Instant.

One

Em's POV

I slowly walked along the road, breathing deeply. It was very early in the morning. So early, the sun hadn't even risen yet. I was an early riser, I loved hearing the birds come to life and watching the beautiful colours of the sky change. And I loved being out here, roaming the world all alone.

I breathed in the cool, morning summer air. The world was still a dark shade of grey, as it always was at 5:30 in the morning. I had my old Polaroid camera dangling from a long, thick strap around my neck. It had been my mother's; she had first gotten it when she was just a little kid.

I came across it going through some old boxes, ones that my dad wanted to get rid of. My mother had just moved out after getting a divorce with my dad. There were some things that she had left behind in big brown boxes, things she said she had no use for anymore. My dad wanted to chuck them out of the house and in the trash, while I wanted to keep them, see what could be saved. That's where I found Lux.

Of course, I was only eleven years old at the time. But, nevertheless, I was fascinated by it. I was entranced about how rustic but magical it was. I loved how such beautiful pictures could come from such a simple machine. They weren't even ordinary pictures, they had a peculiar glint to them, this shiny light that made everything look vintage. I named it Lux, at the time the chance to name an object was just irresistible, and it suited the camera perfectly: the brightness of the pictures and the light it brought in my days. My father hadn't seen the magnificence of it that I did; he never understood why I loved it so much. But, he let me keep it. Ever since then, I never went anywhere without it.

People would always ask me why I didn't get a newer, colour camera. I had one, actually, and I did use it sometimes. I was just so attached Lux. For one thing, I would never understand how such simple machinery could create something so beautiful. And, for another thing, it was one of the only things that connected me to and reminded me of my mother. I never understood why she left. Even though I was eleven, I didn't understand. Other than the picture I had of her and I in my room, this was the only thing I had left related to her.

I walked for a little while longer, clutching my precious Polaroid. Finally, my destination came into view. The public beach. I came here quite often, just to take pictures. Especially during the sunrise, or the sunset. For those kinds of scenery, I would usually use my colour camera. The colours of the horizon is the thing that really spoke to me, and made those pictures real special. But today, I wanted to see what it would look like in black and white.

I crossed the street, not even bothering to look both ways first. Not a soul was awake in my town at this time of night, so what was the point? I walked across the street, the cool wind brushing against my bare legs. I was wearing short shorts, tattered vans, and a loose white blouse. I always dressed like this; very casual, very light. The only thing about me that wasn't conservative was my hair. I thought the colour was astounding. And it went oddly well with my pale milky skin. It was the one thing about me that stood out.

I got to the entrance of the beach, and looked up the tall, chain-link gates. They were held together by a lock; one that was easy to get open even without a key. That same lock had been keeping the beach closed for about five years now. With a simple tugging and pulling, anyone could get in and out without a problem.

I let my camera go and hang around my neck, and picked up the bulky lock in my small hands. I grabbed ahold of the metal piece that locked the gates together, and gave it a loose tug. It clicked out of place, and fell into my hands. I held it in my right hand, and pushed open one of the gate doors with my other hand.

I walked into the property, knowing full well that I was, technically speaking, trespassing. The beach opened at 9:00AM, and closed at 11:00PM. I knew that I was going to get into trouble for doing this, if I got caught. But I had been taking the risk for just over a year now, and no one had seen me yet. So I wasn't scared by the possibility of someone spotting me while taking their dog for a walk at 5:00 in the morning anymore.

I walked through the gates, hearing them squeak with every inch I moved them. I made it through the gates, and decided not to swing them closed but to let them hang open behind me. I wasn't going to be here long, anyway. I leaned down and quickly untied my shoes. I stepped out of them, and picked them up with my left hand.

Holding the lock in one hand, and my shoes in the other, I began walking towards the shore. I felt the sand squish between my toes, and the cool wind caress my face. I smiled to myself, just at the serenity of the moment. I walked up to the shore, smelling the salt of the water.

I sat down in the sand, close to the water. The water barely missed my toes whenever the tide would wash up onto the shore. I placed the lock down on the sand next to me, and my shoes on my other side. I grabbed the strap on both sides of my neck, and pulled it up from around my neck. I was careful not to ruin the bun sitting on top of my head, though I wasn't quite sure why. It's not like anyone was around to see me.

The sky was now a very light shade of grey. I could make out things and forms very clearly. I knew it wasn't going to be long before the sun began to rise, and I could capture nature's beauty on paper.

I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes. I wanted to only use my other senses for a moment. I dragged my fingers through the sand, and felt the dry grains brushing against my palms. I felt the salty air against my skin, cool and fresh. I felt the sand against my bare legs, brushing up and down with movement of the tide, giving me chills.

I opened my eyes, and saw a slight orange shade over the horizon. A smile spread over my face, as I watched the colour grow in greatness. I watched as the waves rolled gently across the landscape, and the sun rose, slowly but surely.

Once the sun was almost halfway risen, I raised Lux to my face. I closed one eye, focusing on the lens. I waited until the perfect moment, until all the right colours were in all the right places. When the moment was exactly right, I pressed the button on the top left corner of the camera.

There was a flash, and a buzzing sound. I lowered Lux from my face, and looked down upon it. I waited for about ten seconds, before I saw a small square of paper slowly slide out of the cartridge at the bottom. I turned the camera so it was facing me, and took hold of the paper gingerly. I placed the camera down in my lap, and waved the picture slightly to dry it off.

After about thirty seconds, I looked down at the photo. The sun, the light, the water in front of it. There was no colour, yet it was so beautiful. It was simple, and classic. Yet, it was amazing. Beautiful. I smiled to myself, and slid the now dry and fully developed square photo into my back pocket. I got up, and sighed contently. Perfect.