Page 11 of Captured on Film
“Won’t people assume you shopped them?”
Josheb cradled a blue-speckled enamel coffee cup against hisbeard, breathing in the steam. “Co-witness testimony?”
“They’ll assume we’re in it together.”
“Because weare. But you come off more trustworthy.”
Caleb inhaled his own faceful of steam before taking acautious sip. “They’ll dig up files from that year Mom made me go tocounseling. Undermine my credibility.”
Josheb grunted. “You’re good with a camera. Take picturesfor me. Document the whole hike. Ever snap any figments?”
“Never tried.” He’d been too busy wishing he could unsee thethings to consider confirming their existence.
“Try.” Josheb scratched and yawned. “Maybe science-y folkswill perk up if you bring back pics of an undiscovered species. They’ll name itafter you. Claim to fame.”
He liked taking pictures. It’d give him something to dowhile they hiked. And it was worth considering … what if bigfoot was elusivebecause he couldn’t be seen by just anyone? Getting a picture would beimpossible if the photographer didn’t know where to point and click.
Which reminded him. Pulling out his phone, Caleb brought upthe snapshot he’d taken the day before. “Ever seen anything like this?”
“Never. Where’d you see it?”
“Here.” Caleb gestured vaguely at the trail behind them. “Yesterday.When I was stretching my legs.”
Josheb was wide awake now. And annoyed. “Why didn’t you tellme?”
“Because … it was weird.”
“Ilivefor weird!” He crowded next to Caleb on the lichen-encrustedstone that had been his choice of seating for breakfast. Zooming in, studyingdetails, he asked, “Could you find it again?”
“Probably. It was glowing.”
Josheb dropped his scowl. “Where? Which part?”
“Camera didn’t pick it up. There were glowing lines allalong the column.”
His brother lit up in his own way. “Damn. There really issomething here!”
Caleb didn’t like to point out that mystic columns weren’tpart of bigfoot’s aesthetic, so he only offered a vague, “Maybe. Be careful, inany event.”
“And take more pictures. Tag them, date and time. Startingtoday.” Tossing back the last of his coffee, he added, “Be thorough. It’ll beimportant. I can feel it in my bones!”
Blue Blazes
The next two days were almost fun. Yes, Caleb was stilltrudging through the middle of nowhere, but with intent. Instead of justmarching far enough to meet Josheb’s milage quota for the day, Caleb was lookingfor landmarks. He snapped unusual trees, rotting logs, rocky outcroppings, and everyone of the blue trail blazes that confirmed their course.
Documentation. He was good at this stuff.
“Why did those war games guys bother to go this far?” Calebasked. “Plenty of woods between here and Aspen Hollow.”
“We’re moving slower than they did.” Josheb had taken chargeof Nessie. “You know how it is. Buncha guys trying to outdo each other. Theyprobably double-timed it the whole way—hut,hut,hut.”
Theyweretaking it slow, and not just for Nessie’ssake. Rain had hampered progress the first day, and they were further delayedby Josheb’s on-the-spot decision to keep careful records. Caleb created a fieldjournal, logging date and time, location and direction. At each waterway, Joshebheld up scraps of paper with creek names while cheesing for the camera.
Caleb was confident that his charts were so thorough, anyonecould retrace their steps.
Josheb insisted that he not hide behind the camera the wholetime. After some convincing, Caleb posed with Nessie. And they took a few duoselfies. Mostly to send to their parents once they returned to civilization.
“Anybody else queuing up to get their picture taken?” askedJosheb.
