The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

One Picture Left
by Kathleen McCluskey

Dennis reluctantly embraced the task of cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings. He sat in a dismal room in the assisted tuberculosis facility and looked at the meager remains of a man that once forged the roads to the west. Pap had been an adventurer into uncharted wilds that led to the pacific now his life was reduced to a few dirty boxes. He lifted the containers and thought he felt something shift in one of the boxes. Dennis just shrugged it off and placed his grandfather’s memories into the coach. With a jerk the horses were off and Dennis was headed to his estate.

Now Dennis sat in his sunroom with a drink in is hand. His eyes danced as the candlelight glistened inside of them. He opened the boxes. There were the typical things an elderly man would have kept over the years, a memento from his first love and his revolver that always sat so gently at his side. Dennis saw the medal he received from President Jefferson for finding a path to the west, he sat that aside. At the very bottom of the box was a camera. Dennis lifted it and was perplexed by the modern technology such a camera held. He had never seen anything like it. He examined the shutter speed, the lens and discovered there was on photo remaining.

He stood, adjusted his jacket  and set the timer on the camera. He tried to look regal as the shutter snapped.  A soft voice came from behind him, “You used the camera didn’t you?” He turned to see an Indian maiden surrounded by people of all different times and stations. Their eyes were fixed and unseeing. “You are trapped with us now.”

In the sunroom the camera went back to having one picture left.

Fiction © Copyright Kathleen McCluskey
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from Kathleen McCluskey:

The Long Fall: Book 1: The Inception of Horror

Lucifer always cunning and intelligent challenges father to a battle of wits. Being the angel of light he casts a judgemental eye upon mankind. He begins a war with his fellow archangels and God. Michael, along with his siblings defend their home and mankind from their deranged brother. Broad swords and hand to hand combat drench heaven in blood. The four apocalyptic steeds are released, each having their own destructive power. Betrayal and lust are at biblical levels. Understand the very creation of evil and the consequenses that transpire in the first of THE LONG FALL series.

Available on Amazon!