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Monsters of the Past

TaLisa Smith

    She ran her slim pale fingers through the strands of her long lengthy deep blood red hair. Pushing her rounded glasses up the bridge of her nose, Ginny sniffled. It was mid-season, and her allergies were acting up. Ginny’s vintage green eyes that had long black eyelashes fluttered about as they began to water. She was petite, small, with dimples and freckles covering her pale face. Ginny was a girl who wore turtlenecks and plaid skirts with nice dressy shoes that had heels no bigger than an inch and a half. On her free time, Ginny would find herself at a library of sorts nose deep in a book.
    Finally, the doors to the elevator opened and in stepped Ginny while clutching her textbook she had been studying in the lobby of the hotel. It was spring break in college, Ginny was convinced but what she would like to define as “Forced” into going on break with the roomies, Hannah, and Katie. “Oh, it will be loads of fun!” One of the roomies had squealed as they spoke about a festival they wished to attend. Thankfully on Ginny’s behalf, the festival got rained out, so she decided to study in the lobby. Ginny loved the rain, the way it smelled of freshness, the way it made you feel inside while watching it pour down, it was very warm and cool at the same time.
    Holding back a sneeze, Ginny went to press number three, the floor the roomies and herself had been staying on. Leaning back up she would smile briefly and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Wait, hold the door!” a familiar voice shouted from the other side. Ginny quickly reached her hand out to stop the closing door and in ran Veronica. Ginny’s face flushed four shades paler than her natural skin tone.
    Veronica towered over Ginny. A blond-haired person with highlights, and so long it flowed past her hips. Her perfect body, thin but fit. Blue eyes that made any boy instantly fall in love. Veronica was perfection wrapped up in a beautiful figure. She wore slim light blue jeans and a ridiculously cute pink tube top covered by a braided shawl. Veronica Stumbled to a halt, gathered her groundings, and dusted off her thighs as if she had touched a dirty surface. Veronica stood straight up and glanced down at Ginny, covering her mouth a high pitch noise came out of her lips. “Omg!” she gasped.
    Oh no no this cannot be happening! Ginny thought to herself, avoiding looking into those big blue eyes, Ginny looked away and sniffled again. “Hi.” Was all that she could get out. Veronica lowered herself enough to press the button four then straightened up again.
    “What a coincidence, Gingin! How have you been, girlfriend?” Veronica asked, like she was pretending that she did not make Ginny’s high school life a living hell. The Elevator started to rustle making its natural noise that it had begun elevating from ground level. Ginny’s green eyes found their way up at the numbers that sat above the elevator doors indicating which floor they were on. Two was the number they had just passed over then a loud noise came about, and the elevator shook drastically. Ginny gripped onto the rail behind her and dropped her textbook, Veronica had let out a loud dramatic scream.
    “What’s going on?” Ginny spoke but came out as a whisper as she clung onto the railing tightly.
    Veronica did not hear the whisper, instead she pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number, a dead beeping tone was heard. She repeated the action again then raised her cell phone high above her head in a corner by the doors, same tone. “Shit!”
    “Maybe we’ll give them some time to figure out the elevator stopped working.” Ginny stated, her voice shaky with fear. Veronica glanced from her cell phone to stare at Ginny then smirked.
    “Are you afraid or something?” she asked.
    Ginny realized she looked like a coward, shaking her head she would swallow a gulp then slowly released the railing from her grasp. “No.”
    “Good, because we’re not even that high up to be afraid, and like you said, obviously someone will come looking for us... well, me of course.” Veronica said, flipping her blonde hair with highlights to the back side of her. “Plus, it’s just an elevator... chill.” Veronica scoffed.
    Ginny nodded and leaned down to pick up her textbook.
    “What’s that? Aren’t you on vacation like the rest of us? Why did you bring a schoolbook with you.” Veronica laughed aloud, shaking her head. “How pathetic.”
    Ginny lowered her head and her green eyes focused on the title of the textbook. Great, just lovely, her high school bully was trapped in this quite small elevator with her, what are the odds? Of course, Ginny would love to speak her mind about how she has been and is currently being treated but does she have the backbone too? Nope. Instead, Ginny keeps quiet.
    The sound of a camera snapping a picture broke the silence, causing Ginny to look up from the textbook and sure enough, Veronica was taking a picture of Ginny. “Hashtag pathetic elevator crisis” she laughed again, something about her laugh annoyed Ginny.
    “That’s not funny!” Ginny exclaimed, she wanted to throw her textbook to the floor of the elevator to show emphasis but, she could not bring herself to do that to the innocent textbook.
    “Oh?” Veronica stepped closer to Ginny and crossed her arms while still clenching onto her cell phone. “What are you going to do about it, freak.” she scoffed in Ginny’s face.
    Ginny opened her mouth to say something then closed it then opened it again then... sneezed all over Veronica.
    “Gross! I better not get Covid, you are a disgusting little piece of...-” Veronica started but the elevator started up again and stopped at floor three, doors opening and out came Ginny clutching her textbook with tears in her eyes.
    Veronica sighed, and just before the doors closed on floor three, she had stepped out of the elevator and followed Ginny.
    Ginny noticing that she was being followed, wiped her runny nose with the back of her hand and sniffled, turning around to face the culprit her eyes got wide when she realized who it was, stalking her tail.
    “Look, I am sorry.” Veronica stated, rolling her eyes while hiding how sincere she really was being.
    “Yeah, totally. I am not buying it!” Ginny exclaimed and started to turn around again but Veronica reached out and grabbed ahold of Ginny’s shoulder to stop her in her tracks. “Please just stop,” Ginny said. She sniffled once more and readied herself to confront her childhood monster, Veronica Connors. “I have had enough of tolerating your crap, Veronica! Just because I am not as pretty or popular as you, do not make me any lesser than you! I am smart, I am going to school to better myself and I will not let anyone, I mean it, ANYONE stop me from achieving my goals, you will not stand in my way. I am going to live my life without you in it, without the fear of you constantly bullying me! I am smart, and I am going places. So, move the hell on Veronica!” Ginny shouted; her eyes closed as she breathed heavily.
    Wiping at the tears that threatened to slip out Ginny would open her eyes to see a very defeated Veronica, a Veronica that had no more words leaving her mouth. She did it, Ginny did it.

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