The Photograph

09/08/23 • 3 min

Emma slowly turned the pages of the old photo album, glancing at the faded pictures within. She realized with unsettling surprise that she had no memory of when most of these photos were taken, despite clearly being the subject of them.

The young girl in the album - undeniably her when she was around ten years old - posed happily alongside family members and friends Emma vaguely recognized. But their names and connections eluded her. In some photos the girl smiled brightly in school portraits or at birthday parties. Others showed her laughing on playgrounds, carousels, in pools, and other places Emma did not recall being.

As she progressed through the album, the disconnect grew stronger, like she was looking at snapshots of some other child's life. Her mind strained to grab hold of the vague recollections just beyond reach. The evidence was right here in front of her, but there was an impenetrable haze blocking out the memories.

Turning the next page, Emma gasped aloud. One photograph showed "her" happily eating ice cream while sitting next to an elderly woman, their faces pressed playfully together for the camera. This wasn't just any elderly lady - it was her grandmother, who had passed away years ago. But the date on the back of the photo was recent. Confused and unnerved, Emma stared into the crinkled eyes of the grandmother she missed dearly, searching her mind for any hint of this day, this moment captured on film. Nothing came.

Who was this girl with her grandmother? Why was there an unbridgeable gap where these memories should be? She flipped through the remaining photos, confronted by more images of shared moments that had vanished like vapor.

Emma's hands shook, sending the photo album tumbling to the floor. Pictures spilled out across the room, the smiling, unfamiliar girl taunting her. Dropping down, Emma frantically shuffled through the scattered photos, desperate to find something she recognized, some anchor to who she was and had been.

But the stranger in the album remained a mystery. Overcome by existential dread, Emma sat alone staring into the eyes of someone she did not know: herself.

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But the stranger in the album remained a mystery. Overcome by existential dread, Emma sat alone staring into the eyes of someone she did not know: herself.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uncannystoryteller.substack.com

Previous Episode

The Music Box

James rummaged through the dusty boxes and piles of eccentric artifacts at the neighborhood flea market. He loved exploring the treasures of yesteryear that ended up here, imagining the stories behind each item. As he shifted a stack of old books, a small wooden box tucked in the back caught his eye.

Gently pulling it out, he noted the intricate floral carvings adorning the dark wood. It appeared to be an antique music box, the kind with a tiny spinning ballerina inside. Winding the metal key on the side a few turns, James slowly opened the lid. A haunting, melancholy melody began to play, the notes permeating the very air around him. Inside the box, a delicate porcelain ballerina in a faded pink tutu pirouetted gracefully to the tune.

James watched, entranced by the timeworn performance. As the music swelled, he suddenly experienced an odd feeling of remembrance, like something long forgotten but familiar. Had he heard this song before? Faint visions of his childhood bedroom and playroom swirled in his mind, as if emerging from a dense fog. The melody seemed to unlock a door in his subconscious, releasing wisps of memories not accessed in decades.

James closed his eyes, concentrating on the vintage song. He saw himself as a young boy, playing on the floor as a music box sat on a nearby shelf, this exact tune echoing. The ballerina inside the box endlessly danced beside his wooden toy trains and building blocks. He now realized this was the music box from his youth, the one his mother would wind up to lull him to sleep at night. Why had he forgotten about it all these years?

The music ended abruptly as the mechanism wound down. As silence returned to the flea market, James opened his eyes. The music box now seemed intensely precious, a lost relic from his past. He had to have it. After purchasing it from the dealer, James held the box tenderly all the way home, anxious to show his wife and revisit more childhood memories once lost but now recovered.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uncannystoryteller.substack.com

Next Episode

That time of the month

Amanda stared impatiently at the clock as it ticked closer to midnight. She had cleared her schedule and cancelled all plans for this important night - the first full moon since getting bitten by that weird dog last month. She knew what was coming thanks to all the research she had done online. The aching joints, sprouting fur, uncontrollable urges to hunt and howl... she was ready for her epic transformation into a werewolf!

But as 12am arrived, nothing happened. Amanda waited eagerly, watching for any sign of metamorphosis. Maybe it took a few minutes to kick in? But still she felt completely normal. No fangs, no muzzle, no desire to devour raw meat. Just plain old human Amanda standing alone in her bedroom.

Frantically she checked the moon phase app on her phone - yep, definitely a full moon tonight. Was she doing something wrong? Amanda tried various tactics she thought might trigger the change - staring intently at the moon, chanting “werewolf” under her breath, listening to nature soundscapes. But the only thing she succeeded at was staying up way past her bedtime.

She couldn’t understand it. That mangy stray had definitely been a werewolf, she was sure of it! And its bite was supposed to infect her with lycanthropy. How could she have failed to become a mythical monster?

Maybe she would try again next full moon. But for now, she would have to be content just being plain old human Amanda. Disappointed, Amanda decided to walk the streets and clear her head.

Turning a corner into an alley, she stumbled upon a bizarre sight - the mangy stray dog from last month, only now it was transforming into a naked, human man! Amanda watched, mouth agape, as the furry canine shape-shifted into a grubby yet completely normal looking dude.

He flashed her a wicked grin. "The name's Luke, pleased to make your acquaintance." He extended his dirty hand out to the flabbergasted Amanda.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uncannystoryteller.substack.com