Daren was dealing with something else as I was about to start listening to the next recording. He was sobbing and huddled at the foot of the door while hiding in his room with the door locked. Screaming and banging on the door could be heard. But what was happening? Let me illustrate.

DeeJay gave all the insight on this situation on this second tape. It had a painting of a shepherd striking its sheep with his rod, scribbled onto it. Perfect symbolism for what we're about to get into.

While Daren and DeeJay were friends prior to the passing of DeeJay's father, Daren talked openly about his upbringing. Daren has known that his family is dysfunctional since he was a little child. As soon as he became a teenager, his mother abandoned him, and it was up to his father to take care of him.

   How come his mum left? Well, it's because his father mistreated her physically, mentally, and emotionally. After she left, he turned to Daren as his next victim. Since his father is a well-known preacher, there was no one else who could help or save Daren without it ending up back in his father's favor. It was unlikely that he could tell anyone about it and have them believe him considering his father's position. So all he did was pray and excel in school knowing he wasn't going to stay young and dependent on his father forever.

   Daren and his father had similar features, a tan complexion, and their bodies typically produced miles of hair no matter how frequently they shaved. They are of Syrian heritage, and his father was handed the church from his father which makes it the third generation being in their family. They are short, stout and verbally expressive people.

Daren's father once beat him so severely that when DeeJay slapped him in his chest in good fun while he was laughing, he began to scream in agony. Daren was forced to tell the truth by DeeJay, and when he revealed what his father had done to him, he became enraged. Daren emphasized that he doesn't want or need help despite DeeJay's desire to act and ask for assistance.

   That was because he understood the source of his father's rage. You see, his father wasn't always so violent. Only after a catastrophic incident did he begin to hate his life and his family.

   When Daren was ten years old, his parents pleasantly learned that they were expecting a child. When they learned that the baby was a girl, they were overjoyed. You see, they had always wished for a boy and a girl, and after many years of trying, their wish came true.

His father's moods were always high after they
learned about the pregnancy. He provided incredible care for his mother, persuaded her to quit her job till she gave birth, cleaned the house, put food on the table, and still found time to purchase her pricey gifts and stock up on clothing and baby supplies. He even added on to their home and constructed the baby's room all by himself.

Up until that night, everything was going well for them. Daren's mother snuck out of bed and crept downstairs to get some water since she didn't want to wake up her husband while he was sound
asleep. She reasoned that this was a task she could easily complete given how hard he had been working. But she was mistaken.

Their home had several glistening marble staircases and was lofty and cream in coloration.
How did they manage to buy such a lovely home?
The elderly ladies who generously donated money to the church's treasury and, Sunday baskets of course!

She lost her grip on the railing as she down the fifth stair and tumbled to the ground. She started
screaming, begging for aid shortly after that, and her husband immediately descended to assist her. He was attempting to fetch her an ambulance and help her up while practically in shock.

As soon as they arrived at the hospital, they rushed her to the emergency room where doctors decided to deliver the child earlier than necessary in order to ensure its survival. The medical staff members were rather upbeat about it and let their concerns to subside. But they were mistaken. The infant died not quite a week later, and that is when everything started to go south.

Daren's father started mistreating his mother on a daily basis out of resentment. He was almost never home and was perpetually angry. He would simply sit in the baby's room for hours, staring at the empty crib, before becoming furious once more and wrecking the space. He would then replace the furniture there with whatever funds he received from the church and resume the process.

He didn't even go to the baby's funeral. He just stayed at home and slept the entire day. And when Daren and his mom came home that day and tried to converse with him he shut them out. It was like his feelings and emotions were shut off.

   And as his rage grew, Deejay could see how it was affecting Daren. When summer arrived, he employed Daren once more. Daren attempted to brush it aside, but Deejay was persistent this time and got him to pledge that if something similar happened again, he could come stay with him.
Deejay was unsure about his mother's reaction to
the plan, but he was determined to assist his friend no matter what.

   You could infer that one of the key factors
contributing to his downward spiral of poor decisions was his loss of friendship with us. He developed loneliness and insecurity and clung to anyone who made him feel like a buddy. And as a result of that, he would suffer.

DeeJay was traveling to Daren's residence one day. They were planning to attend a festival that was being hosted at BerkVille's central square. Both of them were anticipating the various confections, ethnic foods, and feelings of nostalgia that it would bring. By the time night fell and they returned home, they would have spent all of their money. They had saved-more than two hundred each. DeeJay preferred to avoid large crowds yet wanted to spend more time outside so that day was extra special to him as it signified him stepping out of his bubble a little more.

With a madras button-up, black pants, and shoes that had the madras material stitched on them,
he was dressed in the traditional garb of the nation. DeeJay first became aware that he was sort of crushing on Daren as he was on his way to Daren's house. He pondered his clothing choices and the specifics of his undergarments as he wanted yo impress him. But when he remembered Daren was "straight," he felt his spirits sink.

But as Deejay neared Daren's front door, he heard a disturbance. In a panic, without even thinking, he grabbed a hammer from the porch and dashed inside to find the deplorable scene. Daren's father choked him while pinning him down on the carpet. DeeJay bravely hit a glass bottle on the center table next to them while declaring "Get off of him!" What he didn't expect was for the glass to enter Daren's father's arm and eyelid leading him to let out a bewitching scream. This gave him enough time to pick up Daren and make a run for it.

As they hurried out, DeeJay reflected on all the events that had led up to that point. How everything in children's lives is messed up nowadays, and how each of us is just trying to maintain some sense of control. He also remembered the occasion when he was completely wrong about Daren's father. His father once came over to his place and was really kind, open, and welcoming. He recalled his mother telling him about his father's death and showing him around their room while he prayed for her. He even told her to throw away his father's gun since it was bound to bring evil. But now he saw it was all a
ruse.

They went to DeeJay's house, where his mother and sisters had already taken off for the fair. DeeJay offered Daren some water, repaired scratches on his neck, and even massaged his neck. During the neck massage, he became even more attracted to Daren, but when he spotted him messaging his girlfriend, he put all of his desires in a box and locked it away.

   Daren informed Deejay that he was going to meet up with his girlfriend before returning home once he had calmed down a bit. Although Deejay wasn't certain or in favor of him returning home, Daren made light of the issue and assured him that everything would be alright. DeeJay showed him out without wanting to inquire.

    But little did DeeJay know of what was going to happen the next day. DeeJay's parents had put him on a list at school for pupils who lived further away to be taken to and from school. So he would get up early every morning to catch the bus lower down from his residence.

   His house was hidden in the bushes in an area
where most people were spread out, so there were few vehicles on the roads and little bustle. DeeJay waited for the bus under a tree that morning because it was terribly rainy and windy. He noticed headlights breaking through the asphalt and moved toward them, not realizing it wasn't the bus. It was Daren's father.

   Daren's father sprang out of the car and seized him, leaving a defenseless Daren statued behind him, too afraid to help. He wielded the exact hammer that DeeJay used to break up the brawl and was clearly out for blood. He ordered Deejay to kneel on the road, then got behind him and began swinging the hammer at his head. The ONLY reason didn't kill him right then and there because he spotted the bus approaching before the hammer connected to Deejay's head. He instantly forced Daren into his car and drove away, threatening Deejay, "I'll kill you next time motherfucker!"

    And from then on, he seemed to be always
watching his back. He had to make sure he was always near someone because he would see Daren's father's automobile appear out of nowhere and just by looking into his eyes, he knew he was trying to find the right moment to kill him. Even when the car he spotted wasn't Daren's father's automobile, he was on the point of peeing his trousers. Daren's father even went around his neighborhood looking for him, forcing him to stay indoors at all times.

The the audio ended.

I arose from my seated position, perplexed. I grabbed up my phone and started typing rapidly into the group chat, but my typing was interrupted by an incoming call. Gob. It was great to hear from him, especially considering he had such a deep and sexy voice. He called at the perfect time, talking with him always made me feel better.

He informed me that he had unintentionally left
his notebook with his assignment due tomorrow
in my backpack and that he needed me to bring it to him. I put on my face, grabbed my clothes from beneath my bed where I hid them, and stormed out the door, the next tape in my ears. I was wearing baggy black trousers, an oversized top, and, you guessed it, my wedged black sneakers. I didn't bother putting in my hair this time because I had purchased a new black afro wig that was an easy slip on and suited me well.

And when I approached a certain street, I noticed
a tiny pink wooden home near to a tiny creek and knew the person on the following tape lived there.
A fifteen-year-old (same age as the rest of us) albino youngster with kinky hair, a cherry attitude, and humor. She was also interested in forensics, so if anyone could pull this off and get away with it, it was her. I questioned whether her personality was simply a facade because she was sitting on her bed absorbed in music with not a care in the world. Was it her who did it? I'm not sure, but the audios I've heard so far indicate that everyone is a fierce competitor, including her, Shery.