All four sets of eyes widened in disbelief.

Brent’s eyebrows pinched together creating a stern countenance that communicated a single realization; he’d been played in more than just one way. “You’re a what?” he said with a bit too much hostility.

Karen spoke up. “Brent, don’t.” To all four of them she said, “I, too, have a confession to make. Do you know that when you look at me, you see a former witch? You might say that, in a way, Tara and I are kindred spirits.”

Tara received, she was sure, what was meant to be a reassuring smile as Karen looked back at her, and she felt a gentle squeeze on her shoulder.

Why is she being kind to me? She should be as ticked off as everybody else. Tara also knew that if the tables had been turned and she’d been the one conned, she’d have been much more aggressive than Brent had just been.

Marta spoke up next. “So, by witch, you mean like a Wiccan or something, right?”

Karen spoke for Tara. “Not exactly. We’ve both got backgrounds in stuff a bit more hard core.”

With her next question it was obvious that Marta was searching for a viable answer to the major question plaguing her mind. “Then you’ve been hanging with us these past couple of months because you’ve been wanting help to get out of it?”

Karen brought her mouth close to Tara’s left ear. “Do you want to answer this your own way?”

Again, Tara shook her head.

“Actually,” Karen began, “Tara has been infiltrating our little group. She’s had an agenda that, well, only she can explain.”

Tara looked at Brent. He still had a look of anger and betrayal on his face.

“But it’s obvious to me,” Karen persisted, “that she’s been orchestrating a plan to cause some sort of downfall in your life, Brent.”

Brent’s jaw thrust forward, lips pressed together. He folded his arms, waiting for the rest.

Karen continued. “Apparently she’s had it in for Marta, as well.”

Tara stole a quick glance at Marta.

Marta stared back. She raised her eyebrows in a way that said, Anything you’d like to say for yourself?

Tara remained quiet.

Eric walked up to Brent and whispered something into his ear that Tara couldn’t make out. Brent turned to look at Eric with eyes that said, You can’t be serious. Eric nodded.

Brent looked back at Tara. She couldn’t look away from his gaze.

“In case you’re wondering,” said Brent, “Eric just told me that I need to immediately forgive you. As a follower of Christ that’s what I’m supposed to do. But I’ve got to tell you, Tara. I’m ticked. I don’t want to forgive you.” He paused, apparently considering his next words carefully. “Do you even want to be forgiven by me?”

Eric said, “That doesn’t matter, Brent.”

Brent raised his right hand indicating that he didn’t want Eric’s input at that moment. “It matters to me.”

Karen turned to Tara and looked at her as if to say, It’s your platform now, and stepped away from her side.

Tara looked down at the dirt path. “I don’t know what I want,” she said in a half whisper.

“Well, I know what I want,” said Brent, “and that’s an explanation.”

Karen spoke up. “Brent, before you start assuming things and making judgments, I’ll remind you of your own testimony.”

Brent looked at her, perplexed. “What?”

“Shortly after you and I met, you shared with me your testimony on how you came to know Christ. I seem to recall that you had used the witchcraft that you were involved in to manipulate some of the people you were around. Isn’t that right?”

It was Tara’s turn to go wide-eyed. “What?” she asked in a soft voice. “You?”

Brent was caught off guard, but wasn’t yet ready to concede his right to be angry. “That was different. This is different!” he stated incredulously.

“Maybe,” said Karen. “Maybe slightly.”

Tara couldn’t let go of the realization. “You were a witch?”

Brent obviously didn’t know how to respond to that. The others in the group were now looking at him to hear more of this improbable revelation. Marta probably knew, but it appeared that Eric and Terry knew scant details of his story.

Brent apparently felt compelled to answer Tara’s question. “I guess I was. But I never considered myself a witch.”

As it appeared that Brent wasn’t going to expound further, Karen continued. “Brent wasn’t exactly a witch as Tara and I would describe one.” She paused for a moment, as if considering what to say. Then she said, “I remember most of your testimony. Your involvement wasn’t a practiced form of witchcraft as much as it was a belief that you had a gift; special abilities that were yours alone. That is until the demons made themselves known to you.”

Everyone’s attention shifted from Karen and Tara to Brent, and Tara found herself in shock at the revelation.

IT FELT LIKE the collar of Brent’s T-shirt was constricting around his neck. What was it the Bible said about situations like this? Don’t concern yourself with the splinter in someone else’s eye, when you’ve got a plank in your own. Brent’s plank was feeling pretty uncomfortable at the moment.

Brent knew he had to man up. “Karen’s right.” He looked directly at her and with true humility he said, “Thank you for helping me to remember.”

Taking a deep breath, he walked toward Tara. Though he could see that she grew more tense with each step, he didn’t stop until he was within arm’s reach.

“Tara,” he beckoned.

She wouldn’t look him in the eyes. His chest was as high as they were willing to travel.

“Tara, look at me.”

She shook her head slowly in silence.

“Tara, it’s okay. Look at my eyes.”

She forced her eyes upward to meet his.

“Tara, based on my own past, I have no right to be angry with you.”

“But you want to be,” she said just above a whisper.

Brent had to release a small laugh. “I so did … two minutes ago. But, Karen is right about me. My past is filled with trying to bend people to my will. Now that the table has been turned, do I really have a right to be angry with you for doing the same thing I did?”

Rage erupted in Tara. “Stop it! STOP IT!” She stepped back from Brent. Karen began to approach her, but Tara wouldn’t have it. “Stay away from me, Karen!”

Karen tried to reason with her. “Tara, it’s…”

“Shut UP!” Her eyes panned the group. “What is wrong with you people? You’re not normal!” Her hands flew up to her hair and began pulling at the sides. She screamed!

Marta took two steps backward on the brink of panic. Eric and Terry just stood their ground. Karen, because she was told to do so, didn’t come close.

But Brent …

Brent felt the peace of the Holy Spirit take control of him. This was God’s moment, and Brent knew he was now in God’s hands as an instrument of that peace.

He walked right up to Tara. Tara screamed again, released her hair, and brought two fists down like hammers onto Brent’s chest.

Brent barely cringed. He took another half step forward and put his arms around her. Her arms were locked in his embrace. He moved his head and brought it to the left of Tara’s. Whispering into her ear he said, “Tara, I forgive you.”

“No!” she said with a snarl on her face.

“Yes,” he softly responded. “We all do. We love you.”

“Noooo! Stop it! Shut up! It’s a lie!”

Brent whispered into her ear again. “I speak peace over you in the name of Jesus. You lying spirits who are controlling her mind and her body, be still, in the name of Jesus.” He could feel Tara’s body relax.

“Tara, God loves you. Jesus Christ is not your enemy. He is passionately in love with you.”

Tara’s body quaked. She sobbed. “It can’t be true. It can’t be true.” She kept repeating the sentence over and over as Brent continued to affirm God’s love. Within a few minutes of taking Tara into his embrace she seemed to lose all strength and collapsed to her knees.

She wept. “It can’t be true.”