Shorts Series: The Mean Photographers - 2036
Shay had a big grin on her features as she ran around the school grounds with her friends. The four kids had been playing tag until their parents came to pick them up though they had to be sneaky or Miss Claire would get mad but it was soooo boring just standing around waiting for her dad. He always took soooo longggg. “YOU’RE IT SHAY” Shay pouted as her friend, Josh, caught up to her. It wasn’t fair - he was faster than her. Hmph. She was chasing him specifically for a few minutes before something strange happened. People with cameras started walking up to her and taking photos with big bright cameras that hurt her eyes.
“That’s her, get the video camera ready. This is my damn salary for the month.”
Shay looked around, slightly scared by the strange men looking at her. Her mom and dad always told her not to talk to strange men. “Hi Shay. It’s shay right? Your dad is Dorian DeLoughrey?” Shay looked around backing up slightly as she looked for her friends or her teacher but she couldn’t see them. Her teacher was talking to someone else and didn’t see her. “Y…yes that’s my daddy. Does he know you?”
She heard the men laugh slightly as they nodded at her. "Yes, we know your daddy. He said we could come and ask you some questions about him. Is that okay? Though uneasy… they said her daddy said it was okay. “Um… okay if daddy said so…”
“Okay perfect. So Shay. There are some rumors that your dad has been with a blonde girl who’s not your mom. Have you ever seen your dad with… an older… friend?”
Shay was confused - her dad had a lot of friends. So of course she nodded. “Yes…?” she whispered. She didn’t know what was happening, and every few seconds she’d see a flash of light that would make her jump and make her eyes hurt more. “How many girls has he been with?”
Shay frowned. Daddy had a lot of female friends… mommy… auntie Elodie… auntie Mareena. With a scared little shrug, she looked back up at the man “I… don’t know… a lot?” she mumbled. Though before the man could ask her anything else, she found someone pulling her up, and smiled seeing her daddy wrapping his arms around her. But her dad didn’t seem happy… was he mad at her? But instead of looking at her, she found him looking at the mean people who said they were friends with her dad. And after a few seconds, he turned back to her to ask what happened. “Those people said they knew you and… you said they could ask me weird questions,”
After that, he covered her ears and then started saying something, but she couldn’t hear him even though she tried. After a looongggg time he finally uncovered them and started walking towards their car and strapped her in before going to her teacher and saying something else. What… did she do something? Though after a few seconds, instead of going to the front seat, she found her daddy sitting next to her and looking at her. “Are you okay baby?”
“Yes daddy… my eyes hurt a…little,” and with that he sighed, kissing her on the forehead. “Shay, if anyone comes to you - I don’t care if they say they know me - don’t talk to them okay? Go to your teacher,”
She could feel her eyes watering - unsure if she was in trouble or not and… even more so… not knowing why she was in trouble “Oh…oka…okay daddy…I…I…I’m…sorry,” she let out and he immediately shook his head trying to comfort her and explain what had just happened.