Past Pictures

I looked at the picture in my hands. It was one of the last happy pictures we had all taken together. We all looked so young and happy. I put the picture back down, turning away to stop the memories from coming back.

Something flashed across the smooth surface of the picture frame. That was odd, I could have sworn I was standing next to Millig in the picture, I mused. Turning to look at it again, I saw her slowly raise her hand and wave at me.

I screamed and jumped back in shock. What was happening? I slowly crept closer to the picture, and saw that Iggy must have walked closer to the camera, because now the picture was just of her face. She rubbed her eyes, and knocked on the camera’s lens.

I picked the picture up with shaking hands; I was probably just hallucinating. That made more sense than a picture waving to me! Moving it into the light, I peered into the frame. She waved to me again. I dropped the frame in shock.

All of a sudden I heard her familiar laughter ringing throughout the room, but I couldn’t pinpoint the place it was coming from. My phone, maybe? I ran to find my purse, searching through its deep pockets for the elusive phone. Nope, it was dead. I had forgotten to charge it again.

If it wasn’t crazy enough that I thought she was moving around in the picture, now I was wondering if I heard her voice was coming from it? You’re going senile in your old age old girl, I snorted to myself. I turned the now cracked picture frame over, to make sure some chemical imbalance hadn’t occurred with my twenty-fourth birthday last week, turning me into a crazy person who saw people talking in pictures. But sure enough there she was, smiling and laughing at me.

“What took you so long? I heard you running around. I was right here!” She said, irritated that it had taken so long to turn her over.

“This is crazy. Picture frames can’t talk.” I mumbled to myself.

“It’s not that crazy. I would have talked to you earlier, but you never look at this picture, so I could never get your attention. And you couldn’t hear me cuz of the clear box I was in.” She pointed around her face, looking for the picture frame.

“Why is this happening to me? Are you my fairy godmother, Iggy? Why didn’t you tell me before!” I whispered frantically.

She rolled her eyes at me, “Don’t be crazy. I’m not anyone’s fairy anything.”

“How are you talking to me through a picture? Where’s the real Iggy? Why is my phone always dead when I need it most?” I cried, running to go charge my phone so I could talk to Iggy and see if she was playing a trick on me.

“I don’t know the answer to any of your questions. All I know is that you’ve been instructed to tell me something. I’ve been the only one not frozen in this frame for a long time! I mean, sure Disneyland is cool, but by yourself? With everything and everyone frozen in place? If I never eat a turkey leg again it’ll be too soon.” She snorted. “Every once and a while there’s this voice that comes through the loud speakers telling me once you tell me this ‘big secret’ everyone will be unfrozen and I can go back to life as usual. So hurry and tell me this secret so I can get back to living my life.” She gestured impatiently.

“What secret? I have tons of secrets!” I exclaimed. “I bet this is all a joke, it sounds like something Iggy would do.” I shook my head, trying to ignore the craziness of my talking to a picture.

“I sound like Iggy because I am freaking Iggy!” She yelled impatiently. “If you want proof, I’ll show you your frozen self.” She backed up to where we were all standing and smiling immobile, like Iggy was supposed to be. “Here you are.” She poked me in my frozen side, but I continued standing motionless.

“Alright, this is just too freaky. Can you be more specific on what kind of secret I’m supposed to tell you?”

“Something that has to do with the balance of our friendship, I think.” Iggy rolled her eyes, “I know it sounds very general and cliché, but that’s what the oh-so-helpful voice keeps telling me.”

I laughed, “That’s it? And why am I talking to you and not my own picture-self?”

Iggy frowned at me, “I don’t know! Maybe I’m supposed to stop something awful from happening.”

“Alright superman, I can tell you how our friendships ended, but I don’t think you’ll like it.” I warned.

“I don’t care! If this is what I’m supposed to know then just tell me!” She yelled, getting frustrated.

“Alright, so you know how Millig annoyed everyone on the trip?”

Iggy frowned, “She’s only annoying me. I’m trying to hide it, but it’s getting pretty hard to hide.”

I snorted, “Well later on you all realize she’s intentionally provoking all of you—you all are the proverbial back that her straws will break. In fact, your last act of kindness turns around on you. You accidentally squirt her with mayo at lunch and help pay for a new shirt for her to wear. She complains all day about her ruined shirt. So I’m betting as long as you don’t open any condiments today, you’ll save our friendship.”

Iggy scoffed in disbelief, “That’s what I’ve been waiting to hear? Unbelievable. This mayo incident either breaks or saves all of our friendships?”

“Pretty much. Help us Iggy—you’re our only hope!” I cried dramatically.

She rolled her eyes at me. “I’ll do what you say and see what happens.” She walked out of the camera’s range, and all of a sudden she appeared smiling next to Lena.

I tapped the picture, waiting to see if she would move around again. Instead I heard my phone vibrate. It was Millig. I frowned, and opened the text: Hey where are you? Lena, Iggy and I are all waiting for you!

I read it and then reread it, stunned. It looked like Iggy had done it! I shoved the picture in my purse; this was one story I couldn’t wait to tell them.