Pictures of Humans - a short story (Part 1 of 2)

Pictures of Humans

  “Why do we not go on vacation anymore mommy?” Little Jo couldn’t help but ask when a family photograph with a lake in the background hung on the wall nearby filled her memories with fondness. She anticipated her mommy’s answer. Mommy always had the answers.

But mommy had a stern look painted on her face. “Ask your daddy.” That seemed unlike mommy. She grabbed her favorite toy and sulked to her room. Her distress grew. She hung onto the anticipation of daddy’s return from work. A few tears fell, she fell into the comfort of an old mattress and she quickly fell asleep. She hadn’t realized her room was a floor below. Not the room she sought refuge. She was in the attic. Images of faces, faces unknown flashed before her eyes. Places she hadn’t seen before. Places with the unfamiliar faces – a trail, a field, and a mountain. She was startled but accepted the occurrences. Accepted the dream.

As light invaded her lashes before they opened to reveal her green eyes, the early evening illumination of dust from the small stained-glass window filtered the room as did her imagination once she saw an old chest. The objects it contained she recognized but the observation was new. A hairbrush, a doll, a few books, clothing from generations past filled the chest as if it had its own memories. While she filtered through the objects, one caught her eye more than anything – a photo album, and more loose photos at the bottom which she arranged carefully on top of the other items of the open chest. They were filled with images of family, but not her family. Images of family in the forest, but not her forest. Not the trees she remembered. Not the family she knows – and loves. She heard daddy pull up the driveway.

"Daddy?” Little Jo gazed up at her daddy who sat in his favorite chair. “Why do we not go on vacation anymore?”

Daddy peered into the kitchen to see his wife’s do-not-tell-her-to-ask-mommy look. “We just do not.”

“But why?” The inquisitive little Jo persisted. She noticed the family photo was absent from the wall. She remained persistent but it seemed futile. Little Jo changed tactics. With the album held out at arms-length, she lifted the book to her daddy. “Who are they daddy?”

Without the acknowledgement of little Jo’s newly found treasure, daddy lifted her to his knee followed by a hug. “And how is my little Jo?”

She relished her daddy’s affection, but this time her focus was on the mystery in her hands. “Who are they daddy?”

“Who – what is this my little one?” He looked away in the direction of mommy who shot him a look of urgency. The nearby lamp illuminated the album as if to project the life within each photo. “Where did you get this?” He said after he examined the first page.

“Upstairs.” Her innocence guarded her from daddy’s next reaction. He took the book away from her, away from the room, and returned moments later without it.

“It’s time for bed.” Daddy ordered.

“But it’s only seven o’clock!” She exclaimed.

“Do as you’re told.” Little Jo reluctantly complied.

~

Sleep didn’t arrive easy, unlike her curiosity. When she knew mommy and daddy were asleep she snuck up to the attic in search of ways to fill in the gaps of her imagination. The chest was where she left it. But the photo album must’ve been relocated. She rummaged more thoroughly and found the oddest of objects.

Two disc-like objects with something wrapped around one neatly. Underneath was a small machine unlike anything she’d seen before. It had a lens which protruded from the heart of the machine and two arm-like objects – both at angles, one in front and one at the rear. A cord was wrapped around it all. Little Jo displayed both objects in front of her for examination. After nearly an hour of experimentation with the device she had the disc-like objects spinning from one to another as light projected images across the room. She quickly realized to point the machine toward a wall. What she saw next did not make sense to her.

There were people on the wall. She had seen recordings like it before, but this was fantastic in the greatest. Disbelief filled her mind and warmth flooded her inner-being. The people were holding each other in pairs and moving about a room decorated with round colorful objects floating but tethered. She disregarded thoughts of sharing with mommy or daddy. She watched it in its entirety. She couldn’t process what she just saw.  Little did she know but her world just got a whole lot bigger.

~

Little Jo managed to pack her mystery device into her backpack. She left to catch the early bus to school which befuddled her mommy and daddy, but without question. She anticipated the typical early arrival of Miss Alastair but was disappointed. Nonetheless, she waited next to her classroom desk as she gazed upon the rows of computers at each student station – all with their biometric authorization pads and retinal interface. What seemed like an eternity to her was only five minutes. Miss Alastair arrived.

Her teacher did not disappoint when she shared in the same fascination as Little Jo toward the device and its moving pictures.  Her teacher explained what the device was. “You are incredibly smart to have figured out how to make this old projector and a movie reel work.” Her fascination grew.

Unfortunately, the headmaster passed by and peered through the door window. Within minutes, figures in black frightened Little Jo with the oddest of questions which seemed to blur and overlap. Her teacher attempted to defend her student, but she was quickly restrained and taken away.

“Where are they taking Miss A?” She referenced her teacher’s name of fondness as she cried out.

“Contact the parents. Inform them to take their daughter home immediately.” They ordered as one of the other figures in black sealed her device into a hard-cover case.

“Of course.” The headmaster complied.

~

When Little Jo arrived at home her mommy and daddy sent her to her room. The house was a mess, as was her room. “Where’s Buddy?” She asked about her favorite toy. The door was closed behind her. Her imagination ran into difficulty – dead ends. But nothing was going to stop her from reaching the attic that night.

Although worried about her teacher, she wanted to protect what she found. She hid the other reel, but no device available to watch it. Smart girl she was, she brought a light-source and shined it onto each frame. The images revealed similar settings as before. She also saw a little boy seated behind a round white object with seven small flames protruding from it. Similar round objects floated but tethered were scattered around the room. And the strangest thing occurred. The boy blew on the little flames to extinguish them. Once again, the images were filled with faces of family, but they didn’t look quite like her face. Nor of mommy and daddy. Everyone she ever knew appeared different.

She needed to keep this to herself this time. She found a loose board in the wall and hid the reel.

~

Little Jo was pleased to see Miss Alastair return to the classroom. “What happened to you?”

“I do not understand.” Her teacher responded. She looked different. Something was different.

But she had to persist. “Where did they take you?”

Like a feedback loop. “I do not understand.” She paused. “Now take your seat.”

Little Jo frowned as she complied with her teacher. She couldn’t concentrate on the materials and information presented to her all day.

~

She shied away from her mommy and daddy by camping out in her room most of the evening. Mommy and daddy nary said a word aside from standard pleasantries. Eerie. Dry. Unlike Little Jo’s eyes when she cried herself to sleep.

Deep into the night she heard a clatter. “Daddy?” She whispered out of habit. “Mommy?” No answer. She ventured toward the attic and discovered a light darting about the room. She dared not enter.  Quietly she retreated to her room.

The next morning was Saturday. Daddy normally mows the lawn on Saturday mornings and mommy joins her friends for a walk. The perfect time to check on her treasure. The loose board hadn’t been disturbed. The reel was well protected. But she didn’t know what to do next. She peered out the small attic window to see the rows of suburban houses with their rows of shared fences like the rows of silicon in a computer nano-chip.

She screamed when a hand touched her shoulder. It was daddy. She panicked and began to run. Daddy snatched her. He hugged her. She struggled and backed away from him. All she could manage was a cry of fear.

“You still want to know why we no longer go on vacation?”

“Huh? – Yes.” Her voice trembled. “I want to know about the people in the photo album.”

Daddy reached behind his back. “Do you mean this one?”

“You hid it.”

“No. I kept it safe so no one would find it.”

Her belief in him teetered like she once did playing on the backyard fence. But she also never experienced a lie from daddy. “But why?”

“Want to go on a little drive?” He invited.

“Where?” She sniffled.

“Doesn’t matter.” He saw her need to know. “To the park in the foothills. And I will answer all your questions.” He assured her with a gentle hand to her shoulder.

~

When mommy arrived home she called out to her expectant family, but no one was present to expect her. She recalled the events of yesterday and the night before with a look of curiosity down the hallway.

The shared dresser no longer contained the photo album. She accessed the contact number of her spouse. There was no response. She tried again without success. Her stare was blank and turned to investigative. She looked in a few other places just in case he moved it. She stood in the middle of the room with a calculated look on her face. She accessed different contact information.

(Click here to read Part 2.)