Day 5:Memento Mori- Write about a photographer taking a memento mori photo
The photographer.
Here in the dead of winter, in the midst of my neighbor's immaculate rose garden laid a young women. She was about five feet and some odd inches. Her brunette locks laid just over the bust of
her multilayered cream dress, as her head was then propped up on a nearby stone. Her neck was engraved with the same pattern as a swaying rope tangled in the branches above our heads. "Please have her hands folded on her abdomen" Said the tall gentleman. He lugged his worn camera equipment near the corps as he gave orders to his assistant. He bent over and positioned each lock and fabric fold in a way that made the women look like she had just fallen from haven. He became engrossed in his work, so much so that he hadn't given much thought to the soil that began staining his pin striped trousers. He was a relatively old man, possibly in his late sixties or so, and had curly hair that scraped the tips of his ears.
He planted the cameras legs into the soggy ground and scurried back into the house to grab what looked like a cape, possibly belonging to a child. Seeing the details of his movement became increasingly difficult seeing as I was hiding behind a bush. I leaned in closer to get a better view, but had ultimately lost my balance. In an attempt to catch myself I grasped for anything and everything to keep from alarming the adults of my presence, including a bush full of thorns. As the thorns sank into my flesh, a loud shrill shot out of my mouth. My mother had always said my curiosity would be the death of me, but I had always assumed that phrase to be an expedient substitute for scolding. The tall man who had set up the camera loomed over me, blocking the sun and casted what felt like the shadow of death. I raised my eyes to see his but a shimmering object in his right breast pocket caught my eye. It was a golden watch swaying in the same notion as the rope above. I'm sure several seconds had passed by but the watch could not keep track of a single one. I refocused my eyes on the tall man who seemed to have grown since I had seen him in the distance. However that could've just been his top hat.The man gave me a sheepish smile, extended his hand and said "I'm a bit on the sentimental side I'm afraid." I didn't say a word. I certainly didn't want to dig my own grave, so to speak. The man continued "the watch I mean" as he lifted me out of a pile of thorns. You are not angry at me for spying on you? I asked. Not at all he replied. I knew you were there the whole time. I could feel my face burn with guilt, but continued to question the man's activities. I am a photographer of sorts He replied. I've taken pictures of weddings and births, but nothing gives me more joy than taking a memento mori photo.
What's that? I asked the question so quickly I hardly realized I had even asked it. It gets it's name from a Latin expression meaning "remember that you have to die". In essence It's art centered around death. Would you like to see?" He extended his hand towards me once more. If my curiosity was not occupying my mind I'm sure impulsivity would surly take it's place. I grabbed his hand as he lead me to the camera. I plucked the remaining thorns out my hand and then fell several steps behind the tall gentleman to remove the rest from my backside. The woman who laid on the ground was now surrounded by beautiful flowers and stone animals, and the prints stained on her neck from the rope were now covered with a yellow scarf.. It was almost like I had stepped into a fairytale. Her face, however, was so pale that I began regretting getting this close. I couldn't bare to look at her anymore, I turned my attention back to the man. The photographer put the child's cape over the camera, then looked at me with the utmost of concern and bewilderment. I had never spoken to this woman, yet I felt a sadness I had never felt before. "It helps if you talk to her." said the photographer. I knew from the second his carriage swung around the corner to enter our neighborhood that he was an odd fellow, but I never imagined him to be insane. I decided to ignore the advice and inquire about the cape that laid over the camera. "Ah yes!" The man exclaimed with such joy. "This helps me see what I'm going to capture, and this is where the flash is produced. This is a copper plate coated with silver then treated with iodine vapor to make it sensitive to light." He continued on with the explanation of parts and how they work and grew more enthusiastic with every word. I did not care too much for the details, I was more amused with how excited the photographer was. He seemed to revert to a school boy that had just found a pond of bull frogs. This old man that works so closely with death was so innocent, so free. I couldn't help but catch his contagious excitement. He paused for a bit, and his boyish laughter sunk into the comforting smile of a grandparent. "There's a bit of a trick to it." He said pointing to the deceased. "Here, I'll show you". He then bent over, pinched the girl's cheeks and flicked the end of her nose. I curiously leaned forward to see her face flush a sweet country rose tint. "Because the air is so cold, she will looked flushed longer than if it were summer." He explained. The girl's parents, who were standing nearby and getting instructions from the photographer's assistants, walked towards the girl and sat beside her. The father placed his left arm around the girl and tilted her head slightly forward with it. The father did the same thing but with her right arm. They both leaned in, and looked as if this were just another family portrait. "Now stand back a bit, I'd like to get these pictures just right." said the photographer. His voice changes a bit when he gives instructions. He ducked his head under the small cape and clicked the remote with his right hand. The man's position reminded me of a master puppeteer hiding his face from the audience to better the show. Then a giant burst of light as bright as the summer sun shot out of the contraption. The man fidgeted under the fabric for awhile than reveled himself again. Upon rising his hat fell to the ground uncovering his disheveled hair and another childlike smile.
The man snatched his hat from the ground then placed it on my head. "The name is William, and yours would be...?" He inquired. Surely I would've known to pay attention to an adult while they spoke but I was in distracted by the family's calm demeanor. "I'm thirteen" I replied. The man stopped for a bit then laughed. "Well then miss thirteen, I should return you to your home. I'm sure your parents are worried. I just have to put away my equipment." Before he could finish I collapsed the legs of the camera and put everything back in the cedar box it came out of. This time his hat fell of my head reveling the same sheepish smile I had received earlier. We both laughed a bit and headed towards my house.
" Mr. William?" I asked. "If I die before you do, would you to take my photo as well?" I realize that was a rather rude question, but I had hoped that he knew that I was simple posing a question and not a threat. " Of course miss Thirteen." He responded. "And should I die before you would you do the same for me?" He asked as he gave me his broken watch. I looked up at him, smiled and said "Of course Mr. William, but I'd want to keep taking pictures while we're still here." Mr. William walked through our neighbors front gate, and faced my house. He wasn't looking at it, he was just looking past it. Maybe he was connecting the setting sun to the tree line, and imagining what the world would be like if people weren't around like I usually do. Then he looked down at me and said "Me too, kid, me too."
So that wraps up day 5 of the writing challenge. I'm sure I should go back and edit the story, but it's not too bad for piece with a time limit.
If I didn't say this before these questions weren't made by me but by
Forest and tea so please be sure to check out her blog.
And as always, the questions/requirements for the current challenge are listed below
WRITE 1. Comfort Food: Write about eating or preparing a meal.
2. Mind Garden: Describe your dream garden.
3. Furry Friends: Write a short adventure with an animal companion.
4. Goblin King: Write a list of demands the Goblin King would make.
5. Memento Mori: Write about a photographer taking a memento mori photo.
6. Mushroom Mushroom: Write about magical wish-granting mushrooms (not original I know).
7. Winter Mori: Write a winter mori adventure (would you go in the snow or stay in the lodge?).
8. Summer Mori: Write about a journey through a sandy desert.
9. Traditional: Write an information piece about a cultural artifact/tradition from your country.
10. Favorite Color: Write something titled “[your favorite color]”.
11. Least Favorite Color: Create a character who has a fear of your least favorite color.
12. Flight: Write about a birds flight to a wonderful new land.
13. Float: Write a story that beings or ends with the main character floating.
14. Fairy Tale: Write an unexpected alternate ending to your favorite fairy tale.
15. Music: Write a song!
16. Exotic: Create an exotic character.
17. Paper: Decorate writing paper or write quotes from a book you love.
18. Fruity: Write as much as you can about every fruit you can think of.
19. Little Blessings: Write about the little blessings in your life and remember to appreciate them.
20. Down the Rabbit Hole: Write about what Alice sees as she falls down the rabbit hole.
21. Japan: Write about all you’d see/do on a trip to Japan.
22. Vintage: Write about your past life during the vintage era.
23. Editorial: Write an article for the “Mori Messenger”, a mori girl newspaper.
24. School days: Write about your first day in a new school.
25. Bento: Write a recipe for a bento box.
26. Back to the Future: Write about a forest on the moon and plants that grow there.
27. Little Things: Write a story about what would happen if you pet was 20x its regular size.
28. Sleepy: Write about your strangest/favorite/scariest dream.
29. Annoying: Write about the most annoying day ever (real or fictional) but have a happy ending.
30. Meme: Complete the mori blog challenge, or a list of personal facts meme.
31. Victory!: Make yourself a “Congratulations you did the Mori Challenge” certificate to award
yourself.
Now I haven't purchased this for myself, so I don't know how it'll turn out. I really want to try it out, maybe i could buy a bunch of different ones and make some sort of enchanted village.
