Prologue (Maddie)
Maddie
It was a really breezy night. I could hear my teeth chattering as I was walking back home."It is cold outside, don't you think Betsy?" There was no response. Of course, there wasn't, I thought. It was just me talking to my camera. Again.
Everyone always told me to make human friends. Even though I enjoyed living my life estranged from any friends, my parents urged me to make friends at school. I never listened though. The only one who ever listened to me was my best friend, my camera.
It was so dark outside. The only source of light was coming from the dim stars. And it wasn't any easier to see anything with my brown bangs covering my hazel eyes.
Despite the fact I couldn't see anything, I still had a keen hearing.
As I was thinking about Betsy, I heard something strange. Even though the sound was so subtle, it was still identifiable.
I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.
BANG!
I turned around to see if anyone was there, but it was still just me.
WHOOSH! A rock flew past me.“Is anyone there?” I said. There was no response.
WHOOP! Another rock was thrown towards me. I was starting to get really scared. “GIVE ME THE CAMERA!" said a hoarse voice.
"What?! Who are you!” I asked.
I started running hoping that I could get home before I got in any trouble. My long wavy hair brushed up against my face as I was running. The wind wasn't in my favor today.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Several rocks flew past me as I was running for my life. Whoop! Ow! A rock hit my leg, slowing down my speed.
I knew I had to hide. It wasn’t safe on the street so I hid behind a tree.
As I was catching my breath, something hit my back. Almost instantly I fell unconscious.
When I woke up I checked to see if my camera was ok. I couldn't find it. I looked everywhere for it, but my efforts were fruitless.
My camera was stolen and I kept thinking about it. And I realized that the more I thought about it, the more I became confused. I had so many questions and I was unsure about how or when they would get answered.
Why would someone want my camera?
How did they know that I was walking with it?
These questions followed me home. I was barely able to walk. Even with my camera gone, I knew that sleep was a priority. I slowly limped back home.
When I got home, I went straight to bed. Slowly pulling up my blue covers, I remembered my camera again. I became filled with sad thoughts again. My camera was blue, just like my bedsheet.
I don't remember how long I slept for but it was more than 12 hours for sure.
As I turned to my nightstand to get my camera, I realized it was gone. Choking back my tears, I got up.
I put on my fuzzy bunny slippers, brushed my teeth, and did my morning routine.
Usually, I would have gone outside to take pictures with my camera but since it was gone I had nothing else to do.
I felt like I lost my place in the world.
Why would anyone want to take my camera in the first place?
And why my camera?
While these questions whirled through my mind, I came up with a solid conclusion.
This is a mystery I will solve, no matter what it takes.
