| “ | Sometimes all you have to do is look at life from a different perspective. | ” |
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the photos used in this story.
Establishing Shot[]
A handful of photographs lay scattered across the dusty wooden table. Soft afternoon light filtered in through the translucent curtains, illuminating the swirling dust motes in the air. A small digital camera lay on top of the photos, glinting as it reflected the light.
The trees outside were beginning to shed their green foliage in exchange for cloaks of brilliant golds and deep reds. Yet inside it was still summer. The photos told tales of sweltering heat, glimmering oceans, and the touch of a slight summer breeze on a sunny day. They spoke of beaches and friendship, freezing cold ice cream, and midsummer nights. They captured the essence of summer -- its vivid hues, the smell of barbecue that lingers in the air, and the endless possibilities that summer holds.
The photographs told the story of a summer when anything could happen, and everything did happen.
Zoom In[]
Fade In, From Black
The land was cloaked in a robe of tightly interwoven shadows. Not a single star shone in the night sky. The moon was a mere sliver, providing the most meager illumination. Not a single cricket chirped, and not a single animal tread across the endless terrain of grassy lawns. The land was absolutely silent, as though it was holding its breath. Waiting.
The summer heat was stifling in the day, yet at night soft breezes ruffled the stalks of grass, blowing through the summer foliage with the gentlest of touches. The air smelled of moisture; it smelled of blooming flowers and freshly mowed grass, with just the slightest hint of charcoal left over from a barbecue.
The floorboards creaked ever so slightly as Kate shifted to a more comfortable position. She sat in front of an open window, watching silently as the universe slowly realigned itself. She loved the night. The land was beautiful in the day, yet there was something about nighttime that attracted her. Perhaps it was the quiet peacefulness that settled over the suburbs. Perhaps it was the sense that she was the only one awake, or perhaps it was the blackness of the sky, with the moon shining against it like a prized jewel.
As she watched, slowly but surely, a soft rosy glow began to descend upon the land. The sun blearily continued its slow ascent into the early morning sky. Slowly, the suburbs began to wake. A bird opened its beak, and a lovely melody sprang from it. In the distance, a dog barked. Sleepy voices joined the hubbub, indistinguishable conversations mixing with the rest of the noise.
The air was filled with hope, a sense of unlimited possibilities. Kate felt a tingling in her bones and she knew -- something was going to happen today. Something good.
She picked up the well-worn camera and raised it to her eyes. Kate adjusted the focus, waiting as the scene before her reappeared in softer, dreamier hues. She then carefully repositioned the camera at just the right angle until she was satisfied. Smiling, she pressed the shutter release.
Kate heard the universe softly click into place as it successfully realigned itself.
Wipe