The deep gurgle of her hunter green 1971 Dodge Dart Demon speeding around the corner is heard by annoyed neighbors as she peels onto the street and nearly hits the door of the garage as she comes to an abrupt stop at her home. She exits flinging the door shut, stomps inside the house and slams the door so hard the glass on it cracks. It opens tentatively behind her as the HWA cameraman follows, trying to stay out of the way as just a recorder and hesitant observer of her day-to-day activities. Her prior outing in downtown LA, had the internet buzzing and calls outraged parents, local and state officials had poured into HWA offices now doing damage control for airing what was being called “porn.” Her phone rings and she pulls it out of her pocket setting it on the bar counter and yells.

(Erica): What?

(Erica’s Brother): Erica come on she…

(Erica): No Juantio, #### it…es el día de la madre y ella no quiere verme?

(Erica’s Brother): It’s not like that.

(Erica): Then how is it then? You know what, I don’t have time for this shit.

She grabs her phone and ends the call cutting her brother off. In her head is the image of the flowers she had brought her mother who didn’t want to see her. She had beat the front door with them breaking the bouquet, petals and leaves left on the porch as she stormed off. Now the glass of tequila would have to lift her spirits instead of seeing her mother smile. Her phone pinged and she saw new messages on HWA and opened the app on her tv. She smiled seeing Maniac and leaned against the bar watching him.

Well Hans allow me to let you in on a little secret…

Maniac motions for Greg to get closer with the camera and he does as Maniac gets closer too as if he was whispering something to Hans himself.

Maniac: I don’t care Hans.

Erica laughs…

(Erica): That’s ####ing right…tell him …we don’t give a fuk!

She watches as Maniac continues and the smile on her face begins to diminish.

I don’t want your help to win I can do it on my own. I will NOT have my championship reign tarnished by having your help to win it demon.

She looks confused, taking another sip from her class as her forehead frowns up, eyes keenly watching the tv.

…..I’m afraid this is where we must go our separate ways, I’m cutting any and all ties which means you no longer have access to my home or any part of the property, or any of my workout equipment. I hate to see you going down this dark path Erica, I know I’ve been down it myself but I just can’t anymore. I’m sorry Erica but this for the best….

Seconds later the glass in her hand is hurled across the room shattering the tv. The screen flickers as Maniac and Mandy’s images become distorted and unrecognizable as black spaces and lines show on the screen. The volume still works and she can hear Maniac’s voice continuing but doesn’t register what he’s saying and she rushes across the room grabbing the tv and starts yanking and pulling on it until she rips it from the wall and it falls to the floor power now out completely. She screams and pulls at her hair in a rage. She goes back to the bar and sees her reflection in the back mirror. Blacks hands, almost claws etch up on her shoulders, she looks up to see the red eyes and fanged grin of DreamMaster and she begins to cry.

(Erica): I have nobody…nobody! My own mother didn’t want to see me on fuking Mother’s Day, and Maniac he…

(DreamMaster): ….has abandoned you. One by one…friends…family…fans….even him.

His breath is like an open oven on the side of her face as he presses his cheek next to hers.

(DreamMaster): It is as I have said….but you’re not alone, I am here…I will always be here. Try as they might, no one can come between us. We are one and can never be divided. Let them come…let them come and we will destroy everyone in our path.

His long tongue rolls out from his mouth licking her cheer, lapping the tears on her face. She looks up again and he’s gone. She pours another drink and rushes to the bathroom frantically yanking the drawers not finding what she’s looking for.

(Cameraman): Wh…what are you doing?

(Erica): Shut up! Fuk!

He does just that and sticks to his job continuing the live feed as she slumps to the floor pulling her pants down to her knees. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her butterfly knife. Click Clack…Click Clack it goes as she begins to cut lines on her inner thigh, thin lines of blood streak down to the floor. After a few lines she throws the blade aside to the floor, blood splattering on the wall as it clinks. A smile comes to her face as she leans her head back against the wall her breath labored.

(Erica): Basura…I’m basura to you now Maniac. Fuking trash…even Hans said you’d do this. I remember….he said you’d get what you wanted from me and throw me aside. Suddenly we’re not good enough for you. Suddenly you don’t need our help. Suddenly you think you’re better off and you want to take away everything we worked for. Matt, Sean, Michelle, Sarah…it was always them you wanted, wasn’t it?

Erica chuckles to herself, the pain in her leg increasing to match the pain in her heart.

(Erica): I was just the default dummy that took you up on your offer.

Tears streak her face as she cries uncontrollably.

(Erica): I loved you……….I did everything you said……I did everything right. Why?.........I loved you so much.

Erica pulls herself up from the floor, pulls her pants up not bothering to tend to her wounds. She turns to the camera with her eyes ablaze, her face now a menace…voice now deep and demonic.

(Erica): Have it your way. You don’t want our help….FINE……we don’t want yours. “Erica….just please hold on.” We’ll hold on…we’ll hold on to one another. You, Hans, Sean, come Ring Master…we’ll make sure none of you win. We may not be invited to the party, but we know all about crashing one. Los maldigo, los maldigo a todos al infierno y los arrastraremos a todos allí nosotros mismos.

She reaches down and grabs her knife shoving the cameraman aside as the scene fades to black.