enthused as they sat in her living room eating popcorn and watching an old black and white horror movie. Emily put a handful of popcorn in her mouth instead of answering.
Sasha was right. Emily had been pleasantly surprised at the options she had for paying for college. Even with the less than stellar grades she had recently, there were loans and grants available to her. Emily had never dared hope that college was in her future but it suddenly seemed attainable.
Emily however, didn’t want to talk about it. Almost as if discussing it too often would jinx it and it would never happen. But she conceded with Sasha. “Yep, not bad at all.” She mumbled around the food in her mouth.
Sasha gave her a self-satisfied smile. She was basking in “I told you so.” Emily let her have her moment of glory, not putting into words any of the million other worries that threatened that feel good moment.
“Do you really have to work this evening?” Sasha whined, pouting from across the sofa. Emily chuckled. “Yes, some of us have that thing called...responsibility.” Emily laughed at her friend. She pulled out the sleeve of pictures she just had developed from the local drug store. She was excited to see how her latest pictures turned out.
“I do not know this word you speak of.” Sasha joked. Sasha got up to microwave some more popcorn. “What time do you have to be there?” “5:30.” Emily answered. “Well, I can give you a lift if you want.”
Emily nodded, not really paying attention. Her focus was on the pictures that sat in her lap. “What the hell?” She whispered, flipping through them quickly. Each picture was obscured by a large shadow. Emily picked up picture after picture, squinting her eyes as she held them close to her face. There was something about the shape that was familiar.
“Hey, how did your pictures turn out?” Sasha asked coming up behind her. She grabbed a pile from beside Emily and looked through them. “Well that sucks. You can barely see them.” Sasha moved the pictures to view them from different angles.
“It doesn’t make any sense. This doesn’t look like overexposed film or anything.” Emily really looked at the pictures. The photographs were essentially shadowed by a dark object. She could make out the trees and the clouds but it was as if someone had walked in front of the light.
The thing that really bothered Emily was that the shadows seem to be in the shape of a person, a female person to be exact. Sasha picked up on this as well. “Who was standing next to you? You should give them hell for ruining your pictures like that. They look like they could have been really good.” Sasha tossed them back on the couch without another thought and returned to the kitchen to get the popcorn.
Emily couldn’t look away from the photographs. She wished Sasha’s explanation was the end of it. But what really bothered her was the fact that she knew she had been alone when she took the pictures. She would never have been with anyone while taking photographs; it wasn’t the way she worked. So there was no way someone’s shadow could have shown up on the film. A tingle started running down her arms and she had a feeling of foreboding. She felt as if ice water was running through her veins and that uncomfortably familiar sick feeling began in her stomach.
When Sasha returned, she quickly put the photos away, stuffing them into her backpack. “You alright?” Sasha asked, flopping back down on the sofa beside her. Emily plastered a smile back on her face. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just not wanting to go to work this evening.” “Then don’t go. Call in sick.” Sasha gave her an amused look. “Have you ever called in sick before?”
Of course they both knew she never had. Emily worked when she had a 101 degree fever. “Your work ethic is so inspiring.” Sasha remarked sarcastically. Emily threw a handful of popcorn at her friend. “Hey, if mom gets mad about the mess, I’m telling her
Sasha was right. Emily had been pleasantly surprised at the options she had for paying for college. Even with the less than stellar grades she had recently, there were loans and grants available to her. Emily had never dared hope that college was in her future but it suddenly seemed attainable.
Emily however, didn’t want to talk about it. Almost as if discussing it too often would jinx it and it would never happen. But she conceded with Sasha. “Yep, not bad at all.” She mumbled around the food in her mouth.
Sasha gave her a self-satisfied smile. She was basking in “I told you so.” Emily let her have her moment of glory, not putting into words any of the million other worries that threatened that feel good moment.
“Do you really have to work this evening?” Sasha whined, pouting from across the sofa. Emily chuckled. “Yes, some of us have that thing called...responsibility.” Emily laughed at her friend. She pulled out the sleeve of pictures she just had developed from the local drug store. She was excited to see how her latest pictures turned out.
“I do not know this word you speak of.” Sasha joked. Sasha got up to microwave some more popcorn. “What time do you have to be there?” “5:30.” Emily answered. “Well, I can give you a lift if you want.”
Emily nodded, not really paying attention. Her focus was on the pictures that sat in her lap. “What the hell?” She whispered, flipping through them quickly. Each picture was obscured by a large shadow. Emily picked up picture after picture, squinting her eyes as she held them close to her face. There was something about the shape that was familiar.
“Hey, how did your pictures turn out?” Sasha asked coming up behind her. She grabbed a pile from beside Emily and looked through them. “Well that sucks. You can barely see them.” Sasha moved the pictures to view them from different angles.
“It doesn’t make any sense. This doesn’t look like overexposed film or anything.” Emily really looked at the pictures. The photographs were essentially shadowed by a dark object. She could make out the trees and the clouds but it was as if someone had walked in front of the light.
The thing that really bothered Emily was that the shadows seem to be in the shape of a person, a female person to be exact. Sasha picked up on this as well. “Who was standing next to you? You should give them hell for ruining your pictures like that. They look like they could have been really good.” Sasha tossed them back on the couch without another thought and returned to the kitchen to get the popcorn.
Emily couldn’t look away from the photographs. She wished Sasha’s explanation was the end of it. But what really bothered her was the fact that she knew she had been alone when she took the pictures. She would never have been with anyone while taking photographs; it wasn’t the way she worked. So there was no way someone’s shadow could have shown up on the film. A tingle started running down her arms and she had a feeling of foreboding. She felt as if ice water was running through her veins and that uncomfortably familiar sick feeling began in her stomach.
When Sasha returned, she quickly put the photos away, stuffing them into her backpack. “You alright?” Sasha asked, flopping back down on the sofa beside her. Emily plastered a smile back on her face. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just not wanting to go to work this evening.” “Then don’t go. Call in sick.” Sasha gave her an amused look. “Have you ever called in sick before?”
Of course they both knew she never had. Emily worked when she had a 101 degree fever. “Your work ethic is so inspiring.” Sasha remarked sarcastically. Emily threw a handful of popcorn at her friend. “Hey, if mom gets mad about the mess, I’m telling her
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