“You must,” said Grandma. “If Horace isn’t dead, he will be soon, by my hand. He’s no good as a sacrifice now. But your sister is a traitor. She doesn’t care about this community, she said so herself. She’s jealous of you, Lee. She’s selfish and spoiled. I thought all this work on the Farm would humble her, would teach her how to give instead of just taking all the time. But your sister will not learn, Lee. She will have no life in our world to come. So go on, grab the shotgun. You don’t have another choice.”

I remembered my glorious dream, my vision of the future, with Murphy the snake lurking around. Was this what I was supposed to do—kill my sister? Was that the only way for the Farm to prosper, for the beautiful life that I foresaw to come true? Was Murphy the only thing standing between me and the world I wanted?

I walked over to the corner of the shed and picked up the shotgun.

I knew that if I killed Murphy, it would be for the greater good, for our community and maybe for the whole world. I remembered how in my vision they had watched me, all those adoring people, millions worldwide listening to my every word, my own gospel of love and peace and harmony. It was everything I wanted, more than I had ever dreamed of. I started to cry, I was terrified and ashamed, but I knew what I had to do.

“You must kill her, Lee,” said Grandma. “Murphy will ruin us. She’ll take it all away again. She’ll spoil everything.”

“But she’s my sister,” I said. “We can let her go. Murphy will leave. She won’t bother us again. We can find somebody else.”

“That’s a lie, and you know it,” said Grandma. “I’m doing this to protect us, Lee. I’m doing this for our community—for your true family.”

I was crying so hard I could barely see, and the gun trembled all heavy in my hands.

“The Spirit is on my side, Lee,” she said. “The Spirit knows that it is right and true that Murphy should die. Ask Jeremiah. He’ll tell you.”

And there he was, standing before me, a pale figure in a black suit, handsome and brave and brilliant, my whole future, everything I’d ever wanted to be.

“Oh, Lee, my beloved disciple,” he said. “We have come so far together, you and I, and our journey is only beginning. This is the sacrifice of which I spoke, the violence that leads to creation. All you must do is spill your sister’s blood, and everything you’ve ever wished for will come true.”