THE RETURN

How did I get into photography? Well, that’s easy… My mother loved photography. She told me pictures told stories, they captured moments in time, and the best were organic and unplanned. Like capturing an animal in the wild. The longer you set quietly, observant, it’s like all of life that longs to be witnessed will pile in, all at once, as if drawn to act out their dramas before the witness. Nature eats its flesh daily, while renewed in the next for another harvest… Always, the snake is consuming its tail, while its core is weaving and regenerating, evolving in a state of syntropy… One chasing, the other running for its life, maybe, but it’s raw and honest. A parable in the flesh, she’d said. My mom was always full of whimsical wisdom. She didn’t realize how much of a sponge I was to her stories. Each one changed me.

…

The Return (of the Sluagh)

“So, there was this kid, and he, um…” Ray groaned and flipped to the next video in his queue. “We all have those days,”

“Damn it! Fuckin’ advertisements!” He turned off the stream and sat in silence as the cars piled up around him. He didn’t have patience. Not today. He’d heard enough ho humming and pointless noise in the endless meetings he’d endured all day.

He put the screen to sleep and eeked forward with the line of cars in silence. “Of course, get off early just to have to sit in this shit.” He grumbled. His mind wandered over the last week. It all blurred together. It was hard to feel any sense of accomplishment when everything felt like the same thing, just in a different package on a different day.

His hands tapped the wheel as the restlessness grew. His mind reverted to the endless and growing list of to-dos. Change oil, get groceries, check the leaking shower head… Maybe drinks with his co-workers wasn’t the best way to spend his precious few hours of free time. As if he didn’t see enough of them throughout the week. But it sounded better than sitting in his empty apartment or doing chores that could easily wait until the weekend. He flipped on the radio.

The seeker stopped on a crappy country song; he groaned and rolled his eyes. He hit the button again and let it spin through the available stations, not really listening. His mind wandered to the conversation he’d had with his mother over his all too short lunch break that day. “Sweetie, I can’t remember the last time you actually sounded like you were enjoying yourself. You’ve got to loosen up or you’re going to wind yourself up to the point you snap. I worry about you, Ray… Are you sure you’re up to coming out next week?”

The car ahead of him moved up a car length, he followed suit. She was right about one thing… He wasn’t happy, and nothing seemed to pull him from the idea that life wasn’t what he had imagined it would be. He’d done all the right things. Good grades through school, a degree with a promising trajectory, he’d even avoided marrying and having children like the rest of his miserable friends. Maybe that was it, maybe life after childhood was meant to be a miserable disappointment. He sank with the realization that he didn’t know anyone, outside of his parents, and social media influencers who seemed to have it figured out.

Traffic moved forward choppily, and Ray resigned, plodding along with them. I could have left my car at the office and walked to the pub faster than this, at this point. As if he’d spoken the magic word, the lane next to him started to advance more quickly, he switched lanes, only for it to stop dead again, and the line he’d previously been in started up again, until the car that had been just in front of him disappeared ahead. “fuck”. He returned his eyes to the back of the car in front of him, resigned.

He was so disenchanted with it all, and in his head, he didn’t see the dark shadow forming over his back seat. Through the rearview mirror a figure glitched into view, an ethereal hand reaching over his seat to rest on his shoulder. He released a shutter as a chill ran through his body.

…

“A little to the left… There you go! That’s perfect!” Annie chirped the direction, snapping pictures as her target moved into place. “Beautiful! Oh, there you go. Okay, one more, and I want you to look toward, and past me, let your eyes move out of focus, aaaaand there it is!” She couldn’t wait to get these into edits. It had been the perfect set. The lighting worked just as she’d hoped. The mother and daughter giggled together, the latter squealing into a gleeful laugh, as her mother tickled under her chin.

Annie snapped one final frame. From the corner of her eye, a figure in all black caught her attention. She glanced toward the fountain they’d been using as a backdrop. Her gaze followed the figure as he paced around the far corner, turned, and followed the same path back to the front of it. His conversation was muted in the crowd of noise in the courtyard, but his animated hand gestures and the slight slump in his shoulders captured her attention a moment longer.

There was something about him she couldn’t quite place, like a story unfolding that required capture. Without thinking much of it, she snapped a picture. As she lowered the camera, she was surprised to find him staring directly at her. She offered a shy smile and slight wave he didn’t reciprocate. He turned again and disappeared around the far side of the fountain. An involuntary shiver tossed her back into the moment.

“Alright, I think that about wraps us up here. You two did beautifully!” She smiled warmly. “I should have these ready for you before the end of the week.” They exchanged pleasantries, both gushing over how fun it had been.

Annie gathered up her equipment, twisting on the cap of her camera, still smiling over the duo. It was clients like these who made the job worthwhile. Her mind wandered back to the dark stranger. Curiosity tugged at her sleeve as she shouldered her backpack and took the long way around the fountain.

The man was nowhere to be seen. Her heart fell. Oh well, maybe it was just meant to be a single picture. She pulled out her phone to check the time. They’d finished with fifteen minutes to spare.

…

Ray unlocked the apartment door. Three beers were all he’d been able to stomach. He’d excused himself before the game had ended; deciding the beverages in his fridge and empty apartment were better company than the group he’d wasted 45 minutes in crap traffic to meet with. After making up an excuse about taking out a dog he didn’t have and exchanging goodbyes, he was relieved to find himself back on the road. At least traffic hadn’t been so bad on the return trip.

He flicked on the kitchen lights and made his way to the fridge, retrieving a brew, he made his way to the couch. He flopped down and undid his pants with a deep sigh. He turned on the TV, his mind lost in space as he went over the events of the previous week. It’s all just too much. He thought. And for what?

He looked around at the room full of items he’d bought and never used. Not for lack of desire, but time and energy. A plane model left half-built, a brand-new games station barely out of the box, a snowboard that had never seen the slopes. His eyes strayed to the only framed picture in the space.

He frowned into the image and took a swig from his bottle. Photos. The word whispered through him as the image of a camera flashed through his mind. The photographer. A scene from earlier followed. The woman who’d waved at him in front of the fountain while he’d been on the phone with his mom.

A small smile formed over his lips without reaching his eyes. That’s the most genuine smile he’d seen in a long time. He wondered what she’d seen, why she was snapping a photo of him to begin with. The memory faded to the back of his mind as he flipped through the channels.

Behind him, the air shifted. A shadow shifted through the silhouettes, changing shape and size as it went. A ghastly white hand, gnarled and ghostly like smoke, swirled from thin air, casting a long shadow through the background of his apartment. As it reached for the picture on the shelf, it passed through and swirled around it. The silhouette moved over the wall just past the TV. A guttural, barely audible growl sent a shiver down Rays’ spine. “The fuck was that?”

He muted the TV and leapt up from the couch, his hair standing up on the back of his neck, his whole body was tense, his heart pounded against its cage and jumped into his throat. It was the fourth time today, he’d felt racy. It was as if every fearful thought he’d ever experienced fell around him all at once. A cool breeze swept through the living room. “Damn it…” Great… just what I need, lucky no one robbed the place. He made his way to the window and closed it forcefully, locking it.

He stared out into the twilight, the remnants of the setting Sun reminding him he had to work again the next day, and the morning would come all too soon, as always. He gulped down the last of the beer and, with a deep sigh, made his way back to the fridge. “I’ve got to chill the fuck out… this stress is really getting to me.” The shadows shifted, following after him, as if watching.

…

Annie could have worked on the edits until morning. The mother and child were so sweet together. She loved that the photoshoot had been a gift to the missing father. A birthday present from his two favorite girls, as the little one had mentioned more than once.

She smiled into the image, enhancing the light rays that had poured in so naturally. It was going to be a bold, black-and-white style, she’d already decided. But there was something in the background that was drowning out the out-of-focus fountain.

She frowned and zoomed in, it appeared to be… no… She took the filter off and zoomed in again. It was a crow, but, there was something off about it. She could see the outline of the fountain behind it, and if it was to scale, it couldn’t be much smaller than the child. What a strange optical illusion… She sifted backward through the photos, they all appeared perfectly normal. It must have been the lighting shifting; this one had been toward the end of the session.

She took a sip from her wine glass and scrolled forward in the images. The figure of the large bird was in each one, though she couldn’t make out any defining features, and in the final frame it appeared in, its wings seemed to be disappearing yet, expanded fully. She could see the concrete of the fountain through it. A shiver ran up her spine as she came to the final picture on the memory card.

She gasped and jumped back so quickly her hand sent her wine glass flying off the desk and onto her light blue throw rug. “What the hell?”

She rushed to the sink and grabbed a drying cloth, and reached for the Tide stain remover from the cupboard beneath. Her mind bent and swirled over the turn in events. She quickly tended to her mess and left the stain remover to soak in for a moment as she rushed back to her position in front of the screen.

“What did I capture?” She thought back to the moment with the figure dressed in all black. How drawn she’d felt to snap a photo of him. And here it was… His figure stood tall, the shadow of a large raven or crow extending from him, cast over the fountain behind. Its wings spread out as if part of his shadow. It was captivating, better than any edits she could have imagined enhancing to make him seem like an otherworldly figure. But it was his face that had sent her heart racing and her glass flying through the air. Or rather, the lack of expression. His face was distorted; it looked a lot like how she remembered the painting of “The Scream”.

Everything was blurred, but his mouth and eyes appeared as dark gaping holes, just different enough from the rest of the face to be visible and unsettling. It’s only his face that’s blurred… She could even make out the badge hanging loosely from his pocket in perfect detail. She zoomed in on it. “Ray Biggins… Visio Tech…” She murmured out loud, as if trying to fill the space with anything but the deafening silence that had overtaken her in her home office.

Her heart stirred. She felt a tug to show him the photo. Then, the need to… That’s the building just behind that fountain. She bit her lip as she zoomed in on his contorted face. Could I recognize him in a crowd? She looked at the camera sitting on the desk in front of her. I have to at least try.

…

Ray slapped at his phone, groaning into the pillow. “Five more minutes.”

He hit the snooze and rolled over. The moment his eyes started to close again, the device rang. “Damn it!” He reached for it and pulled it close. Robert, HR. He hit ignore and tossed the covers away, rolling out of bed like a stone. His feet felt heavy, his head, heavier. I need to get back into running.

He glanced at his running shoes. Nothing about the idea excited him the way it used to. He made his way to the kitchen, typing out a response to Robert. He absent-mindedly pulled the coffee grounds from the top shelf, eyes still glued to the screen. The espresso tin fumbled in his fingers and fell to the floor. The lid burst away, and the contents exploded over the tiles. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!”

He bellowed and tossed the phone across the room without sending the message.

His mind was full of chatter as he pulled the small vacuum from the wall and made his way to the mess. He stopped short, his shoulders pulled in. “what the hell?” The grounds had formed the perfect outline of a large bird that appeared to be landing, talons out. He frowned and squeezed his eyes closed, when he opened them again, the shape in the mess was less pronounced. I need to chill the fuck out. Maybe I should take a sick day. He brushed the thoughts aside and proceeded to vacuum the mess.

He snatched his phone from the floor where it had landed, next to the window he’d left open the night before. He didn’t look up from the now cracked screen. “great.” He rubbed his thumb over the crack and wiped the fingerprints away with his shirt. He leaned in closer, observing the damage.

The black surface reflected the room back to him. He squinted in at his reflection, a shadow shifted behind him. Startled, he drew away and looked over his shoulder. The space was empty. The window was closed and locked, and the curtains were still.

His breath caught, an eerie chill ran through his spine. “fuck this…” He woke the screen and went back to his messages. He hadn’t even made coffee yet, he groaned, remembering his supply had just been wasted over the kitchen floor. I’ll get coffee on the way. As he pulled up Roberts’ conversation to let him know he’d be running a little late, the message box was full, but not with what he’d meant to write. SOS… appeared

repeatedly. He quickly deleted the message and started again. “Been one of those mornings, sorry Robert, I’ll check in when I get to the office. Running late.” Send.

Ray left the phone on the back of his couch and went about the rest of his morning routine. As he walked to the bathroom, a silhouette appeared over the dark screen in front of the window. Although nothing could be seen in the sunlight, a large circle of fog appeared over the pane from the inside, disappeared, and reappeared again, as if something unseen was breathing onto it. The shower turned on from the next room as the same letters from the text box formed in the moisture, leaving them imprinted faintly.

….

Annie fidgeted with the lens cap on her camera, watching the faces as they passed. This is crazy… he is going to think I am insane. I should just quit while I’m ahead. What if I can’t recognize him? But still, she waited. It was her day off, so nothing was pressing or demanding her attention.

She’d tossed and turned all night. Her sleep had been fitful and full of strange dreams of being hunted by something she couldn’t see. It followed her in the form of a hundred different forms until she finally pulled herself from bed with a mission in mind. She had to find the man in black and show him the picture she’d captured. What he did with the information was up to him, but she felt she wouldn’t have peace until she accomplished the goal.

She took a sip from her coffee cup and scanned the dwindling crowd. What had seemed like a promising venture in the beginning now felt futile. I have no way of knowing when he shows up or leaves. She scoffed at the thought, nodding into it.

“Beautiful day to be out and about.” A kind, gravelly voice broke through her thoughts. She glanced over to find an old woman. She hadn’t seen her before or noticed her sitting down on the fountain next to her.

“Yes, it really is.” She smiled back.

The woman motioned toward her camera. “Are you trying to capture anything in particular?”

“Not today, well, actually, kind of.” She bit her lip, trying to withhold the urge to explain. “I took a picture of a man by this fountain yesterday. I was hoping to find him again today.” As she spoke, she realized how silly it all sounded. But the haunting nature of the photo invaded her mind. “I know that sounds crazy, but…” She let her voice trail off as a man in a dark suit sped by, checking his watch as he passed. Not him. She decided.

The kind woman nodded as if it wasn’t out of the ordinary, bringing Annie’s attention back. “The heart wants what it wants.” She offered a knowing grin.

“Actually, I feel like I have to show him the picture I took of him. It’s… hard to explain.” She took the woman in with a little more care. She was beautiful and strange all at once; her wrinkles were a tapestry of a full life. But it was her eyes Annie couldn’t seem to look away from. One was deep ocean blue, while the other was dark brown. Under different circumstances, she would have asked to take a picture of her as well. She smiled.

“May I see it? Now I am curious about what could have led you to look for a perfect stranger. I bet he is handsome.” She chuckled again, but Annie felt a wave of relief pass through her.

“I assure you, it isn’t handsomeness that has me looking; I barely remember what he looked like, only that I had an overpowering sense that I wanted to capture whatever moment he was in. I was working on a different shoot. Are you sure you want to see it? It’s… disturbing.” She frowned, not wanting to startle the woman or give her a heart attack. The woman tilted her head curiously and nodded.

Annie flipped the camera screen on to view before glancing at the woman again. “My name is Annie, by the way.” She offered a hand. The woman took it, and held it in her firm grasp, her eyes twinkled with mischief.

“Call me Habby.” She chirped back.

“Habby… I love it, I’ve never heard that name before.” She hesitated, turning her eyes to the image, deciding to flip to the photo where the crow-like figure first appeared. “Mind you, I only looked at all of these while editing the photos last night.” The woman nodded, reaching for the camera. Annie noticed her thumbs were abnormally flat, her fingers slender and knobby.

Habby’s entire demeanor changed from light and playful to serious as she flipped through the images. Her eyes lingered on the final picture. After a moment that felt like eternity, her eyes slowly shifted from the screen to Annie. She seemed to look into her soul. “What do you think? Am I overreacting? Could it have been a trick of the light?” She played through all the thoughts she’d tried to rationalize the anomaly with the night before.

Habby didn’t answer right away, but offered the camera back quickly, as if she didn’t want to touch it any longer. “There are some things in this world we don’t understand…” She paused, as if looking for the right way to express her thoughts. “You know, before I came here, I lived in Ireland.” Her voice drifted into memories. “My grandmother was a weaver I took up the craft, and while we would spin together, she would tell me stories and folklore, and legends of the past.”

Annie shifted position so she could look at the woman without craning her neck, drawing a leg under her. She sipped her coffee, listening intently.

“She told me, a story about a man who’d been marked by the unforgiven, the Sluagh, she called them. The townsfolk who’d known him his whole life believed he went mad. One night, he came into the local pub ranting and raving about ravens and crows made of smoke, and disembodied voices in the wind. She said he wouldn’t look into windows, and scared the townsmen half to death speaking about the dead rekindled and reclaiming the souls of those living with unfulfilled dreams.”

Annie’s arms filled with goosebumps. “Sluagh…” she said the word out loud, more to herself than anything.

“They feed on fear and malcontent, and their only weakness is rekindled light. Once a soul is marked, it fades and blurs until the vessel is swept away by the spirits of the dead.” She continued.

“Rekindled light?” Annie asked.

“Yes. Like a candle in the dark. Like a test, show strength and goodwill, or die. If a soul can see through the fear the Sluagh produce when they come to claim and drag them to the space of the dead, they pass, and rise into the life they desired and yet, deprived themselves of. They have no claim to the soul and must leave them be.” She smiled softly, but the warmth didn’t reach her eyes. “But that’s just a folktale, dear.”

“But, your grandmother, what did she tell you about the man? Did he find a way to do what you said? Did he, ‘reclaim his life’?”

The woman shook her head. “From what she told me, that night at the pub was the last anyone ever heard from him.”

Annie bit her lip, looking down at the distorted image. Not sure if the story made her more or less likely to want to find the man in question.

“Nonetheless,” The woman’s tone brightened as she stood. “True love, genuine friendship, acts of selfless kindness, and gratitude seem to be their kryptonite, if my memory serves me. And again, it’s all just lore.” She offered a kind smile and rested a bony hand on Annie’s shoulder. “Like what you are doing here, looking for a complete stranger in the hopes of offering him clarity on a situation he might not be completely privy to.” Her eyes sparkled and danced as she offered a final squeeze. “It was a pleasure running into you, Annie. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Inadvertent tears filled Annie’s eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered, wiping them away with a smile. “It was really nice to meet you, Habby.”

The kind old woman began to walk away, but turned after a few steps, “Annie, remember, viruses and colds aren’t the only things that can be contagious.”

Annie watched her disappear into the crowd, as the questions left unanswered swirled in her wake.

…

Ray looked down at his watch as he walked into the revolving doors. He followed the gaggle of foot traffic from the front entrance into the open air for the first time in ten hours. He took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. The day had been relatively uneventful, and the strange occurrences from the morning had been pushed from his mind in the hustle and bustle. Now, as he made his way from the building that claimed so much of his life, the thoughts began drifting in. He didn’t want to go back to the apartment right away, but what else did he have to do?

The courtyard connecting the three large buildings was relatively quiet for this time of day. His eyes scanned the space, falling onto the fountain. A small smile crossed his features as he thought of the photographer. His brow unfurrowed; he switched directions on impulse. Ring-ring! A bike bell sounded, a voice bellowed, “Watch where you’re going guy!” and a cyclist buzzed by so close he felt it brush against his hip.

“Get off the sidewalk, jackass!” he hollered back. Grumbling more quietly, “go play in traffic fucker,” As he maintained course for the fountain.

“Sorry, Ray? Ray Gibbins?” A pleasant voice called from somewhere to his left. He glanced with a groan, imagining someone from the office expecting to exchange niceties, and was surprised to find the woman from the day before looking up at him expectantly.

“Yeah, that’s me.” He frowned, confused now. “How… do,” He pieced together the puzzled phrases. “Do I know you?” He settled.

“No,” Her laugh tittered with nervousness, “Sorry, I know this is really weird.” She stuck out a hand. “My name is Annie. I saw you at the fountain yesterday. I was the weirdo taking your picture.”

Ray felt uneasy. A surge of adrenaline sent his heart racing. “Look, I don’t have time for this. It’s been a long day, I don’t want to buy any pictures or whatever, so, if this is some gimmick, save it for the next sucker, alright?” He turned around, now angry… it’s always something in this stupid fucking city, always someone with their hand out.

“Are you joking me?! I didn’t wait around all day for you to treat me like an asshole!” He could hear the exasperation in her voice, and a piece of him felt gratified. He continued walking, waving a dismissive hand over his shoulder.

“You might want to see what I have to show you…” She called one final time. Her shoulders slumped. What an asshole. She frowned after him. He slowed his steps, he hadn’t wanted to go home anyway, so… he groaned and turned around.

“Like I said, I’m not buying anything. Don’t waste my time.” He warned. She nodded, crossing the last few steps to the bench between them. She sat on the backrest and tapped the space next to her. He stayed standing and shifted his backpack as she flipped on the camera screen again.

“So… I don’t know what to say, so I won’t say anything. I was doing a photoshoot, and something told me to take a picture of you.” He crossed his arms, getting ready to make a snarky remark when she held out the camera so he could see for himself. He almost choked on his own spit.

“What the fuck is this?” His face went slack and turned a shade of white Annie had never seen on a person before. “Are you fucking with me?”

Annie’s heart softened from the fist it had formed. “This seems like a great time to go grab a coffee, or food? I’m starving, too hungry to think. I literally didn’t leave all day because I was afraid I’d miss you if I did.” She smiled up at him and let the camera go, “Your treat?”

Ray wasn’t expecting to laugh, but the surprise and shock swirled in with the adrenaline pumping through his body, forced a chuckle our of him. Her expression didn’t fit the terror rising, which was somehow funnier all at once. She continued, “I mean… It’s the least you can do. I waited around all day to find you, and I’m actually hungry now that I think of it.”

He checked his watch impulsively, “Alright, yeah.” A trickle of relief penetrated the overwhelm. The situation suddenly felt different, less, terrifying and more curious, the events of the past weeks were starting to add up. It was nice to have someone to talk to about it. Someone who wouldn’t think he was crazy. “I know a good place a couple blocks from here if you like burgers and beer?” He smirked, still sizing his new friend up.

“Perfect. I love both.”

…

“I’ll take a Blue Moon, thanks.” Annie handed over her ID, the tender took it and barely glanced over its surface before handing it back. She hadn’t asked for Rays’. Annie smiled at the realization that he must have been a regular.

“How did you figure out my name?” He was clearly puzzled. “And where I worked?” He let out a burst of involuntary laughter, taking the beer handed to him with a nod. “or did you just assume you’d show up at the same place you’d seen me before, and hope I’d show up.”

Annie rolled her eyes, she and the tender exchanged smiles as she brought her a tall glass with a wedge of orange on its rim. “Oh please… in the last… twenty minutes of knowing me, do I seem like the kind of person to just, assume you’d show up in the same place randomly, twice…” she lifted an unironic eyebrow.

Ray laughed. “I don’t fuckin’ know.”

“You’re badge was sticking out of your pants pocket… I zoomed in, and voila.” She squeezed the fruit into her bubbling beverage and sucked down her first gulp. She hadn’t realized how thirsty she was.

Her mouth watered. “Sorry,” she signaled the tender and slid another dollar over the bar top. “When you have a second, can I get a water?” She nodded, professional as ever, and went right to it without missing a beat. Annie liked the place already. It was just busy enough to be cozy; a hum of laughter and buzz of energized conversation saturated the space, like another layer to the familiar music playing in the background.

“A natural Nancy Drew.” He smiled.

“I’m surprised you know who that is.” She shot back.

“I read all the books; my sister was a huge fan. I used to read her bedtime stories as an excuse to devour them.” He chuckled.

“Ah, I see.” Annie watched him, fond already. “I always wanted an older brother for exactly that reason.”

His face went stoic, unreadable. “Wish I had been nicer to her in other ways… spent more time with her in general.” His voice was far away, and Annie felt the urge not to prod. She waited for him to continue. When he didn’t, she pulled the menu in, comfortable in the ambience.

She swayed to the music and thanked the tender for the water. “I’ll take the deluxe bacon supreme burger and a side of wedge fries. Can I get extra honey mustard and ranch on the side, please?” The tender nodded, looking to Ray.

“I’ll take the usual.” He slid the menu back. The tender smiled and nodded.

“This is on him, by the way.” Annie laughed. “I’m on the job.”

The tender lifted her brows in surprise. Ray jumped in quickly, “Detective work… not… sex work.”

They all laughed. “You wouldn’t believe how not out of the norm either of those options would be in this place…” The tender quipped. She smirked and rolled her eyes, handing them a number as she typed in the orders. “For him, it would be a first.” She smiled at Annie, then looked back at Ray. “You know the drill.” He nodded, and they made their way to an open bar table for more privacy.

…

The evening went by fast. The conversation strayed from one topic into the next, from the photoshoot to Ray’s younger sister, who’d died in a drowning accident a few years before. They discussed the impending sense of doom that had been building, the hopelessness of adulthood in corporate settings compared to Annie’s entrepreneurship, and her love for her craft.

She told him about the old woman, and the story she’d shared about the contagious nature of discontent, and how its cure seemed to be intentional kindness, and care. Ray admitted it had been a while since he’d felt inclined to either because who deserved it.

The burgers came and went, the late afternoon faded into twilight, and before they knew it, it was ten o’clock. Ray checked his watch.

The dread that had been warded away in the good company and lively atmosphere seemed to breathe down his neck out of nowhere. The contents of the picture bearing down around him, along with the strange sounds and shadows waiting for him in the quiet of his apartment. Annie shifted in her seat. Gathering her items into her backpack once more.

Ray watched her for a moment longer before setting his mind to the inkling that had built in the background of their conversation. “It’s strange that we met… right? Like, that kinda feels like… fate, or something weird?” He questioned.

Annie smiled and nodded. “You know what’s weird, is that I almost didn’t have that photoshoot. The mother called to cancel and reschedule, but I didn’t have any openings before her husband’s birthday, so we went a little later than we’d first scheduled. It all worked out strangely perfect… we’d actually finished earlier than expected, I got all the shots I’d needed, or I can imagine I might not have been inclined to take your picture in the middle of their camera roll, you know?”

“Camera roll?” He laughed. “There’s a relic from the past.” She chuckled and nodded.

“So. This is gonna sound like whatever it sounds like… but, would you come be my photographer. Like, I’d pay you per hour, or however you do it…” He paused, trying to word his request less weirdly. “I promise, I’m not trying to get in your pants or anything like that. I have to work in the morning, and I haven’t slept well in the last… week. So, since you caught these things in action before… if, and I know this is a big ask, especially since you don’t deal with these things all the time, I’m assuming…”

He stopped talking, not sure what to say, realizing he was asking a perfect stranger to spend the night on his couch, snapping pictures of supernatural phenomena so he could get a solid night of sleep and not be alone.

Annie slowly adjusted her straps. She watched him as he spoke and stayed quiet while he did his best to articulate the offer. She smiled and nodded. “I get it, you don’t want to be alone, and you’re willing to pay me as a professional,” she wiggled her eyebrows before continuing, “Prove to that bartender there’s a first for everything, and you are willing to pay me, handsomely to accomplish the goal, and further your research on the matter.”

His shoulders relaxed, he took a deep breath and finished his beer. “Yeah.. That pretty much sums it up.”

Annie pulled up her appointment app. She scrolled through, her first appointment was one in the afternoon the next day. She’d all but finished the edits on her previous shoot, the day they’d met. She pursed her lips while doing the calculations. “How far do you live from here?”

She looked him over. “You realize I’m taking a risk here right… for all I know, you could be a serial killer, like, that Green River guy, who pretended to have a broken arm or whatever, to get women to follow him back to his car…” Her smile widened as she spoke.

“Um, let’s not forget who approached who here, lady.” He scoffed and scooted out of the booth, leaving a ten-dollar bill on the table. He waved at the bartender, she smiled back and nodded, wiping her hands on the drying towel and grabbing a wash rag, she made her way to the table as they walked together to the doorway.

Annie noted the interaction; he wasn’t a killer, he frequented the same place often enough to be familiar with the surroundings and contents… She weighed the balances. Besides, it felt like kismet had brought them together; maybe she and her camera could help him develop a kind streak, or find the picture of what he wanted most, and help remind him of the things that used to make him feel alive.

She remembered what the kind old woman had told her. About love, genuine acts of kindness, and reclaiming the life desired rather than fading into the one embodied to the point of discontent. About colds not being the only thing contagious… “Deal.” She blurted into the open street as they pushed through the front door.

“What?”

“I’ll go with you. I’ll stay on your couch, and if anything strange happens, I’ll capture pictures. My only other requirement is endless coffee. I have my laptop, so I can work on edits until I’m too tired to stay awake.” Ray’s expression lightened as she spoke.

“Yeah?” He smirked and stuffed his hands in his pockets, pulling keys out in one, while allowing the other to remain.

“Yup.” She nodded.

He nodded in return, pointing down the street in the direction they’d walked from. “My car is in the parking garage.”

“So is mine.” She smiled.

“I can have you back before the meters kick back on. I go in at 6:30 AM.” He noted.

“Alright, that works for me.” Annie imagined telling her mother she’d gotten into a strangers car, gone home with him, and left herself in the hands of fate as she walked along the dark sidewalk between lights. She chuckled. So strange to think that was a weekly thing for some people.

“What’s funny?” She glanced up to find him looking curiously back.

“Oh… nothing.” She scoffed, “I was just thinking about the way things are, you know… I don’t make it a habit of going home with people on the first date, I was just appreciating the craziness of ‘hook up’ culture.” She air-quoted. “It’s genuinely insane to me… I was just thinking about shooting my mom a text to let her know what was going on. And then it popped into my mind that, this,” She indicated them both. “Is just another Saturday for some Sally Sue out there.”

He laughed heartily. “Some Sally Sue?” Ray took in his new companion. He hadn’t expected his guardian angel to be so charming and down to earth. He glanced at her unmanicured nails and comfortable, soft T-shirt. He hadn’t noticed how plainly she was dressed, maybe because she’d carried herself in an elegant, unassuming way. He realized he hadn’t thought about any of the points of tension since they’d been hanging out.

He frowned. Considering the implication, that maybe… Everyone he spent the majority of his time with was severely fucked up. Maybe the anxiousness wasn’t his, but a product of poor environments. A shiver of confirmation rushed down his spine. Maybe the bad vibe thing was a real phenomenon… “hey.” He stopped and turned meaningfully. She mirrored, he lifted a hand to the same shoulder Habby had grabbed earlier… “Thanks.”

Annie smiled. “Yeah, no problem. You would have done the same for me.” Her grin turned wily as he cocked his head and raised his eyebrows.

“Genuinely, I would not have. Not a chance. If the roles had been reversed, you’d have been shit out of luck, I won’t even lie. Sorry.” They both laughed and continued walking toward the looming parking structure.

Above them, a murmuration of black birds raveled and unraveled in silent patterns, like a black cloud of smoke, it moved and swirled slowly along in tandem, the moon their only witness. A wraith-like silhouette stalked through the shadows between the streetlights.

…

It had been an hour since Ray had headed off to bed. Annie comfortably settled on his couch with the coffee they’d stopped at a convenience store to get, replacing the one he’d let slip earlier in the day. Annie admired the loft’s exposed brick and ductwork, the high ceilings, the stairway leading to his bedroom; rustic and charming.

Exactly what she imagined someone like Ray would appreciate. She let her eyes drift from her editing screen. The space was comfortably furnished, clearly suited for a single-person residence. The minimalist design was fitting, too. A single painting of a lone cargo ship in the distance over a mostly calm ocean, rendered in black and white so it looked like a photo. She stood and walked to the space it filled on the wall.

She ran her finger over the textured canvas. The only light was a warm glow from a lamp in the room. That same warm light seemed to radiate from every surface. She leaned down to find a line of LEDs stuck to the underside of the painting. She smiled, then continued scanning the room. I bet the lights are under the tables, too. She made her way around the room, taking in the details, letting time drag like molasses, as it always seemed to late at night.

She reached the window overlooking the street below. The metal fire escape was just beyond. Across the street, loomed another skyscraper full of windows—some lit, others dark, some covered by drapes and curtains. She squinted in, then breathed onto the glass, stepping back to look at the finger-drawn note. S O S.

“Wow.” The whisper escaped her lips. She moved around the couch and grabbed her camera. The hair on her neck stood up. A feeling of unease simmered beneath her calm exterior. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t catch it,” the thoughts came to her like a prompt. She breathed on the glass again, making the message come alive. She backed away and snapped a photo.

The flash lit up the room. She leaned closer, inspecting the writing. She brought the camera to her chest and reached out a finger to touch the glass. It’s drawn from inside… She breathed on it again, then took another picture. This time, the flash revealed a figure, eyes glowing, standing behind her in the reflection of the dark glass.

Annie gasped and spun around, covering her mouth with her hand. The figure had looked like Ray, maybe it was. His expression had been cold and calculating.

She tiptoed softly to the bottom of the stairs. “Ray, are you awake?” A soft snore from above confirmed he was sleeping.

I need to calm down, she thought. She placed a hand over her chest, her heart pounding as if begging to escape. It’s okay… we’re exactly where we need to be. She glanced at her coffee mug, shaking out her hands. I’m just jittery from the caffeine. She moved to the kitchen for a glass of water. The air felt thick as she went through it; she could almost hear her thoughts whispering out loud.

She turned on the faucet, allowing her mind to wander. This anxiousness, it isn’t mine… She imagined running through the space with a vacuum cleaner, like the one from Ghostbusters, and sucking up all the moments spent in turmoil, lost in a dark headspace. She chuckled and took a sip. Suddenly, like a flash of lightning, an idea came to her. Open the window, tell it to get out!

Annie lost no time; she rushed on tiptoe to the window, unlocked it, and threw it open. “Get out. NOW!” She whisper-yelled forcefully. As if answering her demand, a loud shriek rushed through the space, a gust of wind flew past her from every direction, it felt like an attack, the whispers she’d heard now screamed around her, the force nearly pushing her out the window. She held to the wall and squeezed her eyes closed. She instinctively covered her ears and whimpered as she sank to the floor.

She felt footsteps vibrating through her body, and then hands on her. She gasped and pushed away as Ray pulled her hands away from her ears. “It’s okay… it’s just me, hey, what the hell happened?” She was breathing heavy, like she’d just finished a marathon, her whole body hummed and shivered. He pulled her in close. “Hey, you’re okay, it’s okay…” He lifted her off the ground and swept her to the couch, covering her in a blanket before rushing back to the window and closing it. In his hurry to be back at her side, he missed the misty handprints dragging down the pane, from the outside.

…

Annie slept soundly the rest of the night. When morning came, she woke to the sound of the coffee pot sputtering the last of its contents into the pot beneath. She yawned and stretched, her hand smacking the coffee table at the head of the couch. “Oh, crap.” She wiped the drool away from the side of her mouth and looked around. The memories from the night before came flooding back in like a fever dream. “Holy shit…” She fumbled the camera and flipped it to view. The screen flashed to the final picture, an involuntary hand went to her mouth, “Oh my gosh…”

“Good morning, sunshine,” Ray called from the kitchen.

“Ray, come look at this.” She called back. She heard the fridge open, then close, and he came in with two mugs.

She double-took, and her smile widened. “You look well rested.” She stated. The circles under his eyes had vanished. He chuckled.

“I feel like a million bucks. Best sleep I’ve had in a long time, even after I got you all tucked in again, I fell asleep like a rock. No dreams, nothing, until the alarm went off. I didn’t even snooze it.” He laughed incredulously.

“Good I’m so glad to hear it.” She handed over the camera, explaining to him the events leading up to his startled awakening.

He watched her intently, then shifted through the images. He let out an involuntary shiver. “This is creepy as fuck… you could make a whole horror gala with this content.” He smirked. “Maybe I should have you pay me.”

She laughed. “Dude, get out of here… I just séanced the shit out of your apartment. Look at that…” She pointed to the image he’d left up. And flexed an arm, pretending to kiss her muscles. The shot was blurred, but through what looked like smoke clouding the hallway leading to the window, a thousand faces without eyes and open ghastly mouths seemed to swirl toward the focal point. She couldn’t have created a more horrific image if she’d tried. She switched backward. “See that? I totally thought you’d woken up and that was you, standing behind me.”

Ray wasn’t looking at the camera, but the little heroine who’d come to his rescue so willingly. His face softened as she continued talking, cracking a joke about being an exorcist without going to exorcist school. He suddenly had the overwhelming urge to lean in and kiss her. He closed his fist around the impulse, not wanting to ruin a perfect moment. She looked up at him, still laughing at her own joke, her demeanor changed, “Is, everything… okay?” She asked, sipping from her mug loudly.

He smiled and did the same before answering. “Yup, hunky dory.”

She laughed. “I can’t say I ever would have imagined that phrase coming out of your mouth.” His eyes were on her lips again; he shook himself free and stood up. “Can you print these off for me? Large print? I think I might hang them up in my bathroom, as, you know… trophies.”

Annie snorted, and they both laughed harder. By the time he was dropping her at her car, he was almost sad to see the moment end, if not for how light he now felt he wasn’t ready for it to be over. They’d exchanged numbers with the promise of being in touch, but that didn’t feel tangible enough. “Hey!” He called after her before she could shut the door.

She doubled back. “I know this might seem, crazy, but I think we are a little past that anyway…” His eyes twinkled. Annie sensed a shyness overcome with the next bold statement. “Do you have any plans this weekend? I am getting out of the city, visiting my hometown, it’s only like… an hour away, but, if you don’t have anything going on, you should come…” Annie blinked back her surprise and then dipped in with gusto, “That sounds awesome. I’d love that… do you mind if I bring my camera?”

…

Isabell chewed her gum loudly, blowing smoke into the phone receiver, not hiding her annoyance at having to listen to the person on the other end of the line. It had never been a strong suit. Patience either. She groaned and snapped, “I just don’t have time for all your problems, Gena.

Your life is a mess, you are messy, and that’s why Dennis left you. Granted, he’s a total waste of space, so really, this cunt he cheated with totally did you a favor.” She was looking down at her newly manicured fingers, not paying attention, and ran face-first into a man making his way around the back side of the fountain.

What appeared to be a shadow skipped out of her own and into the man’s chest, then out through his back; it swirled within the silhouette he cast over the fountain. He blinked, as if coming into his body again, his expression darkened as she continued. “Oh my god! Fucking Loser! Watch where you are going, what the fuck is wrong with people!” she screeched. She grabbed his badge and flung it back at him. “Ray. Fucking moron! I hope you get hit by a bus! One less idiot on this stupid planet!”

The individuals passing around them stepped back to avoid the scene. The man grimaced, holding the phone away from his face, covering the receiver. “You ran into me, lady. Chill the fuck out.” She threw both fingers into the air. A flock of crows burst from the fountain, letting out chaotic cries. She turned and continued on, relaying the whole situation into the phone, animatedly gesturing. “Fucker made me drop my cigarette, what an idiot, some people don’t deserve to breathe, you know?”

She dug through her purse, looking for the pack she had just opened. Isabell stopped at the sidewalk’s edge, still rummaging and complaining about rude people.

From above, out of the swarm of crows, a shadow like dark smoke flew forward, smashing into her back, sending her tumbling into the street, her phone skittering over the concrete. She quickly got to her feet in time to see the city bus speeding toward her with no signs of slowing.

… SMASH!