The Camera

My name is Jake, a university student and a newbie freelance photographer from Batangas.

It all started way back six months ago. Since the classes are done, I've decided to kill some time and roam around with my girlfriend.

While walking, we saw a store. I can't recall the name but they sell gadgets and stuffs, including camera and accessories. I saw the camera model I have been saving for and saw that it was on sale. I purchased it without a second thought.

I wish I have never done that. It was the worst thing I have ever done.

Things started to get off, when I used the camera on a wedding gig. To practice and develop my skills, I make do with almost anything that I was offered.

It was my high school batchmate’s wedding and I was asked to be their photographer. Everything went well, but not until I started to edit the photos of the bride and groom.
I clearly saw that the bride has no eyes in the photo. I erased it, as it was too creepy.

The following day, my batchmate, the groom, called me and said his newlywed wife had died. It was a car accident, he stated.

Upon the burial, her face was sunken as if her face were flatten, specially her eyes. They said she received most of the damage on her face and her eyes were crushed.

I was shivering and I felt faint upon arriving home. I was thinking it may have been just a coincidence.

After a week, I took a photo of a freelance model. Upon editing, I saw something in the background. It was blurry, but it looks like someone wearing a veil. I wasn’t frightened as we were shooting at a crowded place. I thought it must have been a person that just passed by.

Two days after the shoot. I heard the news. That the model was dead. I had no idea how she died. I also didn’t go to her funeral.

A year later, my younger brother graduated. I was once again the photographer.

There’s a gorgeous girl sitting with the guest of honor. I saw her on the spot while checking my camera lens. But when I looked at the table, she wasn’t sitting there and all the people sitting were around mid-fifties.

Once we arrived home, I immediately browsed through the photos I took. At that moment, fear was crawling up my whole being at the thought that I’m being hunted. Finally, I saw the beautiful girl. When I tried to zoom in that part where I captured the girl, I accidentally knocked of a glass of water. The girl in the photo was the model who's already dead.

I sighed. I remembered when I saw a girl with a veil with one of her photos and the photo I took before her was of the bride. The facts are there, if one of the people at the table at my younger brother’s graduation dies, they will appear in the next photo I take.

As expected, one of the guests of honors died.

I went back to the shop where I bought the camera and upon arriving, the shop had changed; it had become a pet supply shop. I immediately asked where the previous shop was. The owner answered that have owned the shop for five years.

I don’t know what I should do. I thought I’ll just keep the camera tucked away and never use the it again. Before turning the camera off, I deleted all the photos. I know there’s something going on with the camera and I don’t plan to find out the details behind why people die after their photo gets captured.

I’m already done, but one photo remained. A far-away sneak shot of me sleeping. I don’t know who took it, but I saw an old man peeping at the window while I was sleeping. I didn’t have any more strength to zoom in and find out who.

I already know. I really know.

I’m just thankful; it wasn’t my brother and my mom.

I know this is my ending.