Day 5

Continued from yesterday. A rough draft, as usual.

***

Suddenly Agatha found herself being pulled by her arm through the ruins. Her camera thudded uncomfortably against her chest, hanging as it did from a strap around her neck, and she hoped it would be all right. She stumbled behind Elise, rocks clattering underneath her feet. She didn't bother protesting, since she knew her friend would release her. Eventually.

It wasn't until they reached the beginning of the trail that Elise realized she was still tugging on Agatha's arm. She stopped and dropped it, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry."

There was nothing apologetic about the word, but Agatha had to smile. "All right then," she said. "You've dragged me away. Now what?"

"We climb!" With that Elise started up the steep path, scampering past boulders that rose on either side.

Agatha followed, legs moving quickly so she could catch up. They settled into an easy rhythm, walking steadily as the path cut into the side of the rock face and the canyon disappeared from view. Soon there was nothing but blue sky above and red rock all around.

"I don't get it," said Elise, breaking the silence. "You're making such a big deal out of nothing. Why not just take the picture and hope for the best?"

"I dunno." A bead of sweat slid into Agatha's eyes, and she wiped her brow. "I just want that perfect shot, you know? I want to take a picture that, years later, I can look at and remember exactly what this place was like. It's just so beautiful—how am I supposed to capture the essence of this trip on a strip of film?"

"Maybe you can't."

"Oh, but have you seen Ansel Adams? The feelings you get when you look at his pictures! All I want is a reminder of this day, and I can't even manage that."

Elise glanced back over her shoulder. "I think you're being to hard on yourself. I mean, I took some pictures today, and I didn't have a mental breakdown because they might not come out right."

Agatha felt a twinge of annoyance. What did Elise know? Her camera was some plastic disposable thing, and the pictures it was capable of taking were just as crap as the camera itself. The words were out before she could think. "Well, no wonder. With that thing of yours, the only question is just how bad they'll be."

She could feel the anger and hurt in the air before Elise even spoke, and her stomach twisted.

"Fine. Be that way."

The rest of the trail was walked in silence, and by the time they reached the top Agatha was miserable. The sun was starting to set but it was still hot, and Elise was pointedly ignoring her, and with good reason. She watched as her friend found a flat-topped boulder a good distance away and sat down facing the view. Agatha sighed and took her camera in hand.

The canyon was admittedly stunning. In the light of the sunset the scruffy landscape glowed warmly, and the walls of the Anazasi ruins stood in stark contrast with the long shadows cast out behind them. In the distance, giant monoliths of rock jutted upwards from the flat land, reminding Agatha of the skyline of a city.

She stood there for several minutes before she put her eye to the viewfinder. A few pictures later, and she still couldn't shake her disappointment. Here she was, at Chaco Canyon, watching the sun set, and all her pictures fell flatter than... well, something really flat.

The sun slipped lower and lower, until at last it was nearly gone from the horizon, only a sliver of light remaining in the darkening sky. Agatha turned away, reaching for her lens cap, but froze when she saw Elise still sitting there, legs crossed, staring out into the sky. Her hair was blowing softly around her, and the dying rays of the sun were just enough to light her serene face.

The camera was up to her face before she realized it, and Agatha snapped the picture without a second thought. She screwed on the lens cap and walked over to her friend. Elise looked up, and smiled, all forgiven.

"Did you get it?"

Agatha smiled back. "Yeah, I think I did."