Video Tape

Sally POV

"Is this a video of me last night?"

Seeing the woman who looked exactly like me in the video say something I couldn't imagine, I was surprised.

I, a lapsed believer who hadn't set foot in a church for over ten years, couldn't help but pray. But, much like cowboys, God appeared to be quite busy and had no time to respond to the pleas of a hypocrite.

"Why does Petunia meet a group of four geeks, and I have to encounter someone like you, this kind of..." I shook my head in frustration, unable to find a suitable adjective.

"What is this?" Christian didn't seem to care about my anger at all.

"If you think of it like a movie analogy, the current situation might be akin to 'Ghostbusters,' right? As an actor, it should be pretty cool to experience a movie's plot firsthand, don't you think?" Christian remarked.

"Cool? I'm feeling chills all over," I replied coldly. "Compared to 'Ghostbusters,' I think our situation is more like 'Children of the Corn.'"

"Stephen King's one?" Christian asked.

"You know?"

I was surprised that Christian was familiar with the movie I mentioned. The source of the film was indeed a Stephen King novel, but it paled in comparison to his more famous works like "Carrie." I wouldn't have known its name if I hadn't auditioned for "Children of the Corn 3."

By the way, even though the audition was just for a small role, it's been so long without any news that I assume I didn't get the part. Normally, I'd be feeling down about it, but in the face of the shocking and strange reality before me, I have no room for such emotions.

"Speaking of which, in many thriller and horror movies, guns often seem useless until the very end," I mused, perhaps recalling the recent situation when I had a gun pointed at me.

"That's true," the blonde man replied casually.

"In many horror movies, they use guns to accidentally harm family and friends, and sometimes even for suicide."

"Yeah, the right to bear arms serves the real purpose of legally holding guns - killing one's own family and then committing suicide, doesn't it?" I remarked, my tone tinged with sarcasm.

Sally was left speechless by these remarks, realizing that in the era of phones, such comments could lead to a visit from the FBI.

"However, many times, guns do seem rather useless," I couldn't help but recall the scene - even though I had held the gun, I felt like the weaker party. I looked at the man in front of me who had saved me and was seemingly enamored by me, but my hand holding the gun trembled involuntarily.

'Shoot, Sally! The man in front of you is a fraud. He did to you what you despise the most. Didn't you promise your mother? You must protect yourself...'

I said to myself, my finger on the pistol's trigger, but I couldn't bring myself to pull it. It felt as if the trigger was incredibly heavy.

"Although I can probably guess why you're so agitated," the man's calm voice interrupted my thoughts, bringing me back to the present. "I must tell you, things aren't what you think they are."

"Do you believe yourself?" I retorted.

"Believe it or not, but if you didn't do it last night, don't you feel anything?" he asked.

"This...," I hesitated. Although I was left in only my underwear, it didn't seem like I had taken it off and put it back on. Moreover, there was nothing unusual about my lower body, but...

"Of course, I admit you weren't naturally drunk last night; I drugged you," Christian calmly confessed as if discussing what to have for breakfast.

"It was a hypnotic called hymenone. It's said that it significantly heightens your susceptibility during certain activities if taken in the right amount. I don't know if that's true."

"You..." I wanted to pull the trigger in my hand more than ever. However, despite the clear wrongdoing, Christian remained calm and composed, as if he were saving the world. I couldn't help but listen.

"There's a reason I did this. Do you remember what I said when we first met at the hospital yesterday?"

"You mean all that nonsense about being haunted by ghosts?"

"Yes, but it's not nonsense. It's true," he declared.

"What?" I was taken aback.

"If you don't believe me, just watch this first." Before I could say anything, Christian handed me a videotape.

Fast forward to the present moment.

"Even if this videotape is real, I'm not sure I should believe you," I paused for a moment, struggling to put my thoughts into words. "I don't know if I should trust you now. By the way, can you tell me how you got this videotape?"

"The videotape is from your own home; I just borrowed it."

"Really" I exclaimed. I bought a home video recorder to record my acting practice based on recommendations from experienced actors. However, I soon realized it was a futile endeavor as I watched my performances, which only highlighted countless flaws. I had taken acting classes, but when it came time to perform, I felt as stiff as a robot, unable to apply what I'd learned. The video recorder had become an expensive piece of decoration in my home. I was planning to sell it to cover living expenses, but my habit of misplacing things had made it impossible to find.

"You were vomiting last night, and I looked through your closet to replace your clothes," Christian explained, adding a sly grin. "While I couldn't find any clean clothes, I accidentally stumbled upon this under a pile of dirty laundry. Your home's organization truly opened my eyes and challenged my preconceptions about women."

"Enough with the commentary. Can't women be a bit messy?" I retorted, blushing and feeling somewhat self-conscious about the teasing.

"This is nothing; you haven't met my friend Petunia. Her family, well..." I interjected, hoping to steer the conversation away from my untidy habits.

Sally, the Queen of Deflection, finally managed to change the subject and avoided reprimanding Christian for going through her belongings.

"So, when you found the videotape, did you plan to show me the evidence?" I asked.

"Yes," Christian replied.

"And what if you didn't have the videotape? Did you originally plan to do something else?"

"Originally?" Christian pondered.

"Never mind," I said, frustrated by the non-answer. "So, what's your plan?"

"Plan?" Christian's smirk made him resemble a wolf who had cornered its prey.

"It's simple. You just need to pay me"