A Revenge Story

Sometimes we're all pushed to behave in ways we know we should not. What we're told wrong made to be questioned. This is the dilemma that Victoria finds herself in.

Day break brought with its arrival a surreal feeling. As the sun began to make its ascent into the sky Victoria watched it calmly. Seeming as though a statue to any that walked along the park's path. Thinking was always done best when alone, but she also found it helped her process along if she walked as well. Nearly an hour roaming the paths between rows of trees didn't help any though. Instead as she'd sat on the wall of crumbling stone, gloved hands clenching tightly to steady herself, the thoughts were worse. Revenge was pathetic. Wasn't it Gandhi who'd said 'an eye for an eye would make the whole world blind?' and here she was now part of those blinding it. She'd always been the sweet girl who'd beat herself up for even thinking a cruel word against another human being. Her bestfriend had even pointed out that in some ways Victoria was a pushover or doormat, and that she needed to learn to say no and make her own choices.

 

Being sixteen wasn't easy for anyone. Girl or guy it was tough. Highschool alone resembled the bowels of Hell. Victoria usually couldn't complain about her existence though. She got good grades, never got in trouble, and had a bevy of pleasant friends. One couldn't necessary call her popular since she never really hung out with that crowd, but neither was she hated or not taken notice of. There were typical complaints that any highschooler had that were to be experienced on occasion. Pimples, boys, snotty girls, being used for homework help, and so on. However, this particular event was...unpleasant. Rumors were vicious when spread by those unknowing of the situation. Moreso when the person spreading them didn't care about the facts.

 

The divorce of her parents was a private matter. It'd come as a shock even though she'd suspected they'd been having some problems. Occasional arguments, nights one parent wouldn't come home, or tense moments had shown signs of trouble. Naively she'd assumed they were having a spat which meant maybe a little marriage counseling- it'd worked once before, to resolve the matter. Except this time both her Mother and Father had sat them down on the living room couch, on what should have been family game night, and broken the news. Victoria and her siblings had been devastated. They'd not been given any details, but it didn't take her long to figure out that money was at the crux of it.

 

Dealing with that was hard enough, but then...then Sierra, who'd been her friend years ago before the popularity had gone to her head, decided to spread it around the school. Uncaring of the true facts or the pain it'd cause to Victoria. There were accusations of affairs on both parents ends, alcoholism, gambling addictions, and more. Even abuse. The last being the most ludicrous. Some offered unwanted sympathy and others whispered, even snickered, behind her back. Which brought about today's incident. Victoria wasn't certain what had come over her. It'd been unusually vicious. For someone who'd not even thought something mean to take action in such a way. Admittedly her friends had helped a little to decide what could be done. Thinking something like it up on her own would have been impossible. Actually it'd likely have never crossed her mind even remotely.

 

How could she have done it? They'd always respected those lines one didn't cross whether friend or former friend. There were just things that one didn't do. Except Victoria had grown so tired of the cruelty. There were things that could be done to hurt someone. Only intending to teach her a lesson- vindictive as it was, she'd taken a picture of Sierra innocently flirting with a guy who wasn't her boyfriend. Then had her bestfriend take the time to mess with it until it looked a lot worse than the reality. Worse though was the rumor added on top of it. Before the end of the week Sierra had been dumped, ostracized by her crowd, and treated to some rude comments. A lot of crying and humiliation that had made the angry, hateful side of Victoria bounce with joy. Laughed at the downfall of someone who'd put her in that same situation.

 

Now though she wondered...

 

Was revenge truly wrong?

 

copyright 2010

Author's Note

This was for a challenge which was to write a story about revenge. I decided to go a different route with mine besides the basic bloody suspense or downright cruel revenge tale. I wouldn't say it's my best piece, but it's not necessarily my worse either.