Katie and the Photos

Discovering this camera in the back of Mum's wardrobe has been a surprise and not a pleasant one. I wonder how much she knows?

There were lots of photos on the film. Places and people. Two of the people I knew. The others I'd never seen before.

It's weird when you find out things about people you thought you knew and discover that they're not what you thought they were. It's even worse when it's your dad.

I held on to the photos for a while. Shock, I guess. They were mostly good, had an artiness to them; not just snaps. The one of the boys running was the best. A couple were blurred: action shots of the same boys kicking something on a street. But in some you could see their faces. Laughing. Other photos had buildings, landmarks, stylised but discernible. In one, a road sign.

It didn't take a great detective to do some research. The internet is a treasure trove of information.

There was one photo that was distinct from the others. A photo of a couple together. Smiling and laughing. Close. I knew them instantly. It was my mum and dad, a few years back. It was this that made me hesitate.

Because I knew then that it couldn't have been Dad who took the picture. It was someone else. Which suggests it wasn't his camera. The fact that it was in the back of the wardrobe too makes me feel like he didn't want it found. I made sure I put it back exactly. Piece by piece, a picture started to form and I didn't like what it showed.

Someone connected everyone in the photos. I just needed to find out who it was.

My friend, the Internet, helped again, of course. But knowledge, I've learnt, isn't always a good thing.

And so, I thought I'd throw the pictures out there. I found out who the boys were and decided to send them the photo of them running. Laney, her name was. My sister, I discovered. Half-sister.

Disappeared years ago. Never been found. Someone knows.

I think I'll have to confront Dad but I'm scared. What if he's a killer?

***

366 words

So, we know who sent the photos and why now. What next?

This is a series that I'm writing for a microfiction challenge that I'm doing through 2024, to write a story every day. The story starts here:

Yesterday's story:

Thanks for stopping by! If you do read this please leave a comment as I love to interact with my readers.

276/366