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The Forgotten Photograph Shaina Tranquilino September 3, 2024

The small, cluttered studio had the scent of chemicals and dust, a familiar blend that clung to the air as Cole Huber worked in the darkroom. The soft red light bathed the space in an eerie glow, casting long shadows as he meticulously developed a roll of film he’d discovered in an old, boxy camera.

The camera had been a forgotten relic from an estate sale, a clunky thing of metal and leather that caught Cole 's eye. It was the kind of piece that hinted at history, at stories long past, and he couldn’t resist adding it to his collection. The roll of film inside was a surprise, a forgotten memory waiting to be unveiled. Curiosity pushed him to develop it, to see what secrets the film held.

As the images began to take shape in the developing tray, Cole's casual interest turned to confusion, and then to a creeping unease. The photographs were clear, well-composed, capturing a sequence of events that seemed almost surreal. They showed an old house, nestled deep within a dense forest, the kind of place where silence hung heavy and time seemed to stand still. The house was unfamiliar, yet something about it tugged at the edges of his memory, a vague sensation that he should know it.

The first few images were unremarkable—shots of the house’s exterior, a wide front porch, a cracked windowpane. But as the sequence continued, the tone of the photographs shifted. The next image was of a woman, standing in the doorway, her face half-hidden in shadow. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes dark pools that seemed to stare directly into the camera—directly at him.

Cole frowned, peering closer at the developing image. The woman’s face was hauntingly familiar, yet he couldn’t place her. She seemed out of time, her clothes vintage, her hair pinned up in a style that belonged to another era.

He moved on to the next photograph, and his heart skipped a beat. The woman was now standing in the middle of a room—an old parlor, perhaps—holding something in her hands. It was the same camera that Cole had bought, the one he now held in his hands. The realization sent a chill down his spine. How could this be? He stared at the image, trying to make sense of it, but there was no explanation that came to mind.

The subsequent images grew stranger. In one, the woman appeared to be speaking to someone just out of frame, her face twisted in a look of anguish. Another showed a figure—a man, his features blurred and indistinct, like a shadow—standing in the corner of the room, watching her.

The final photograph made Cole's breath catch in his throat. The woman was lying on the floor, the camera still clutched in her hands, her eyes wide open and staring, but lifeless. The shadowy figure loomed over her, its form now clearer but still impossible to fully discern. The image was grainy, as if time itself had frayed the edges, but the horror it captured was palpable.

Cole stumbled back from the developing tray, his mind reeling. This wasn’t possible. He had never taken these photographs, never been to the house in the images, and yet… they were undeniably real. He could feel the weight of the camera in his hands, its leather strap cool against his skin, the very same camera from the photographs.

His thoughts spiraled as he tried to comprehend what he had seen. The woman, the house, the shadowy figure—they were all fragments of a nightmare he had never had, yet one that seemed deeply familiar. He felt an inexplicable connection to the events, as if he had been there, as if he had witnessed it all… but had somehow forgotten.

A sudden, sharp knock on the studio door jolted him from his thoughts. Cole turned, his heart pounding, but the knock was not repeated. The silence in the studio was deafening, pressing in on him from all sides. He hesitated, then moved towards the door, his steps slow, as if he were moving through water. His hand trembled as he reached for the doorknob, but when he opened it, the hallway outside was empty.

His eyes darted around, searching for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. Just the empty, dimly lit corridor.

He closed the door, his breath unsteady, and turned back to the darkroom. The photographs were still there, hanging to dry, each one a piece of a puzzle he couldn’t solve. The woman’s lifeless eyes seemed to follow him, accusing, pleading.

Cole knew he needed answers. He grabbed the camera, turning it over in his hands, searching for some clue. There was an engraving on the bottom, worn and nearly illegible, but as he tilted it towards the light, the words became clear: "Property of C. Huber."

His own name.

The world seemed to tilt, his vision narrowing as a rush of memories flooded his mind. The house, the woman, the shadowy figure… he had been there. He had taken those photographs. But the memory was fragmented, like a dream slipping away upon waking. He remembered the woman’s name—Lynne. His wife. His heart ached with a pain that felt both ancient and fresh, a wound reopened after years of being buried.

But the shadow, the figure in the photographs… that was the part that didn’t make sense. He couldn’t remember its face, couldn’t remember what it was. But he knew it was important, knew that it was the key to everything.

The camera felt heavy in his hands, and as he looked at it, he felt a pull, a compulsion to return to that house, to find it again. It was as if the camera itself was guiding him, urging him to uncover the truth.

With a final glance at the photographs, Cole made his decision. He packed his bag, the camera carefully placed inside, and left the studio. The answers were out there, waiting in the shadows of his forgotten past. And he would find them, no matter the cost.

As he stepped out into the night, the wind whispered through the trees, carrying with it the echoes of a forgotten photograph—a moment in time that was never meant to be remembered, yet demanded to be uncovered.