Finn held out his hand. Carissa swallowed nervously and walked in the direction he was pointing. She froze in her tracks when she saw a person she hadn't seen since high school. Finn walked up next to her and studied the woman with the long, blonde hair.
"Charlotte Flair," he said.
"I know," she whispered.
"Your high school bully," he said.
"I know!" She growled. "What the fuck do you want me to do? Kill her?"
"Go talk to her," he said.
"What? Are you fucking insane?" She asked.
"Do you wanna go home instead?" He asked.
She blew out her breath and shook her head no. She had made it through the first two stages. At least she didn't have to kill anyone this time. She could do this. She could make it through this stage. They were both adults now. It would be alright. She took a few steps forward and then Charlotte looked over and locked eyes with her.
"Oh my god, is that Carissa? Smelly Carissa?" Charlotte laughed.
Charlotte moved fast over to Carissa and inhaled sharply.
"You stink, Carissa!" Charlotte pushed Carissa. "You fucking stink! Smelly Carissa. No one likes you. No one wants to sit next to you because you stink so bad. Why don't you kill yourself? No one loves you. No one wants to be with someone who stinks like you."
Charlotte started laughing and three other voices joined in on that laughter. Carissa knew who they were before they appeared behind Charlotte. The four mean girls from her high school. Charlotte, Becky, Sasha and Bayley. That had given her hell for so many years, and now they were back together to bring that hell right back into her life.
"Please," Carissa whispered.
"Smelly Carissa!" They all shouted.
Carissa sank to her knees, bowed her head, and hugged herself while they kept shouting those two words at her. Smelly Carissa. It was weird how she could be kicked right back to being that little girl again who got bullied all through high school because of these four women.
"Smelly Carissa!"
They kept taunting her. This was never going to stop unless she made it stop. She finally understood no one else was going to do anything about it but herself.
"Leave me alone!" She screamed.
She jumped up on her feet and pushed Charlotte. Charlotte was the leader so she was the one that had to be dealt with. She had never been in a fight and had no idea what else to do other than pushing Charlotte. She kept pushing and screaming for them all to leave her alone until all four of them suddenly disappeared in thin air.
"Well done," Finn said.
He stepped up next to her and grinned at her.
"What happened?" She asked.
"You fought some other demons of yours and won," he said.
She looked around but there was no one else there but her and Finn.
"Ready for stage 4?" He asked.
"I fear what I will find there," she said.
"Everyone fears all of their stages. It's not a fun ride at a carnival. And I must remind you again, you're always free to go home," he said.
"No, I gotta do this," she said.
"You must love him a lot," he held out his hand. "Stage 4 awaits you, my dear. I hope you're ready for it."