short story

Day 12

/ Bri Rawlings / 1 Comment

Shooter Pt2

Why was this guy being such a creep? Well pushy anyway, I guess I’d be more so the creep. At least that’s what I’ve been told. My graduation thesis was a compiled portfolio of my professor. The assignment was living Art, she was my subject. I thought it’d be cool to surprise her with all the off guard pictures of her living her life. Wasn’t my fault she was cheating, I legitimately thought the guy I’d kept snapping her with was her husband. Either way her written response included the words creepy, intruding, and even evil. I passed with an A in the class. She even said I’d have a promising career in investigative photography or as a peeping tom, I chose neither. Yes occasionally I might catch someone doing something they probably won’t want on film for the rest of eternity, however Noah’s reaction was out of line. You can barely tell who it is least of all what he was doing. Fucking weirdos, they’re everywhere. I heard the bars door bell jingle from being opened. Turning and finally getting out of my own head I continued my task, taking before shots. Soon the party planners crew along with the chef were in and out filling the bar and distracting me from the interaction with Noah, whom since disappearing with a case of champagne, had not been seen.

“Attention! Attention everyone,” a familiar shrill British voice called out across the bar of workers. “Listen, the official party is set to arrive in 45 minutes and guest will start arriving in the next 20. Let’s tighten up the space and can I have the photographer at the door in 2 minutes please!” the voice called out. I peeked through the crowd to see the planner who’d hired me. I saw her searching for my face in the sea of workers but she found Nova first. “Ahh you dear,” she called to her. Nova continued sitting at the table right in front. She had been reviewing my shots from a previous job the day before on her laptop. “Sweetheart,” she addressed her while tapping her shoulder. “Yea” Nova responded never looking up. My face flushed red. Right here, right now I really needed her to put on her customer service face and she was failing, miserably. “Will you find Benji and make sure he’s at the door in 2 minutes?” the planner asked, almost cautiously as not to upset Nova. “BENJI!” Nova yelled startling everyone. They turned to look at the only guy clearly holding a professional camera. I slowly raised my hand and pointed to the door. “Headed that way” I resentfully said not even bothering to look at Nova. I was going to have to talk to her, this was getting out of hand. “Thanks dear!” the planner responded relieved she no longer had to interact with my cold as ice assistant.

The only reason I took this job is to avoid people, so why am I always around so many got damn people. It seems to be a reality I can never escape. As much as I try to blend into the background, I still must deal with the people around. It’s not like in nature when everything just seems to flow. No people want to talk and be acknowledged. I thought hiding behind a camera would save me, turns out it might kill me. I just haven’t realized it yet.

Day 11

/ Bri Rawlings / 1 Comment

Here’s a short story I’ve been working on today that I can hopefully finish before the end of the week:

Shooters Pt. 1

There’s just something about photography that only photographers get. Yea sure the newest phones boost the ability to take professional pictures, but until you’ve tried capturing the sun glistening from water drops sliding down the petals of lilies, while simultaneously trying not to disturb the natural setting, you haven’t captured anything yet.  Ok in my defense my freshman final shouldn’t be set as the bar for photography but there’s a point to my ramble. You need more than a phone to really get the perfect shot. You need to blend, you have to disappear. It was this factor that lead me to today’s events. A lot had changed in my life since soaking my socks in ponds scattered throughout the forest of Seattle. College came and went and so did girlfriends, my cat, and the fashion forwardness of hipsters (which let’s be honest probably should’ve never been considered fashion). I was still standing though, well currently sitting. I slid my circle glasses (remnants of my hipster days) up to the top of my head, pushing my sandy brown cut back slightly. Picking up my camera I started my session. Today’s events included doing before and after pics of a swanky engagement party. Not exactly soul reveling work, I know, but I gotta pay the bills.

“Benji don’t forget the bar,” my monotone assistant Nova reminded me as she set up. I nodded. I don’t speak much, probably the only reason Nova still has a job. Also probably the reason I can’t keep a girlfriend. Not that Nova’s a horrible assistant. She just doesn’t care. About anything really, but she doesn’t bother me, so we work. I stood up from the table I’d been capturing and turned to get the bar. These people were really going all out. A fully stocked, top shelf, free bar. I mean champagne, bourbons, vodka, every whiskey you could think of. I lifted my camera back to my face and just as I snapped my picture a figure stood up from behind the bar. “Aww man, I wasn’t ready,” a mouth underneath a scruffy beard emitted. Lowering my camera I stared in wonder. Weren’t me and Nova the only two people in here? “I’m sorry I didn’t think anyone else was here,” I offered extending my hand, “I’m Benji.” “Noah,” the beard retorted smiling, I think. “Noah this is Nova,” I said as Nova walked by offering only a head nod in his direction. “Can I see the picture?” Noah asked not even acknowledging Nova. My fingers holding my camera flittered. I don’t normally let people view my work before it’s finished. I wasn’t even sure he was in the picture to begin with. Where had he come from? I lifted my lens to review the previous picture.

 Just then Noah hopped over the bar smoothly and was standing at my shoulder. “Sorry my guy, I barely got you”, I told him as he stood uncomfortably close trying to also see my cameras feedback. It was true, it looked as if he’d been about to stand up right however he’d peaked over the bar before fully extending. The photo had only captured the top of Noah’s head down the tip of his nose. Couldn’t even make out the enormous beard on his face. Just his piercing brown eyes throwing daggers through my camera. “Oh in that case delete it,” was Noah’s seemingly gleeful response. “Sure will,” I answered him dropping the lens to my side again, inching away as I did so. He was too close for comfort. But as I tried my best to shimmy slowly away from the barkeep, he somehow was still too close. “No, now,” he said resolutely. I turned to look at him only to find those piercing brown eyes already staring at me. “Well, I kind of have a process” I started to explain because it was true. I don’t like to delete photos from any event until I’ve had time to review them. Some of my most awesome pictures were accidents I was able to edit into masterpieces. “and right now I have to finish doing my before job BEFORE it turns into the after” I decided to say. No need in getting distracted, I already had to stay for the entire 4 hour event, soon others would be showing up. Noah grabbed my right wrist firmly and grabbed the camera with his other hand. Just as my heart rate started to sky rocket Nova re-entered from wherever she’d disappeared to. Noah let me go and hopped back over the bar. “No worries,” he said back turned to me. He lifted a case of champagne from the floor onto his shoulder. “I’ll get it later,” he finished, walking into the kitchen behind the bar. “What the actual fuck,” I said aloud. Nova looked up from her phone blankly. Her silent blinks asked nothing, they more so told me to calm down and shut up. Her indifference kept me from explaining why I was making expletive filled statements loudly. I looked down at my camera, she looked back down at her phone.

Weapons of Choice

/ Bri Rawlings / Leave a comment

“Can I borrow your pencil?” Sarah asked, in a barely audible whisper. “Nope. No freakin way, not after what happened last time” Jade responded almost violently in her whisper back. “Awww come on that wasn’t even my fault,” Sarah turned while answering Jade. Looking at her head on in this small of a confined space seemed as if Jade was intruding on a private moment. She could smell Sarah’s cherry chap stick on her lips and the amount of hair spray she’d used to put her hair in a bun, that was after everything they’d been through today, barely hanging on. “Gimmie the pencil” she demanded. After 10 seconds of staring each other down, Jade finally dropped her chin to her chest and produced the pencil from her cargo pocket. “Please don’t kill anybody” Jade begged as Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Listen,” Sarah breathed out taking the pencil. “I didn’t come here planning to kill anyone, but if I have to in order to protect you, I will. Just like last time, just like always” She placed one hand on Jade’s shoulder and used the other to lift her chin. “Don’t worry, it’s just a pencil,” she smiled just as all hell broke loose. The closet door they’d been hiding behind flew open at mach speed. 

“GET DOWN ON THE GROUD,” the people in all white yelled. The girls complied. Dropping to their knees they laced both hands behind their heads, Sarah holding the pencil between hers. “Where is it?” asked a woman in white stepping forward. Her piercing green eyes scared Jade. “WHERE IS IT?!” she screamed at them, the soft gray bob around her neck shook with her fury. “I don’t know what you mean,” Jade responded looking away from the scary woman. “You,” she growled at Sarah as she grabbed her by the throat forcing her to her feet. “Don’t you little bitches play games with me, I know you know what I’m talking about,” she spat at her. “Listen I don’t know what you’re looking for but we just met 2 days ago! Something happened and I don’t know why but people have been trying to kill us!” Jade yelled out hoping to distract the woman. She let go of Sarah, who had now dropped her hands behind her back, and knelled in front of Jade. She smiled. “Something happened?” she asked snidely. Before Jade could answer, the room filled with screams. She turned and looked up expecting to see Sarah, but she had vanished. The woman in front of her spun and stood to her feet “SHOOT HER YOU FUCKING IDIOTS”, she shouted wildly across the room. One by one all the agents in white fell, blood flowing down the front of their suits. Jade clenched her eye lids closed tight. She couldn’t stand the sight of blood, it made her queasy.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Jade heard the scary woman say, the confidence of her words was gone. She opened her eyes to find Sarah in front of the woman, the tip of the pencil held firmly to her jugular. “Jade get up and walk to the door,” Sarah asked of Jade calmly. Jade hesitated. “Monica won’t hurt you, will you Monica?” Sarah inquired of the scary woman, smirking. Jade pondered how Sarah knew her. Monica said nothing but tightened her lips. “WILL YOU?” Sarah yelled this time pushing the pencil tip slightly more into her skin. “No” Monica finally responded. Jade slowly stood and inched past the twotowards the door. “You know they’ll find her, you can keep running but you can’t hide” Monica alleged slowly when Jade reached the door. Jade looked back, confused. Did she say “she”? Turning to Sarah she opened her mouth to ask that very thing but before she could Monica hit the floor with a thud. Blood gushed from the open wound across her throat, her eyes rolled up as she gasped her last breath. Instead what came from Jade’s mouth was “Why do you do that?! More importantly how are you doing this? The pencil’s barely sharpened!” Sarah smiled wiping the bloody pencil onto her black jeans. “Like I said,” Sarah retorted, “not my fault.”