Collection Of Short Stories

Map Of Pictures

'Look this way!' I laughed, as she jokingly posed with her back to the camera.

She turned and glared playfully at me.

'Do you look at a bird and say: No! Fly upside-down. I want to photograph your colours! I want your eyes in the shot! Well? Do you?'

I laughed, shaking my head and let the camera down gently, so it hung on the strap around my neck. I walked to a nearby rock and sat down, before turning my attention back to Autumn.

It was the perfect name for her in all honesty. Her deep auburn hair and hazel eyes were the seasons' true colours, topped off with red lips the colour of Autumn maple leaves.

She walked over to me, looking over my shoulder and draping her arms around my neck, placing a soft kiss on my cheek.

'I'm really going to miss you Blake.' she whispered.

I smiled to myself, looking at that picture in it's frame on my desk. Autumn and I had been childhood sweethearts. We had spent every waking hour together. When we were eighteen, we had went out separate ways; She went to an arts college in California, I joined the police in New York. While I worked my way, steadily, up through the ranks and the precinct, her advances in career picked up pace gradually, until she was skyrocketed to fame in a James Bond film. She played the first Bond girl to get stuck into as much action as Bond himself, no wimping out.

When I heard of her sucess, I tried calling her, to congratulate her. I never got any replies. At least, not until now.

A large, overstuffed brown envelope sat on my desk. It stared back at me ominously, daring me to open it as it screamed my name in large, flowing black script.

Dctv. Blake Johnson

34th Precinct

4295 Broadway

New York

NY 10033

I tentatively reached forward and was about to open the package when Leiutenant Mark Jacobs burst through my door. He almost immediately backed out again, and I sighed.

'What is it Jacobs?' He stumbled back into the room and I noticed another envelope in his hands.

'This j-j-just ar-r-rived f-for you s-sir!' he said, running forwards, dropping the envelope on my desk and backing out of the room so fast, I couldn't even thank him.

I shook my head as I reached for the envelope, hap-hazardly thrown on my desk. 'Damn intern.' I muttered to myself. I hated that he was afraid of me. I'm just a person after all!

I examined the small, thick, crumpled envelope and put it to the side, opening the other first. A large bunch of photographs fell out onto my desk, along with a folded note. I glanced at the photos and frowned. They seemed familiar. I unfolded the note and my heart leapt into my throat as I read it.

My Dearest Blake.

It has been too long since we last spoke. Not since we went our separate ways for college. I hope you have been well. I hear that you are a detective now, and a brilliant one at that.

I'm sorry that we didn't keep in touch, but it took me so long to find where you were. I wish I had more time.

Autumn.

I sat back and ran a hand over my face. Autumn. Autumn Cooper. My best friend, my first love. I haven't seen, nor heard, from her in eight years and now this! I ran my hands through my hair and looked at the photos strewn across my desk. Some were my photos, but some I hadn't seen before. I gave up on them quickly, my cluttered mind becoming restless, and opened the other envelope. Inside was a DVD. I went to my TV ans turned it on, placing the disk in the player.