Picture perfect

Freddy stepped outside and took a swig of jack from his thermos, then he lit a cigarette with trembling hands. Freddy had been a crime scene photographer for three months now coming up on four. He was probably the only one that refused to go digital. Freddy thought that he’d seen it all, or at least he thought he’d seen everything that he could drown in a bottle of jack or cheap whiskey. But this seemed like a whole new ball game for him.

It was a young couple neither could’ve been over 29. their chests were torn open with rib cages separated the organs were burnt and missing quit a few pieces. But it wasn’t just the bodies but something about them that made Freddy’s stomach churn, there were looks of complete terror on their faces. As he stood there savoring his cancer stick he heard the detectives discussing possible causes one said:

“sweet Jesus it looks like someone set off a bomb Inside there chests.”

“but there is no trace of such a device and it seems they exploded at almost the same time if it were a device it would’ve been extremely accurate” said the other.

But for Freddy it wasn’t just the bodies that made him dizzy something about them that made his stomach churn, there were looks of complete terror on their faces. As he took his last puff he headed back inside and thought to himself “another day at the office”. He snapped a few photos trying not to throw up, then talked to his client to get a deadline over his cell, and went to get them developed.

He had a dark room set up in his apartment. It was small and little bit nicer than a slum, it was all he could afford on his salary though. he often joked to himself that maybe one day he could snapshot models for swim suit magazines and have a mansion with room for all of them. He started on the first photo regretting that he had to watch it develop. as the shadowy blur started to fade away he caught a glimpse of something that made him look closer.

” Well ain’t that just the oddest thing” he said under his breath. There seemed to be something coming out of the floor boards it looked like a handle or latch of some kind. Scratching his head and pouring a tenth shot of jack (or so he thought, he was to drunk to keep track by now) while at the same time trying to fight back the vomit.

Suddenly he fell backwards, and with a burst of foulness he soiled his shirt with a half a bottle of jack and whatever cheap burger or hotdog bought from the stand right outside his apartment that he had eaten that night night.

“well that’s just great” he said under his breath with a few other choice words.

“I gotta stop drinking while I do this stuff”.

Removing his cloths he then staggered to the bathroom and proceeded to shower there was no way he could get the other pictures done in the same night not while he was like this. the hot water seemed so refreshing after everything that had happened. Then out of the corner of his eyes he saw a quick flash. He opened the shower curtain to investigate the bathroom door was still locked because he always locked it when ever he stepped inside. And with a quick look around the bathroom he confirmed that he was just seeing things.

He finished up and went to lay down. As he started to fall asleep another flash was noticed even through his closed eyelids. Too tired and wasted to open them he knew now without a doubt he must do something about his drinking and quitting his job was not an option. The next day he got up battling probably the worst hangover of his career. He poured himself an espresso and went to finish developing his photos. As he opened the door to his dark room his jaw dropped. Everywhere he looked there was chaos and destruction, photos were strewn everywhere, some even shredded to bits.

A break in of some kind he then proceeded to the door of the apartment to find his suspicions confirmed the lock had been torn from the wall and the door stood wide open. He went back to his dark room and noticed a note attached to the inside of the door it had pasted letters on it that read:

“hello you came so close to ending up as just a photo good thing ya didn’t figure it out sooner because you woulda been picture perfect.”

This letter made no sense to him at the time he wasn’t a hold thinker even fully awake which he wasn’t at the moment. knowing that this was probably a letter from someone with issues he knew he should probably turn it In. So he got dressed and headed out to his car which looked unharmed “well at least the damned crook didn’t know I drove”.

He started the engine and headed to the FBI office as he started driving he noticed something sticking out of the glove box compartment. He pulled it out leaving one hand on the wheel it was a picture of his bathroom there was no doubt and there was someone in his shower he took a closer look and his heart dropped it was him. There were more pasted letters that spelled gotta be clean to be picture perfect. He looked up suddenly as a car darted in front of him and with reflexes that he’d never used before he swerved around it.

In the excitement a shoe box that had a duct tape seal which had been stuffed deep into a mass of old bills and receipts. Fell out of the already open glove box. On the package were more cut and pasted words that read: OPEN ME. He didn’t want to do anything else except get everything which now included the picture and the package to the F.B.I. He made it in no thanks to his photographers credentials. if detective rod ( his current client) cleared him he would be heading back to the parking garage with handcuffs and a police record.

He told detective rod about the break in at his apartment and what all went down afterword. with an uneasy look detective rod took the evidence and told him it would take a week to analyze it all. Not satisfied with the way things went freddy gave a fake smile thanked him and went on his way he got in his car and started back home and as he did he noticed that a silver car had been coming up behind him it wasn’t going fast or slow but rather pacing with him. He pulled into a liquor store and decided to get some liquid confidence. He pulled into the parking lot keeping an eye on the silver car that pulled in with him, it pulled in around the back of the store.

I sat in my car debating whether or not to investigate. After five minutes or so spent arguing with myself I finished off half a bottle of jack (all the more reason to buy another) then carefully got of my vehicle started around back then as he staggered back there freddy saw a disturbing sight. detective rod shaking was hands with what was probably the store after giving him a familiar package. Freddy ran back to his vehicle and and while doing so the flash caught my eyes again he looked around in every direction trying to find out where it was coming from then finally Freddy made it to his car and sat there.

Freddy had a bad feeling about everything. He couldn’t trust the F.B.I. And through this realization Freddy knew he would have to find the answers that lie inside his stolen camera himself. With a new desire he went inside the store he looked around for another bottle of jack that’s one thing he hadn’t changed his mind about. He needed answers so he proceeded to the checkout. Freddy was indeed nervous he’d never had to interrogate before. He’d never even been in a fight unless he mouthed of drunk to a guy ten times his size.

But he knew what had to be done he grabbed a glass bottle and started to talk. the man behind the counter was a good 35 but had the body of a built 25 year old. Did ya find everything okay he said with a very heavy accent “oh great” he thought “guys like this know how to fight”.

Not exactly Freddy replied. I’m a crime scene photographer and my current client is detective rod. Does that name mean anything to you with a smile he said damn boy you should probably put the booze back your drunk outta your mind already. He started laughing. Then a rage built up Freddy. he shattered the bottle jumped over the counter and pinned the man to the floor. Freddy held the bottle to the mans throat while saying “and you should probably spill your guts before i do for ya”.

The man said while struggling to free himself “the package is in an office safe under my desk the key is inside my name plate. Then with a hard thump i knocked him unconscious i went to his office which was nothing more than a room in the back. Freddy kicked open the door because it was locked another flash hit him he was fed up with seeing them but even as angry as he was he didn’t care. He had a hunch to prove why else would a detective of the F.B.I give a package which Freddy himself had just given to him earlier that day finger prints or whatever they do in those situations, to a liquor store owner in the slums of the city if not to get rid of evidence that could close conspiracy theory. He opened the safe and pulled out the package dumped it all over the floor and what he saw made him scream like a maniac the more he screamed the more he saw the bright flashes only this time there were pictures to go with them. Then all of a sudden police men burst through the door and handcuffed him.

Detective rod walked over to the store owner whom had recovered and called the police. “im sorry this happened”. Proclaimed the detective.

“it ain’t nothing Ta cry over” said the owner rubbing his sore recently bandaged head. Ya kinda expect these things when your in my line of work”. He sighed” poor fella really didn’t know did he” .

” Well how could he” said the detective. “he drunk himself into madness on top of a multiple personality disorder,k first he applies to take photos of a case in which he was a suspect in, the only reason i gave him the job was to keep a better eye on him”.

The detective sighed “i didn’t think it was even a possibility until he came to me with the package. He explained to me that someone had broken in and left it in the glove box along with a pic of what we think is a mannequin in his. Shower he thought that the package was meant for himself but in all actuality his devious persona left it for him to give to me, sorta like doctor Jekyll and mister Hyde”.

This package i gave to you for safe keeping was planned to be used as bait to bring out the monster inside Freddy to confirm everything. The package contained pictures of him next to the victims force feeding them flash powder and then standing next to them with a match indicating that he would light there chest restraints on fire”.

Put simply the Freddy we knew was a drunken puppet persona that was being played with, The real Freddy was the one we drew out tonight he attacked you and woulda killed you if he got the camera from the package before we arrived”.

The owner gulped well goodness im glad yall came when ya did”.

They both gave a nervous chuckle.

“one thing isn’t clear to me”. Said the detective I dont know how he was able to be in the blast range of the bodies which would definitely ruin his cloths, and still come to my office to apply in less than 10 minutes after the time of death which was now confirmed back at the lab through analyzing the wounds. They had died 9 minutes before he walked into my office spic and span. It would take at least 30 minutes to get that stuff off of himself”. The store owner said well we got the photos and evidence of the monster inside what does that matter now”.

Detective rod started to talk buy was stopped in mid sentence by a flash outside the store window. He rushed outside and found a Polaroid that was reddened. around the edges as the detective picked it up he heard the screech of tires and sirens go off he then looked at the photo and threw it down to inform the other officers inside. In the photo Freddy was sitting in the back seat his chest was blown open along with one officer that escorted him to the police car and in the photo sitting in the middle of both was a man wearing a police uniform his cap off which revealed that he had Freddy’s exact features. written under the picture was the words: me and my brother are picture perfect.

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