Page 12 of Captured on Film
The figments. Caleb shrugged. “Can’t say I’ve noticed.”
“Nothing to lose, right?”
“Maybe with a digital camera, since we can delete duds.” Hecradled an old-school camera protectively.
“What if they only show up on actual film?”
Caleb hadn’t considered that. Was he being too stingybecause their supplies were limited?
Josheb suggested, “Wait to take a shot you’ve already linedup until something slides into the frame. We can check later. See if anythingdevelops.”
He snorted. But he also lifted his phone and snapped apicture of Josheb.
His brother threw his arms wide. “I’m hardly a figment.”
“Josheb Dare, my imaginary younger brother?” Caleb suggestedblandly. “I’m notthatcrazy. But you must have crumbs in your beard.”
Eyes crossing as he looked down, Josheb mock-whispered,“Tell me I don’t have one of those baby krakens on me.”
Josheb had taken exception to the tiny airborne figmentswith tentacles. Caleb was fairly sure the miniature jellyfish were harmless,but they gave Josheb a case of the shudders.
“Birds,” he quickly assured, wanting to put him at ease.
Josheb glanced around. There were birds everywhere. “How doyou know they’re figments?”
“You can’t see them,” Caleb reasoned. “And they’re too tinyto be anything but figments.”
“How tiny?”
He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger. “And they’repurple.”
“No way.”
Caleb rolled his eyes. Then checked his phone. With acrooked smile, he said, “See for yourself.”
Josheb squinted at the display, zoomed in, and muttered,“What in …? How are thosebirds? They look like tiny pom-poms.”
“Easier to tell when they’re flying.” It was silly, defendingthe goofy little puffballs. But they were one kind he didn’t mind so much, possiblybecause they weren’t an amalgam of anything.
“It’s out-of-focus, but I definitely see something.” Brushingidly at his beard, Josheb ordered, “Keep trying.”
Easy Pace
Although Caleb had initially focused on the downsidesof camping, he was remembering parts hedidlike.
The quiet.
The simplicity.
The pace.
And in a way, he liked having Josheb to himself. With littleelse to do but talk, they were slowly but surely catching up. Filling in thegaps left by months apart. Reminiscing about camping trips past. And speculatingabout what they’d find tomorrow, when they reached the previous group’s basecamp.
Caleb asked, “When you say the last people up here werespooked, what do you mean?”
“Something scared them off.”
“But … what exactly? Are we talking giant footprints or actualsightings? Strange sounds, strange spoor?” Caleb tried to come up with plausibleexplanations. “Could a rival group have been messing with them? Or is theresome chance they encountered someone with reasons to run them off?”
