I walked past a picture of Paris on the sidewalk this morning.
Old superstition says photographs steal the soul. Utterly ludicrous, of course.
Photographs don’t steal souls. They merely copy them.
Ah, I can hear you scoffing. But the photograph copies everything else, doesn’t it?
You think I am just a mad old man, don’t you?
But you haven’t been in my gallery at night. You haven’t felt the weight of their eyes upon you.
I walked past a picture of Paris on the sidewalk this morning and wondered how many people were in shot when it was taken.
Word Count: 99
This is for Friday Fictioneers. Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fieldsfor running the challenge and C.E.Ayr for providing the prompt photo!
(This is my first one of these for a while but I’m trying to get back into the swing of doing them.)
So good to see you back, and a suitably chilling story too 🙂
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An extremely creditable return
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So bazaar I was think about photos like this earlier today. Great story. Not soul stealing but more a copying.
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Love the wrap-around of the first line, but with an extra punch.
Great story.
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Ooh I can imagine a good horror film here!
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There’s a chill in the air with this piece. Well done.
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I love how it comes full circle. And am now looking at my photos, wondering…
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Great take on the prompt and one worthy of a return to the fold.
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Dear Joshua,
Nice to see you back. I feel the same way when I look at old photos of people…children in old tintypes who look so solemn…wedding pictures. Did the kids scamper off to play or quarrel after the picture was taken? What was going through their minds. Lovely take on the prompt.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I once saw some old (Victorian era, I think) photographs on the Internet where people were smiling and laughing rather than looking solemn. It was a bit surreal and a good reminder that the people in those days were people, just like us.
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Life is in those pictures.
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Very true. Thanks for commenting!
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Lovely to see you here and what a wonderful return. Creepy, imaginative, atmospheric. Ticked all the boxes for me
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My pleasure
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Goose bumpy and very creepy–totally delightful 🙂
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He ought to make a wide berth around that photo and cover the ones in his house too. I don’t think I want to visit his gallery at night. Chilling tale!
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I agree. Thank you!
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Oh, that last line is a chiller! Good job.
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