a letter + thirteen photographs
an edition of eleven
tasting notes: fictional novels, ancient evil, older siblings, a friend’s handwriting turned into a typefont
Dear Little Brother --
Greetings from across the pond! Let's get the formalities out of the way first: school is going well? You haven't gained a Freshman Fifteen? You're not doing something dumb like pledging a fraternity or majoring in Econ? (Seriously, I do want to know about these things so don't mistake my haste for a lack of interest. I expect full updates in your next dispatch.)
Okay, to business. Grandmere's archives are predictably immense but I'm only a few days in and I've found something. You've already riffled ahead, I'm sure -- all of these photos are from the archive, and I think they're proof that (at least some) of her stories were based in truth. We knew about the magic, but the actual stories??
I chose these because I know how much you love Death of the Small Man and, well… you'll see.
I've got a long few days ahead to wrap all this up before catching the train south. Not sure what my address will be, but I'll make sure to let you know before you send your reply, which you will do soon. In a proper letter, please and thank you.
Love,
Z
1 -- The house on Van Dale. Do you remember when we drove past it, on that trip? You might've been too young. That colonnaded porch off the side looks out to the graveyard next door. Not really part of the story so much as a spot of family history. You should show Dad this one.
2 -- At first, I thought this was mis-filed -- looked to me like New Orleans? Garden District? Anyway: now I'm thinking it's actually McClintock Street. If you look closely, you can see a group of figures in black at the end of the street. Could be the Hillstrom Gang? Could also just be normal people, I suppose.
3 -- This one was odd: it was wrapped in a note that said, among other things, "I've always been fond of this ghost" and it was signed by somebody called Catherine. I left the note in the file, as it was a bit too racy for comfort when considering one's grandparents, but anyway I think this must be the Cat from Chapter Three. No clue about the ghost. (Can ghosts be photographed?)
4 -- This is where things started to click for me. Look on the back: 'Wren, with fairy.' Obviously the mind goes to Cottingley, but again, if the reality matches the story, then this might actually be a real photograph of a fae. Curiously, there were supposed to be six more in a series here, but this was the only one in the sleeve.
5 -- This is a real boat! Check it out: the S.S. Catalina. Built in the 20s as a passenger ferry between LA and Santa Catalina, used in the war, then back to passenger ferry. Don't know who this guy is... could be the west-coast contact?
6 -- The palm trees make me think this is Pessl House, in Pasadena. There's a decent chance it's been demolished but I wouldn't hate it if you had a look around, though. (I'm assuming you've got at least some townie friends by now, or somebody who's having house parties at their rich parents' place?)
7 -- The fireplace. Just looking at it gives me shivers. And that sooty smudge on the photo itself? Eek. (PS in Grandmere's notes, there's a triple underlined exhortation to not look at the photo under anything other than bright light. I didn't risk it, suggest you don't either.)
8 -- The family portrait! These people were real, isn't that astounding! One thing I found strange: the story, of course, mentions this photo and the five faces. And there are some notes here from Grandmere mentioning five faces. But as I look at it now, I only see four.
9 -- Lucerne Station. I bet you a hundred pennies that the guy hiding his face, walking towards the camera? A hundred pennies says that's Otto Atticus. Also, think about this for a second: this was pre-war, we know, but not that much pre-war. Some of those people in the background? Probably Nazis. I know that's a weird thing to say but, I dunno, it feels like an important reminder to me that if this story actually happened that this was all going on in the background.
10 -- My next stop is to head this way, actually. I'm excited to visit, to go by the river. I imagine it isn't quite so picturesque these days, but I think I can likely stay in the Chateau for at least a night. I'd love to get a room like this one, where I can look out at the steeple under the moonlight -- watching, carefully, for any black tentacles...
11 -- Greta Lacey looks exactly like I thought she would and I'm wild about it. The baggy clothes, the knit cap, the "sunken oak" face? Never would've thought, after everything in the novel, that she'd be so... I don't know, ordinary as to go fishing? I guess they had to eat, but you don't really think about that stuff mid-story, you know? (PS so weird that some of these are printed as post-cards, but apparently it's something to do with the drug store on Van Dale where Grandfather had them developed? Hilarious.)
12 -- The Small Man. From maybe four or five years before the book, I think? Doesn't look like much, does he? And yet… I don't know, something about the eyes. Do you feel it too? That kind of power, even knowing what our family can do... It scares me a little to think that he was real, that he really killed all those people. I'm still in shock, I think, at actually seeing him.
13 -- That garret window, on the right? That's the room, that's the one. I wonder if she took this before or after? A person wants to guess 'before' but, then, how could she know Otto would fall, that it would all end there? Spooky either way, I suppose.