of a neighbor’s wind chimes. Kimberly lounged on the patio with an uncharacteristic stillness, stretched out in a cushioned wicker chaise that had only recently been excavated. A glass-topped side table stood beside her, supporting a white ceramic teacup with a thin gold rim and a matching saucer; evidence of a mood far more restrained than usual. The patio itself had been freshly swept, the garden gnome returned to his rightful position beneath the rose bush, and even the pink flamingo had been modestly relocated to a more discrete corner of the yard. Kimberly’s outfit was startling in its normalcy. She wore cream-colored slacks and a pale lavender blouse with a soft satin sheen, tucked neatly and buttoned modestly. Her feet, crossed at the ankle, rested in low-heeled sandals. Her red hair, usually a wild banner of eccentric defiance, was brushed smooth and pulled into a loose chignon pinned with a simple silver clip. The effect was striking, if only because it so thoroughly upended expectation. She looked, at that moment, like a woman ready to attend a brunch at an upscale boutique hotel rather than challenge the HOA constitution with interpretive dance or dress like a pirate. Had The Woman Scorned finally given up and let Karen Lassiter and the Homeowner’s Association win? Or is there some underlying agenda to all of this? With Kim, anything is possible.

The patio door opened, and the gentle creak of the white wooden gate followed seconds later. Kimberly didn’t look up. She had heard the telltale rhythm of Karen Lassiter’s footsteps approaching; measured, prim, unmistakable. The sound of practical shoes on flagstone. It was a cadence that Kimberly had, over time, come to recognize. Karen appeared on cue, walking with the clipped, careful poise of a woman who prided herself on never arriving flustered. Her pale blue blouse matched the HOA binder she clutched to her chest, and her hair was, as always, perfectly shaped into a helmet of curated composure. As she stepped through the gate and into view, her gaze swept across the yard, likely expecting to see something garish or forbidden. But instead she found serenity. Order. Taste. And Kimberly, of all people, looking demure, relaxed, and perhaps even…respectable. Karen’s expression shifted almost imperceptibly. Her brows rose a few degrees, the corner of her mouth twitched upward in what might, in generous lighting, be called a smile. For a moment, she looked genuinely pleased. The stage was once again set, but this time, it was not Kimberly’s usual theater of the absurd. It was quiet. Understated. Elegant.

“Well, Ms. Williams…” Karen’s voice is dry and definitely full of condescending arrogance, but also a hint of victory. She definitely looks at this clean and neat lawn, this normal appearance of Kimberly Williams, and she assumes that this means she has won. The Woman Scorned has given in and decided to conform. “...this is quite a pleasant surprise.”

“Pleasant?” Kimberly shrugs her shoulders. “I’m not so sure, we’ll see. But this isn’t exactly a surprise. You always stop by ready to judge me and my lifestyle.”

“I am HOA President.” Karen states. “It is my job to ensure everyone is abiding by the guidelines.”

“Hmmm,” she points to the clipboard and binder Karen has with her “is that for me?”

“Like I said, I am the President and I have a job to do.”

“So I take that to mean you ARE here to gripe and complain?” Kim asks, arching her brow out of curiosity.

“I’m not here to complain, Ms. Williams.” Karen says with a smug smirk on her face. “I mean, what is there to complain about? That pepper shaker thing is gone…

“The Dalek.”

“Yes, that.” Karen rolls her eyes. “That giant…standup…thing…”

“Mr. D.”

“Yes, him.” Karen nods her head. “He’s gone. The entire lawn looks very well kept up and maintained. And even you,” she motions towards Kim “you are dressed like a normal, mature human being.”

“Normal, huh?” Kimberly swings her feet over the edge and stands up. She approaches Karen slowly but not menacingly. She places her hands on her hips. “What exactly IS normal, Karen? How would you define it?”

“Well a normal person doesn’t wear the kind of ridiculous outfits I have seen you wearing from time to time.” Karen says dryly. “A normal person doesn’t have ugly, hideous monstrosities in their yard and try to pass them off as decorations. A normal person doesn’t booby trap their yard.”

“You have to admit that booby traps are very effective in stopping home invaders.” Kim says with a smirk on her face. Karen sighs and rolls her eyes.

“Yes, well, they may be effective but they are also against the rules and regulations that you and your boyfriend signed when you agreed to live here in this home that falls under the jurisdiction of the homeowner’s association.”

“God knows I wouldn’t want to break those guidelines.” There is thick sarcasm dripping from Kim’s voice but Karen doesn’t seem to notice. She is too wrapped up in what appears to be her victory.

“See?” Karen says, grinning pleasantly. “This is precisely what I am talking about, Ms. Williams. Conformity is important and you, obviously, have finally understood why conforming to the HOA guidelines is so important to you and the community at large.”

“Yeah…” Kim’s voice trails off as a look of mischief forms across her face “...about that…” without warning Kimberly produces a water pistol and points it at Karen’s face. Karen tries to back away but it is far too late. Kim pulls the trigger and starts squirting water all over Karen’s face, getting her all wet. Karen shouts angrily, screeching and yelling. Kim tosses the water pistol aside and then starts laughing hysterically.

“What the hell was that?!” Karen exclaims angrily.

“That was a water pistol.” Kim says plainly.

“OBVIOUSLY!” Karen’s voice gets louder along with her fury and anger. “Why did you spray me with water?!”

“You should be grateful.” Kim says with a knowing grin. “Normally I have it loaded with hot sauce.”

“This is an outrage!” Karen pokes Kim in her chest. “You will pay for this, Ms. Williams! You cannot just go around doing insane things like this!”

“Sooooo spraying you with water is against the HOA guidelines too?” Kim asks innocently. “Who would’ve thought it?”

“Do NOT play dumb!”

“What about if I were to spray you with hot sauce?” Kim asks curiously. “Would that be within the rules?”

“No!”

Karen Lassiter continues to shout incoherently at the top of her lungs, all the while Kimberly just continues to laugh in her face, which only serves to further anger Lassiter. Kim is also laughing because she knows that the best is yet to come. Just then another figure enters the front lawn, unseen by Lassiter but seen by Kim herself. This person is dressed identically to Kim herself. She also looks identical to Kim herself. Yes, this is Marie Annabelle Jones, Kim’s identical twin sister.

“Hey! What’s all the yelling about?”

Lassiter turns around to see Marie standing there. Her eyes grow wide with surprise. She looks at Marie and then turns back at Kimberly. Then at Marie. Then back at Kimberly.

“Ms. Williams…?”

“Yes?” Kim and Marie speak up in unison, both nearly the same identical smirk on their faces.

“Don’t do that.” Karen shakes her head.

“Don’t do what?” Kim and Marie ask, once again in unison.

“That!” Karen exclaims. “Don’t talk like that!”

“Like what?” They say…again, in unison. Karen shakes her head furiously.

“This is crazy.” Karen is clearly flustered and frustrated. She is pulling at her soaking wet hair. “Ms. Williams…” she points at the both of them “...which one of you is Ms. Williams?”

“I am.” Kim and Marie say in unison, both raising their right hands, like they were a mirror of the other.

“I don’t…” Karen shakes her head “...I don’t understand!”

“Meet my twin sister Marie!” Kim and Marie say in unison, pointing at each other. Karen just looks even more confused, if that is possible.

“So which one of you is Marie?!”

“I am.” Kim and Marie say in unison, both raising their right hands, like they were a mirror of the other. Karen finally snaps and lets out one, loud, earth shattering shriek. Karen lunges forward and grabs hold of Kimberly…or at least who she hopes is Kimberly…and starts throwing punches, landing square on the jaw. Kim just laughs right back in her face which only further enrages Karen.

“Hey!” Marie shouts. “Hands off my sister!” She grabs Karen and pulls her off but Karen turns and backhands her and then punches her as well.

“This is absolute insanity! Karen shouts angrily. “You…whichever one of you is Ms. Williams…you have done nothing but blatantly disobey the rules and guidelines of the homeowner’s association! I thought that maybe, just maybe, you had matured, you had grown up, but you are obviously still the child that insists on challenging my authority and disrespecting me!” She glares angrily at Marie and then at Kim, seeing as she still isn’t sure which is which. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

“Oh I got plenty to say, Kare-Bear.” The Woman Scorned says with a wide, ear to ear grin on her face. “First of all, you punched both of us in the face. Second, my boyfriend Tommy is just inside and he caught all of that on camera. Third, I am pretty sure that physical assault goes against the rules and guidelines of the homeowner’s association. Fourth…” she turns and looks at Marie “...go and call the police, I am fairly certain that this falls under the category of assault and battery.”

“Police?!” Karen seems absolutely stunned. “After everything you have done, you are going to call the police on me?!”

“Yep.” Kim smirks knowingly. “You did tell me awhile back that you wanted me to get the police involved as opposed to using my booby traps. Right?”

“Uh…” Karen’s voice trails off.

“See? I am maturing.”

Karen Lassiter growls in anger. She turns around and storms away in a huff. Kimberly starts laughing hysterically. Even Marie, the ‘normal’ one of the two identical twin sisters, cannot stop herself from laughing.

“I’m gonna miss her!” Kim snickers. “Oh who am I kidding, she’ll be back to bother me tomorrow.”

“I don’t know. From what you’ve told me about her, she seems like the type who won’t give up so easily.”

“Yeah, but I’m this close to driving her completely crazy!” Kim smirks.

“I think you already drove her crazy.” Marie points out. “My question is, what is your goal? What do you hope to accomplish by pissing her off?”

“I’m just making a point.” Kim states as she sits back down in the same wicker chaise that she had been seated on before Karen came along. “People like her are entitled. People like her think that they can control people like me.” She shakes her head. “Well they can’t and she can’t. I am an individual, Marie, and I do what I want. I do not have to conform to anyone else’s standards.”

“Yet you want to conform to the Jones standard.” Marie points out. Kim arches her brow curiously.

“Huh?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong but you are entering Taking Hold of the Flame and, unlike previous years, you want to win it so that you can become SCW World Champion. You want to main event Rise To Greatness and win the title because you want to prove yourself worthy of the Jones name, the Jones Wrestling legacy, and you think that by winning the Flame AND going on to become SCW World Champion, something myself and our mother never accomplished, that will somehow make you worthy.” Marie shakes her head. “You appear to want to conform, Kim. But you don’t have to conform. Everyone in this family accepts you for who you are. Your fans love you for who you are. You don’t have to change who you are, you don’t have to become just like me and mom to be worthy.”

“You got it wrong, Marie.” Kim stands back up. “People think that just because of who I am that I cannot and will not be SCW World Champion. People have certain expectations of me just because I am Crazy Kim. But I am not just Crazy Kim. I am an agent of chaos and the thing about chaos is that nothing is ever expected or anticipated. I do want to prove myself worthy of the Jones family, I do want to become SCW World Champion, and winning Taking Hold of the Flame is the fastest way there,” she shakes her head “but I am not conforming. I am not changing who I am.”

“Good.” Marie pats her on the back. “I wouldn’t want you to be anyone else but this crazy, eccentric person right here who I have grown to love.”

“Thanks, sis.”

“Now, do you want me to call the police on Karen?”

“Nah,” Kim shakes her head, “it isn’t necessary. I did technically provoke her, in a manner of speaking. Besides, it’ll be more fun to let her dwell on it.”

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May 27th, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts
Off Camera
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With Taking Hold of the Flame less than a week away, the SCW superstars are making their final preparations for the one night of the year in which they can change the entire trajectory of their career. In one night a wrestler could go from having nothing to earning a shot at the SCW World Championship in the main event of Rise To Greatness. Kimberly Williams, a woman who in the past has never really cared about being World Champion, now finds herself more determined than ever to achieve that goal. The day before, her twin sister Marie Jones accused her of going for the SCW World Title just to conform, to be like the rest of the Jones Wrestling Family. Kimberly quickly corrected her; yes, she does want to be a world champion like the rest of her famous family. Yes, she wants to prove herself worthy of the Jones name and winning Taking Hold of the Flame would certainly accomplish that goal. But Kim has no plans on doing this as anyone else but herself. She does not plan to change anything about herself. Kim’s goal is to prove that Crazy Kim, the Queen of the Death Match, is not only worthy of the Jones Wrestling Legacy but of challenging for the SCW World Title on the grandest stage at Rise To Greatness. Winning Taking Hold of the Flame is just the first step.

The Woman Scorned currently finds herself in her and Tommy’s cream colored, cozy and warm feeling carpeted bedroom. A large black gym bag sets on the king sized plush bed. No longer does she need to deceive anyone, so she is dressed in much more comfortable attire; torn denim, loose fitting jeans, a black t-shirt with the words “Queen of the Death Match” emblazed on the front in purple lettering, no shoes are on her feet, letting her toes wriggle comfortably in the cozy carpeting. Sprawled out across the bed, ready to be placed in the bag, are different variations of her ring gear; Kim just has to pick between the crimson red and black dragon themed gear that she typically wears or a Phoenix gear inspired by her sister. Also on the bed are her favorite weapons; Wasley the penguin, the water pistol complete with bottles of hot sauce, and a glove with knives for fingers that she lovingly calls “Betty White.” The Woman Scorned is inspecting it all so thoroughly that she doesn’t even notice her boyfriend, Tommy, entering the bedroom. Tommy is wearing a flannel long sleeve shirt, loose fitting khaki pants, and well worn dusty but sturdy brown boots. He looks on lovingly at his girlfriend for a few moments before letting his presence be known with a chuckle that startles Kim enough to cause her to turn around. The Woman Scorned arches her brow out of curiosity.

“How long have you been standing there?”

“Not long.” He motions to the bed. “I have to ask…are you preparing for Taking Hold of the Flame or for war against Karen?”

“Taking Hold of the Flame.” Kim states. “Karen is yesterday’s news.”

“Good.” Tommy breathes a sigh of relief. “With those weapons lying there on the bed, I was kinda worried.”

“Nah,” Kim snickers “I aint gonna waste Betty White or Wasley on her.”

“But you MIGHT use them during the battle royal?” Tommy asks curiously. Kim nods her head furiously with a smirk on her face.

“Oh of course! Lots of people on the SCW roster need to meet Betty White…Dexter Grant, Syren, Juneau McFrosty, CBHK…”

“CHBK isn’t in the battle royal.”

“He’s annoying and that’s good enough for me and Betty.” Kim states. “Besides, anything goes in Taking Hold of the Flame and I plan to use that little rule to my fullest advantage. I am going to win this thing, Tommy, and I’m not gonna let anything or anybody stop me.”

“Good for you, babe.” Tommy kisses her on the forehead. “Though I gotta admit, it’s strange seeing you like this…”

“Like what?”

“Well…” he shrugs his shoulders “...I mean, you’ve really cared this much about winning anything, unless it was the Underground Championship.”

“I never asked to be pigeonholed into the Underground Division.” Kim states defiantly. “I was placed there because they assumed that, as a psychopath, I would be the perfect person for the job. In retaliation I decided to take their Underground Division and make it my own. For years I ruled that Division. Now is the time to remind everyone that I can rule all of SCW as its World Champion. Taking Hold of the Flame is the first step to proving that point.”

“Yeah? I just hope you’re not doing this to prove anything to your family or to your fans.” Tommy states. “You know your fans adore you. And your family…”

“Stop.” Kim shakes her head. “I already heard this from Marie yesterday and I’ll tell you what I told her; I know my family loves me. I get that part. But I do feel like I need to do something to prove myself worthy of the Jones Wrestling Legacy. Winning championships defines the Jones Wrestling Family. I want to do something to add to that legacy, something that proves I am worthy.”

“Well in my opinion, you don’t have anything to prove.” He kisses her again. “Still, go get ‘em, tiger.”

“Sure thing, MJ.” Kim snickers.

“Another thing,” Tommy says “speaking of the HOA and Karen Lassiter…what do you plan to do about that whole situation?”

“Right, that…” Kim’s voice trails off; she sighs “I hate to say it, but I think you’re right.”

“I am?!” Tommy seems surprised. “Uh, what am I right about?”

“Not pressing the issue any further.” Kim shakes her head. “I think that maybe it’s time to go along with your original suggestion and just move.”

“Oh…well that is a surprise coming from you, babe.” Tommy says. “But you know, as much as I still think moving is in the best interest of all parties involved…I need to know, what made you change your mind? You seemed hell bent on fighting this war.”

“Oh I enjoyed fighting that war.” Kim snickers knowingly. “Driving Karen nuts has been a blast! But I got to thinking, I have been very lucky these last few encounters to have been on the right side of the law. And yesterday, when I kinda, sorta coerced her into assaulting me, I knew I could have really got her good by calling the police, but at the same time she could have brought up the other incidents and made a good case about how I provoked her.”

“Exactly.” Tommy nods her head.

“So yeah, I feel I have already made my point. It’s time for me to quit while I’m ahead.” The soft chime of the doorbell echoed through the house, crisp and melodic, cutting cleanly through the quiet hum of conversation upstairs. Kimberly’s head snapped toward the sound. “Were you expecting anyone?”

“No…” Tommy says, his voice trailing off. Kim grins.

“It might be Kare-Bear!”

“Again?” Tommy asks curiously.

“Again!” Kim says jubilantly. “I’ll go tell her the good news that we’re leaving…and maybe give her a gift goodbye…”

“Just be careful...” Tommy warns.

In an instant, she was on her feet, already halfway across the bedroom before Tommy had a chance to finish his sentence. Her footsteps were a joyful thump-thump-thump down the staircase, each landing a punctuation mark of energy and curiosity. The hallway below was bathed in late afternoon light streaming through the transom window above the door, casting warm shadows across the hardwood floor as she approached with a gleam in her eye. Kim threw the door open with the kind of flair that was second nature to her; but the sight on the porch made her pause, just for a breath. It wasn’t Karen Lassiter, as Kim had expected…

Camilla Aldridge stood framed in the doorway like she had been painted there by an artist with a deep respect for elegance. In her mid-fifties, Camilla carried the bearing of old New England money, unshaken, unhurried, and utterly unbothered by the need to impress. Her silvery-blonde hair was styled in a sleek French twist, not a single strand out of place, and her complexion was the kind that suggested both expensive skincare and a life lived far from fluorescent lighting. She wore a fitted cream blazer over a silk blouse, paired with tailored slate-gray trousers and low-heeled suede loafers that probably cost more than Kimberly’s entire living room set. Camilla’s eyes, cool gray, intelligent, and sharp with observation, met Kimberly’s with immediate recognition. She smiled, not broadly, but with the subtle satisfaction of someone who has just found exactly the person they were hoping to see. Behind her, the neighborhood looked unusually peaceful, the manicured hedges and soft chirp of spring birds forming a kind of cinematic backdrop to this unexpected arrival.

“Hi…” Kimberly waves playfully “...I am NOT interested in hearing about your Lord and Savior…”

“Don’t worry, I am not here for that.” Camilla says, chuckling quietly. “You do remember me, do you not? I do remember you, Kimberly.”

“Of course I do!” Kim says with a bright grin on her face. “You were a fan of my work the other week! I gotta warn you, if you want a repeat performance it will cost you extra.”

“Yes, my name is Camilla, Camilla Aldridge.” She says. “And yes, I was quite impressed with everything you did to Karen Lassiter that night. In fact, I have been keeping up with much of your recent activities against Ms. Lassiter.”

“So you’re a stalker too?” Kim asks curiously. Camilla laughs and shakes her head.

“No, just a fan of your work.” Camilla says. “As I told you at the meeting, Karen has been a thorn in my side, and the side of pretty much everyone else in the community.”

“Really?” Kim asks. Camilla nods her head.

“Oh yes. Just between you and me, no one likes her. It is always nice to see someone stand up to her and I do hope you continue your fight against her.”

“Thanks for the praise, Cammy,” Kim sighs “but like I said, no repeat performances. In fact, me and Tommy are already planning to move.”

“You have to be joking.” Camilla says. “Tell me you are joking.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Kim pauses to consider what she just said. “Actually, don’t answer that…but yes, me and Tommy are seriously thinking about moving. It’s best if I quit causing any further turmoil and trouble.”

“Trouble?” Camilla shakes her head. “Oh my dear Kimberly, you are not creating trouble. Karen has been the troublemaker this entire time. You have SOLVED this community’s trouble.”

“I have?” Kim seems genuinely surprised.

“Yes, you have, and I urge you to reconsider your plans on moving. The Karen Lassiter problem has been solved.”

“What are you saying?” Kim asks.

“I am saying that you won.” A smug, celebratory grin forms on her face. “Karen is already in the process of moving.”

“Karen is moving…that means I won…”

“Yes.” Camilla nods her head.

“I won!” Kim starts jumping up and down, celebrating furiously. “I won! I won! I won!” For Kim, winning this neighborhood war is almost equal to winning Taking Hold of the Flame, her next target in just under a week. Camilla just watches on with delight as Kim continues to dance around. Kim eventually composes herself and then hugs Camilla, who briefly flinches but maintains her own composure. Kim breaks the embrace. “This is great! We should celebrate!”

“I agree.” Camilla produces a small business card and hands it to Kim. The Woman Scorned looks at it curiously and then looks back up at Camilla.

“What’s this?”

“I own an upscale, fancy restaurant in Boston. I insist that you join me for an evening one night, just the two of us. Anything you want on the menu is on me, in thanksgiving for what you did for this community in ridding us of Lassiter.”

“Hmmm,” Kim ponders the offer for a moment “y’know, I appreciate this, and I love some good food and all, but fancy? Upscale?” Kim shakes her head. “That isn’t my thing. I’m sure there’s a snooty dress code isn’t there?”

“Well yes, there is a dress code,” Camilla begins “but you are a friend of the community, and more importantly you are now a friend of mine, and I own the restaurant. So you can wear anything you like.”

“Anything?”

“Anything. And if any of the staff give you trouble, tell them to talk to me.”

“Oh well when you put it like that,” Kim grins from ear to ear “I might take you up on that offer, Cammy!”

“Delightful.” Camilla grins. “I wrote my personal contact information on the back of the card.” She winks. “We’ll be in touch.”

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May 30th, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts
On Camera
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The scene opens on a vast expanse of land nestled within the bounds of Boston, Massachusetts. The grass is wild and tall in places, the kind that sways restlessly with every breeze. In the distance, the shadow of Boston’s urban life looms, rooftops, cranes, and the low hum of traffic. The overcast sky casts a cool gray filter over the scene, the kind that gives everything a sharper edge, a quiet intensity. Standing at the center of it all is Kimberly Williams. The Queen of the Death Match wears a plain black tank top and faded jeans. Her long red hair is unbound, catching the wind like flame trailing behind her, and there’s something primal in the way she stands, grounded, unmoving, like this land answers to her and not the other way around.

“Another year and another Flame ready to be Taken Hold of!” Kimberly says with a wide, ear to ear grin on her face. “Another year of the same people claiming that this year is their year to win it all and go on to Rise To Greatness and become SCW World Champion. It becomes monotonous, don’t ya think? Every year we have a breakout star who wants to shock the world, this year it happens to be Ryan Lecvaliar. Every year we have the veteran who wants to relive past glory, this year it’s Josh Hudson and Gavin Taylor among others. Every year there’s that goofball who you just want to see get their asses kicked and that would be Sal Darius. Of course you can’t forget the self-absorbed, entitled brats who year after year think that this year is their shortcut to the top.” She playfully waves at the camera. “Hi, Syren! And you cannot talk about Syren without talking about the other trope of the Flame, because year after year there’s always someone who is the target, the villain that everyone wants to see toppled. This year Selena Frost flexed her muscle to earn the number forty spot. Also there’s always a group that wants to rule SCW with an iron fist and see Taking Hold of the Flame as their opportunity to seize and maintain control…that would be The Fall of Man this year.” The Woman Scorned pats herself on the chest.

“And as for me, year after year I have always prided myself on being the agent of chaos. Year after year I enter Taking Hold of the Flame telling the world that I will introduce chaos into the battle royal and that if I win, I will introduce even more chaos into Supreme Championship Wrestling by using that battle royal victory to do something unprecedented. Sometimes, though, you need to look at yourself in the mirror and realize that something has gone amiss. So many others in this battle royal cannot look into the mirror, they fail to see what has gone wrong, which is why they will continue to fail this year. But me? I have looked into the mirror. I saw my reflection and I have come to the conclusion that I, myself, have become one of the many tropes of the Flame. The past few years I have been involved in the battle royal, it has always been with one goal in mind…how can I use a battle royal victory to further enhance the prestige of the Underground Division?”

“Things change and yes, even I change. I have to change if I expect to one day win Taking Hold of the Flame. First and foremost, I cannot be a schemer. I was a schemer…I was scheming year after year to try and put the Underground Division on the map by winning the Flame. But now that has changed. I refuse to be a schemer like Syren and Ravyn and her collection of saturday morning cartoon super villains trying to fool the world into believing that they have changed when all they are really doing is trying to con their way into getting Syren an easy way to a World Title Match. I am not a schemer like Selena Frost who has been flexing her way through the SCW ranks since her return and now hopes her entitled spot as number forty will grant her the quickest, easiest route to victory. I am not a schemer like the Fall of Man who are just the new bad guy group of the day trying to run roughshod over SCW. Dexter Grant, another schemer who wants to use this platform to spread his ridiculous little message. Everyone in this battle royal has their plans, their schemes, their own little agendas. But this year I am flipping the script. And, to quote the late great Heath Ledger, ‘I'm not a schemer. I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control things really are.’ I am going to show the Syrens, the Frosts, the Fall of Man, the Ryans, the Hudsons, and everyone else in this battle royal how pathetic they are to think that this year is their year. Because that line of thinking is the same tired old trope we get every year. I am going to give the people of SCW something different. And what is that something different, you ask?” Williams snickers.

“I am going to win Taking Hold of the Flame…not to create chaos, not to add prestige to the Underground Division, not just to deny a victory to some of those other names who may or may not deserve it…I am winning Taking Hold of the Flame because I want to be in the main event of Rise To Greatness. I want to become SCW World Champion in the main event of Rise To Greatness. Now that might come as a surprise to you because, for years, I have spent denying that I ever wanted to be SCW World Champion. Hell, in that time I have only had two world title matches. One was forced upon me by Shaun Cruiserweight and the other I earned because I participated in Ducky’s Trios Cash In. I was a different person then. The first title match, the one I was forced into, was the double jeopardy match, and I absolutely did not really want the SCW World Title then. That was Marie’s goal, not mine. I was fighting that match on her behalf. So obviously winning the World Title was not my focus. Later I fought Owen Cruze in a winner take all for both the SCW World and Underground Titles. Once again, my focus was lacking as I was more concerned with retaining the Underground Title than I was with actually beating Owen for the World Title. But now my focus has shifted and I have changed, and that change happened shortly after the match with Cruze. I changed when I walked back up the ramp after losing and I saw the disappointment in the eyes of my fans and that disappointment wasn’t because I had lost the Underground Title. They were disappointed that I was not the World Champion. The other thing that helped change my mindset?” She motions to the field behind her.

“Waaaaaay on back there behind me is my mother’s home. It is a nice big house on a nice big plot of land. She playfully named it Purgatory.” She snickers. “She trained my sisters there. She, my aunt, and my sisters to this day use it to train when they are scheduled for matches. But me?” She shakes her head. “I didn’t get introduced to Purgatory or my own family until much later in life. Part of that is my own fault, part of that is due to circumstances beyond my control. I am not telling this sob story because I want pity. I do not want nor do I need pity. I am telling this story just to point out that while I might come from a famous wrestling family, the Jones Wrestling Family, that doesn’t mean I enjoyed the luxury of the Jones name. I was the black sheep. I was forgotten. I had to forge my own path and for the longest time that path was a bloody, violent path through the Underground Division, through Death Match Wrestling. Sixteen times across five different promotions I was Queen of the Death Match and here in particular I took SCW’s Underground Title and I elevated it to new and grander heights never before seen in the history of this promotion. I forced the world to sit up and bear witness to and take notice of the name Kimberly Williams. So am I now prepared to forgo the Underground Division?” She shakes her head.

“No, but this is me saying that it is time that I expand my horizon. Because those people back there, the Jones Family, despite us being very different types of people, we are still blood and through the tough times, through the good times, through the bad times, through all the ups and downs, my mother and my sisters have always had my back. So I owe it to them…the people who held me up when I wanted to drop dead…I owe to my fans who continued to support me, those fans who were disappointed when I failed the capture the SCW World Title but still kept up hope…I owe it to everyone who has had my back to change the game here in Supreme Championship Wrestling. I owe it to them to quit being a god damned trope of Taking Hold of the Flame and finally do something different…march into that match and take anyone who gets in my way and throw them all over the top rope, and win the whole damn thing!”

“No one in this company wants to see Syren hold the World Championship again. Selena Frost, while I do take some partial blame for turning you into this egomaniacal monster, that doesn’t mean I am going to show you any pity, either. No one wants to see you win the battle royal just like they don’t want to see Syren and, despite what you may think, I can be the one to stop you. And if I get the chance, I WILL be the one to toss your ass out of the ring. SCW, in particular its fans, deserve something new, something better, something different to be in the main event of Rise To Greatness. SCW and its fans deserve something other than a cookie cutter bad guy or dime a dozen hero as the SCW World Champion. SCW and its fans deserve The Queen of the Death Match as the SCW World Champion and damn it, I am going to give it to them. The Kimmymaniacs will see me in the main event…but who will I face?” She shrugs her shoulders.

“Xander Valentine, part of me hopes you win the title at Taking Hold of the Flame. It would be a beautiful, glorious opportunity to test myself against SCW’s monster, SCW’s enforcer. You have put down a lot of people but can you put down someone as crazy, psychotic as me? Someone who can take the kind of punishment and abuse that I can take?” She sighs and shakes her head. “Then again, the odds are not in your favor. You have the entire Fall of Man to deal with. It could be one of them…Creek, Aries, or Jimbo…as World Champion. Which brings me back to The Fall of Man.”

“I knew one day we would run into each other again. You were complaining a long time about how I denied you your opportunity to get revenge against me for humiliating your pet monster Waylon. Well here’s an early Christmas gift from me to you! You keep that title in your camp and I’ll do my job, win the Flame, and one of you knuckleheads will get the opportunity to murder me in the main event of Rise To Greatness.” Williams laughs nastily. “Except that’s not gonna happen. See, I am a psychopath, I am a monster…I never once denied being a monster. And you and your group of group d’jour lackeys took it upon yourselves to ruin my last reign as SCW Underground. You think I forgot about James costing me the title? And then the bullshit with Leroy? You may have but I haven’t. I never forget. You stole the Underground Title from me and now I have the chance to even the score by stealing the SCW World Championship from you. Which means if Xander doesn’t end The Fall of Man, then I sure as hell will.”

“But none of this means anything unless I first win Taking Hold of the Flame. So if you are watching this, if you are listening to this, and you are entering the battle royal, I am warning you right here and now, do not get your hopes up. Do not allow yourself to slip into the same tired old trope of thinking and believing and hoping that this is your year…because it isn’t your year. This is my year and anyone who gets in my way will be mauled and cast aside like yesterday’s garbage over the top rope as I win the battle royal and earn my way into the main event of Rise To Greatness. And then I will bring the SCW World Championship to the Jones Family…where it belongs.”