"I'm sorry Sir, Archer didn't mean to be that harsh. We just want to know more about the tape. We're just curious. It's for my school project."

The man glared at us, "I know this ain't for a school project. I may be old but I'm not dumb."

I looked to Willow and Archer for help, "Yes it is. We're just curious because the size of the tape is abnormal."

That seemed like a decent excuse, but Roy was not amused. The look he wore told me that he knew exactly why we're here. That meant only two things; either he could see the tape, or he knew somebody that could.

"No, you are here because one of you can see it."

The words fell out of his mouth so fast. There was no hesitation in them. Why would he give up such valuable information so easily?

"How do you know that," Archer demanded.

The man smirked defiantly, "So young to be such sinners."

"Sinners?" I whispered.

The word hung in the air as soon as it left my mouth. Roy did not deny or confirm. He just sat there smiling in his chair. There were no indications of him lying or telling the truth.

"Now, get out of my house before I call the cops."

Once the police were mentioned Willow practically flew out of her seat. Archer and I followed suit, begrudgingly following her out of the house with Roy closely behind.

"If I ever see you kids back on my property I won't hesitate to shoot you."

Roy pointed the shotgun standing in the corner. That got the message through to all of us. Roy would be no more help than what he had already given us. It was up to us to figure everything else out.

We were all but shoved out of the house. Just as Willow's body made it out of the doorway, Roy slammed the door shut and locked it.

Archer chanted swear words as Willow and I followed him to the car. There was nothing else we could do now. We were stuck. I opened the back door of the car and sat in the seat diagonal to Archer and one seat away from Willow.

"What does he mean by sinners?"

Willow's question sat there like a pile of trash nobody wanted to pick up. It had a very obvious answer. One that could still easily be put together even if you didn't have all the information like Willow.

Archer put the car in drive and began to speed away from Roy's house. I could tell he was worked up by how his foot was like lead on the gas pedal. Neither of us wanted to address the question, but it had to be done. We all needed to be completely transparent because if we weren't, this whole operation would be in jeopardy.

"I killed a girl," My voice conveyed no emotion as I said it. "I bullied her relentlessly. I turned every one of her friends against her until she had nobody. Nobody would even look at her because they were scared of what I might do to them. Even the teachers believed I was innocent. I put on such an act that not even the teachers believed I was capable of doing something like that. Even a few of the teachers started to be mean to her because of how convincing I was."

I felt my emotions starting to pick up. I didn't deserve to cry. I didn't even deserve to feel sad. I took somebody else's life. Somebody else's child, sibling, future partner.

"Karina Rayas. That was her name. She had a mother, a father, and a little brother. A little brother that can't sleep because of me. A mother that is so depressed she can barely function. A father that now drinks so much he doesn't even know his name. I didn't just kill her when I sent that text. I killed her entire family."

Willow and Archer had said a word. Neither of them had even moved. Willow already knew most of this, but not in as much detail as I was sharing now. I knew Archer must be in shock, not that he could afford to be much of a hypocrite.

"I still remember what I sent. I deleted it and even destroyed my phone but it's still here. It will always be in my head. 'You don't have a future. Nobody even remembers you exist. I mean, even the ugliest people at school won't talk to you. You should just kill yourself while your parent might still attend your funeral.' I said that. I said that to another human being. ten minutes later she was found dead in her bedroom. She slit her wrists with a pair of rusty scissors. Her brother found her."

I bit my lip to free the tears out of my eyes.

"I am a sinner."

Willow looked at me with sad eyes. She had played a part in what happened to her, but she begged me to stop. I wouldn't. The worst part is I don't even know why I did it. I just did. How could Willow even look at me? I didn't know the answer to that either.

Archer sighed deeply, "Wow."

I just laid back in my seat.

"I'm a sinner too," Archer began. "I killed my baby sister. I was four. I started with killing animals. I can remember this time when I just turned four. A baby squirrel fell out of a big tree. It ran to me as if asking for help. I picked it up and studied it. It was skinny and very small. I put my thumb and pointer finger around its neck. I started to bend its neck and it yelped and screamed in pain. I liked it. Soon enough its neck snapped. I relished it. It felt so powerful."

Archer's eyes floated over me in the rear-view mirror. It was like he was silently asking me if I felt the same way. I guess in some sort of sick way I did.

He cleared his throat, "I killed other animals too, but that's not the point. One day my sister wouldn't stop crying. No matter what my mom or my dad did she wouldn't stop. She was a sick little kid, she always cried a lot, but never this much. I couldn't handle it. When my mother finally walked out of her room, I walked in. I shut the door behind me so they wouldn't know. I walked up to the crib and I grabbed her. I grabbed her by the neck just like the squirrel. She was small, so fragile. I started shaking her as fast as I could. She started crying even louder, but I knew my parents wouldn't look. She had been crying all day. I kept shaking and squeezing harder until she stopped crying. She eventually stopped moving too. I knew she was dead. Even at four, I knew what I did. My parents came in at some point and they didn't know what to do. They assumed I didn't know what I had done. I never told them otherwise. I still haven't."

My stomach dropped to my feet. His parents didn't know. I had told my parents what I had done. How could somebody lie for that long and feel nothing about it? I am the biggest liar I know and even I couldn't keep a lie like that.

"But I can't stop it. My brain wants me to do it again. If Harper is a sinner then I am a mega sinner."

Willow looked very uncomfortable, "You never did it again did you?"

Archer shook his head, "I went back to animals and it has worked so far. I'm just not sure how much longer. I don't want to be like this. I wish I could fix it. I'm so messed up."

Willow and I said nothing because none of what he said was false. There was nothing we could say that would make him feel any better, not that we would want to.

"Maybe the demon should have us," I said.

"No," Willow said firmly. "You both have done horrible things but you both have also done good things. There is good in both of you. You both just need to see it and use it. If God doesn't offer redemption he is not much of a God at all."

Archer scoffed, "We are talking about mortal sins Willow, not swearing at your mom. Harper and I might as well pack our bags and go to Hell now."

"We need to figure out the tape first," Willow insisted.

Archer and I made eye contact. We at least owed her that much.

"Fine," I said as we pulled up to her house.

She nodded as she got out and said, "You both are not lost causes."

Archer drove off.

"Do you regret what you did?"

I furrowed my brows at the question, "Of course I do. It was the worst mistake I have ever made."

He nodded and turned his eyes directly on the road.

"I don't," he whispered. "I never have."

I let the words wash over me. I couldn't begin to understand what he meant, but I did sort of know what he was saying. He didn't want to be the way he was. He had no more control over it than I had with being short. That is just how we were born, just one was more deadly than the other.

"I know you don't want to be this way."

That was all I could say. And that was the last thing that was said as Archer pulled up to my house and I walked inside. There was just nothing else that could even begin to explain what either of us were thinking. We needed time to think and process. Time we didn't have.

The frustration in my body felt so overwhelming. I wanted so badly for there to be an easy answer to our problem, but instead, all I got was a confession to murder. Today had not gone how I had planned at all. I'm not even sure if I can look at Archer the same way as I did before. Did that make me a hypocrite?

I braced myself and shoved all of these thoughts out of my head before I opened the front door. My parents couldn't know what was going on with me. After all, they were innocent in this. Maybe Willow shouldn't be involved either. Innocent people didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess. But Willow already knew too much.

I opened the door and sure enough, my mother was waiting. More drama to damage control.

"Come sit down with me Harper."

This may have sounded like a request, but it wasn't. Nothing was reassuring in her body language either. Her mouth was set and her hands were folded over the kitchen table. This was the look she sported when she was in a business meeting that wasn't going her way.

I sat down quietly and looked my mother in the eyes.

"Harper, what is going on with you? I know you are lying to me. You are sneaking around and acting just like you did before," she paused before she said her name. "Katrina."

My jaw clenched. I said nothing and my mom studied me.

"I would like to believe that you are just being a teenager, but with you, I just don't know. I-we can't afford you doing something like that again."

She didn't trust me. What could I even give her? What lie would suffice here?

"I'm not doing anything like that mom. I'm just.." my voice trailed off with the rest of the unsatisfying lie that was with it.

My mom looked at me to continue. She needed something from me but I did;t know what it was. I assumed a lie that would make her feel better about what she was raising. I didn't have one though.

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do Harp!"

My mother's hand flew from their spot and her eyes widened. She was losing her cool.

"I don't know what to say."

"Give me something! Lie to me. Yell at me. Give me something, Harper Mae."

"I think something is up with Dad."

The words flew out of my mouth. I guess some truth was better than complete lies.

"What do you mean by that," my mom asked harshly.

I looked up at her with sad, concerned eyes, "Every time I call him he acts rushed and he keeps pushing back work trips. I just miss him. I don't mean to insinuate he's doing anything, I just want my Dad home."

My mother sighed deeply and placed one of her hands over mine.

"I know, baby. I want him home too."

She bought it. At least if she didn't she had dropped what even she thought it was doing for now. What would I do when Dad was home? I guess hiding my activities regarding the tape better would be a good first step.

"He said he was coming home tonight, Mom. is that still true," I asked.

She nodded, "In fact, he should be home any minute. He said his estimated arrival was around now."

It was as if God was listening because my father opened the door and burst into the house.

"I'm home," he announced boldly.

I ran over and hugged him with more force than necessary. I had to prove to my mother that this is what I was so off about, but I also did truly miss my dad.

My dad chuckled as he hugged me back, "I missed you too, Harp."

A crash made me jump back from our hug. I looked down and noticed everything my Dad had packed coating the floor.

"I told you the zipper broke."

I smiled at him even though my heart clenched. That stupid suitcase had started it all.

"I'll clean this up, " my mother laughed. "You go get changed out of those smelly travel clothes."

My father smiled, "You know me so well."

With that, he kissed my mother on the head and went up the stairs. My mother began to diligently clean up his mess.

"Harper, why don't you set up a movie for us to watch? We can have a family movie night like we used to."

I smiled at the thought. Maybe a night spent relaxing with my parents was just what I needed for a fresh mind.

"That sounds great. I'll set it up," I said, walking away.

I walked to the TV, passing the stairs my father had gone up on the way. I remember thinking it was weird how our living room was next to the front door and across from the stairs when I was younger.

I sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote. At least I would get to pick the movie this time. Both of my parents had an affinity for picking the most boring movies they could.

I hit the 'on" button, but the TV didn't turn on. I sighed but tried it again. The TV would not turn on. I tried at least five different angles but it would not turn on. I growled in frustration but settled for turning on the TV from the buttons located on it.

I settled on my knees in front of the TV and pressed the button. Then the TV flashed on. Something was playing.

I could make out what looked to be a hotel room. The camera was focused on the big bed in the middle of the room and slightly on the door behind it. The door crashed open and a woman's long, brown hair could be seen flowing down her back. It was obvious she was kissing somebody, but they were out of focus. The woman moaned as the man pushed her closer to the bed. She got the gist and sat down on it.

I cringed at the scene I was watching, but I couldn't force myself to look away. It was like something was forcing me to watch whatever this was.

Just as the man was coming into view my father walked down the stairs.

"Harper, what are you watching?"

His question cut off sharply as he walked into the room. His eyes set on the screen and I turned my head back. The man was in focus now. The man was my father.

The pair started to remove each other's clothing. My father grabbed the remote from where I had left it and started smashing the off button. Of course, it didn't work.

"You cheated on her."

My father began seething further at my words. His hands were trembling as he squeezed the remote tighter.

"You don't know anything, Harper. Who sent you this? Where did you get this?"

My father was inches from my face. He was whispering angry accusations at me. I couldn't focus on him though. I could only focus on the people having sex in the background.

"Stop looking at that!"

I couldn't look at my father. I couldn't even feel anything as I stared at the screen.

"Harper, this isn't even real! This video is fake. I never did anything like this. I was just away at work. You know this! I would never cheat on your mother."

I pressed eject on the VHS player. I didn't want it to be in there, but every part of my body was in agreement that it was.

"What are you doing? There is nothing in there!"

My father watched as a tape was ejected. I grabbed it out and shoved it in his face.

"Static?" my father asked.

"You can see it now. Do you know what that means, Dad?"

I clenched the tape tight into my hand. He had no idea what door he just opened.

"It means you sinned. Only sinners can see this tape."

"What are you even talking about? That is ridiculous!" My father shouted.

"It's not. I can see it too. Roy told me about it. I know about it all. You can't lie to me about this because the tape doesn't lie."

My mother walked into the room, "What is going on in here?"

The question had so many more answers than she was prepared for. I was too slow to answer her.

"Honey, something is wrong with Harper. She says that she is seeing things in this tape. I think she is hallucinating. Has she been acting weird lately?"

My mother looked shocked, "Actually, yes."

"No, Mom! He's lying. You don't understand!"

"Harper, if you are seeing things you need help. Maybe it's for the best if we take you to the hospital."

My dad nodded in agreement while putting his arm around my mother, "I agree. It's for the best. This doesn't mean we don't love you."

"Mom, no. He is trying to manipulate you. He cheated on you-"

"Now she is making up stories. Honey, you have to call the police or an ambulance before she hurts somebody."

My mother bit her lip but took her phone out.

"Mom! You can't believe him. He's lying! He's not telling you the truth!"

"Harper, you better be quiet before you make things worse for yourself," my dad said venomously.

"No, you shut up!" I said throwing the tape at the TV.

"See!" My dad shouted.

I saw my mom press the numbers.

Everything blurred together as I slumped down onto the floor. I could hear bits of what my mother was saying. I was a danger to myself and others. I need to be helped. Soon enough the ambulance was there.

They grabbed me and I kicked and screamed. I tried anything that could get me out of the situation. This proved to be futile as I felt a prick on the side of my neck. Soon everything became distorted and my brain quickly shut down.

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Okay, so I'm sorry. But here is a long drama-filled chapter. Do you forgive me?