Look At This Photograph... (Planned)

Shin disappeared into the kitchen for a drink and Kealey continued making her way around the apartment, opening windows and checking to make sure general order was still in place. Once she’d done that, she made her way back into the living room to pick up her bags, then back into her room.

It had taken some time after the fire had ruined her first apartment for Kealey to build her wardrobe back up, but it definitely had rebounded and for a few moments Kealey simply stood in her closet trying to figure out what it would be practical to bring. There were several dresses there, and Kealey loved them all, the truth of the matter though, was that Kealey ended up in sweats most of the time at the mansion. She was still frowning at the clothing when Shin’s voice traveled from the living room.

The last time Shin had been here, Aurum had been there too. He’d cooked those awesome brownies and they’d all been drunk. Really drunk. She laughed silently at her memories of the next morning. Shin had practically ran from the apartment after depositing Kealey on her rear on the floor of her own room. Had it really been a few months ago?

”You can come and keep me company if you want.” she called back.

”Unless you’ve taken a sudden interest in womens’ fashion and want to help me pick things out and pack.”

And…apparently Shin had taken an interest in womens’ clothing. Kealey couldn’t help but chuckle a little as he joined her in the room and sat on the edge of the bed. She thought for a moment about exactly how he was going to help her, because sending him to rifle through drawers was simply too odd, but making him sit still was even worse.

”Hmmm.” the blond said, moving forward and grabbing a handful of hangers one at a time. She was simply going to have to bring a few of the sundresses. They were too nice to leave behind. ”You can fold these things up and stuff them in the duffle bags. I’m not worried about them wrinkling. I’ll work that one once we get back.”

Kealey walked the dresses to Shin and moved back to the closet…there was just so much. Decisions were going to have to be made, but they were difficult decisions, decisions that Kealey didn’t want to make. Out came two hangers, with two more dresses on them.

”Okay. Which one?” she said, holding the two up for Shin to see. The first was blue with a lovely tie-dyed circle on the left half of the skirt. It had a sweetheart neck and thin straps and was definitely more casual than the second. It was a white halter dress with a bow directly under the bodice that flowed out into a lovely little skirt. Two different dresses, for two very different sorts of occasions. They were extras though, things Kealey simply wanted to bring along because she liked them. This was a good way for Shin to help.

Shin answered and Kealey tossed the chosen garment in his general direction and dove back into the closet. As she’d bought things and hung them up, Kealey had sorted them by color and sleeve length for the shirts on one side and the same way for pants and skirts on the other. This was a simple matter of grabbing, carrying, and dropping them on the bed. Soon Shin had his work cut out for him. Kealey had to have options, after all. Maybe the amount of clothing she owned was a little ridiculous, but every girl needed a vice, right? Luckily this was Shin helping her, and not someone less patient. Suddenly Kealey felt the need to say something.

”Thanks for coming out here with me…” she started, depositing the last armful from the closet on the bed and moving on to her dresser, where the more casual clothes were stored. This was something she’d been meaning to say for a while, and now seemed as good a time as any.

”I was thinking about the last time you were over here a little bit ago. With Aurum? And all that alcohol? It doesn’t seem like it’s just been a couple of months. I guess a lot has happened since then.” It was easier to say thank you with your head buried in a drawer, it turned out, and Kealey kept it that way.

”I’m not used to people sticking around, Shin…and you take everything so in stride…” she said, unable to hide anymore and emerging with an arm full of simple t-shirts and jean shorts. ”It means a lot.” she finished a little lamely, making her way to where he was sitting. The pile of clothes was impressive, and Kealey went to work, doing some folding of her own. ”So thanks…”

Kealey was paying attention to the way Shin felt when she thanked him for everything he’d done. It was a habit she’d picked up, paying attention to the way people reacted to the things she said. If it was important to her, she wanted to be sure it had been important to them too. It was.

The feelings moving through Shin as she spoke were the ones she associated with someone being touched. Not sentimental, but they indicated that what she’d said had meant something. Kealey smiled broadly at the realization and just stood for a second, sharing the moment of sappiness.

Shin pulled his attention back to the clothing, and Kealey chuckled a little awkwardly as he spoke. ”Yeah…I like clothes…I hate to wear the same things over and over.” she responded, reaching out and getting to work on the pile of clothes, pushing things into the second duffle. She cast a glance over her shoulder and sighed a little, ”I haven’t even started on shoes or accessories yet.”

A knock on the apartment door pulled Kealey from the little world inside of her room and she frowned a bit. ”Now who on Earth could that be?” she asked, half-way to herself walking towards the doorway with a t-shirt in her hand. A manila envelope appeared under the door and Kealey made her way to the door, bending to pick up the envelope to pull open the door.

The hallway was empty and the blond frowned at the small package in her hand as she shut and locked the door, then made her way back to the bedroom.

”That was strange…” she said, turning the envelope over in her hands. Her name was there, in a flowery, scrawling script. ”I wonder what this could be.”

Kealey had been distracted when she returned to her room and only now noticed how much the pile of clothing had disappeared while she was checking things out at the front door. ”Wow, Shin…you’re pretty awesome at this.” she said, tapping the envelope against the palm of her hand surveying the remaining clothes, ”I’ll have to make sure I bring you along every time I need to do something like this. Are these the no’s?” The blond eyed the remaining pieces, mentally sifting though each one with prospective outfits and discarding them. Shin had good taste, maybe his ambitions towards making his own costume weren’t as far fetched as originally thought. Kealey made a mental note to amp up her helpfulness in his endeavor.

The envelope still sat in her hand, and when Shin asked if she was going to open it, Kealey considered saying no for a moment. Who would deliver such a thing and not stay around to see it opened? It defied logic, but curiosity was rising up in Shin as surely as it was in Kealey and she found herself nodding her head in response to his question as her hands moved to undo the metal clasp. Reaching into the envelope revealed nothing more than several pieces of heavy, cut paper and when Kealey withdrew her hand with them, the surprise was evident on her face.

”They’re pictures….” she commented, confusion coloring her voice as she flipped through them.

The first was a picture of a familiar lawn on the mansion grounds. There were figures on the field and a closer look made Kealey’s eyebrows draw together…this had been taken during the pokemon tournament. The second picture was slightly more violent, a storefront billowing smoke with firefighters struggling to calm the blaze. It was the store Kealey had taken Aurum to when he’d needed help with his sister’s birthday. The third picture took a moment for Kealey to identify, but it brought a slightly strangled gasp from her lips when she managed. It was the Public Library, the day the Religion section had burned, she could see the flames licking up the shelves…

Hands shaking slightly, Kealey flipped to the next picture and found another familiar scene. Mood. This picture was from the back of the crowd and Kealey was sure if she took the time to look she’d be able to find the back of both her and Shin’s heads. The next picture, second to last, had to have been taken that very day. The two individuals stepping down from the bus had empty duffel bags in their hands. ”Shin…this is us….” Kealey said, stating the obvious and trying to ignore the way her skin had start to crawl slightly. ”One more…” she said, and flipped to the last of the stack.

The picture staring back was folded and creased and had obviously seen better days. It wasn’t the same quality paper as the others, and the slightly faded colors suggested it had been taken quite some time ago. There was a family in that picture, smiling and happy as could be. Kealey’s eyes were drawn to the two girls, clinging to each other, the obviously younger blond grinning with a gap-toothed smile. Flipping the picture over, Kealey’s eyes were immediately drawn to the date written in neat and concise handwriting. She’d known where to look because the twin to the picture sat on Kealey’s night stand, her mother had written that date on the two copies of the picture before she’d given them to the girls.

”Who…would do this?” Kealey asked, voice soft and confused as her slightly numb brain tried to work through what was happening. She looked down at the pictures again, holding them out to Shin, ”Does this mean all those fires are related to me?”

Shin being creeped out meant that this whole thing was outrageously creepy and Kealey failed to suppress a shudder. Someone had been watching her, watching her since the Pokemon tournament. Taking pictures of her since the Pokemon tournament.

Then the fires, it was taking a lot for Kealey to wrap her mind around the whole picture concept…let alone the fires. Everything pictured in the photos was a place or thing important to Kealey. The Mansion, the Library, the Fabric Store…now Shin was getting involved. Then the last one…

Kealey flipped to it again, staring at the little smiling family. Who could have this picture? She flipped it again, looking at the handwriting again, then moving across the room to snatch up the framed picture. Shin had spoken a few moments ago and Kealey looked back at him.

”I don’t know…I….didn’t even know anyone here until I moved here…and how could someone have this picture? Who…who could I have made this mad?”

It wasn’t Roland…this just wasn’t his style. He wasn’t this covert….but then, who?

”How do I get myself into these situations?” Kealey asked, sinking down to sit on the edge of her bed.