It was too loud inside. My ears were ringing and my head was burning. I step out of the club and leave my so-called "friends" behind. I sit down on the sidewalk, all alone, in the winter night. Chaos. That was the perfect word to summarize everything. A lady screams and runs out of the club, fearing that the fire would consume her.

"Everyone, clear out, right now!" said the only police officer that was trying to control everyone.

He caught two out of the three boys who caused the fire. Everyone was whispering about who the third boy was and where he went. The lady I saw earlier came and sat down next to me and stared at me for what seemed like five minutes.

"Do you know that third boy?" she asked skeptically.

I was confused. How did she know? She didn't know me so how did she know that I knew a criminal? I remained calm. My breathing was getting heavier and the lady noticed and gave me a cynical smile. It's just a question I told myself. I finally looked up and met her eyes. Her eyes were striking green. I couldn't help but notice she looked familiar. Her hands were full with small papers and when I got a closer look they seemed to be photographs. Photographs of everything that criminal did from day one.

"So how do you know Ares Hedgewort?" She finally asked. I must've been too obvious.

"Why do you have those photographs," I asked in a shaky voice, completely dodging the question. Her expression shifts into darkness and her jaw clenches but I was also confused because her expression seemed almost..fake?

"I hate Ares and his family. They hurt my family. Especially Ares. He took everything away from me. Yet, after all he's done to everyone, he still gets away with it. I took pictures of his very first crime and once I have enough of his adventures, I hope it will be enough evidence for the police and everyone will finally be left alone."

I wasn't surprised. I understood her. Her idea was strange and unpleasant, but I would do something similar if I could.

"What's your name, by the way? I've never seen you here before," she questioned.

I was dreading this question. It was the reason I left the club in the first place. The reason I don't even step out of my house. I came to the club because my friends told me it would be different this time, but all they were interested in was the rock band that was playing tonight. The rock band that got killed tonight. If I tell her my name is Andrea Hedgewort, I wouldn't even blame her if she murdered me on the spot.

"My name is Sarah Hopper."

It's the name to hide my identity, but I never had to use it before because I don't really interact with anyone so saying the name felt weird and I felt guilty.

She smirks.

"I am Bertha Taylor. I have to go now."

She stands up while holding her photographs, and starts to walk away from the club until she looks back and says "It's not good to be this naive. You can get hurt. By fearing that you could get hurt, you can't just run away from your problems. You can't hide forever, Andrea."

Before I could say anything, Bertha was already gone and she dropped a photograph behind her. I picked it up as I stood up and tried to look for her in the distance, but it was nearly impossible with a drunk crowd and smoke everywhere. I know it is risky to look for Bertha, who I met just minutes ago, but I trusted this woman because she seemed to somehow know everything but still didn't betray me to the police officer who was standing right in front of her. I couldn't help but look at the picture and I didn't understand what was going on at all. Where was Ares in the picture?

I remember everything my family did from day one and Ares was the leader every time. My father always told me to never get involved with my mother and Ares, but my mother always forces me to help them in the crimes otherwise she would have Ares threaten me, so I have always been at the bank robberies, fires, and thefts. My father left my mom 9 years ago when he found out who she really was. He told me that one day he would see me and give justice to the millions of people my "family" hurt. I am still waiting for that day.

I am still looking down at the picture, coming to a realization. Bertha had cut Ares and my mom out of the picture and had somehow put me into it instead. I was always at the crimes, but I isolated myself from everyone else so no one would notice that I was there so I didn't understand how she found me, let alone take pictures. I thought I made sure absolutely no one saw me every time I left my house. Bertha had framed me. I felt betrayed and angry. I couldn't control myself. I had to confront Bertha.

I ran through the crowd, the injured people, and frightened voices. I frantically looked for Bertha and ran for what felt like miles. When I looked behind me, the appearance of the club started to get smaller and the night was suddenly quiet. I tripped over a rock and came crashing down. I stayed down for a while. I could not bring myself to stand.

"Get up."

That voice was too familiar. I started to panic. Was it too late to run back home? Wait a minute. Where was home again? I looked up and saw Ares holding the same photographs Bertha was holding earlier. Bertha was right behind him giving me a hard stare like she didn't know who I was. A woman comes up next to them and smirks at me. I did not expect my mother to be with them too.

"What is going on? Bertha tell them to stop! The police are right here, this is your chance to show your photographs."

I didn't want to accept that Bertha was framing me. I wanted to believe that the picture I saw was a mistake. Bertha was a mysterious lady but she made me feel comfortable when she shared her hatred for Ares with me. The twenty minutes we shared together in front of the club made me feel safe.

"Oh, sweetie, the photographs are all about you. Do not be so gullible. This is your moment to shine."

What did that mean? She said "shine" with such emphasis and cruelty that I froze. Ares started laughing and my mother whispered something in Bertha's ear and suddenly they were all laughing.

"Oh come on, you can't possibly believe that Bertha would do something like that to me. Don't you remember Bertha coming to the crimes and helping us?" my mom said.

It suddenly hit me. Bertha helped them at every crime and left after the damage was done. She always covered her face with a mask but left her green eyes to show. Bertha's pictures of me all made sense now.

"One more thing before you go, Andrea. I never lied when I said I hated Ares. He has done terrible things to me, but he told me the story of never seeing his dad and how killing other people makes him feel better so he told me to try it. I decided to join your mother and Ares because I finally understood someone. You can join us too, Andrea."

Before I go?

I remembered what my dad said. I would never join them. I was disgusted. I know Ares missed my dad but he only missed him for his money. And how can killing other people make someone feel better? I felt dizzy and just wanted to leave all three criminals, but I was also angry and somehow thought I could persuade Bertha. She was a good person, and I knew it.

"You know this is wrong, Bertha. You can do better than Ares and my mom. Do not stoop to their level. I can help you if you let me."

For a second Bertha had a look of sadness and emptiness. My mom eyed and and Bertha's expression changed into a smirk and she snapped her fingers. A couple police officers took my hands. They put cuffs on my hands. I had been arrested.

"Stop! Let me go, you don't understand the pictures! If you look closely-"

I was cut off by a police officer when he said, "You have the right to remain silent."

How can I remain silent when I am being blamed for the hundreds of people killed these last couple of years. If anything, I tried to help all of those people. How did the police blindly believe my mother, Bertha, and Ares? I couldn't help it. I started to cry. I do not deserve this. I do not deserve this.

I got pushed in the car and I saw Ares typing on his phone and my mother behind him looking over his shoulder, smiling. It's impossible for a family to be so selfish.

Once we got to the official prison for Detroit, I was told to walk to the third cell. I put my head down as I walked there because I was ashamed. Ashamed of something that I never did.

I slowly went in. the officer took my head and threw me inside.

"Andrea?" I heard a soft, restrained voice.

I looked up and the sound was coming to the cell next to mine. I peeked through the transparent cells and saw someone I thought I would never see again: my father. My eyes were puffy and I started to cry even more when I saw him.

"Andrea, I told you to never get involved with them."

As he said it, he understood that I was forced to participate in the crimes. He knew I never meant any harm. He assured me we would get out of there and switch places with Ares and my mother. I told him about Bertha and he looked at me, baffled.

He stayed quiet for a long time.

He finally said, "I never wanted you to meet my sister."

I sat down. I was too tired to be surprised. There was too much to take in tonight. My dad and I looked at each other one last time before falling asleep on the hard beds.

"I know we will get out of here. Together, we will give justice to everyone and ourselves. Always have hope, Andrea. Always, always have hope."

And we fell asleep.