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I stared up at the clouds in awe, like I hadn't seen the sunset millions of times before.
Sunsets were my favourite thing to photograph. I enjoyed taking pictures of everything though. But I'd say I preferred to take pictures of nature to pics of people.
There were many reasons but one was that I didn't like looking at myself in the mirror. And looking at yourself in another form was like looking at someone else in another form as well. I dunno if that makes sense. It was a strange thing.
Anytime I stared at my reflection, it felt like the reflection was someone else. Someone who despised me. I know it sounded crazy but that's how I always felt and so I tried to stay away from camera lenses myself as much as possible.
I walked out one beautiful morning with my camera, hoping to get some good shots on my way to work. I saw some pretty flower pots on the road side and smiled instantly. I walked into my friend's shop.
“Matthew! what's up?”
He looked up from the flowers pot that he was arranging and gave me a bright smile.
“Otis! How are you doing? All's good. I just need to arrange all these flower pots and line them all outside now.”
“I’m alright. You're looking good today,” I said and then paused. “infact, everwhere around here looks great! You're doing a great job with the flowers. I love that shirt you have on by the way.”
He laughed at the wave of compliments. “Thank you. I try my best.” Then he paused. “Wanna take a pic of me?”
“Of course!”
I set my camera and took a really nice picture of him, smiling in satisfaction at how great it looked.
“Alright Matt, gotta go. I'll show you the pic on my way back.”
I walked off.
I returned later in the evening and stopped outside to admire some really beautiful roses that he had set outside. I gave him a distracted hello as I kept admiring the flowers. I looked up when I hadn't gotten a reply from him. Matt stood there looking confused.
“Good evening sir, you're interested in buying those?”
I chuckled softly at him.
“Of course not Matt. I'm only admiring. And why are you calling me sir?” I raised a brow at him.
He dropped his hands from the flower pot he was working on and stared at me in confusion.
“Excuse me sir, do I know you?”
“Yes, it's me Otis! Your friend! You're Matt right?”
He nodded, narrowing his eyes at me.
“I am. Many people around here know me so I'm not surprised you do but…” he shook his head. “I have no idea who you are, I'm sorry.”
I huffed and placed my hands on my waist, realising then that he wasn't joking.
He really didn't remember me?
I regained my composure and apologized for the confusion before walking home in a daze.
“Martha!” I called out as I saw my old friend walking down the street.
She turned around and when she saw it was me, she walked over.
“Hey, Otis! Long time! How's life?”
“Its…alright. I've just been taking pictures to keep myself happy. Speaking of that, something weird happened–”
“Omg, yes! You should take a pic of me, I'm looking good in this outfit aren't I?”
“No Martha I can't.”
“Why not?” Her face morphed into confusion.
“It's what I wanted to talk to you about. I can't…I just.” I tried to think of a way to explain it that wouldn't sound to far fetched but I couldn't think of anything.
“You don't want to take a pic of me? Do I look bad?”
“No, it's…”
“It's fine.” She turned to walk away.
“Fine! I'll take it.” I sighed and took the camera off my shoulder
What were the chances of that weird incident happening again?
I took the picture and once I took the camera down, she blinked.
“What did you just do?”
“Hmm? I just took a picture of you. Like you asked.” My heart sank as I realized that the same thing with Matthew had probably happened already.
“Martha… do you remember me?” I asked carefully, hoping what I feared hadn't happened.
She paused, her face laced with confusion. “Do I know you?”
I sighed heavily and slung the camera back onto my shoulder in defeat. "Sorry, never mind.”
I sprinted home.
As soon as I got into my house, I flung the cursed camera on the couch, staring at it in fright and awe.
Was this real or was I just...out of my mind?
But I'd been using this camera for years. This sort of thing had never happened before.
After I had calmed myself down and had my dinner, I decided to inspect the camera.
I grabbed it and walked over to the bathroom. I turned the lights on and focused the camera on the mirror.
As soon as I made eye contact with my reflection, an uneasy feeling came over me.
It felt like the reflection was glaring back at me.
I put the camera in front of me and watched the image from the eye hole.
I was lost for a moment as I watched, wondering what exactly caused my friends to forget me.
Was it the camera or was it something else?
My finger suddenly hit the shutter button involuntarily and I gasped.
Click
It took a pic of me in the mirror and I froze then blinked once and that was it.
I had forgotten about myself almost entirely, I'd forgotten where I was, why I was holding a camera, what I loved, the people I knew, my entire life from the beginning.
But I had also forgotten all my worries and problems and somehow it wasn't so bad.
Well…until I got memory back but that's a story for another day.
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I was... confused
