When she leaned back against the seat, the stack of photos bulged against her lower back. Larissa had nearly forgotten about them. She reached around, pulled them out, and stared down at the first image. It was the last picture of them she remembered Cassie taking; the one where Ammon had his arm around her at the peer. As Larissa stared down at the image, she couldn’t help but to think aback to what August had said. She had to figure out on her own what it was that she alone could see. What better way to figure that out than by looking at a bunch of images.
One by one, Larissa skimmed through the photos until finally she came across the first picture Cassie had taken on the trip. In the photo, they were waiting for the plane to arrive early in the morning. Larissa was nestled against Ammon’s shoulder and they napped quietly. She hadn’t even noticed that Cassie had taken a picture of them. As she stared down at the small image, she was impressed to find that her heart wasn’t racing and that a pang of remorse didn’t course through her. Perhaps the change had helped ease her mind and looking at the pictures wouldn’t be torturous.
Larissa decided to stare down at the image just a moment longer before glancing at the picture behind it. As she studied the image, she noticed a dark smudge floating above the seat beside her. Larissa pulled the image closer to her face. The dark spot was as small as a speck of dust. She figured it was just a glitch in the camera and tucked the image behind the stack so that she could look at the next picture.
When she gazed down at the next image, she discovered with a sheer wave of terror what the rings in her eyes allowed her to see. For a moment, Larissa forgot how to breathe. This was an ability she knew she never wanted. If anything, this wasn’t a talent, it was a curse. Fear flooded through her veins, coursing like liquid ice in her blood. The hairs stood up on her arms and, she felt her own eyes widen as she gazed down at the three faces perfectly captured in the image.
It was supposed to be just her and Ammon. She remembered when the image was taken. She remembered waking up on the plane beside Ammon, the coffee, and the short conversation leading up to him stealing the camera form Cassie. She remembered the fact that he had left the lid on the camera at first, but then they both smiled right before the camera flashed. It should have been just the two of them. But one more face was added into the collection captured by the camera. It was the face of the woman Larissa had been terrified of when she endured the most hellish nightmares imaginable.
About the Author:
Writing has been the passion of my life since I could read. I loved the idea of being whisked to a new world just by reading black letters on a white page, thus around the age of ten, the idea for this novel was conceived. Until the age of twelve I let the ideas marinade in my mind until I was finally brave enough to put my thoughts on paper. It took years of drafting and tossing ideas around before I finally finished the entire book at the age of eighteen. However, this novel wasn’t published until a whole year of editing later. If it weren’t for the amazing support of my wonderful friends and family, this novel would still be incomplete. They have helped me achieve the longest passion of my life and no amount of words can phrase how grateful I am to have their support. They are wonderful people and it is a treasure to be able to call them friends and family.
And to the reader; thank you. Though you may not know me, know that because you took the time to read my work, I am grateful I hope you enjoyed my novel. I hope it took you away from reality just for a moment of entertainment. I hope the ending left you wanting more because, in fact, I plan on writing four more novels in this series.
Feel free to connect with me
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/svalentine
Follow me @stefanyvramirez
The Stelter City Saga: Ultranatural Page 43
