Forgotten Photography: The Case Of Maddison Valentine

Chapter 3

Evergreen woke up, dehydrated and confused. She got up and hobbled over to her computer, wincing from the pain of her injured knee. As she lowered herself down onto her chair, she thought about the dream she had the night before. The little girl, and the man, what was the significance of it all? She looked up at the photo that settled above her computer and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, deep in thought. She decided that maybe, just maybe, her brain was getting the better of her. She did have a crazy imagination, but even so, she opened up the notepad on her computer and typed out the dream in as much detail as she could. 

She used to do this all the time after her dad disappeared and was declared deceased, instructed to by the therapist she was seeing. It was a way for the therapist to see how her mental health was doing, and also just to help her get a handle on the trauma. Hades sat next to her, tail thumping the ground happily. Hades definitely was helping keep her brain from eating her alive, and for that, Evergreen was thankful. She decided to get out of her head for a while and head downstairs, Hades following her closely.

When she got to the kitchen, a note was on the fridge. She gently pulled it off and read it.

Evie,

If you forget where I am, I am out with Tom. There is some money on the counter, with it you can buy yourself and your new friend some food. I love you, Evie. Please be safe and don't do anything dangerous while we are gone. Love, Mama.

Evergreen smiled and put the note in her pocket, looking down at Hades, who was busy sniffing his butt. He barked in disgust, nose scrunched up. This made her laugh, and she felt just a little bit better. She decided to grab his leash and take him outside, even though it hurt to walk. She pocketed the money and took him down the street into a field that used to have a home sitting on it, until the home burnt down. There were plenty of plots in town like that, where homes with faulty wiring or a forgotten cigarette burned to the ground.

When Hades finished his business, Evergreen got a small bag from the container on his leash and picked it up, taking it down the street to the local general store and tossing it in the trash receptacle. She tied Hades outside, telling him to stay, and went inside. She looked around, not seeing anybody at the counter. Not thinking too hard about it, she walked over to the pet food aisle, picking up some kibble. She then turned herself to the coolers and browsed the selection of frozen pizzas and other meals. She opened up the cooler and grabbed a package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower, and a pack of chicken nuggets.

When she closed the cooler door, she saw the reflection of a woman, but not the typical one she had been seeing. This woman had a mask on and her hood up, just barely visible past the shelving. Evergreen froze, making eye contact through the reflection. The woman then disappeared to the other side of the shelf, Evergreen immediately going around to see who was there, but when she turned the corner....

No one.

Evergreen's stomach churned, and she realized something was definitely up. First it was the silhouette of the woman, then the dream, and now a physical person. She was creeped out, but now there was someone behind the counter at least. The woman was just swaying casually, looking around her store. Evergreen walked up to the counter after grabbing some cheese for her veggies, and set all of the food on the counter. The lady smiled at Evergreen as she scanned her items.

"Find everything okay?" Her voice was bubbly and sweet, soothing Evergreen for a moment.

"Yeah! Hey, Uh, who was that woman in the aisle next to me?" Evergreen asked, still a bit paranoid.

"Woman in the aisle next to you? Honey, you are the only one in my store." The woman's eyebrows furrowed, her statement catching Evergreen off guard.

"Really? Because I could have swore–" Evergreen looked at the aisles behind her, realizing there was literally no one else in the store. She shivered and handed over the money she owed, grabbed her bags and thanked the lady.

"Oh you are so welcome, honeybun! Be safe!" Suddenly, the woman's demeanor changed. "Don't go looking for trouble, okay?" Her eyes were dark suddenly, and Evergreen immediately felt wrong. As she left, she could see behind the counter, and in the cubbies there was a sleeve hanging off the shelf underneath, and something that looked like a black and white piece of plastic sitting on top. She made eye contact one last time again with the cashier, and her stomach churned again.

Something wasn't right.

Evergreen untied Hades and walked home as quickly as she could, even having to hobble. When she got home, she wasn't particularly hungry so she put her food away and filled a bowl for Hades. As he ate, Evergreen still felt anxious, pacing. She decided to go upstairs and redress her wound, which was healing fairly well. She headed back downstairs, and Hades was sitting patiently at the door. She took him back outside, taking him to the town square so she could be around the public.

She brought her camera with her, and minimal gear just to be sure she didn't have too much weight in the case she needed to make a quick getaway. She calmed down a bit in the warm sunshine that just started peeking through the clouds, as she basked in the warm sun, she saw a beautiful black and blue butterfly soar past her. She quickly made her way after it, and watched it land in a nearby rose bush.

She took out her camera, and readied it to take the photo. The butterfly's wings spread out perfectly on the rose, and as Evergreen knelt down and snapped one of the most perfect pictures, she felt a chill up her spine.

Evergreen....

The woman's voice was soft and melodic, but there was an edge to it that scared Evergreen to her core. She looked up and one of the trees in the courtyard had the silhouette behind it, and she swallowed really hard. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.

Evergreen....Come find me....

Evergreen started to sweat and feel dizzy, unsure of what to do. She wanted to run, but her feet felt like lead. She felt like she was about to pass out, when a man's voice saved her from the hell she was just trapped in.

"Aye, lass. Are you alright? Be careful staring off like that, sometimes you see things you would rather not see."