In our modern world, people are duped regularly, almost as if it is part of the way we function. Most humans do not realize what they get tricked into doing, with the exception of the ones who come up with these plans. Though some are meant in a humorous way, and others to change someone’s view on a subject, there are a few cases of this that have turned innocent people into monsters, and changed not their views about others, but others’ view on them.
In a futuristic Philadelphia, all memories of the past have been demolished. This town still has its charm, but not in the same way. The multi-billionaire Liam Tester was the man that changed the historic city. As a young entrepreneur, Mr. Tester created a new medical company, whose job was to treat different epidemics around the world. When Tester cured a patient with the up-and-coming disease called Ebola, his career skyrocketed. Since Tester wanted to build his business even more than it had developed, Tester demanded that the historic city be torn down to create his futuristic headquarters.
“You have an interview with a woman named Shira Lockhart,” Called Tester’s assistant over the intercom. Tester waited a moment before replying.                                                  “I think I know that name,” thought Tester. When he had been a schoolboy, Tester was bullied by many of his classmates. He thought he could remember a girl named Shira Lockhart that would not stand up for him, but would comfort him after he got picked on by the other kids.  “Send her in,” replied Tester. He could not wait to find out if she was indeed the one who was his friend.
“Hi. M-my name is Shira Lock-ckhart,” she said as she stuttered timidly. Shira was a stunning young woman with dark brown hair that flowed down her back. Her hazel eyes captured Tester’s attention the moment she came into his office. She seemed to be in her late twenties, similar to Tester.
After a short interrogation, Tester asked her:       “Did you go to Badham Elementary School?”       “Of course I did, didn’t everyone that grew up-p-p in this area?      “Do you remember a kid in that school that would get bullied by the other kids?”   “I do. Wasn’t his name something like Lionel, or Luke, or…”     “Liam? That was me. Nice to see you again! You are dismissed, and I will email you if you got the job.”            “Thank you… but I need to tell you one thing before you make your decision. I am highly paranoid. I don’t like others that much. Thank you for your time, Mr. Tester.”   “Call me Liam.”
Triumphantly, Shira walked in the doors to her first day of work on Monday. Tester was already waiting for her.             “I have a…special job for you. Do you remember talking about my bullies the other day?”            “Yes, I do recall,” replied Shira hesitantly.        “One of them is after you. His name is Mike Angel, and he is now a karate teacher. He is after you, and if he is not dead by next Friday, it will be you who is deceased.”
Early on Friday morning, Shira came into the office, deed completed, with a duffel bag, and dropped it in disdain.             “W-why was he after me? What did he want? I’m a murde-“     “Shira, were there nunchucks in his karate studio?        “Of course there w-were.”          “What color?”            “Red.”             “And red is the color of blood. He was going to use the nunchucks to murder you! You saved your own life, Shira! But I have other news. Angel was not working alone. He joined forces with another woman. Her name is Suzanne Marks, and she works for Apple. But of course she knows technology. She is a cyber bully, and was since we were in the sixth grade.” Shira left the building with a disturbed but scared look on her face, knowing she had to kill another person. Back in his office, Tester opened up the bag that Shira left in front of his desk.              “Excellent!” he exclaimed as body parts poked out of the bag.
Tester thought the idea would be brilliant to hide a camera inside of Marks’ office to watch the murder that would be committed by Shira. Tester, who had partnered with Marks in the previous year, to secretly start an elaborate plan to murder her, walked into her office and said hello, leaving a jar of cookies on her desk.        “Why the jar of cookies?” asked Marks, unsuspectingly.      “Early Christmas gift,” replied Tester quickly. Tester walked out of Apple Inc. and sat in his car, waiting to observe the actions that would briefly come.
About an hour later, Tester heard a knock on Marks’ door through the hidden camera on the lid of the cookie jar. Unfortunately, the jar had been turned to the left, so Tester could not watch the whole scene. Marks answered and a pair of dark black shoes walked in. Tester could not see her face, but he sensed that it was Shira, fulfilling her task. Marks moved closer to the door, so that Tester could hardly view her. He jumped up and hit his head on the roof of the car when he heard a splat and saw blood fly onto the camera.
Though Shira had been busy being taken advantage of by Tester, she still had normal duties as a part-time nurse at Tester’s Testing Inc. Shira did not come to work the next day. Tester wondered if something had gone wrong, or if Shira was the one killed on the camera. Tester called Shira.            “Hello? It’s Liam. I… heard that you killed Marks successfully, but there is one more piece of this puzzle that has not been solved yet.”         Nobody answered back, though she was on the line.       “By the way, his name is Shane Appleton, and he already has a plan to kill you. Kill him first, and you will be safe.”
With no sign of Shira in a week, Tester decided to visit her home. When he knocked at the door, it opened up on its own. Tester wandered inside, and wound up in a dark room by the kitchen. The kitchen door suddenly closed, and Tester was alone in a pitch-black room. Tester cautiously took a step, and something grabbed his ankle. Suddenly, a gas lamp started beaming light.
“Joke’s over, money man! I knew that you were trying to get me killed all along! So I ordered a dummy to put in the bag! Also, I knew about your stupid little camera, so I sprayed fake blood on it to hide what was really going on. I let poor Ms. Marks in on everything!” Suddenly a light shone by Tester’s feet, revealing that he was caught in a hunter’s snare. “And now for the finishing move!”
Early the next morning, police, officials, and news teams surrounded the old house of Shira Lockhart. Shira and Suzanne Marks were long gone, on their way to Key West. The unfortunate chief officer had to drag out the body of Liam Tester, who had been shot four times by Suzanne Marks, three near the heart and one in the temple. People who turn others into monsters are actually the monsters themselves. Liam Tester is just one of many examples of people who take advantage of others for their own benefits.