“Exploring life through fiction, together.”

I used to love playing the photographer at parties. I’d flit around, trying to capture the mood and the special moments. The art of it captivated me, even though I wasn’t very good. Plus, it let me avoid talking to people.

Fiction Bite - They say there are monsters out here

The canoe drifted along the loch. Dad’s paddle slipped through the water, never leaving, never splashing. We frazzled under the midday sun, and burnt over its scorching reflection. I lay in the bottom of the boat, legs over the gunwales. There weren’t even clouds drifting in the too-blue sky.

Dad tousled my hair. His silhouette filled my not-yet-awake vision. I followed his gaze, propping my chin on the side of the boat. The mountains doubled in the picture-perfect reflection on the surface. We floated on a thin film of fairy dust. A film that rippled and cracked as something broke the surface, then disappeared. As the ripples buckled the mountains below, I searched for the next shattering. Each breath crept as I waited. Now? Or now? Surely now?

Splash.

I looked down at a wet-furred, dog-like grin. The seal's whiskers were a nose breadth from my face. Its oily-black eyes met mine.

Click.

A camera shutter snapped. The seal dived, and I spun.

“What the hell was that for?”

Quote of the Week

“A photograph is a moral decision taken in one eighth of a second. ” ― Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet 

Book of the month

The Cheese Monkeys by Chip Kidd

Final Words

Now, with my kids, I struggle to get a snap. We’re busy having fun and then the moment’s gone. Or, if they’re playing by themselves, I have to be sneaky. If they catch sight of the camera, the bubble bursts and the magic flies with it. It leaves me torn. Do I embrace the moments as they arise, trying to be fully present? Or do I try to get photos, so I can remember decades later?

What do you think? Let me know. 

With Love,

Josiah

If you enjoy these emails, would you forward it to a friend?

If someome's forwaded you this, you can subscribe here.