Eight Tapes

Tape #8

Melanie Darrum was a serial arsonist who had claimed the lives of her parents, sisters, and approximately 28 bystanders in the local theater on *REDACTED* 9th of 1999. At first, she didn't know her parents and sisters were in the theater, but she was happy that they were since her family reportedly abused her, even though the only one to say that besides Melanie was her neighbor Ms *REDACTED*.

Officer *REDACTED*: "Hey there kiddo. How ya doing?"

Melanie: "Why do you care? Nobody likes me except my neighbor."

Officer *REDACTED*: "Kid, nobody here hates you, but we're just trying to piece together what happened at the local theater yesterday."

Melanie: "Why that? It was some dumb old theater. If anything, whoever destroyed it was doing this stupid town a favor."

Officer *REDACTED*: "Melanie, it was a historical monument. It didn't need to be lit ablaze."

Melanie: *giggling and snorting*

Officer *REDACTED*: "What's so funny Melanie?"

Melanie: "I didn't burn the theater down because of how old it was. I burned it down because my family was there."

Officer *REDACTED*: "What? You burned the theater down?"

Melanie: "Well obviously. I needed to get rid of the monsters that had hurt me."

Officer *REDACTED*: "You mean your family? What did they do to you?"

Melanie: "My father used me for money while my mother had hit me anytime I didn't bring home any alcohol."

Officer *REDACTED*: "What about your sisters? They were only kids."

Melanie: *scoffs* "Oh please, they knew that I was being hurt, but did the little brats tell anybody? No. Why, you may ask? It's rather simple: my dumb*** parents had them wrapped around their fingers and made them keep quiet, so I had to do what was needed."

Officer *REDACTED*: "But...they were so little. Did you even think that they might've not seen this abuse you claimed happen?"

Melanie: "So what? I know they saw, but they didn't tell anyone, so I had to do it myself. Sorry I made your stupid job easier sir."

Audio Log ends at 1:52 P.M.

After the interrogation, Melanie was tried and found guilty of first degree murder on *REDACTED* 19th, 2003. She was sentenced to death by lethal injection, and her execution date was *REDACTED* 29th, 2005. When her day of execution came, her last words were: "I may have murdered my family in a way that was completely shocking to the human mind,  but then again, I did it plainly for self-defense, and I don't regret it at all. In fact, if I had another chance, I'd do it all over again."