Picking Petals

Jefferson Lake One-Shot: The Time Traveler

A/N: This is my entry for the one-shot competition for the Wattpad novel "Jefferson Lake" by knightsrachel. I choose to personify the character McKenna Scott, and this piece takes place before the book was written. I hope I was able to give justice to the raw beauty of this book through my own personal writing. I apologize for the length, and any errors you may find. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!

Jefferson Lake One-Shot: McKenna's POV

A camera is like a time machine.

It possesses the special ability to capture a moment in dimensions the human eye could never see, granting the photographer to be born again with a renewed perspective. An individual is bestowed the gift of being able to behold the moist crust of the Earth beneath them and the blue-as-day blanket enclosing the atmosphere above them as if it were for the first time. The world stops spinning on its axis, clouds seize to drift across the sky like sailboats across a still, calm sea at rest, and the autumn leaves stained with the colors of the sun flying off their branches like baby birds leaving the nest dangle in midair.

It allows people to travel back to that one moment frozen in time in their life, weaving a story with each crisp image, watching your life flash before your eyes like a movie.

It was one of the largest reasons I used to love photography.

Before Elizabeth.

As I hooked the large hoop earring to my earlobe--the finishing touch to my outfit--my gaze fell upon my Canon Rebel XS.

Every inch, every curve of the camera's shape was forever etched in my memory. Reaching out to touch its natural presence with my fingertips would have been too easy, and it's familiarity would feel like coming home. My hand started to move towards it before stilling hesitantly.

I couldn't.

It was a gift from my parents for my fifteenth birthday. It had been my dream camera ever since I had committed to photography, but I knew better than to expect such an expensive present. I was ecstatic when I peeled away the wrapping, and the camera was permanently attached to my neck for weeks after to ensure I never missed a perfect opportunity to use it.

I would later discover that it was Elizabeth who planted the seed of the idea of buying the camera for me in my parents' mind, that it was Elizabeth who encouraged them to splurge part of her savings on my surprise present. She was the biggest supporter of my passion, always coaxing me to push the limits and boundaries with my pieces. She acted as my model for a majority of my shots.

Although, just as the camera suspended happy memories through its glass vision--it held a piece of Elizabeth hostage inside of it too.

A small ping from my phone dazed me out of my trance, causing my arm to retract quickly as if the camera was contaminated. I picked up the light weight in my hand, reading the message from someone asking me when I would arrive at the party. I quickly replied I was on my way, and picked up my purse. I ran through my doorway, and down the stairs where my parents were sitting silently at the kitchen table with the television on mute.

"Mom? Dad? I'm going out. I'll be back by curfew."

Their lifeless eyes fell on me, and the anguish and despair marking their faces made me wince, forcing me to divert my gaze. I could feel them analyzing me--the ruby red four-inch heels suffocating my feet, the coats of make-up masking my face, and the tight black dress clinging to my body flashing my assets. I looked back up at them, waiting for something--anything. All I saw was pain. Dad meekly nodded at me, and my mother sighed loudly.