I sat staring at my computer, scrolling through an online forum that was made for
photographers to sell their work. Ugh, still no notifications! I groaned loudly and my roommate, Dave, sat next to me on the couch.
" Still nothing? " Dave said, though he didn't sound too surprised. Annoyed, I tell him that none of my works are selling.
" I mean, look at this one. It has like twenty bidders and its just a dumb photo of the Eiffel Tower! Anyone could take that! " I complained.
" Yeah, but no one actually wants to go there and take it themselves, " Dave says, somewhat condescending. I'm not sure if he's insulting the people who want to buy it, or my photography skills.
" Bet you wish you never dropped out of college now, don't you, " Dave said
" Don't go acting all superior, you dropped out as well, "
" Well, at least I have a real job, "
" I wouldn't call getting a bunch of part time jobs a real job. You're an after school bus driver. That's pretty lame, " I responded.
" But it does make me money, " Dave chuckled. I scoff at his dig at my lack of sales. But then his goofy smile fades and he gets all serious.
" Seriously though Emily, when are you going to get a job? I know I probably sound like a dad right now, but the whole reason we moved in together was to make rent easier, but so far I'm the only one contributing, "
I shut my computer and sigh, " How about this. I'll put together a portfolio then I can go back to college so we can finally run a magazine company together. Just like we wanted to when we were kids, " Looking back at it now, it seems like a weird dream for a couple of kids to have. But I remember the first time I actually read a magazine and fell in love with the idea of having my work featured in it. Dave has always enjoyed writing, no matter the subject, so we formed a plan in our heads to run a magazine company together. With me taking the photos and designing it and Dave writing the stories. Dave gave a little smile.
" Yeah..that sounds nice, " he replied, with a little bit of whimsy in his eyes. " What are you going to put in your portfolio? You said you wanted it to be unique, " I shifted around on the couch for a moment, trying to think of any good ideas. Since none of my photos that I've taken so far have been good I would need something new. Something or someplace that no one has seen before.
" I got it! The nature reserve! No one ever goes there so I bet there aren't a lot of photos of it. I could go there! "
" Are you sure? That place is….creepy. Maybe there's a good reason it's always empty, " Dave tries to persuade me to not go, but I'm not going to give up this golden opportunity. Besides, one does have to wonder what it looks like. I put my computer on the coffee table and fetched my camera. Dave tries one last time to convince me not to go while I put on my shoes, but my mind is already made up. Though, I would be lying if I said I wasn't confused as to why Dave was so skeptical. He's never usually like this, but it's probably nothing. I exit the apartment and make my way down the stairs and to the parking lot where I hop in my car and get going.
I stop my car in the empty dirt parking lot of the nature reserve and get out. I walk over to the map to check out the different paths, but it's too faded to be able to read. It looks like someone scrawled something on it, but it's completely illegible. It doesn't even look like English to be honest. I snap a quick photo of it and get on my way into the reserve. I come along a fork in the road with a sign that vaguely reads " Lake " pointing to the right. I'm deathly afraid of the water so I go to the left instead. As the sun pokes through the trees and the wind blows through my hair, I snap photos of anything that seems interesting and hum to tune the birds singing in the sky. The lighting is perfect! Everything is perfect! I'll have my portfolio done in no time! I close my eyes and let the wind blow through my hair once again, but a foul stench comes with the breeze. I open my eyes to see a dead raccoon a few feet ahead of me. Gross. I continue on my way and carefully step around the dead raccoon.
But once I'm far enough away from it to escape the smell, I realize that I don't know where I am anymore. I must have gotten distracted while taking photos, I'll just turn around and walk in the direction I came from. But when I turn around, the raccoon is no longer there. Not even a trace. I begin to notice how quiet it's gotten. No more birds. No more breeze. No squirrels in the trees and no rustling of leaves. I look back at the photos I took just minutes ago, but none of what I took is still here. I try my best to think of an explanation but I can't. I just need to get out of here.
The sound of my own heart beat fills my ears and I start to walk faster.
Ten minutes go by, and everything still looks the same.
I walk even faster.
About an hour…I think, goes by and the trees are getting denser and denser. Closer and closer together.
Walking turns into running.
There's nothing else here but it feels like I'm being chased. I'm afraid and I don't know why. It feels like the trees and the sky and ground are swirling around me and everything feels so close together it's almost suffocating.
Running turns into sprinting.
I've been running for so long I can't tell what time it is. How is it still day time? My legs feel like they have knives in them and my lungs feel like they are about to explode, yet I can't stop running. It still feels like I'm being chased and I really don't want to get caught. But I can't run forever. I fell to the ground in front of the lake. My hand tries to pick myself up and I feel something underneath my palm. My head is still spinning but it looks like a detective's badge. It sounds like there are footsteps behind me.
" Tonight on the seven o'clock news, the corpse of a young twenty five year old woman named Emily Scott was found in the lake at the local nature reserve. The cause of death was a blow to the head by an ax. The police have ruled it as a homicide and are currently looking into suspects, though evidence has yet to be found. The nature reserve will be closed to the public while under investigation. Next, a missing persons case…"