Day 76 - Faded Story

Faded Story

Matthew Ryan Fischer

The picture had faded and it was to become a problem for Derrick and Lisa alike.  One that neither of them would have a solution for.  It was not an old picture.  Lisa and Derrick had taken it mere weeks before.  They were sharing a toasted avocado and tomato sandwich over a couple of cups of coffee.  Derrick had taken several pictures.  Most of the shots were while Lisa was eating, much to her chagrin.  Derrick had an annoying sense of humor sometimes, but it was mostly harmless.  And despite her protests, Lisa really thought it was cute and kind of fun and disarming to take photographs when there was the potential for embarrassment.  It made it seem more real.  And that’s what she wanted, for this new found relationship to be real.

And so, despite any mock protests, they ended up taking a lot of photographs that day.  This became a process that reoccurred often over their next few weeks together.  For whatever reason, Derrick and Lisa always seemed to end up having lunch together and he always seemed to have a camera handy.  Derrick still liked to take photographs with actual film.  He thought film was more authentic than digital.

Derrick and Lisa had only been together a short time, but they worked incredibly well together.  They shared the same sense of humor, and the same sensibilities.  They had fun together and understood how the other one thought.  Strangers who saw them thought they were an old couple.  It was a great compliment for a relationship that was so young.  Neither wanted to say it yet, but both privately thought this might be the sort of relationship to last.

One night Derrick set about developing his captured moments.  He made prints for them both and gave Lisa the gift of a series of pictures of them together.  Their relationship was young, but the gift was perceived as romantic. 

Then it began.

Derrick put a picture of them both on the mantel in his apartment.  Within a few days the image had faded.  It made no sense.  There was hardly any direct sunlight that would hit the photograph and even if there had been it should have taken a much longer time for sun fading to occur.  Derrick didn’t understand it, but he didn’t worry too much about it, simply making a mental note to make another copy of the photograph for himself.

Derrick was pale the next day.  He looked sick.  As the day wore on, his appearance grew worse and worse and his co-workers began to worry about him.  Derrick didn’t feel bad, but he made an appointment to see a doctor just in case.

Lisa didn’t look bad that day, but she felt really sick.  She nearly passed out while walking to her office and was sent home to rest.  Lisa fell asleep on her couch, a framed picture of the two of them sitting on her coffee table looking directly at her.

Over the next several days Lisa’s and Derrick’s health grew worse.  At the same time, the second print began to fade as well.  They contacted each other and wished the other a speedy recovery.  Lisa ignored Derrick’s protests and went to be with him – she didn’t care if they made each other sicker, she missed him and was willing to take that risk.

While sitting on Derrick’s couch, Lisa noticed the series of photographs were all fading.  She struggled to stand and weakly crossed the room to investigate.  She picked up the third picture just as Derrick returned to the room.  Startled by his voice, she dropped the picture.  The glass broke and the frame cracked.  Lisa’s legs gave out and she fell to the ground.  Derrick rushed to her side, but paused, frightened.  Lisa’s face was a pale white.  The third picture was blank.

When Lisa woke, Derrick told her what he saw and they tried to make some sort of sense of what was happening.  Certain cultures had been afraid of mirrors and thought they stole a person’s soul.  When cameras were invented, some refused to be photographed for the same reason.  Neither Lisa nor Derrick understood what was happening, but they knew something was wrong with them and the photographs and somehow the two were linked.

Lisa knew it was too soon in the relationship to tell him that she loved him, but she was worried she wouldn’t have a chance later.  They kissed and held each other and cried.  But trembled with fear and grew weaker. 

The fourth photograph faded.  Derrick lost consciousness.  At first she was afraid he was dead, but instead he was in a strange sort of trance.  Lisa was weak and unable to revive him.  She tried to reach her phone, but her strength was fading fast.  Her body ached.  She was dizzy and her vision was started to fail her.

Lisa took the fifth and final photo out of its frame and crumpled it up.  She had no idea what would happen to either of them, but she no longer really cared.