Post by Admin on Dec 4, 2021 19:57:38 GMT
Victoria’s Childhood Home
Eldorado Ave, London, Ontario Canada
Saturday December 4th, 2021
“It’s so fucking hot in here.”
Victoria sat in her childhood bedroom back in East End London, Ontario and she couldn’t even remember how many times her room had changed as an infant, adolescent, preteen to teenager. She’s been having a cleaning service come and clean so it didn’t gather dust and spiderwebs. She looked side to side thinking about sneaking back into the house past curfew, having to plant a foot on the floor to stop the ceiling from drunk-spinning. It not only brought a smile to her face but tears to her eyes. She falls to the right slowly clutching her purple coloured pillow. She is suddenly startled and looks at the doorway.
“Victoria, it’s time.”
“Yeah… guess it is.”
Victoria stared at Veronica for a moment before she stood up. She looked at the pink two drawer bedside table that her porcelain horse with a red lamp cover sits illuminating the picture of her adoptive parents. She brings her right hand index and middle finger to her lips, pressing a kiss into them before gently placing them on the picture.
“Mom, dad, I am sorry I wasn’t stronger. This is the right choice. She tells me that I can be whisked away to any place I remember and I am coming to you both. I love you, and I am sorry I wasn’t with you in the end,” she said quietly, her heart hurting, shortness of breath, that tightening knot in her throat getting harder to breathe through. She feels the hand of Veronica on her shoulder, and can’t tell if she has taken over yet or not.
“Just lie down Victoria. I am going to take you to the places you dreamed of. I am here to protect you, care for you, and shield you from those rancid individuals who pretend to care about you.”
“You are right… Dad has only ever made an effort when he has alcohol in him. Mom, I know she tries the most out of everyone but how can I trust someone who sent me away the second I was born? Cara treats our paths in the sport as a big joke and only cares about getting high and finding a ‘bull’ for her future husband’s weird pleasures…”
Veronica squeezes her shoulder and guides her to the bed. Victoria lies down as Veronica leans across her. She wipes a tear from the hurting woman. Veronica gives her a warm smile as she takes another tear away.
“I got this, Victoria. Go be happy for a change and let me handle everything from now until, well, whenever you are strong enough to handle the pressures. Don’t worry, I will have the boss at our side.”
“Go win those championships I never could, Veronica. Good luck, I will say hi to mom and dad for you and I know you don’t like her but please tell Cara I love her and I am sorry,” the hurting young woman says, her last words for the time being. Veronica brushes a loose strand from her ponytail and simply nods, accepting her request; after all, it was only fair since she was giving up her freedom to Veronica.
Veronica lays down, fading into Victoria, causing her to gasp loudly as her body arches upwards, into convulsions, her arms flailing before gripping the pink duvet cover on the bed. She shakes for thirty seconds before her eyes snap open. Her father’s eyes were bloodshot and had the flame flickering, lighting them up.
She sits up on the bed and looks straight ahead at an old dresser with a mirror attached atop and sneers. She turns her head, eyes never leaving the reflection as her left hand comes and removes the hair elastic. Her natural waves fall over her shoulders with a shake of her head. Standing, she takes a few steps forward, placing her hands on the dresser and leans in to look into her own eyes.
“Victoria? Are you there?” she asks, her eyes darting around looking for any sign of the young Strader-Knox, but there is none and a wicked smile creeps across her face. “Don’t worry, Doll. Mama Vee is going to get you everything you have ever wanted and, of course, what I want… to be in control. I am going to make them all pay, Vee. Every. Last. One.”
Veronica looks herself up and down, chuckling.
“First thing tomorrow before Air Canada takes me out west; I am getting some new clothes. Vee, love, you were such a girl scout. It’s sweet, but it’s time to be a woman.”
A knock comes from the side door off the carport, and Veronica’s head snaps towards the room's doorway. She quietly walks out of the room, turns right towards the kitchen and ducks down out of sight. She recognizes the voice even through the dead-bolted door leading into the carport kitchen, as mentioned earlier.
“Come on, Vee, I know you are here. I can see the light on in your room!”
“Ahh fuck. This isn’t how I pictured this going down,” the words leaving her silver-tipped with angst. “Let’s welcome her in.”
Veronica putting on her best ‘Victoria’ face, turns on the kitchen light. She notices a cast-iron skillet sitting by the stove as she walks down two steps to unlock the door. Cara smiles widely, opening the screen door in front of the wooden one.
“Finally! I told them I would find you!” she exclaims, proudly bringing her sister into a hug. Veronica hugs back, not wanting to raise suspicion. Cara starts up the steps taking her eyes off the woman she believes she can trust.
“Did you tell them where, exactly?” she asks, full of hope that she hasn’t and fearful if she has.
“No - - -“
THWACK!!!! THUD!!!
“Good girl. Now, what am I going to do with you, Little Miss Fun Cara? Hmm, where do I put a nosey little wench like you? Any idea? No? Haha. That’s ok, I do.”
Veronica places the skillet on the counter and squats down beside Cara, who is bleeding out onto the floor.
A little while later...
When Cara finally woke up from her forced nap, a splitting headache awaited her. She groans as she tries to focus her blurred vision to figure out where she is. She knows her hands are tied to an old teacher’s chair and her ankles to the legs of it. Not just tied but also bound with duct tape. A laugh cuts through the headache like a dull knife hacking away.
“I was wondering when your dumbass was going to wake up,” Veronica says with a bit of annoyance. “Just glad I didn’t have to wait all night. Important flight tonight.”
Cara’s eyes come to focus as she sees Veronica sitting in front of her, dressed as an angry alternative rocker from the early ’90s. She sighs before the words she had hoped she would never have to say.
“Veronica. It’s been a minute too soon,” Cara’s words drip with venom. Veronica smiles as she lights up a Camel’s Light. She holds the pack towards Cara and laughs.
“No? Ok, more for me. I am glad you remembered me. I haven’t worked on any evil mastermind speeches yet because someone had to stick their dirty little nose in business that isn’t their fucking business,” Veronica retorts with the equivalent amount of venom.
“What can I say? I aim to please. What the hell did you hit me with?”
“The iron-skillet Victoria’s real father used to make his famous blackened catfish. Not that pathetic sperm donor who only wants to be a father when he is at least three sheets to the wind,” her words were disgusted in tone. She was not a fan of Matthew Knox. Dropping his name was something she had decided long before Victoria agreed to give control over.
“He’s a good guy. Sexy too,” Cara fires back, hoping to get a rise out of her sister, as she hoped she could hear this back and forth.
“Oh, my sweet summer child. Victoria isn’t home and won’t be for quite some time, but I will try to remember to write that down,” the devil’s smile greeted by eyes that wish they could kill.
“So, what’s the plan here? Live her life? Take what’s hers? Kill me to keep this charade up?”
“Not even. You think this is a fucking movie where you are the hero, and I am the big bad evil mastermind that’s going to tell you my plans so you can eventually escape and throw a stick in the spokes?” she asks with a glare at Cara. She hadn’t forgotten what Cara did over a decade ago when they were children. “We both know you won’t stay tied up forever. My bet is Tamika calls twin bro and his motorcycle posse to check this spot for Victoria and how disappointed they will be when they find out it’s you. Besides, heroes only exist in the movies; they tend to go missing in real life.”
Veronica takes a long drag off her brown filtered American cigarette and exhales in Cara’s face as Veronica crouches down, getting within striking distance if the young Strader wasn’t in her current state.
“Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot how arrogant you are. So if you aren’t going all evil-mastermind, then why are you here?”
“I am here to protect Victoria. She’s been beaten, humiliated, embarrassed, left behind and afraid of taking that extra step to become somebody. I am here to get her everything she’s ever wanted, including the things she was afraid of being hated for. Welcome to the Age of Veronica, Cara.”
“Then why am I bound to a goddamn chair in the bar/basement of Victoria’s childhood home?” She asks, tugging at her arms. She sighs, knowing she won’t get out of this easily.
“Because I have a plan, you stupid twat. I am heading out West to take part in something that will get Victoria closer to the things she wants in her life. It just so happens it’s exactly what I would want,” Veronica stands up and tilts her as The Shape would, and a grin is on her face. “I am going to gag you soon, but before I do, I promised Victoria that I would tell you that she loves you and she’s sorry she fucked up, and I am a woman of my word, even if you hate it.”
Cara shakes her head as a tear rolls down her cheek. Veronica wipes it away as Cara looks up with a glare.
“Get your fuc-hmmph.”
Veronica gags her and gives a wrap of duct tape around it. Cara is yelling, but it’s all muffled.
“Don’t worry, Doll. If no one has found you by Monday, I will let one of the Strader family members know.”
Veronica gives Cara a pat on the head as she walks away towards the stairs. She looks back at Cara with a bitchy grin as she turns off the lights.
