The Patterson Polaroids

The Veil Of Shadows

After Tyler's wake party, i was up all night researching this sort of camera, making sure i didn't run out of Polaroids. I wasn't sleeping, wasn't eating, my parents were afraid i was falling off the deep end. What was the point if all of my friends couldn't get the chance to do so? I felt like i couldn't live when Taryn died. I was really doing everything in my power to fix my mistake of finding this camera. Going to classes, didn't feel the same. Seeing everyone's empty seats, and even more since Tyler's wake party. Thank god i wasn't found on the scene. But the town of Burkefield was feeling paranoid, after more students from Yale were found dead, with no signs of a struggle, murder, or even suicide. 

They questioned everyone who was at the party, it was interesting how the police couldn't understand what everyone was explaining, when they said what they saw at the party. How everyone's souls were being absorbed by a tornado that was formed from a pile of Polaroids. They jumped to the conclusion that everyone was on drugs and closed the case. Wasn't that the logical explanation? A crowd of young adults high off some substance they found at a wake party for Tyler Turgenev. Of course my classmates couldn't help but whisper and stare as i walked by, after all, i was the only person who didn't run for my life at the party. And how can you explain what i did to stop the tornado without thinking you're insane anyways? So as you can see, everyone was on edge. 

I spent hours thinking about how when i touched Maggie's Polaroid, i was somehow able to teleport to the dimension she described in her therapy session. How was it even possible? and since it was possible, how come i was the only one that could travel there? and how could i do so with just one touch of the Polaroid? there were so many questions i wished i had answers for, and i hated that i had no one left to talk to about this. I wish Taryn was still here...

Also, their souls were somehow able to transport themselves out of the image for a small amount of time? how was that possible? can they leave that place willingly? and if so, why haven't they? What if i was able to travel through the dimension but only for a limited time, like how they can travel here? the only thing left to do, was try. Put my questions to the test, and see if i could shadow walk into the dimension and take back there souls. I knew what would be waiting for me at the end, those shadow walkers. But i wasn't afraid of them anymore. I was just afraid that i would never see my friends again. Maybe that was their only way out, for me to travel through and be their light at the end of the tunnel. 

It was worth a shot, so i took out the Polaroids. Found Maggie's at the bottom of the stack, removed my gloves, and then touched the Polaroid. All of a sudden everything around me was dark, decaying, and withering away bit by bit. A sort of debris was floating around in the air, and the atmosphere felt cold, too cold. "Maggie?" i said, realizing i was standing in her room. Once i made it out into the hallway, i grabbed my arms for warmth. But didn't let go of the Polaroid. There seemed to be no one else here, but i could see my breath, as my heart began to race. "Mags?! where are you?"i yelled, as my voice began to echo in this dark void. 

That was when i made it downstairs, the place looked as though it had been abandoned for centuries. I then hid next to the fridge, as i saw a shadow walker emerge from my shadow. My heart was still pounding in my chest, as i gripped the Polaroid in my hand. Where was that girl? that was when i felt a hand grab my leg, and i almost screamed for dear life, until another hand wrapped their hand over my mouth and pulled me into the cabinet near the fridge. "Finally! what took you so long?" Maggie whispered, "oh well sorry, traveling through an alternate dimension just comes naturally to me" i said, as she rolled her eyes. "Hey, i'm here to save you, the least you could do is thank me" i said, "i will when you actually save me, not just hide with me from those shadows" she said, as i then rolled my eyes. "Here" Maggie said, handing me a flashlight, "these should stall them for a moment" she said, as i looked at it.