The Haunted House (pt. 4)

I heard the voices before I was able to see anything specific beyond the moving light, despite the constant roar of the ocean at my side.  Bits of yelling and laughter were the first to my ears and eased me along a bit in my querying.  There were five people running about on the beach ahead, one with a handheld light that continued in almost constant motion with a purpose that eluded me for the moment.

I gave out an old-timey and half joking yell of a greeting to try to smooth my sudden appearance among people who probably had been under the assumption that they had the coast to themselves and never gave a thought to being spied upon.  It sent an immediate wave of tension through the group resulting in silence that lasted for a long stretch of time as I made my way closer.  My appearance must have had a calming effect as they eventually acknowledged me and slowly thawed in their reactions.

It seems that they were taking pictures of each other while one of their group ran the light around them during a long exposure that resulted in a subject haloed in light and bordered with an impromptu painting of luminance.  They showed me the results of their efforts and I agreed that it was a wondrous effect.  They then asked if I would like to pose for one.  I thought about it only for a short time before acquiescing.

I stood in place as the photographer gave notice that the shot had started and the manic light waver did their thing.  It was a good minute spent on the image and then it was over.  As they cued up the results on the camera I began to exchange names with the group, all of us becoming more comfortable with one another.  However, when they had brought up the picture there was another wave of apprehension that shot through those viewing it that I immediately felt.  In the sparse light I saw expressions that seemed extra darkened and furrowed brows abounded.

Smiling, I went to look at what was so concerning and felt the ground disappear below me as I saw it, a picture of me like the others with the light painting about me and the glow, except....the glow did not touch my face, in fact that part of the image was completely black.  The confusion was palpable among us all.  There was no explanation for it, no example of the same throughout all of the images from the night, nor even from the experience of the photographer who had been at this technique for a long time.

With all that was in the back of my mind in regards to my adventure with the house and now being confronted by this phenomenon, I suddenly felt a chill and foreboding that began to rise in what at the time seemed a foolish panic, but later would fit itself into the full narrative of that evening in a much more meaningful fashion.