Photography.

“Sometimes I just don’t know what to do. You know." she said in a low voice completely zoned out on our backyard fence. “Why don’t you just do what you do best.” I suggested. She glanced over at me and mumbled, “I shouldn’t. It’s not even going to get me or job or help me gain a good salary.” “While that might be true, you know you’re good at this and I’m one hundred percent sure that you can find a job, even if it’s doing wedding photography or a baby shower, just to have a little income of your own. You know I will provide for us too,” I said trying to be a supportive friend and room-mate. 

Talia is a wonderful, friendly person who would be great to work with, not to mention extremely talented. I’ve seen her take pictures of a nasty half-eaten apple and make it look beautiful I am certain that this can be something big for her even through this COVID 19 pandemic. “Okay Ash... question. How do I know when and where to get jobs?” she inquired raising a thin slick eyebrow. “Girl, all you need to do is take some pictures and create a website. I'll help with the website and we can share the link on every social media we own. Come on let’s go,” I requested. We walked out to our back yard and began taking pictures. I stacked stuff together and created scenes for her to photograph. Being an interior and exterior designer, it was easy for me to create a beautiful wedding isle or even a still life masterpiece.  

After all these pictures, we were ready to post them. Suddenly, she looked at me in a shocked manner and softly whispered, “Wait.” I looked at her confused as she tilted her camera upwards taking beautiful pictures of the sky and clouds that looked like animals. How did we not think of this first? I wondered. More ideas began flowing as she decided that our wooden fence would look wonderful in black and white like an old photo from our ancestors. She pulled out an 80’s pin-up doll dress and made me change just so she could have her rustic little prehistoric photo. I was happy to see her so engrossed by what she loves doing. She looked so happy and accomplished. 

We walked into the house, sat down and began to edit. Some of the photos were just fun, childish or blurry photos we kept for ourselves while the others were just a marvel. I had no regrets encouraging her to do this. We uploaded the photos and sat with our iced coffees awaiting the process. As I glanced over at one of the photos on my phone, I noticed something a bit strange. It was a picture of the sky that was a bit blurry from all our laughing at the worm-shaped cloud. I noticed it was tilted a bit allowing me to see through the window of our neighbour's house. I ran outside to see if I can see what I thought I saw. I peered through the fence looking at the window. Talia looked at me and whispered, “Dude you’re freaking me out what did you see? What are you doing?”  

I ran back inside as she trailed behind me. “Omg Talz look at this,” I whispered choking and consumed with fear. She looked at me with her eyes open wide. It was a girl at the window looking as though she was screaming for help. She seemed disgruntled and petrified. I turned to her with my heart racing as I explained, “when we got this house the man that sold it to us told me no one lives there. No one ever has not even today.” Talia looked at me and I know she was thinking something serious she had that one open eye one squinted eye look. She slid of the chair and ran up the stairs leaving me in our living room completely confused, panicked and worried. As I tried to follow her up, I saw her running down with a wooden box in her hands. “What is that?” I questioned suspiciously. “When we came here this was the one thing we noticed in the house that was not ours right.” she asked. “Umm. Yeah. What exactly are you showing me? It’s a box of old stuff?” I muttered. She opened the box showing five photos of a thick, short, beautiful girl that seemed to look exactly like the girl in the window. It was a black and white photo that she looked at least ten years younger in. 

“What do we do? We can’t just leave her like that. Let’s go over,” Talia insisted. “Okay let’s go see.” I said as we rushed across. It was not midnight like stupid horror movies where a killer would jump out at us. It was broad daylight and only about two hours since we noticed the image. We opened the latched gate and walked in as though we were invited in or lived there. I opened the front door and walked in slowly. Talia grabbed onto my hand signaling directions for us to sear and to keep our phones close by and the police at speed dial. I walked into a bedroom upstairs that was well kept n clean. I walked into another bedroom that was cold and neatly kept as well. I walk out to feel warm hands and a chloroform drenched cloth at my nose and my phone grabbed out of my hands.  

My whole world went dark as I lost consciousness. I woke up could be two hours or five minutes after I didn’t really know. I was locked in a room that looked gothic yet comfortably dark. Everything was red and black. I felt as though I woke up in Riverdale standing in Cheryl Blossoms room at Thornhill straight out of Netflix. Oddly enough I felt safe in here. I walked towards the bed that was covered in silk sheets. I looked over at the pillow to see a note that said “Ash darling get dressed.” along with a long, blood red dress in my size with a slit on the side all the way up to my hips, black lacy underclothes and black stilettos. Looking at this collection, I was no longer feeling safe.  

I walked up to the windows that were made of bulletproof glass. The doors were locked. I banged on the door shouting to be let out. After what felt like hours, I fell asleep at the door feeling it push against my back as Talia came in and sat in front of me moving the hair away from my face. I pushed her hands away shouting “get away from me.” She picked up the clothes scattered on the bed and looked me in the eyes and said in a soft, loving voice, “Listen to me I will explain it all in a bit this was all a big misunderstanding.” I shoved her away and got up. She looked at me and walked closer saying “We talk about what you liked before come on I know what kind of clothes my best friend likes. It’s hot and I know you love it. I’m not gonna rape you just wear it.” “How can I be so sure you wouldn’t who does this kind of weird creepy things?” I shouted as she walked out the room. 

I don’t know why I don’t feel as scared as I should be. I walk to the bed and looked at the most beautiful, Jessicca Rabbit-looking dress. It was a dress I always loved but was never confident to wear one because I’m a chubby kind of girl that probably won't look good in it. I got dressed and looked at myself in the mirror opposite the bed. I looked way better than I thought I would. “Where is this going?” my brain wondered. As I sat on the bed, I heard a knock on the door. “hey are you ready?” she asked softly with a little panic in her voice. “Yea,” I answered in almost the same tone. I saw the door cracked open revealing a beautiful mermaid dress in a mesmerizing, aqua, mermaid colour that complemented her beautifully pale skin. She looked gorgeous I couldn’t help the blush that was painted on my face. She looked at me, holding my hands saying, “Ash you look perfect. Are you still scared? I’m sorry things happened in such a creepy way. I just wanted to do something nice.” “What about that girl in the window?” I inquired. “I’ll tell you all about her come with me,” I pulled my hand away as she spoke.  

“Come on Ash you know me better than anyone else does. Do you think I would hurt you?” she said to me as she gestured the way out. I followed her to see a room designed like a theater for two it was just beautiful. We sat down together. She grabbed my hands saying, “I'm sorry this seemed so kidnappish. I just wanted to give you exactly what you wanted, a redo of a first date. And even better, with me, your best friend and not some random boy. I really like you Ash, I really do and I know who want to know about the girl in the window. Well, the house we live in now was hers, and she lost her parents in a car accident and she survived. Sadly, she was diagnosed with memory loss and just seeing and remembering her house gives her anxiety attacks that doctors say may cause death. She only feels safe around me and receives money from her family to take care of herself. She is mentally stable just not when she sees her parents or inside her old house. The girl at the window was her trying to get my attention to find out if to get you black shoes or red. She looked so worn out and the picture was blurry. I didn’t even know it was her. I just wanted to go over n make sure she was ok and there wasn’t any family over trying to hurt her. She's like a sister to me and she suggested this little date. She really likes you.” I was extremely confused it all added up but why didn’t she tell me before? “I know you’re wondering why I didn’t tell you before right. Well, she didn’t want to be known just yet she was scared but after telling her about you she started liking you.”  

“Okay this is a lot. Well, I'm glad she’s okay,” I exclaimed. I looked at the side of my face and say her walk in she extended her hand and said “Hi, I’m Zara.” in a shaky voice. I grabbed her hand shook then and said, “Hi Zara it’s nice to finally meet you. You’re so beautiful.” She blushed and covered her face leaving to return with a tray full off snacks she prepared for us. I apologized to Talia for not believing in her and kissed her under the light of the moon that shone through an overhead window. She blushed as we snuggled together and watched Finding Nemo like little children.  

She pulled out my camera and gave it to me smiling. We took a ton of pictures to add to our website as well as our personal album. After the movies we decided our website needed more pictures after all we didn’t want it to look like a new unexperienced photographer. We all got together including Zara and changed into many clothes and took pictures in all the photogenic places of the house. We became an inseparable three. I was happy I encouraged her to do what she does best, photography. It led to new relationships and friendships forming, even successful businesses.