Forgotten Photography ✔

Something Wrong

Evergreen scanned the photographs lining the walls of the museum, carefully investigating, when she started noticing a shadow in each of the photographs. It either was casted upon Maddison's face, or was looming behind her. Maddison seemed to no longer be looking at the camera, but actually looking past the camera, behind the person taking the photo. Her smile said everything was fine, but her eyes spoke of unease.

"That's weird....How did everyone miss this? That is not normal behavior at all..." Evergreen looked closer, and started to feel someone approach her. She whirled around, finding the museum owner standing right there.

"Finally, someone actually pays attention to the photographs. It seems like when an investigation opens, they never look at the variables that stare them right in the face." The old man slowly made his way to a childhood picture of Maddison, who is grinning, offering a flower to what would seem like the photographer had you not paid proper attention. Now that Evergreen knew something wasn't right, Maddison was not offering the flower to the photographer, but rather to someone behind  them.

"And your name is...?" Evergreen knew of the man behind the museum, but not enough to know his name or anything beyond the fact he owned the museum, and had some sort of connection to Maddison herself.

"Edgar. Edgar Valentine." The man stood up straight, a heavy Scottish accent. Even from a distance his smell drifted in the air of good Scotch and some old vintage cologne that Evergreen didn't know the name of. He was definitely eccentric, while he seemed old fashioned, he wore jeans with tears and distressing, with a nice button up shirt and a tie. He had a small skull clip on his tie, it looked real, probably made from a piece of real bone. Evergreen did not want to know what species the bone came from.

"Forgive me for being rude, my name's Evergreen." Evergreen held out her hand to shake, but when Edgar smiled and walked away, she blinked in confusion.

"I know who you are, this town holds no secrets. You are a kind lass, and I have seen some of your work....Photography, yeah?" He surveyed the area, one of his eyes were blank and white, obviously blind in the eye. It was his left eye, a large discolored scar covering that side of his face.

"Oh, yeah. It's nothing. I just enjoy capturing wildlife as it should be. Wild and natural." Hades the dog started wagging his tail. He had been so quiet for the past thirty minutes, Evergreen forgot he was even next to her.

"I like your dog, he's very handsome. A strong lad. What's his name?" Edgar leaned down, scratching Hades behind the ears.

"Oh, his name is Hades. Suites him pretty well." The dog's tail wagged even harder, making Evergreen worried that he would sprain it.

"Oh what a handsome young man, aren't you?" Edgar gave Hades a kiss on his large head, who responded with slobbery kisses all over Edgar's face. "He's friendly, but I'm sure he wouldn't let anyone hurt you. Now, to the matter at hand."

"What?" Evergreen looked at Edgar. "What matter at hand?" Edgar cleared his throat, standing up.

"Forgive me, I figured that since you were observing Maddison's images so heavily that you wanted to investigate her disappearance. Perhaps I was wrong..." The eccentric man looked disappointed, ready to walk away.

"No, No! I am investigating her disappearance! It's just you took me off guard, I thought no one really paid attention to the photographs?" Evergreen gently moved one up to see it, another photo of Maddison gazing out to the horizon, clearly looking at something no one else could see. She looks about four in the picture, holding a worn out stuffed male doll in a tuxedo. It looked like a handmade doll by her mother, little Maddison in a white dress.

"They didn't....Ah...That picture was one of the photos I took." Edgar smiled gently, fondly gazing at the small scene.

"One of the photos you took?" Evergreen gave Edgar an inquisitive look, registering his facial features. He was very handsome, old as he may be, his features were striking, his stubble was mostly grey, but sign of red and blonde show through the greys. His long hair was shiny and well taken care of, he put every young man who prided in taking care of themselves to shame. He was handsome to the point Evergreen couldn't help but blush, looking away. His blue and white eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Yes. Maddison was my niece. I'm her mother's brother. I was the one who took care of her when she was young and her parents were at work." Edgar grinned, the memory fondly touching him.

"Really? Huh..." Evergreen tried not to show the budding crush on the old man, feeling awkward since he was old enough to at least be her father, if not her grandfather.

"Don't feel awkward, it happens a lot. I've found that my eccentric nature and my self care attracts women of all ages. But I will only have heart for one woman in my life....My beautiful departed angel..." Edgar looked down, pulling out his wallet, gazing longingly at a picture of a beautiful brunette woman, her green eyes glittering in the sun. Her Toffee skin color is painted with gorgeous freckles, making her look like an angel, explaining why he calls her an angel; not just because she is passed.

"Well she was a very lucky woman, and you a very lucky man." Evergreen smiled, and looked back at the photo of Maddison. "She's so cute, she looks like she is dressed as a little bride, it matches her little groom doll."

"Ah yes. She saw how I was with my beautiful angel and said she wanted to get married to the perfect groom. She would pretend to get married to her little doll, we kept his features blank just so she could imagine him however she wished. It was adorable really. I miss her so much...It kills me not knowing whether or not she is alive."  Edgar started tearing up, grabbing a handkerchief from his pants pocket. "Forgive me, my wife and I could never have any children, Maddison was as much a daughter to me, as she was my niece." He wiped the tears away from his eyes, sighing heavily.

"Well, here soon, I hope to find you closure. I make it my mission to find out what happened to her. I promise you will get a satisfying answer, one way or another." Evergreen offered a hug, and without a second thought, the old man gave her the tightest bear hug he could manage. He was strong, and smelled even better up close, making Evergreen feel safe. This man was in need of an answer, he lost the women he loved the most in his life, and was left alone to wonder what happened to his niece without any answers.

"I will help you in what way I can, just let this old warlock do what he can for you." Edgar didn't let the hug go for a good ten minutes, Hades jumping up on the two, acting as if he was adding to the hug. Evergreen achieving yet another ally in the search for Maddison Briars.