Pictures of a Lost World

I had some trouble modernizing this story. I didn't really like it until I figured out the twist. This one isn't as closely related to the original story as some of my other efforts, but some of the bigger points are still there. Enjoy!

We take photos to preserve a moment we'll never see again.

Laura held her phone to her ear and tried not to pace. The phone rang until it went to voicemail. Laura frowned and waited for the beep. "Hi, Mom. I'm, um... Well, I'm thinking about changing jobs. You know how my pictures of that Californian forest took off? Well, I think I could make it as a nature photographer. I'm pretty good at getting pictures of things before they're gone and I really feel like I could make a difference." Laura brought herself back to her point. "So, I just wanted your opinion on that. I'm going out on a hike, so I might not have the best cell reception later today. OK. Love you. Bye!"

Laura picked up her backpack and left her apartment. It was a short drive to the trail she wanted to hike today. There were some dazzling views she wanted to get at sunset and she would have to hike for awhile to get there. Of course, the wasn't the longest hike she'd ever done, so by the time she got out there, Laura had only stopped for a water break a few times. Her preferred spot was on the side of a big hill and the sunset was just perfect from there, especially with the way the trees framed it. She got several beautiful shots before she had to leave. That night, she went home and edited her photos until she had a few she could submit to get paid. Then Laura's phone buzzed.

"Hi, Mom." Laura smiled. "I know. I'm not sure about it yet, but I was just kind of thinking about it." She listened. "That is a good point. I wouldn't quit until I had a steady stream of income, but you're right, I'm not sure what I would do about insurance." She listened some more. They went back and forth for awhile, talking about logistics and what Laura wanted to do. After awhile, Laura's mom had to go. "Okay. I'll keep thinking about it." Laura smiled. "Thank you. I know I can do this, too. Love you!"

Laura smiled and looked at her computer. Her sunset pictures had already been picked up and she should be able to see them in an article soon. It was a great day.

As it turned out, it was a few days later that Laura's pictures went live. The article they went with got some mild popularity and Laura found a few new websites approaching her for nature photography, with a higher budget than she was expecting. Laura took a few pictures for them, but didn't really believe it was real until their checks cleared. Just a few weeks later, Laura made the hike up to her favorite sunset spot to think.

"It's costing me money to go to work," she realized on the way up. She would make more money if she became a freelance photographer, but she'd lose the security of her job. It was a scary decision, but Laura knew she had to make it by herself. So, she debated on her way up, sometimes trying to talk herself out of it and sometimes telling herself it was the best move. When she made it to her spot, Laura almost didn't recognize it. The two trees that she loved so much were gone. She looked at the view without them for a moment.

"Screw it. Let's do this," Laura said. She could be gone tomorrow, just like those trees. Life was too short not to take a chance on something she loved. Laura had a smile on her face all the way back to her car. This was definitely the right move.

Laura's photography career went far better than she had expected. She had several nature photos go viral. Part of what helped her fame was that any time one of her photos went big, something about that scene was destroyed, meaning no one else could get a picture like that. A few vicious people began whispering that Laura was doing this, but Laura ignored them. She was giving people something they could see and appreciate when they thought about protecting nature. It wasn't her problem if other people were jealous of her success.

As Laura became a more and more popular photographer, clients began sending her to different places in the world to take pictures. Finally, Laura was rich enough to buy a cottage in the forest that had all of the technology she loved.

However, it couldn't last forever. One trip, Laura was strapped into a helicopter taking pictures of a beautiful rock formation. The rumors about her had been getting stronger, so part of Laura wanted to prove them wrong. Rocks couldn't burn down, after all. Not all of her pictures that went big would mean destruction for the scene. Laura got several beautiful pictures of the rocks before they had to land the helicopter. She spent the next few days editing them to be perfect. She wanted these to be her most popular pictures ever.

Laura sent her pictures off and headed back home. Once she got back to her cozy cottage, Laura started checking the news. Apparently, there had been a sudden and powerful earthquake. Laura's stomach dropped when she saw the country it was in. Sure enough, when she clicked on the story, the epicenter of the earthquake had been that rock formation Laura had taken pictures of. The nearby town had been completely destroyed.

Laura sat back from her computer in shock. That couldn't be right. It had to be a coincidence. Trying to prove herself wrong, Laura went back through all of her successful photos, checking on their locations. As soon as those pictures had gotten popular, something happened to ruin the scene she had photographed. "I've been trying to save nature, not destroy it," Laura whispered to herself, double checking she had gotten the dates right. It was inescapable. As soon as any of her photos became popular, something was destroyed by an act of God or nature. She wasn't doing this and she didn't think anyone could cause an earthquake. Her photos that hadn't gotten popular didn't cause any destruction.

Laura began to pace. It didn't make sense, but it was clear as day. To save nature, she would have to stop trying. Laura paced some more and debated. She went outside and began the hike up to her favorite sunset spot. When she got to the spot, Laura couldn't help but notice where the two trees had been. "This is my fault." Laura walked over to the tree stumps. Some new growth was starting there. Someday, there would be new trees in the same spots. Laura stared and slowly, she started to smile. "It isn't permanent," she whispered. There were all kinds of other things she could do, like be a tour guide, or write about traveling. She could stop photography and stop the destruction.

Before she lost her nerve, Laura hiked back home and started drafting her email to her clients. "From now on, my pictures will just be for me," Laura promised herself. "I won't let anything else get destroyed." Her clients complained and her fans were confused and angry, but any pictures Laura took after that day stayed with her. She only put them up in her house, hidden in the forest, where no one else would see them.