Jaune Arc: Goosebumps Storyteller

by vanquish356

Jaune always did love telling stories, especially to his younger sisters. He even had a book filled with cheesy horror stories that his sisters loved. But after coming to Beacon, he thought he would never tell stories again. However, that wasn't the case when Ruby began asking him for stories, soon followed by Nora. Little did he know that this would cause a domino effect.

9. Chapter 9

Jaune Arc: Goosebumps Storyteller

Chapter 9: Say Cheese - And Die-Screaming!

"All right. A picture is worth a thousand screams-if it's taken with an evil camera that has a nasty vision of the future. Julie's future doesn't look pretty. And neither does anyone else's after they're caught in her lens!" Jaune said as he flipped to the correct page.

"Is Greg in this story?" Pyrrha asked.

"No. This happened about three years later."

"Before or after... whatever happened to Grady?" Yang asked, smirking as Jaune blushed some more when Velvet sniggled into him.

"Before he died but after his friendship with the others fell through." Jaune answered before clearing his throat. "All right. Let's start. A young girl with a blonde ponytail ran across the school hallway toward her best friend. JULIE! WAIT UP! She shouted."

Story

"Is that a new camera?" The girl asked as she reached her friend.

"It's one of my old cameras." Julie answered, shaking her head. "Dad says he'll buy me a new one if I get the big assignment from Mr. Webb."

"Big assignment?" Reena asked, blinking. I gave her a light shove.

"Reena, I've only been talking about it for months. Remember? To shoot the entire student body for the big two-page spread in the Tiger? That's the name of our yearbook."

"I thought Mr. Webb already chose David Blank for that." Reena said, scrunching her face.

"Well, you thought wrong. That's why I'm hurrying to the Tiger office. I've got an awesome idea. No way Mr. Webb can say no to it. David can sit on his bum and watch me take the photo!"

"You don't like David - do you?" Reena asked, laughing, causing me to roll my eyes.

"Does a lettuce like a goat?"

"Goat? I don't get that, Julie." Reena said, confused. With her light blonde hair and big green eyes, Reena is very pretty. I think she's the prettiest girl at Twin Forks Middle School. And Reena's smart, too. But she only understands straight talk.

"I meant David tries to gobble up everything. He wants to be the only star. Mr. Webb asked me to shoot the bake sale in the gym last week. And when I showed up, guess who was there."

"David?"

"You got it."

"He's very competitive." Reena said before grinning. "But I think he's kind of cute."

"Cute?" I stuck my finger down my throat. "With that bright orange hair and those orange freckles? He looks like a carrot! "

"You have vegetables on the brain." Reena said.

"No, I've got pictures on the brain. I can be just as competitive as David. I really want to take that big photo. That's why I want to get to the yearbook office before David does." I turned and started to jog down the hall. It was nearly three thirty, and the school had emptied out.

"Julie-" Reena called after me. "Are we still going bike riding on Saturday?"

"I've got to watch Sammy in the morning. We can ride all afternoon." I answered. Sammy is my little brother.

I turned the corner and bumped right into the Sneer Sisters. Actually, Becka and Greta aren't sisters. They're best friends, and I've never seen them apart. I call them the Sneer Sisters because they both always sneer when they see me, like I smell like rotten meat or something. And they're always so totally mean to me. They even look a little alike. They are both tall and very skinny and have long noses and kind of pointy chins similar to witches' chins.

"Hi, Ju - Ju." Becka said, sneering. I gritted my teeth. She knows I hate to be called Ju - Ju. That's what I called myself when I was too little to say the name Julie. Greta pointed at my mouth. "Ju - Ju, you have something on your front teeth."

"Is it gone?" I asked after rubbing my teeth. Greta nodded.

"Yeah. It was your finger!" They both slapped high fives and cackled like

that was the funniest joke in history.

"Where did you get that joke? First grade or second?" I asked before pushing past them and hurrying down the hall with my camera bouncing in front of me.

The yearbook office was the last door on the left. I grabbed the knob, twisted it, and burst inside. And then I gasped when I was blinded by an explosion of white. OK. It wasn't an explosion. A few seconds later, I started to see again. And David Blank slowly came into focus. He was standing next to Mr. Webb. He had his camera raised. And a big grin on his carroty face.

"That's a lesson for you, Julie. That's how you take someone by surprise. An awesome candid shot." David said.

"David - you nearly blinded me!" I cried. I still had white flashes in my eyes.

"The look on your face!" He said as he stared at the viewscreen on the back of his camera before sharing it with Mr. Webb. "Like something in a horror movie."

"You're a horror movie!" I shot back angrily. I was so disappointed that David was there. I elbowed him out of the way and tried to squeeze next to Mr. Webb. "You're leaving, right?"

"I'm just hanging out." David said, shrugging. "Mr. Webb and I were talking about some yearbook ideas. "

Mr. Webb took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He is very tall, lanky, skinny and has a narrow face and short black hair. Some kids have a nickname for him. They call him The Needle because he really does look like one. He has a soft voice. He always seems to stop and think for a long time before he answers a question. And he's constantly taking off his glasses and putting them back on. A nervous habit, I guess. I've never had him as a teacher. But I think he's a good yearbook adviser. He's very fair. And he's always ready to listen to new ideas.

"My dad got me a new lens for my Pentax." David said. "I've got ten times zoom on this camera. And twenty times zoom on my other camera."

"Don't brag or anything." I said, annoyed. He thinks he's way cool because his dad is the manager of Camera World at the mall. Mr. Webb pushed his glasses up on his nose and turned to me.

"Julie, you got some nice shots of the wrestling team last week." He said. "So did David."

"I thought the wrestling team was my assignment." I said.

"Just thought I'd back you up." He said, grinning. "You know. In case that little camera of yours broke or something."

Have you ever wanted to clobber a kid that pisses you off daily? I sure want to right now.

"You said you have an idea you want to show me?" Mr. Webb asked. I reached into my backpack and pulled out the plans I had drawn. If only David would disappear in a flash of white light!

"It's for the picture of the whole student body." I said. "I had this idea about using the new swimming pool."

"You want to take the picture from underwater? That's awesome! " David laughed.

"Give me a break. You know they haven't filled the new pool yet. There's no water in it." I said as I spread my drawing out on the table. Mr. Webb bent over to study it. He scratched his head and squinted at it.

"Is that you on the high diving board?" He asked.

"Yeah. See? We get everyone standing in the pool. Fifth grade in front. Then sixth. Then seventh at the back. And I use a wide angle and shoot down at everyone from the high board."

"And then you dive into the crowd? Awesome!" David said, laughing. I ignored him but desperately wished I could clobber him into the pool.

"There might be some safety problems." Mr. Webb said. "The high diving board is-"

"It's a very wide platform up there." I said. "With railings on both sides. No way I could slip."

"I think Julie and I should both go up there and shoot." David said as he leaned over the drawing, blocking Mr. Webb's view. "She can use her old-fashioned wide angle. And I'll use my Konica square shooter."

I wanted to pound him into the ground. David is such a total pig.

"The platform isn't that wide." I said. "There's only room for one person up there. And since it's my idea..."

"I know!" David said. "Let's make it a contest. Between Julie and me."

"A contest?" I asked, surprised.

"Whoever has the most pictures accepted for the yearbook - wins." David said. "The winner gets to take the big picture from the high board."

"Well, I guess that would be a fair way to decide." Mr. Webb said with a smile forming on his face. "OK, you have one week."

'Fair?! It wasn't fair at all! The pool was my idea. But how could I back down?' I thought, outraged.

"OK. Done deal. We'll have a contest." I said, resisting the urge to punch David in the face.

I folded up my plan and shoved it back into my backpack. Then I waved goodbye to the two of them and left the room. As I walked home, I couldn't think about anything else. I wanted to win. I really wanted to be the one up on that high board with everyone in school looking up at me. How was I to know that before too long, I'd be falling to my doom?

Saturday Afternoon

The sun beamed down from a clear blue sky. It was the first warm day of spring. Reena and I couldn't wait to climb on our bikes and ride all around town. We pedaled past the school, then turned right and coasted downhill toward Fairfax Park. We were both in shorts and T-shirts. It felt great to pretend it was summer. We had to brake to slow down at the bottom of the steep hill.

"How was Sammy this morning?" Reena asked.

"The usual." I said. "He was Sammy. What else?"

"Your brother is a little spoiled."

"And a little whiny." I added. "And a little obnoxious. Mom always says he's just being Sammy. I guess that means he can get away with anything."

"Baby of the family." Reena said.

We rode through the park, in and out of the shade from the old tangled trees that hang over the street. Then we rode past houses where some of our friends lived. Some kids were washing a car with a garden hose at the corner. We turned, and a red car pulled up beside us. The back window rolled down. And who should poke their heads out but my best buddies, Becka and Greta.

"Ju - Ju!" They both called. "Ju - Ju!"

"You got rid of your training wheels!" Becka shouted as Greta spat her bubble gum at me.

'Missed.' I thought as the gum missed me by a few feet.

"Bye, Ju - Ju!" The car roared away, with the girls laughing wildly. I rolled my eyes and started pedaling hard. Reena raced to catch up to me, her blonde hair flying behind her.

"What did you ever do to them?" She asked.

"I know what it is." I said. "Remember my birthday party last autumn? The bowling party?"

"I remember." Reena said. "I dropped the ball on my foot."

"Well, my mom said I could only invite five kids. And you know, Becka and Greta were never in my top five. They're closer to my bottom five."

"So you didn't invite them." Reena said, laughing.

"Right. They've been horrible to me ever since." I said as we slowed to a stop at a corner. The street sign was lying on its side on the grass. "Where are we?"

We both squinted into the afternoon sun. I saw tiny houses jammed close together on both sides of the street. The front gardens were small squares, mostly of tall weeds. One house had cardboard across all its windows. The garden was cluttered with tin cans and other rubbish. A mean-looking dog, tall and scrawny, barked at us from a dirt driveway, tugging at a chain leash. Two young boys were tossing stones against the side of a little shingled house.

"I don't know this neighborhood." I said. "We never rode this far before."

"It's kind of creepy." Reena said. But then her eyes grew wide. "Hey - check it out! A garage sale!"

She didn't wait for me. She pedaled up the pebble driveway, where red and blue balloons bobbed in the wind. Reena can't resist a tag sale. She's totally into old shoes and hats and vintage clothes. I don't know what she does with all the stuff she buys. Reena's lucky she has big closets in her room.

The red brick house was small and square. The screen door was ripped and hung half open. A stuffed monkey stared out of the dusty front

window. A huge red-faced woman in a tight-fitting yellow dress sat in a beach chair in front of the garage. She waved to us as we climbed off our bikes, but she didn't get up. She fanned herself with a folded-up newspaper. Then she used it to point to the tables of stuff.

"Everything is half off." She said in a hoarse voice. "I didn't have time to tag it. Just ask me the price."

We set our bikes down on the pebble driveway. No one else was around. Down the street, the angry dog kept barking. Reena walked over to a rack of old dresses and coats. It all looked pretty ragged to me. But Reena likes pawing through that stuff.

I stopped at a table in front of the open garage door. It was stacked high with yellow, old-Time magazines and sheet music. I picked up some sheet music and looked through it. My dad plays the piano, and he collects old songs. But these were too smelly and falling apart. Yuck. I dropped them back on the table, but my hands still smelled skunky. I turned and saw Reena trying on straw hats. She's so awesome-looking; hats look great on her. Whenever I try one of hers on, I look like a little girl playing dress up.

There were shelves of old board games and action figures in the garage. I checked out an old werewolf card game called Bite My Face! Really dumb. Then in the grey light at the back of the garage, I spotted something on a low shelf. It was a camera. I bent and picked it up.

"Weird." I muttered.

It was definitely old. It was square, like an old box camera. Bigger than my digital camera and heavier. It was metal, covered in black leather. I turned it over and saw a built-in flash at the top.

"Wonder what kind of film it takes." I muttered. I'd never seen a camera like it. I had five or ten dollars in my backpack. Would that be enough to buy the old camera? I carried it up to the woman in the beach chair. "Is this for sale?"

The woman's eyes bulged. Her chin trembled. "NO!" She screamed. "Put it DOWN! You don't want that! Put it down - NOW! "

Real World

"Well, I guess Julie found the evil camera." Weiss said.

"But hopefully, nothing too bad happens to her. I already like her far better than Greg." Ruby said.

"I can't say the same for David." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah. It's only been a few chapters, and I already want to pummel him into the ground." Yang said.

"That was in the past. David got better in time." Grady said.

"He's not so much of an ass now, especially when it comes to photography." Cassie added.

"But the occasional slap to the head to keep him in line is still needed." Lucy said.

"Back to the story." Jaune said. "Julie stuttered out, 'N-No problem.' The woman waved at her with her face beet red."

Story

'What's up with this camera?' I wondered as I trotted back into the garage. I bent to set it back down on the low shelf and felt a tap on my shoulder. I let out a startled cry before turning around and seeing a girl standing behind me. She was about twelve like me, big and red-faced like the woman outside. Her scraggly brown hair fell over her eyes. She wore baggy jeans and a pink sweatshirt that said MOMMY'S PRINCESS on the front in sparkly letters. "Huh?"

"You want that camera?" She whispered.

"Well ... I don't know." I murmured. "If there's something wrong with it ..."

"Go ahead. Take it." She said, shoving the camera into my arms.

"How much?"

"No charge." She answered, shaking her head. She then gave me a push to the driveway. "Just take it away before my mom sees."

I picked up my bike and stuck the old camera into my backpack. The woman didn't see. She was pouring herself a tall drink from a big plastic pitcher. Reena ran over and lifted her bike from the driveway.

"Nothing good here." She whispered. "Let's go."

We called "bye" to the woman and pedaled away. At the street, I turned and looked back to the garage. The daughter was standing there stiffly, just staring at us. I waved to her. But she didn't wave back.

One Hour Later

Mom greeted us as we stepped into my house. My mom is dark-haired like me, except she wears hers the length of bristles on a hairbrush. She's short and a little chubby and has non-stop energy. I mean, she never sits down.

"Reena, would you like to stay for dinner?" She asked.

"Sure, thanks." Reena replied.

"What are we having?" I asked.

"Just pizza. I've been cleaning the attic all day. No time to prepare a feast." Mom answered, shrugging. That's the other thing about my mom. She never sits down - and she never stops cleaning out rooms.

"No peppers this time!" Sammy came bursting into the room, whining as usual. "I hate peppers! Even if you pull them off, you can still taste them."

Sammy looks like a junior version of Mom and me. He's short with dark hair and has brown eyes and a gap in his front teeth - like I had before my braces.

"OK. No peppers." Mom promised. I pulled the old camera from my backpack. I was eager to check it out.

"Where'd you get that?" Sammy asked. He made a grab for it, but I swiped it out of his reach. Pouting, he moved to pose in front of the fireplace with his tongue sticking out and eyes crossed. "Take my picture! Hurry! Take my picture."

"It doesn't have any film." I said. "I just got it. Besides, when I do get film, I'm taking Reena's picture - not yours. "

I turned and aimed the lens at Reena. Then I pretended to take her picture and pushed the shutter button. The flash went off - a bright white. I heard a metal hum - and a square of paper came sliding out of the front of the camera.

"What's that? You broke it! Ha - ha! You broke your new camera!" Sammy said as he did a little dance around Reena and me. I pulled out the square. It was cardboard and had a smooth, glossy front.

"Julie didn't break it." Mom said. "Haven't you ever seen one of these? It's a self-developing camera."

"A what?" Sammy said, confused.

"Watch. The picture slides out. Then it will slowly develop." Mom said. "These used to be popular before digital cameras."

We all stared at the little square in my hand. It began to darken, and then colors appeared. Slowly, the picture developed, and we could see Reena.

"Nice colors." I said. "Very soft. This is awesome!"

"Oh, wow." Reena said. "It's a nice shot - but I have red-eye."

I studied the photo. Yes, Reena looked great. I don't think she can take a bad picture. But her eyes were glowing bright red.

"You look like a freak!" Sammy laughed before trying to grab the camera again. "Let me take a picture!"

"It isn't a toy, Sammy." I said, turning away from him. I then tugged Reena to the stairs. "Come to my room. Bet I can get rid of the red-eye."

"On the computer?" Reena asked.

"Yes. I'll scan the picture into my computer and fix the red-eye."

We hurried to my room and closed the door so Sammy wouldn't follow us. I scanned the picture into the computer. I have a professional program called Photo Master Plus I'm learning how to use. I gazed at the image on the screen and began to adjust it.

"Weird." I muttered.

"What's up?" Reena asked. She put her hands on my shoulders and leaned over me.

"I can't darken your eyes." I said. "I should be able to fade the red glow. But it won't adjust at all."

"OH, HELP! OWWWWW! MY EYES!" Reena shrieked. I gasped and spun around. Reena raised her hands to her eyes and started to scream at the top of her lungs. "MY EYES! HELP ME! MY EYES! "

"What's wrong?" I asked as I jumped up from my chair. Reena pressed her hands over her eyes.

"HELP ME! Julie - my eyes are BURNING! Oh, HELP ME!" Reena shouted. I grabbed her hands gently and tugged them down. When I saw her eyes, my breath caught in my throat. Her eyes were glowing red like fire! "Help me! Oh, it hurts! It really hurts!"

"M - maybe the flash was too bright. You were standing so close to the camera." I stammered. I pulled Reena into my bathroom. I soaked a washcloth with cold water and pressed it over her eyes.

"It isn't helping! My eyes - they're BURNING! It hurts SO MUCH!" She shrieked. I took the cloth away. Her eyes were still glowing bright red.

"Here. More cold water." I said as I placed the washcloth back on her face. Then I pulled her downstairs to Mom. "Her eyes are burning. They're all red."

"Let me see." Mom pulled the cloth away. She blinked a few times when she saw the red glow. "Something irritated them badly. Do you have allergies?"

"NO! No allergies! Please - HELP ME!" Reena shook her head. Her whole body was trembling.

"I have some eye drops in my room. Julie, they're on my dresser." Mom said. Nodding, I raced to her room, grabbed the eye drops, and returned a second later. But to our horror, they didn't help at all. "Call Reena's parents. Maybe they can get her to an eye doctor. I've never seen anything like this!"

"Call me later. When the burning stops." I said after we helped Reena into the car. I watched them drive away. I had a tight feeling in my stomach. I couldn't get Reena's frightened screams out of my ears. In my bedroom, I picked up the snapshot. I stared at Reena's smiling face with the red, glowing eyes.

'How totally weird.' I thought.

After dinner, I was still thinking about Reena. I suddenly remembered I had an assignment from Mr. Webb. I was supposed to be at the gym shooting the girls' basketball game for the yearbook. I grabbed two of my cameras and stuffed them in my bag. Then I jumped on my bike and raced to the gym.

I got there just in time. The game was nearly over. Our Tigers were losing to the Bay Meadow Stingrays. I saw Karla Mayer, our best player. She stole the ball and dribbled down the court. She stopped at the line and sent up an easy three-pointer. The bleachers were about half full of kids. Most of them started to stomp their feet and chant, "Karla kills! Karla kills! Karla kills!"

I decided to take some shots from the top of the bleachers. I took out my best digital camera and hurried up the steep steps. I let out a sharp cry as a red-and-white trainer stuck out and tripped me.

"Ow." I said as I banged my knee hard. I turned around and saw who was wearing the trainer - Becka. She and Greta grinned at me.

"Not too klutzy, are you?" Becka laughed.

"Ju - Ju, too bad. Did you fall on your camera?" Greta shouted over the noise of the crowd. I should have ignored them.

"Becka, don't you have awfully big feet for a girl?" I said.

Then I glanced at my camera. Oh, wow. I really did fall on it. The lens was cracked. Shaking my head, I climbed to the top of the bleachers. I gazed at the scoreboard. The Tigers were losing 36 to 45. Karla would have to go to work. Good photo ops. I reached into my bag for the other camera - and let out a cry.

'Oh, no! The weird, old camera. I didn't mean to bring it.' I thought, worried.

Well ... I had no choice. I had to use it. I knew I couldn't snap dozens of shots with the old thing. I needed to wait for one or two great moments.

I had to get a long shot of Karla running down the floor. Could the old camera do it? I raised it to my face - then groaned. David Blank! He had a blue baseball cap pulled down over his red hair. But I still recognized him easily. What was he doing here? David was on the floor next to the players' bench. He had two cameras strapped around his neck. And he was snapping photo after photo.

"You creep!" I shouted.

He knew this was my assignment. David would do anything to win our contest. But this just wasn't fair. The Stingrays scored again. The crowd grew quiet. Everyone was waiting for Karla to make a move.

I glanced down the bleachers. Becka was on her mobile phone. Greta was searching for something in her bag. They weren't even watching the game. I held the old camera ready. A few seconds later, Karla came dribbling full speed down the center of the floor.

This was my shot. I kept her in the viewscreen as she flew towards the basket. She leaped high and sent a lay-up to the hoop. I pushed the shutter button just as her feet left the floor. The camera flashed. The film came sliding out. I grabbed it and watched it develop.

"Weird! How did I mess up?" I wondered.

The picture showed Karla's arm all by itself. Where was the rest of her body? Her face? How could I just capture her arm? A loud CRAAAAACK made the kids in the bleachers gasp. And rising over that, I heard a high wail, a long, shrill scream of pain. I turned- and saw Karla dangling from the basket rim.

HANGING BY HER ARM!

Karla shrieked and cried. Tears rolled down her face. Even from the top of the bleachers, I could see that her arm was horribly broken. It hung there at a totally strange angle. Players from both teams stood beneath her, screaming and crying. Kids were covering their eyes. The coaches hurried to lower her to the floor. The referee kept blowing her whistle, again and again, like a siren.

Wailing in agony, Karla lay sprawled on her back on the gym floor, the bones of her arm poking out through her skin. Gasping for breath, I realized I had the snapshot clenched tightly in my hand. I raised it to my face and stared at it. Stared at Karla's arm, ALL BY ITSELF!

And suddenly, I felt sick.

Four paramedics in white uniforms arrived a short while later. They couldn't keep the shock off their faces when they saw Karla. Coach Ambers was down on the floor beside her, trying to hold Karla still.

Karla was silent now. I thought maybe she was in shock or something.

The gym had emptied out. Both teams had been sent to the locker rooms. The medics lifted Karla onto a stretcher. I could see that her arm was bent almost backward.

I tucked the photo into my bag. The referee had left the gym. But I could still hear her shrill whistle ringing in my ear. I thought about Reena. About her red-eye. And then I pictured Karla's arm again. A deep shudder ran down my body. Maybe I should have listened to that woman's warning. Maybe I should have left the camera in her garage. This CAN'T be a coincidence! There's something evil about this old camera ...

I didn't see David until he was right in front of me. He grabbed the old camera from my hand.

"Hey!" I cried out and tried to take it back. But he swiped it out of my reach.

"Whoa! This is totally awesome!" He said. "Where did you get this? Let me try it!"

"NO!" I screamed. I made another grab for it. Too late. David aimed the camera at me and FLASHED it in my face.

Real World

"Wow. This must be some kind of record. A few chapters in, and already this kid is starting to get on my nerves." Yang said.

"But you can't be too mad at him. He's a kid, so he doesn't know better... or common things." Roman said.

"And he didn't even know about the camera nor would have believed it." Neo added.

"Wait. That reminds me." Blake said before turning to Jaune. "Can you modify the photos?"

"In what way?" Jaune asked.

"Changing details like how Julie planned on doing." Yatsuhashi answered.

"Oh. In that case, no. Aside from turning the photos into a negative or positive, you can't do anything to them. For some reason, they're resistant to any other kind of tempering."

"And before you ask." Grady interjected. "We're not sure if the camera can adapt. There were a few tests, but they proved nothing."

"So, either changing the photo to the opposite or destroying it are our only options at the moment." Coco said.

"Pretty much." Roman said.

"But back to the story." Jaune said. "Julie closed her eyes yet could still see the bright, white flash. And a second later, she heard the photo slide out."

Story

"Is this a toy? This is Sammy's camera, right?" David asked, laughing as I opened my eyes.

"It's very old." I said. "I have to take it back. There's something wrong with it."

"Look. Something popped out of it. Does it squirt water, too?" David asked, rolling the camera around in his hands.

"You're not funny." I said. And then I saw what he was looking at. It was the square of film. It didn't slide all the way out. It was stuck halfway in the camera. "See? It's broken. I'm going to return it-"

I stopped. My breath caught in my throat. A sharp pain wrapped around my middle. It felt as if I were wearing a heavy belt. And the belt kept tightening and tightening ... and tightening. I made a groaning sound. I couldn't breathe. I doubled over. The pain shot around me. I felt as if I'd been cut in half!

"Julie? Julie?" I felt David's hands on my shoulders. "Are you OK? What's wrong?"

I couldn't straighten up. I couldn't talk. Or breathe. Cut in half... cut in half... Suddenly, I realized what I had to do. Fighting the pain, I struggled to raise myself. I grabbed the camera. The pain tightened around my middle.

"Julie? Do you need help?" I could hear David's voice. It sounded far away. Yet, I could tell he sounded genuinely concerned. "Julie? Does something hurt? Should I get someone?"

I couldn't answer. The pain tightened my jaw and every muscle in my body. I saw red. Then black. I knew I was about to pass out. Gritting my teeth, I grabbed the film square. And I tugged it hard, pulled it the rest of the way out of the camera. Will it work? Will the pain go away now? I gritted my teeth and waited... waited...

No.

The photo fell from my hand. I bent double, squeezing my sides. The pain tightened around me. It felt like a hot wire burning into my skin. And then... the pain vanished. It didn't fade away slowly. It just disappeared. So suddenly, I gasped and jerked up straight, blinking in surprise. I took in a long, deep breath, then another. I rubbed a hand around my waist. It felt perfectly fine again.

"Are you OK now? Julie?" David asked. He had gone so pale; his freckles had faded into his skin. I didn't answer. I gripped the camera tightly against my chest. Then I spun away from David and ran across the gym floor. "Hey! What's your problem?"

I didn't answer. I kept running until I was outside in the car park, breathing in the cool, fresh night air. I knew what my problem was. It was the camera. First Reena, then Karla... then me. The camera was evil. It hurt people. I had to get rid of it. I had to take it back to that strange woman.

I held the camera tightly against me and pedaled my bike home, riding with one hand. A car rolled past with loud music pouring out of the open windows. A girl waved to me from the passenger seat. But I didn't wave back. I tossed my bike against the side of the garage. Breathing hard, I ran into the house through the kitchen door. I planned to hurry up to my room and hide the camera before anyone saw me. But Sammy jumped out as I stepped into the living room. He had an ugly rubber skeleton mask over his face.

"Take my picture - or you die!" Sammy rasped. He struck a pose with both hands raised and curled like claws.

"Sammy, since when is it Halloween?" I asked.

"I'm not Sammy. I'm the Silver Skull. Take my picture, or I'll crush you with my Skull Vision." I shuddered. Poor Sammy. If I took his picture with this evil camera, he probably would become a skeleton!

"Out of my way." I didn't mean to push him so hard. But I was desperate to get the camera hidden away in my room.

"Hey - you're skeleton meat! "Sammy shouted, waving his fist angrily. "You will feel the wrath of the Silver Skull!"

That made me laugh. He's a spoiled brat, but he's cute. I crossed my room and pulled open the closet door. I had a tall heap of dirty clothes in the back that I'd forgotten about. I buried the camera under the mountain of jeans and shirts. There's no way Sammy would find it there.

My heart was pounding like a drum. I knew I wouldn't feel normal again until I returned the evil thing. At least it couldn't do any more harm buried under a ton of smelly clothes. I dropped onto my bed with a weary sigh. I pulled my mobile out, clicked it open, and called Reena.

"Are your eyes better?" I asked.

"No, they're not." Reena answered sharply. "All thanks to you!"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Reena snapped. "My eyes are still glowing like a freak. And still burning."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

"I can't read. I can't watch TV. I can't do my homework!" Reena shouted. "And I can't go to school because I can't let anyone see me like this!"

"Reena, I'm really sorry-"

"Sorry?" Reena cried. "Sorry? Julie, that woman warned you not to take the camera. But you think you know it all. You think you can do whatever you want. Well ... look what you did to me!"

"Reena, please-"

"The doctor never saw anything like this!" Reena screamed. "You - you ruined my life, Julie!"

"But - why are you talking to me like this?" I asked, "We're friends and-"

"No, we're not." Reena replied. "We're not friends anymore. No way."

I couldn't believe she said that. I realized my whole body was trembling. I could barely hold the phone to my ear. I could hear her sobbing into the phone.

"Reena, listen to me." I pleaded. "I'm taking the camera back to that house tomorrow. Will you come with me? We can ask that woman about your eyes."

"Julie, get lost!" Reena said in a low, cold voice. And she clicked off her phone. I didn't realize it at the moment, but I was crying when Reena told me we were no longer friends.

The Next Day

The next day, school dragged on forever. I kept thinking about the camera hidden away in my closet. And I really missed Reena. Her telling me to get lost tied my stomach in knots every time I thought about it.

After school, I ran all the way home. I wanted to get there before Sammy. I dived into my closet and tossed the dirty clothes aside. Then I grabbed the camera and headed to the garage to get my bike.

And wouldn't you know it? Flat tire.

I didn't care. The camera was going to be returned today if I had to crawl! I stuffed it into my backpack and started to walk. A calm wind blew in my face. It made the tall trees in the front gardens sway and creak. The sun kept disappearing behind dark clouds. I was pretty sure I remembered how to get there. I walked past my school. Some boys from my class were tossing frisbees on the front lawn. Past the school, I turned and walked down the steep hill toward Fairfax Park. A few kids I didn't recognize were taking turns skateboarding down the hill. I wished I were having fun, too.

I felt a couple of cold raindrops on my forehead as I stepped into the park. The dark clouds spread across the sky. The wind grew colder. Turn around, a voice in my head whispered. Julie, go home.

"No!" I shouted.

I kept walking. The trees swayed and whispered as I made my way through the park. The wind swirled, but the rain held off. I hurried through the park and then walked through a neighborhood of small, square houses. Was I on the right street?

Yes. I could see the woman's red brick house halfway down the next block. I waited for a yellow school bus to pass. Then I started to cross the street. I took a few steps and stopped when I heard a cough behind me. I spun around, but there was no one there. Weird.

I crossed the rest of the way. I started to walk faster since I could see the house. Almost there! But I stopped again when I heard the scrape of footsteps. Soft thuds on the pavement. Again, I turned. The street was lined with slender young trees. Did someone slip behind one of them? I turned and took a few more steps. I was almost to the woman's driveway. I heard more soft footsteps behind me. A chill shot down my back.

I'm being followed!

The rain started to fall. I spun around. My eyes darted from tree to tree.

"Who's there?" I shouted, but the rain muffled my voice.

No answer.

"I know you're there! Who is it?"

No reply.

I shivered. I lowered my head against the rain and ran up the pebble driveway. The garage door was closed. Someone had scrawled a big red X on the front. I turned and saw the stuffed monkey staring out the front window. Behind the stuffed animal, the house was dark.

Raindrops pattered the window. They sounded like soft drumbeats.

I glanced behind me. I didn't see anyone. But I knew someone was there, watching me. It wasn't my imagination. With another shiver, I rang the doorbell. I could hear it echo inside the house. I waited a few seconds. Then rang it again.

No answer.

I pulled open the torn screen door. Then I raised my fist and knocked hard on the front door. The door swung open. I peeked inside.

"Hello? Anyone home? Hello?"

Silence.

Just the patter of rain behind me. I stepped into the small, square living room and squinted into the darkness. But what I saw caused me to gasp. The room was totally bare. No furniture at all. The stuffed monkey sat on the windowsill. Nothing else in the room. Not even a rug on the floor.

"Hello? Anybody here?"

My voice echoed in the empty room. I jogged into the kitchen. Nothing in there, either. A single pot stood on the stove; its insides burned black. Even the sink tap had been taken away. With a sigh, I leaned against the wall. Rainwater dripped down my forehead. I brushed it off with the back of one hand.

'They moved away.' I realized. The woman and her daughter had a garage sale and then cleared out. "Now what?"

I gripped the evil camera in both hands. No way I could return it to them now. So what should I do with it? I can't take it home. It's too dangerous. It didn't take me long to decide to leave it there. I started to feel better as soon as I made the decision. Back in the living room, I turned the stuffed monkey around. And I lowered the camera to its lap.

I backed away. I had a smile on my face. It felt so good to leave the camera. The monkey's stare seemed to follow me as I backed out the door. I closed the front door and then the screen door. The rain had stopped. The sun was breaking out through the clouds. Things were looking better already!

Home

By the time I arrived, I had a couple of hours before dinner time. I felt too restless to sit down and do my homework. I grabbed my digital camera and my extra lens and headed to school.

I needed to take some interesting shots for the yearbook. No way was I going to let David win our contest! I found some kids Rollerblading to loud hip-hop music in the teachers' car park. I took some good shots of them. I tried to capture how much fun they were having.

Then I photographed a bunch of seventh graders playing a baseball game on the football field. It was a pretty out-of-control game. The grass was still wet from the rain, and they kept slipping, sliding, and falling on their bums. But it led to some good snaps.

"David, you're toast." I muttered to myself as I headed home.

I couldn't wait to download the photos onto my computer. Then I'd print them and bring the best ones to Mr. Webb tomorrow. Mom and Dad were in the kitchen. Dad was at the sink, peeling carrots. Mom was stirring something on the stove.

"What's up?" Dad asked, but then he let out a shout. "Ouch! Can't they make a carrot peeler that doesn't scrape your fingers to shreds? Look! I'm bleeding!"

Dad isn't really good in the kitchen. I don't know why he keeps volunteering to help.

"About ten minutes till dinner time." Mom said.

"No problem." I said. "Dad, do you need a plaster?"

"I need ten!" He answered, yet he kept scraping away. I hurried up to my room. I carried the digital camera to my desk and set it down next to my computer. But something caught my eye. I spun around and felt my heart sink.

"NOOO-!" I shouted, shocked. The stuffed monkey! It sat on my dresser with the evil camera on its lap!

Real World

"Wait. I thought you said the camera didn't have any powers outside of making bad things happen and being indestructible." Coco said.

"We're not too sure about that." Cassie said.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"We're not 100% sure of everything the camera can do. And even the things we've seen it do, we're not sure if it was the camera's doing or someone else's." Roman answered.

"The only things we are sure about is what it can do to people and that it is indestructible." Grady added.

"But what about the girl and lady? What happened to them?" Nora asked.

"We have no idea." Lucy said.

"When we went to check the place, we found something really, really strange." Roman answered.

"And what's that?" Pyrrha asked.

"No one lived in that house for about twenty years before the day Julie discovered the camera."

"B-but that's impossible. There should be a trace, records, or something left behind." Weiss said.

"We thought so too. But that just led us to an even stranger discovery." Neo said.

"I'm almost scared to ask at this point. What did you find?" Ren asked.

"The 'house' was never really a house. It was for something else entirely, and we don't know what. In fact, it was never even finished according to the documents we managed to get our hands on." Grady answered.

"Is it still there?" Velvet asked.

"Yes." Jaune hesitantly answered.

"Did you ever try to take it down?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"Let's just say there is something there that's keeping the remaining Grimm far away." Jaune answered before clearing his throat. "Anyway, Let's continue. But that's impossible, Julie shouted. She blinked a few times, hoping the monkey would disappear. But it didn't."

Story

The monkey and the camera were still there. How did they get there? How? My chest felt fluttery. My heart was racing. I grabbed the camera and bolted down the stairs with it. I burst into the kitchen, breathing hard.

"Mom? Dad? Was someone here?" I asked. They both looked up from the counter.

"Someone?" They asked, confused.

"In my room." I said. "Was someone in my room?"

"Yeah. The Silver Skull was there!" Sammy exclaimed. "The Silver Skull goes everywhere!"

"Give me a break." I snapped. "I'm serious!"

"I've been here all afternoon, Julie. I didn't see or hear anyone. Were you expecting someone?" Mom answered after shaking her head.

"No." I said. "It's ... hard to explain. I-"

There's no way I could expect them to believe me about the camera. They're both accountants for an insurance company. Know what that means? It means they're the kind of people who don't believe in evil cameras. Sammy jumped out from under the table. He dropped the two action figures he'd been playing with. He tore over to me and tried to grab the camera out of my hands.

"Give it." Sammy said. "Give it up. I want to try it."

"Here's a new concept for you." I said after gently pushing him away. " It's called mine and yours. Do you know the difference between mine and yours? Did they ever teach that to you on Sesame Street?"

"You're a jerk face baboon." Sammy pouted.

"Don't call names." Dad warned.

"Why won't you let Sammy try your camera?" Mom asked. "He isn't going to break it."

"Yes, I am!" Sammy said. Talk about a jerk face baboon!

I didn't answer Mom. I spun around and ran back up to my room with it.

I hid it again under the pile of dirty clothes. But I knew that wasn't good enough. My little brother is a terrible snoop. I knew he'd find it. I knew that sooner or later, he'd get into terrible trouble with it. I had to get the evil thing out of the house. I had to put it someplace where it couldn't magically return. But ... where would that be? Where?

Three Hours Later

It was nearly bedtime, but I wasn't tired. I kept picturing the camera on the floor of my closet. I couldn't stop thinking about Reena and Karla. About the horrible pain, the camera had given me. I knew I wouldn't sleep until the evil thing was removed from the house. I tiptoed to the closet. I didn't want Mom or Dad to hear me.

The floor creaked under my feet. The only sound in the house was the swish of the filmy white curtains fluttering at my open window. I peered out at a purple sky with no moon or stars. A soft breeze made the dark trees shiver. Somewhere down the street, a cat cried a mournful sound. Poor kitty probably wanted to go inside. I didn't want to be outside, either. But I knew what I had to do. I had a plan.

I crossed the room in the dark, got down on my knees in the closet, and grabbed the evil camera. My hands were trembling, and my knees felt weak as I sneaked down the stairs. A few seconds later, I silently closed the kitchen door behind me. I waited for my eyes to adjust to the dark. The cool, damp air felt good on my face.

The neighbors' houses were all dark. Down the street, the cat continued its sad cry. Again, I searched the sky for the moon. But it was hidden behind a heavy blanket of clouds. I crossed my garden and followed the narrow dirt alley behind the houses. The ground was soft and muddy from the rain. My shoes splashed into shallow mud puddles below.

I pressed the camera against my chest and kept walking. A few minutes later, I stopped in front of Alley Pond. That's what everyone calls it. It doesn't really have a name. It's a small, round pond at the end of the alley. Some kids say it used to be a fish pond. Not anymore. It's a big, round hole filled with muddy water.

I raised the camera and prepared to toss it into the pond. But I stopped when I heard a scraping sound from behind a thorny hedge at the side of the alley. I spun around quickly. Did I hear breathing from behind the hedge? Or just the wind? A chill tightened the back of my neck. Again, I had the feeling that someone was there. Someone was watching me.

"Hello?" I called out in a whisper. "Who's there?"

No answer.

Another chill shook my body. I could feel all my muscles tighten. Was someone watching me? I was really afraid now. But I had to finish my mission. I raised my arm again - and heaved the old camera into the pond. It made a big, thudding splash. Then it sank below the muddy surface instantly. I stared at the pond for a few seconds. It didn't float back up. I glanced one more time at the low hedge. No one was there.

Silence.

Was it my imagination?

Ten Minutes Later

I ran back to the house, splashing up mud with my trainers. I silently let myself into the kitchen before creeping back upstairs. But I stopped halfway down the hall when I saw a yellow light seeping from my half-closed bedroom door.

There was someone in my room! My heart thudded in my chest. I tiptoed to the door. Slowly and carefully, I tilted my head forward to peek into my room.

"Sammy!" I gasped. Sammy spun around at the sound of my voice. He was in his pajamas. On his knees in front of my dresser. He had the bottom dresser drawer pulled out. I stepped into the room. " What are you doing in here?"

"I heard you go out. I wanted to look at your camera." He answered. I slammed the dresser drawer shut. Then I pulled him to his feet.

"You little sneak." I muttered. I gave him a gentle but firm push to the door.

"I just wanted to try it." He whined.

"Forget about that camera. It's gone, Sammy. It's gone forever." I said. I gave him another push. He tried to kick me. But his bare foot caught on the edge of the carpet.

"If you didn't want it, why didn't you give it to me?"

"It was broken. I had to throw it away."

He started to argue. But I closed the bedroom door in his face. I yawned. I suddenly felt totally exhausted. All my muscles ached. My head felt like a heavy rock. It still took a long time to fall asleep. And when I finally did, I had a disturbing dream.

I dreamed I was on the high diving board at the new swimming pool. Everyone in school was jammed into the pool, staring up at me. I was ready to take the big yearbook photo. I raised the evil camera in both hands. It didn't feel like a camera. It felt soft and warm. As I gripped it, I could feel it moving in my hands ... throbbing ... breathing!

The camera was ALIVE!

I held it in front of my face. I tried to look through the viewfinder. The camera began breathing harder. In and out. Something splattered onto my shoes. I glanced down. I saw drops of blood. The camera lens was bleeding. Bright red blood. Drip after drip. But I still kept taking the camera down at the kids below. And I clicked pictures. I aimed the shutter.

I held the film in my hand and watched as the picture developed. It took a long, long time. I gasped when the shot finally came into focus. In the photo, the kids' skin had vanished. Their skulls gleamed in the sunlight. They were all skeletons.

"What have I done? Have I killed everyone in my entire school?" I screamed. I woke up drenched in sweat. I tried to blink the dream away. But the grinning, glowing skeletons stayed in my mind. "Only a dream. Take a deep breath, Julie. It was only a dream."

I shut my eyes and settled back on the pillow. I couldn't stop shivering. I knew I wouldn't fall back to sleep. I just lay there staring up at the ceiling. After a while, the sun started to rise outside my window. It sent a warm, rosy color over the room.

I climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. I watched the sunrise, letting the warmth flow over me. I started to feel better. I got dressed for school. Then I made my way downstairs for breakfast. I was the first one in the kitchen. I started for the fridge to pull out the orange juice.

But I stopped halfway across the floor. And stared! Stared at the evil camera THAT WAS SITTING AT MY PLACE AT THE BREAKFAST TABLE!

Real World

"Wow. At this point, I think the camera has... what was the word? Bonded?" Velvet asked.

"Attached itself, I think, is the word you're looking for. Or something similar." Weiss said.

"Maybe."

"But I'm more curious as to who is following Julie." Blake said.

"You'll see soon enough." Jaune said, slightly shifting when Velvet leaned into him. Taking a risk, Jaune moved his arm to wrap around Velvet. The result was Velvet blushing before snuggling into his side. Everyone else smiled when they saw this. Coughing, Jaune composed himself before finding where he left off. "The camera was dripping wet. Mud covered the lens. I wanted to scream."

Story

I wanted to scream. I wanted to heave the thing against the wall again and again. Jump up and down on it and crush it with a hammer. But I knew it was no use. I'd left it in that house way across town. I'd tossed it into the pond. But here it was. No way. No way to get rid of it. I snatched it off the table. Then I ran upstairs and hid it in my closet before anyone came down to breakfast. I couldn't think of anything else all day.

A few Hours Later

At noon, the Sneer Sisters - Becka and Greta - tripped me and made me spill my lunch tray on the floor. Laughter rang out in the canteen.

"Watch where you're going." Becka said with a sneer.

I didn't pay any attention. I didn't even look at the two of them. I just walked out of the canteen without eating. I kept picturing the camera on the breakfast table. My stomach felt tight as if it were twisted into a dozen knots. I could barely swallow. How could I eat? I knew I had to get help.

After school, I loaded the camera into my backpack. I rode my bike to the mall. I parked it in a bike rack and trotted to the Camera World store on the second floor. The bell over the door chimed as I stepped in. I saw David's dad standing behind the glass display counter. He wore a blue-and-white striped shirt and khakis. He was polishing a giant camera lens with a soft white cloth.

"Julie? How's it going?" He said, smiling when he recognized me. Mr. Blank is short and thin. He has a narrow, almost bald head with a fringe of black hair at his ears. He has brown eyes, a nice smile, and a black mustache that looks like two tiny straight lines under his nose.

"I want to show you something. Can you tell me anything about this weird old camera?" I said, tugging the camera from my backpack and setting it down on the glass counter. He set the lens down carefully. Then he folded the cloth and tucked it into a drawer.

"Let me see this thing." He said. He picked it up in one hand and twirled it slowly in front of his face. "Weird old camera is right. Where did you get it, Julie? Did you find it on eBay?"

"Garage sale."

"I don't think I've seen one like it before. No brand name. No ID numbers anywhere." He said as he turned it over and studied the bottom. He looked through the viewfinder. Then he studied the lens. "It's self-developing. That's very unusual in a camera this old."

"It's... a very unusual camera."

"I have some books and old catalogues in the office." He said as he stroked his mustache. "Let's look it up."

I followed him into the little office in the back. It was the size of a broom closet. It had a desk with a computer on it, a chair, and stacks and stacks of camera books and magazines. Mr. Blank pulled some fat old books from the bottom of a pile and started thumbing through them.

"No name on the camera makes it a lot harder to find." He said. He cracked open another old book and began sifting through it. "I'm an expert on old cameras. People say I have a photographic memory. Ha - ha."

'That's a bad joke, isn't it?' I wondered.

"I think maybe... I've never seen ... oh, wait!" His eyes darted back and forth as he read the small type. Finally, he gazed up at me while raising the camera and comparing it to the photo. "Julie, I think you've found something very rare. Yes. Yes..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"It says that only one of these cameras was ever built." Mr. Blank answered. "It was actually made for a horror movie that was being filmed in the 1950s."

"A horror movie?" I asked, swallowing hard. He nodded.

"The camera was made for a movie called Say Cheese - and Die Screaming! But the movie was never finished. There were a lot of strange accidents on the set, and they had to close down the production."

"Bad things?" I asked, feeling a chill go down my spine.

"That's all it says. The movie was never finished. And the camera disappeared." He closed the book. He started to hand the camera back to me. "Lucky you. I think you found a piece of movie history."

"No. P-please." I stammered as I backed away. "Can you keep it?"

"Excuse me? This camera is probably valuable, Julie. It- "

"There's something very wrong with it." I said. My voice came out high and shrill. "I don't want it. Please."

"It can be repaired."

"No, it can't! There's a curse on it or something. The camera is EVIL! Please, Mr. Blank - take it. Keep it safe. Keep it away from people." I cried.

"I don't believe in curses or magic." He said, surprised. "That's crazy."

"Please - just take it." I said. I turned to go.

"Maybe I could give you store credit." He said. "You could pick something out in return."

"No thanks!" I said. I couldn't stay there another second. I just wanted to get away from the camera. I bolted out of the office and out the front door. The bell over the door clanged loudly. I ran into the mall and nearly knocked over a woman pushing a pram. "Sorry."

Did I actually get rid of that evil thing? Will it be safe with Mr. Blank? Or will it come back to haunt me again?

The Next Day

After school, I pulled my digital camera from my locker. Then I hurried to the auditorium. Kids were rehearsing a play, Bye Bye Birdie and I planned to photograph it for the yearbook. Everyone was huddled in front of the curtain. Mrs. Harper sat at the piano at the side of the stage. She was banging out a number from the show. She is the new music teacher. She told us all she wanted to shake things up around our school.

Bye Bye Birdie is the biggest musical our middle school has ever tried. I planned to take hundreds of shots from the beginning rehearsals to opening night. But as I hurried towards the stage, I let out a groan. I'd totally forgotten that Becka and Greta were in the play.

They stood in the middle of the stage, arguing with each other about something. But as soon as they saw me, they both turned and made ugly faces. I made a face back at them. Then I heard heavy footsteps behind me. Shoes thudding on the concrete auditorium floor.

"David! What are you doing here?" I cried after turning around. He had a big grin on his face. He swung his hands behind his back - and I stared at what he was carrying. The evil camera! He raised it to his face, turned to the stage, and aimed it up at Becka and Greta.

"Say cheese!" He called out to them. I froze in horror. He raised his thumb to push the shutter button.

"NOOOOO!" I screamed, raising my hand in front of the lens.

"Why did you do that? What's your problem, Julie?" David asked, lowering the camera. I didn't answer. I stomped towards him and made him back up in the aisle. "What are you doing with that camera?" I asked.

"What's the big deal? My dad let me borrow it. He said you didn't want it anymore."

"But-but-"

"I know you tried to get rid of it."

"Huh?" My breath caught in my throat. "How do you know that?"

"I watched you." He said, shrugging. A strange smile spread over his face. "I followed you, Julie."

"You WHAT?"

"Who do you think was spying on you?" David said, still grinning. "I stayed up day and night. I watched you leave it in that little house. And I watched you toss it in the pond. Who do you think returned it to you both times?"

"How did you get it from the bottom of the pond?"

"I reached in and pulled it out. That pond is only half a meter deep." David laughed. I just stared at him. I couldn't speak.

"You sneaked into my house? You returned it? Did you spy on me? But - why?"

"Just to mess with your mind. I really want to win our contest, Julie. I wanted to get you totally stressed so I could win it easily."

"Well, you got me totally stressed, David. Good work, dude. But I'm still going to win the contest." I said. He started to say something. But Becka interrupted from the stage.

"David-take our picture for the yearbook!" She shouted. Becka and Greta both started waving David to the stage. I stepped in front of David and raised my digital camera.

"I'll do it. I was here first." I said.

"But we don't want you to snap us." Greta said nastily.

"Yeah, Ju-Ju. You don't know how to snap bubble gum!" Becka exclaimed. They both laughed and slapped high fives. Like that was some kind of hilarious joke.

"Go away, Ju - Ju. David has the cool camera."

"Don't use that camera." I said, turning to David. "I'm warning you."

"Warning me?" David laughed.

"I had a good reason to get rid of it. David, listen-" I said, but he raised the camera in both hands and aimed it at the two girls. "No!"

I dived forward and tried to grab it away from him.

Too late!

The camera flashed. The film slid out.

"An instant classic!" David smugly said. He handed the picture up to Becka. She and Greta leaned over it, watching it develop. They had smiles on their faces. But the smiles quickly faded.

"Ohhh, gross! "Becka cried.

"Oh, that's totally SICK!" Greta said. The two girls squinted at the photo.

"What's wrong with your camera, Ju-Ju?" Becka asked. "The color is all messed up."

"Huh? My camera? David was the one who took your photo!" I said, furious.

"Your camera stinks!" Greta said. "Like you, Ju - Ju!"

"Why are you blaming me?" I said. "I didn't-"

But Becka shoved the picture into my face. David and I stared at it. In the snapshot, both girls had green faces and arms. And their skin was all cracked and spotted - like alligator skin!

I gasped. Was that going to happen to Becka and Greta? Were they both going to get green alligator skin in a few minutes? A shudder shook my body. I nearly lost my lunch. David had snapped the picture. But the two girls blamed me. They blamed my camera. Not David!

If the picture came true ... I shuddered again. I knew I had to get help. But who could help me? Mom and Dad would never believe a wild story like this. I grabbed the camera from David. And I ran up the aisle to the exit. I could hear the two girls making jokes about my camera. Then suddenly, the jokes stopped.

I reached the auditorium doors. I started to push one open. And I heard two shrill screams of horror coming from the stage. I didn't have to turn around. I knew what I would see. My knees felt weak. I grabbed the door handle to hold myself up. Another shudder ran down my body. I turned slowly - and saw Becka and Greta screaming and tugging at their faces. Even from the back of the auditorium, I could see their dry green skin. All cracked and lined and lumpy. I swallowed hard. I forced myself to breathe.

"YOU did this to us! You're a WITCH!" Becka shrieked.

"Why do you HATE us SO MUCH?" Greta wailed. Mrs. Harper jumped up from the piano. She stared at me sternly with her hands at her waist. Everyone in the auditorium was staring at me. Becka and Greta screamed and cried, tugging the green skin on their cheeks. "We know what you did to Reena!"

"We'll sue your family!" Becka shouted. "We'll have you arrested! The whole school will know you're a WITCH!"

"I - I-" I could only stammer.

No words would come out. My panic quickly turned to anger. This camera was ruining my life! I swung it high- and smashed it against the back wall. Smashed it hard. I then smashed it again and again. Gasping for air, my arms aching, I raised the camera to examine it. It wasn't hurt at all. Not even a tiny dent. I opened my mouth in a scream of rage. I pushed the door open and ran from the auditorium. I was halfway to the front exit when my mobile phone rang. I fumbled in my bag and pulled it out.

"Mom ! "

"Hi, Julie. I just wondered if-"

"Mom, I'm so glad you called!" I said in a trembling voice. "You've got to listen to me. I - I don't know what to do."

I leaned against the wall and pressed the phone to my ear. I told her the whole story. I started with Reena. Then I told her about Karla and her arm. I told her everything. Mom listened without making a sound. I ended by telling her what had just happened to Becka and Greta and how they blamed me and called me a witch.

"Wow." Mom muttered in a low voice. "Wow."

"What can I do, Mom?" I cried. "You've got to help me!"

"Julie." Mom said. "I know exactly what you need to do."

Real World

"You said David got better, right?" Blake asked, suppressing a snarl.

"Yeah. But it took quite a while for that to happen." Grady answered.

"I can imagine. 'Cause if I were in that spot, David and the two others wouldn't have teeth." Yang growled.

"And technically, in jail. What David did can be considered as stalking in some places." Weiss added.

"Where is he, anyway?" Ruby asked, curious.

"In... a... amusement park." Jaune nervously lied.

"An amusement park?" Coco asked, confused.

"Yeah. Well, he lives nearby one. He sometimes works there when he's not working as a graphic designer." Roman quickly answered before silently motioning to Neo that he would explain later.

"Why a graphic designer? Did he give up wanting to be a photographer?" Ren asked.

"Yes. After the evil camera incident, he became traumatized and decided to take up a 'less dangerous' hobby." Lucy answered.

"What about Greta and Becka?" Velvet asked.

"They are at a boarding school. Let's just say their attitude stuck with them into their teen years." Roman answered.

"Anyway. We're almost done." Jaune said. "You DO?! TELL ME! Julie said, feeling some hope rise in her."

Story

"Type it up, print it out, and give it to your creative writing teacher. It's an excellent story. Very clever. Really." Mom said. My mouth dropped open.

"No, Mom. You got it wrong. Listen to me-" I began, but she cut me off.

"I like the supernatural part. Of course, your dad likes that sci-fi stuff more than me. But I've always said you have a great imagination. I think you take after your aunt Jenny. She-"

"It's... not ... a ... story." I said slowly. I gritted my teeth. I tried not to explode into a million pieces.

"What did you say? My phone is beeping. I'm getting another call. I'm still at work. Dinner may be a little late. Bye, dear." Mom said before hanging up.

Sighing, I tried to control my anger. I heard voices. Three cheerleaders in their red-and-gold uniforms came skipping past me. They practiced a cheer as they moved down the hall. They seemed so happy. I slumped against the wall and watched them till they turned into the next hallway.

I'd never felt more frightened. I'd lost my best friend. I'd injured poor Karla, who was still in the hospital. And Becka and Greta were going to turn the whole school against me. Everyone would soon believe I was a witch. A sob escaped my throat. I bit my lip. I didn't want to cry. I shoved open the doors and ran outside into a cool, grey afternoon. A few raindrops were in the wind. I didn't care about the weather. I didn't care about anything but getting rid of the evil camera. I ran all the way home. I didn't stop at corners. I didn't look for oncoming cars. Houses, gardens, and streets passed me in a grey blur like an out-of-focus photo. I pulled open the front door and heard a cry.

"Julie!" Sammy ran up to greet me. His face was pale. His eyes were big and frightened. "Help me! There's a bee in the house! It's going to sting me!"

Sammy was stung on the nose when he was three. He's been terrified of bees ever since. He grabbed my hands and squeezed them.

"Kill it! Kill it!"

"Sammy, are you home all by yourself?" I asked.

"Mrs. Kellins was here. But she had to run back to her house for a few minutes." I heard a loud buzz. Sammy wasn't making it up. A fat yellow bumblebee swooped low over his head. "Kill it! Kill it!"

I swung my hand and tried to slap it away. The camera slipped out of my hand and hit the floor. The bee soared high, then shot back, making a straight line for my face. I swatted at it with both hands. It made an angry buzzing sound - and retreated to the window curtains. I turned and saw Sammy pick up the camera.

"Nooooo! Drop it! I mean it! Drop it!" I said. But then I saw the bee bounce off the front window. Then it came darting towards my little brother. I swiped the camera out of Sammy's hands. And it FLASHED. Sammy grabbed the film as it slid out of the camera. He raised it close to his face to watch it develop. I tried to grab it, but he swung it out of my reach. I had a sick feeling about this. "Give me that!"

What have I done to my little brother? The bee flew out the front window. That didn't make me feel any better.

"Awesome shot! Totally awesome shot of the bee!" Sammy laughed. He handed the photo to me. My hand shook as I raised it to my face. It was a close-up of the bee. Sammy's face was completely hidden behind it.

"Weird." I muttered. The bee looked gigantic, like something out of a horror movie. And it appeared to be perched on Sammy's shoulders - in place of his head!

"Hey!" I cried out as another bright FLASH made me blink. But I instantly realized what just happened.

Oh, no ...

As the explosion of color faded, I saw Sammy holding the camera. Another square of film came sliding out.

"Did - did you just take my picture?" I stammered.

"It was my turn!" Sammy said, giggling.

"You idiot! You idiot!" I cried as he laughed and danced around me.

"What's your problem, Julie? Let's see how it came out." He pressed next to me as we watched the picture develop. "Totally awesome!"

At first, I thought I was holding it upside down. But I wasn't. The photo showed me falling head first. Where was I? I squinted hard at the picture. The background was a total blur. But I could see my face so clearly - screaming my head off as I fell. Panic swept over me.

"No! No! No!" I shouted. I grabbed the photo - and ripped it to tiny shreds. I tossed the shreds to the floor. I grabbed the camera away from my brother. And then I opened my mouth in a shriek of horror. "Sammy!"

His face - it was hidden, hidden behind thick, yellow, spiky hair. BEE hair! Two skinny antennae poked up from the top of his furry head. They twitched back and forth. Sammy raised both hands and frantically tore at the wiry hair that covered his face.

"Sammy! Can you talk?" I screamed. "Can you see me? Can you talk?"

"BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!"

Next Day

Mr. Webb called me to congratulate me. He said I'd won the photo contest against David. I would be taking the big yearbook picture from the high diving board. I barely replied. I think I muttered, "Thanks," and hung up. I was too worried about Sammy. Mom and Dad had taken him to the hospital. He'd been there all night having tests. After a couple of hours, Mom finally called.

"What's up?" I cried. "How is Sammy?"

"The doctors are very puzzled." Mom said. Her voice was hoarse. She sounded very tired. "They think maybe Sammy had an allergic reaction to something he ate. But Sammy keeps telling them a crazy story about a camera."

'At least he stopped buzzing!' I thought.

"Guess what?" Mom said. "Those two girls that are being examined in the next room. Some kind of from your class - Becka and Greta? They're skin problems. Just like in that story you told me. Isn't that weird? "

I sank to my knees on the floor. I realized I was pressing the phone so hard to my ear; I was giving myself a headache. I took a long, deep breath. But it didn't help.

"I'll call you when we learn more." Mom said before hanging up.

Of course, I knew what Sammy's problem was. Becka and Greta , too . It was the evil camera. But who would believe me? Mom still thought it was a story I made up! I crossed my fingers and prayed the doctors would find a way to help Sammy, Becka, and Greta.

The camera was hidden deep in my closet. I'd been awake all night thinking about it. At about three in the morning, I came up with a plan. A desperate plan to destroy the camera. And to reverse all the evil it had done. And to try to save my own life. It was a crazy hope. But it was the only plan I could think up. I glanced at the clock over the mantel. It was time to go to school and shoot the big yearbook photo.

"You're a winner, Julie." I murmured to myself. I rolled my eyes bitterly. "Yeah, for sure. Big winner"

I pictured the photo Sammy had flashed of me. I could see myself falling ... falling head first ... screaming in terror as I fell. I hugged myself to stop shivering. Was that photo about to come true? Would I be falling just like that off the high diving board? Or would my plan save my life?

One Hour Later

It was a bright, sunny day. Not a cloud in the clear blue sky. A soft wind fluttered the flag in front of my school and made the trees whisper. I made my way around to the new pool next to the football field. The building was long and low and white. The sun sparkled like gold in the wide glass doors.

A blast of warm air greeted me as I pulled open a door. Loud voices and laughter echoed off the white tile walls. Teachers were already herding their classes into the empty swimming pool. Kids were laughing and goofing on each other - having fun. I sighed. I knew today wasn't a fun day for me. I gazed up at the high diving board. A chill ran down my back.

A metal ladder stretched to the blue platform at the top. The rungs were narrow and steep. The platform looked a lot higher than I remembered. I pictured myself falling head-first from the diving board. I'd imagined it a thousand times during the night. But now it seemed a lot more real. I stood there frozen, two cameras strapped around my neck. Kids' voices rang out from the pool.

"Everybody start swimming!"

"Is this a race?"

"Hey, Tanya, did you wear it? Did you wear your string bikini?"

"Don't we need a lifeguard?"

'I don't like this.' I thought. But I let out a cry when someone grabbed my hand. "Mr. Webb! Hi!"

"Everyone is ready for you, Julie." He said. "I just want to say congratulations again on winning the contest. I know you're going to do an excellent job up there."

We both raised our eyes to the high board. If he only knew, he is sending me up there to my doom. Mr. Webb smiled at me and motioned me to the up.

"Break a leg." Mr. Webb said, flashing me a thumbs up.

Oh, wow. Break a leg? I could break every bone in my body! I turned and walked quickly to the ladder. Some kids in my class shouted at me from the pool.

"Julie, are you going to dive?"

"I'll catch you!"

"Take my picture now! In case you don't make it to the top!"

'Ha - ha.' I thought, rolling my eyes.

David stepped out from behind the ladder. He had three cameras strapped around his neck. He stared at me hard. His face was tight with worry.

"Julie, are you sure you want me to do this?" He asked. I nodded.

"I told you last night, David. I just discovered I'm totally terrified of heights."

"But ... you worked so hard to win our contest.".

"No biggie." I said before giving him a little push toward the ladder. "Go. Do it. Take the picture, David. Have fun."

I stepped back and watched. David grabbed the railing and began to climb the ladder.

Real World

"Huh. I wonder what caused the sudden shift in David's attitude." Nora said.

"And when did she call him?" Blake asked. "WHY would she call him after what he did?"

"During the night. And, despite not liking him, Julie only called David to try and warn him." Lucy answered.

"Makes sense."

"Wait. I just realized." Pyrrha said.

"What is it, Pyr?" Jaune asked.

"This takes place a couple of years after Greg, right?"

"Yes."

"And Spidey said his partner made it. And that was not too long before Greg and his friends first found it, right?"

"Yes."

"What are you getting at?" Neo asked, slightly annoyed.

"Mr. Blank said the camera was in a film production in the 1950s. And even if we take off a few years, that would mean the camera is over fifty years old. Wouldn't that mean someone else made the camera and not Spidey's partner?" Pyrrha asked, earning surprised looks from the rest of Team JNPR, Team CFVY, and Team RWBY.

"Yes and no." Jaune began. "Spidey's partner was a lot older than Spidey knew. He used dark magic to keep himself alive for a lot longer. And the camera that Mr. Blank was referring to was a prototype."

"And the film called Say Cheese and Die?" Ren asked.

"Spidey's partner. The whole thing was an excuse and elaborate setup to test the prototype should someone try to use it for evil or personal gain." Cassie answered.

"Oh."

"Anyway. Back to the story." Jaune said. "The kids pointed and shouted at David as he started to climb. His shoes clanged on the metal rungs of the ladder. And each thud rang in Julie's ears."

Story

"Julie, what's going on? Why is David doing this instead of you?" Mr. Webb asked, running up to me and grabbing my shoulder.

"It's a very long story, Mr Webb." I answered.

Mr. Webb wanted to ask me more questions. But I turned to watch David. He was halfway to the top, climbing slowly and steadily. David will be safe up there, I told myself. The evil camera didn't take a picture of him falling. So he won't fall. And by staying down on the ground, I hoped I was breaking the camera's spell.

That was my big plan.

If I didn't go up on the diving board, the photo of me falling could not happen. I was defeating the camera's magic. Soon the kids in the pool grew quiet as David stepped out onto the platform. He leaned against the railing and raised one of his cameras.

"People! Listen to me, people! Raise your eyes to David and smile. Don't move. He's up high enough to get you all in." Mr. Webb shouted. I gazed up at David from the bottom of the ladder. High above me, he steadied himself against the metal rail. Mr. Webb cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted to David. "At the count of three... "

'It's all or nothing. Please work.' I thought, worried.

"Smile, everyone! Smile up at David. This is going to be classic!" Mr. Webb shouted to the kids.

Typical. David is always David. He didn't wait for Mr. Webb to count to three. He stepped out onto the diving board. Then he raised his camera and started clicking away. David dropped to his knees at the edge of the diving board to get closer to the kids. Then he leaned way forward to get the kids in the shallow end into the shot.

I realized I had stopped breathing. He isn't going to fall, I told myself. The picture shows ME falling - not David. I let my breath out slowly. David changed cameras and clicked a dozen more shots. Then the big show-off stood up on the edge of the diving board.

"That's a wrap!" David shouted down to everyone. "Don't clap- just throw money!"

Kids laughed and groaned and shouted stuff back at him. And then - typical David again. He decided to salute the crowd and take a deep bow. I shut my eyes. I couldn't look. Was he falling? Would he fall?

No.

When I opened my eyes, he was starting towards the ladder. He saw me and smiled. He gave me a quick wave. Then he made a quick spin to take one more look at the crowd below. And that's when he lost his balance.

"He's FALLING!" I screamed.

Kids and teachers shrieked in horror. I saw some kids drop to their knees and cover their eyes. The screams were deafening. As he started to fall, David reached out and grabbed the side of the diving board with both hands. Yes! He managed to hold on.

I couldn't breathe, couldn't move a muscle. I could only stare up at him, hands pressed against my cheeks, watching him dangle from the side of the board. How long could he hold on?

"Help is on the way!" A teacher with a mobile phone shouted. "Hang on! Help is on the way!"

I realized I had no choice. I stood at the bottom of the ladder. I took a deep breath and grabbed the railings. My legs felt weak and trembly. I ignored them and pulled myself up. Rung after rung, I climbed as fast as I could.

"I'm coming! David - hold on!" I shouted. But I didn't know if he could hear me over the screams of the kids and teachers below. I kept climbing, rung after rung, until I reached the platform. I could see David's fingers gripping the sides of the diving board. I dropped to my hands and knees. "Hold on, David!"

My heart pounded so hard that my chest ached. Crawling, I forced myself out onto the diving board. I leaned over the side and grabbed David's wrists tightly.

"I've got you! Swing your legs up. I'm holding you. Swing your legs onto the diving board." I said.

David swung his body hard. One foot bumped the board - then dropped back down. I felt a hard jolt but kept a hold of his wrists. He tried again. This time, one leg sprawled over the board. I gave a hard tug. Yes! Now he had one leg safely on the board.

"Almost there, David. Almost..."

One more tug. Yes! I did it. I pulled him onto the edge of the board. One more, and he'd be safe. One more... I gave another pull, yanking him with all my strength. But I pulled so hard that I lost my balance.

"NOOOOOO!" A shrill scream escaped my throat as I felt myself start to fall.

And the thought flew through my mind: the camera has WON! NO!

On his stomach on the diving board, David swung his hands out - and grabbed me before I could fall. My knees banged the board. I fell face down onto it. Pain shot up my body, but I was safe. We both were safe. We held on to each other, panting hard. Then we carefully stood up and started towards the ladder.

"Julie, maybe we should be a team!" David said, grinning at me.

"Yeah. Maybe." I agreed.

I heard the cheers of the kids down below. They were on their feet, staring up at David and me. They screamed and whistled and clapped happily. I lowered myself slowly to the ground. I saw Mr. Webb and several other teachers running toward me.

But I didn't want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to know one thing:

Did I defeat the evil camera?

Two Hours Later

I ran home and up to my room. I felt crazy. Dizzy, even. I felt like I was floating a meter off the ground. My whole body tingled. I'd left the photos from the camera spread out on my desk. I lurched across the room and grabbed them. Reena's picture was on top. I raised it close and squinted hard at it. There were no red eyes. The red glow had disappeared from the photo. Karla's picture had changed, too. It showed her jumping off the floor to shoot a lay-up.

"Yes!" I shouted, pumping a fist in the air. "Yes!"

I dropped her photo and gazed at the one with Becka and Greta. Their skin was normal - not green! And in the last photo, my brother, Sammy, had his normal face. No yellow, spiky bee hair covering his face! I did a little dance around my room. I pumped my fists in the air some more. Had I really defeated the camera? I grabbed my mobile phone and dialed Mom at the hospital.

"How is Sammy?" I asked, even though I knew what Mom would say.

"Sammy is fine. All that weird yellow hair suddenly fell out. Becka and Greta are back to normal, too. Your dad and I are bringing Sammy home."

I knew it. I knew it!

The photo showed me falling head-first to my death. But I kept it from coming true. And that broke the camera's magic. And because I broke its magic, every horrible thing the camera did was reversed.

Now I have one more job. Now I had to destroy the camera so no one else would ever find and use it. I thought I knew just how to do it. I cleared all the junk off my dresser and tossed it onto the bed. Then I carefully dug the camera out from its hiding place in my closet.

This was my idea ...

The camera did terrible things to everyone it photographed. So all I had to do was make the camera take a picture of itself. And it would do something terrible to ITSELF!

Simple, right?

I knew it would work. I set the camera down on my dresser top. And I pointed the lens at the mirror. I checked the viewfinder. Perfect. The camera was set to take a perfect picture of itself in the mirror. Now I had to make sure I didn't get in the snapshot. I took a metal coat hanger from my closet. I stretched it out until it was almost a straight line. Then I stood way to the side. I leaned way back. No way my reflection was going to show in the mirror.

Slowly ... carefully ... I stretched the hanger towards the camera. And I lowered the end of the hanger ... lowered it ... until it pushed down on the shutter button.

FLASH!

Yes! The camera snapped a photo of itself in the mirror. But the question remained. Would my plan work? Holding my breath, I grabbed the square of film from the slot. I held it close to my face and stared at it as it developed.

"Come on ... come on ..." And then I gasped. "Huh?"

I stared at the picture. Was I seeing double? I looked down - and screamed.

"Oh, nooooooo!"

I stared at TWO evil cameras on my dresser, side by side!

Real World

"In a moment of terror, Julie tore up the photo. But she became confused when the second camera slowly disappeared. And as much as she wanted to get rid of the camera right now, Julie had some more important to do. And that was to repair her relationship with Reena. Rushing out of her room, she failed to realize that the camera had taken a photo again. One that she would never see." Jaune said before closing the book. "The end."

"Wow, that camera is something," Weiss said. "But a good story either way."

"It was." Nora said, with the others agreeing.

"Did Reena and Julie reconcile with each other?" Yatsuhashi asked.

"It took a while, but they did." Cassie answered.

"Where are they now?" Ren asked.

"Reena is in Graduate School, and Julie is in photography school." Lucy answered.

"Well, at least everything ended well for them." Ruby said.

"But do you know what the photo was?" Yang asked.

"Uh..." Jaune began, unsure of what to say, as the photo was of a place that was filled with screams and terrors.

"The house. It was... How did we call it?" Roman said, faking confusion. But a second later, he snapped his fingers. "It was the house where Julie first found the camera. The name is escaping, but that was the photo."

"Huh. I wonder what happened with the place." Coco said.

"Wait. That reminds me." Velvet said. "I thought you guys said you can't escape the camera's powers."

"Yes." Grady answered. "But it's not as simple as that, primarily because it depends on the photo."

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"If the photo is just of someone screaming, then the camera aims to do just that. But we're not sure why it reverted the other photos." Cassie answered.

"So what are you going to do with it now?" Coco asked.

"Return it back home and keep it under lock and key until we find a more sure-fire of keeping it contained." Jaune answered.

"Are there any other... things in Vale?" Yang asked.

"To our knowledge, no. There are some monsters living here, but they are harmless." Lucy answered. "And even if one is dangerous, we have ways of getting rid of them."

"That's good." Weiss said.

"Anyway. We should probably head back. It's getting late and-" Jaune began but couldn't finish because a blur flashed past his eyes. And once it stopped, they realized it was Zwei.

"ZWEI!" Ruby cheered. However, before she could pull him into a hug, Zwei's eyes glowed yellow, with his pupils changing to black slits. He then barked a few times, with each one echoing a bit.

"O-O-Okay. That is-" Yang began but couldn't finish when they heard a dog howling in the distance. And the howling seemed to echo throughout all of Vale.

"W-What was that?" Blake asked.

"The reason why you should ALWAYS be careful what you wish for. Especially when making those wishes requires something that belongs to something else that wants it back." Grady answered, suppressing a shiver.

Notes:

The Next chapter will be When the Ghost Dog Howls

These are some ideas I have for future chapters (Not set yet, though.)

For Doctor Oobleck: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb and Return of the Mummy.

For Professor Peach: Stay Out of the Basement (Because many iterations I see of her has her as a botanist.)

Professor Port: (Not too sure how to put him the story yet.) How to Kill a Monster.

Glynda: (Not sure what book for her yet. These are some ideas.) Attack of the Jack o Lanterns. (So, she would have an idea of what's out there.) or The Ghost Next Door. (This is based on her dislike of saying goodbyes).

Cinder: She gets the honor of meeting Slappy. (And later on, she and the others get to mee the Horrors of Horrorland.)

Penny: Shocker on Shock Street.

Ozpin: Not Sure Yet. (Having him aware of Goosebumps but doesn't fully believe it.)