Writing Prompt

I'm super excited to show these photos of elder flowers to Addie, my best friend and kind of like a sister (an older one). But I notice something on one of the photos, I look closer as I place the other ones on the carved wood table. It was a person, leaning against the bark of the Mystic tree and I guess I caught a perfect picture of the guy because I could make out his appearance easily. He had dark black hair, dark olive skin, and soulful ocean eyes. He didn't seem pretty happy though... He looked... Worried and lonely. Not something you always see in a guy, right? I wonder if I could find him, maybe he comes often? I collected the other photos, quickly glancing if accidentally took another gorgeous picture of this mystery guy and put them in my hoodie pocket. I put the other one in my little brown pack and started off for school.

"Lilly!" Addie yelled as she almost ran into me. I laugh, "You can never get to old of yelling right?" "Nope, so about the pics..." she smiled, "you got 'em?" "Of course, here" I search in my pockets and gave them to her. "Oh my... These are really good" she admired. "Thanks, glad I could help but.. " I wondered if I should tell her about the mystery guy. "Yes?" she repeated the tone of my voice while smiling. "I was wondering do you know this guy?" I said, taking out the picture. She looked at it and froze. "Girl, how do you not regonize him?" she said in a low whisper." Remember Jade, the girl that always tries to bully you? She broke up with him a few weeks ago" I suddenly froze, that's why he looked so worried and sad, it was because he was heartbroken. I had my share of a heartbreak and trust me it's not fun (well duh, of course). "That's so sad... Why did Jade break up with him?" "I don't know but rumour has it he cheated on her" What? Ok I may have known this guy for... I don't know 30 minutes? And even I can tell he actually love Jade. "Seriously? Look at the guy, wouldn't you care less if you "cheated" on her?" Then the normal loudness of the halls came to a hush when a dark figure, slowly walked into it. Addie suddenly rushed to the other side of the lockers but I didn't notice since I was too focus on looking at the picture that I end up falling to the ground. The picture flies out of my hands and I look up to see who pushed me but then I notice the same guy in my picture was the same guy who accidentally bumped into me. I quickly pick of the picture and cleared my throat. He pulled down his headphones on his neck and crouched down. "Hey, sorry I didn't mean to bump into you" his voice was soft and soothing also something you don't hear in a guy's voice. "It's...ok just be careful next time" I chuckled not really wanting this to be a big deal. He looked shocked for a moment. "She didn't yell at me..." he whispered under his breath. My heart ached at the comment, I don't think someone who supposedly cheated on a girl would say something like that. He got up and extended his hand, it looked massively huge compared to mine. I gently took his hand and he pulled me up. I didn't know why but the way his hand covered mine made me feel safe. He pulled his hand away and pushed them deep in his pockets. "I'm Archr Greyclaw, call me Archr" he said in a hushed tone. "I-I'm Lillian Summers, umm Lilly" I stuttered. He looks so deeply into my eyes, like if he's staring straight into my soul. I swallow, "Are you ok?" He shook his head like breaking a trance and he nodded, "Yeah... Sorry" And I watch him relunctantly leave my sight as he turns the corner to his next class as I follow with some distance between us asI walk to my own class.

“And that’s the last photo.” I said. I looked at the photo I just took, I smiled at the robin. Suddenly I spot something in the photo I wish I didn’t see. It had big ears and brawny, athletic hind legs. It had a coat of feathery, soft and brown wispy, fur. I stared in horror at this horrific beast

_Remember nothing beats the Rabbit _🐰

I get a fresh first look on the new film. I got it printed today. The other day I went to a field of tea flowers. It's so beautiful there, so I took as many shots are I could. Some people were walking, and I took pictures of them too. Right. I half to mail those soon. I take the stack home, ready to get to work.

I unroll all of the film, and get a good look at each and every one of the pictures. First one; beautiful. Second one; too wide. Third one; terrific. I get an envelope to mail it to the people in the picture. I think they're names were Katie and Eli. Such beautiful red hair on the girl. Fourth one; oops. I dropped the camera, and I guess it took a picture. I skim past that one. Fifth one; stunning. Sixth one; cute. Another couple. I guess people just like tea flowers. And that's all. I grab the one where I dropped the camera, taking to the trash.

I open the trash door, but suddenly stop in my track. Half the page is black and the other is the tea flowers. But somethings there. I can't seem to find what it is. But it's there.

I scroll on my laptop to look at the photo. I zoom in on the thing. I sigh in relief. I thought it was a creep guy for a second. It's just a black cat.

As I flipped through the photos taken with the ease of no worries of the fall coming into this time of the year. I look closer and realize her teapot was there in clear view and I couldn’t believe it. How could that be possible. A folktale or a child’s tale however you want to call it had came to life and I had proof.

He poured himself a cup of coffee and settled into the chair and table set on his porch. Getting up he grabbed his computer bag from the living room, and returned to the porch. He took his computer out and began editing pictures he had taken. The air was cool, fresh, and damp. It was spring air, his favorite kind. The birds were in full bloom that day and the trees sang as the wind rustled inbetween their branches. The porch was a deep mahogany with a screen and screen-door. And as he looked through his pictures, a grim expression overtook his countenance as he saw—hidden beyond the legs of a deer he captured—a head sticking out from a bush.

(SpOoooKy)

Cotton candy skies and white almond trees in full bloom, Emy smiles as she scrolls through the pictures she snapped before she lost the light of the sun. Her favorite time of day was when the temperature starts to cool and the sun starts fading away. It had been three years since she moved to the small farming town. She lived with Ben, her fiancé of a year, and had 30 acres of almond trees lining her dream home. She spent most her days taking pictures of the small town. She continues clicking through her camera, she stops suddenly, “is that?” It couldn’t be him, and if it was him, who was he with? She can feel her heart beating. She couldn’t see his face, but his body, the body she had spent hours studying and caressing, it had to be him. What was her fiancé doing in the almond fields with another woman? The woman was shorter than him, her eyes a dark green and freckles filled her cheeks. Her long blonde hair down the length of her back, curls at the end. She was wearing a white dress, a cute little bow on the side. Her lips a soft pink, parted as she stares into his eyes. His arms wrapped around her waist, held her in place. Emy can feel her hands starting to shake, her blood rises and her cheeks feel flush. She couldn’t imagine her loving, handsome, affectionate fiancé cheating on her. Her mind racing faster than her legs, she had to get back home and confront him. “How could he?” She asks herself as she rounds the corner, she sees a white Range Rover pulling out from in front of her neighbors house. That wasn’t their car, who could it have been? She runs inside the house and throws her camera on the sofa. She runs up stairs and busts through the master bathroom door. There he was, his tan skin glistening as the water beads drip down his chest down to his abs. A towel wrapped around his waist, covering himself from her wondering eyes. He whips his brown hair back, water splattering the mirror behind him. His eyes reach hers and he smiles, his white teeth sparkling. He grabs for her hand and pulls her toward him. She couldn’t hear her thoughts over her heart pounding in her ears. This feeling, was it anger or lust, she didn’t know, but she didn’t want it to end. Maybe she was wrong, maybe it wasn’t him in the photo, she couldn’t see the man’s face after all. Her brain quiets down as he kisses her lips, running his left hand through her wavy brown hair. He grabs her with his right hand and lifts her up onto the bathroom counter. Spreading her legs and finding his spot between her thighs. She closes her eyes and raises her arms as he pulls off her shirt. He slowly starts kissing her neck when she pulls away. “We need to talk,” she says to him. His dark brown eyes lock with hers. He frowns, “About?”

My favorite part about my trips wasn't the trip itself but the aftermath. Even if I didn't remember every little detail off the top of my head, I knew I took a photo of it. Going through them all and editing them was like living the excitement all over again. Pulling out my laptop and connecting my camera to it after a long expedition was like a ritual to me. I could spend hours curled up on my couch going through every moment that I captured. I knew that if felt the same happiness I did when I took the photo then I did a good job.

The immense stature of the Sequoia trees illuminated my face through the screen's blue light. The photo's perspective illustrates how large in comparison they are to our benign human selves. I subconsciously thanked whatever force there was for the heavenly lighting that softly shone through the leaves of General Sherman.

As I play with the photo's settings, tinkering with the saturation and shadows, I notice two small figures covertly hiding in the designated walkways. I squint my eyes and zoom in before pulling back in shock and covering my mouth in a silent gasp.

The crisp air weaved through my hair as I dropped on my knee in front of the world's national monuments. I was tired from waking up so early but witnessing Sherman for myself absolved all exhaustion. I spent an indeterminable time testing angles and positions, not noticing how my boyfriend and best friend left me alone. I always tried to make my expeditions like vacations and invited people I'd enjoy my time with. Usually, it was my boyfriend but lately my best friend has been sad so I invited them both. She was depressed after her boyfriend broke up with her so I thought some time away would do her good. Apparently too much so.

When I finished my photo op I didn't even realize they had left, too engrossed with how the immense trees looked through my camera. Looking back I should've noticed how her lipstick was smudged or how when I went to kiss my boyfriend, he smelled just like cherry blossoms. The same scent as her damn perfume.

My phenomenal photo of General Sherman was forever tainted by the small glimpse of them kissing in the background.

Multiple questions ran through my mind: When did it start? How long? Did she get with him before or after her breakup? Was my boyfriend the reason why they broke up? Did he know? How could they? The realization that the most important people in my life betrayed me with each other twisted my stomach in disgust.

I tried to rack my brain for signs that I must've missed, something that should've told me that something was wrong. But I couldn't think of anything, and maybe that within itself was a sign of things slowly deteriorating. I always thought my boyfriend was overexaggerating when he said I focused more on my camera than him. Even if I was distant in my relationship, that didn't give him the right to cheat on me. Especially not with my best friend, yet she shouldn't even have reciprocated anything. God, another question, who initiated it first? I was beyond furious, hurt, and betrayed.

The sound of keys jingling at the front door broke me away from my thoughts. I watched as my boyfriend tiredly grumbled a weak 'hey' as he began to take off his coat. When I didn't respond he looked at me confused with mild concern.

"What happened? Why are you crying?"

He started to walk towards me as I touched my face to feel a salty wetness on my cheeks. I looked at him in disbelief.

"We need to talk." I could feel my demeanor radiate anger as I saw his face drain of color, eyes glancing at my still-opened laptop screen. Needless to say, I would be going on future trips alone.

What is that I see Is that him or he Staring with glee The pic is of me

Sitting at my desk, I stare at the picture of the girl. She was dead. At least, she should have been. But here, in the photo in my hand, she was smiling, alive, happy. And unaware of me, standing away from her, taking pictures of the trails and trees.

They had told me she was dead and had shown what I thought had been proof. They were lying, it seems. I slammed the photo onto my desk, standing so suddenly my chair hit the wall across the room.

Pacing, I picked up my phone and called them.

"Hello?" The voice on the other side said.

"You said you had taken care of it," I snapped.

"What are you talking about?"

"The girl. You told me the girl was dead, that you killed her. It seems you lied."

Silence met the accusation.

"Tell me the truth, Grim," I said. "All of it, no lies this time."

“I love that one,” amanda says, as she smiles at a photo of a golden retriever rolling in the grass. “Me too,” I say, remembering being at delta park last june. “It reminds me of summer.” I scroll through photos of friends, restauraunts, strangers, shoes, lights… “Stop,” Amanda says, as i click back to the last photo, as i already passed it. “Wheres thet one taken?” “Huh,” i say, peering at the photo. Its of a girl who looks to be around 9, standing with a woman who looks to be her mother. They’re in lively a crowd, and the frame is bursting with excitement and energy. There booths in the back, and tons of festivities around the girls. “I don’t remember.” I click down to see the date taken, It showing August 7th of last year. “Is it a fair?” Amanda asks, pointing to balloons and maybe a hot dog cart in the back. “I didnt go the fair last summer,” “Huh. Weird.” She reaches over and takes the camera from me to look at the next photos, but i take it back from her. “What?” I scroll back to the photo and look at the girl. “Amanda, i dont rmember taking this photo,” “So what? Someone proabbly borrowed your camera without asking you to get some shots of the county fair.” “Like who?” “Well… Jason’s been acting pretty suspicious lately. We all think he ate marcys peach yogurt, but that ones on him because it was way past the expiration date,” She takes the camera and puts it back in her lap. “Amanda, stop that! I’m trying to remember where this photo came from.” “Oh my god, you’re such a worry wort. I’m going to lunch.” She stands up and grabs her worn, brown purse she takes with her everywhere. “You coming?” She asks expectantly. I sigh. “Yeah, yeah.” I turn the camera off and put the lense cap back on before returning it safely to its case, grabbing my keys from my pocket, and putting the camera in the cabinet with all the other team’s personal cameras. I close the metal doors, and fit the key into the keyhole, turning to the right, then the left, and then taking it out, doubble checking that the doors are locked. Just like they always are.