Say Cheese!

• Epiphany Kondo-Morcom, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2022

“Say cheese!” Eva said, holding the camera in her hands. As I leaned up against the park’s fence, Megan, Angel, Belinda, Lizzie, and I smiled brightly as Eva pressed the button. A bang went off as well as a flash, all everyone could see was light, but not white light from a regular camera. Orange light, like a fire. Angel screamed as she collapsed to the floor, laying on her back, coughing up bright red blood. Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the soft grass, her eyes going so wide they looked as if they were about to pop out. She lifted her hands to cover the hole that was made through her throat, covering her hands in crimson. Megan turned her head to look for Eva, but she wasn’t in front of us anymore.
Belinda stood up and walked away, facing the whole situation from about 6 metres away. She was on the phone, tearing up and telling the person on the other end, presumably an emergency call operator, our location and situation. She then turned to her side, and I thought I saw her mouth the word regret, but I quickly ignored it and turned back to Angel, whose skin was getting paler by the second. Megan and I were sobbing, and Lizzie was in shock.
Megan, Lizzie, and I were huddled around Angel, all of us invested in our fit of emotions until we heard another loud bang behind us.
“I’m gonna come back as a tree” Belinda said drowsily. Her head went floppy as she fell to the floor, revealing Eva standing there. She had a gun in her hand now, as well as the camera around her neck.
“EVA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE” I yelled, grabbing Megan’s hand, trying to console her.
“Hmmm, I don’t know, maybe murder, blackmail, and robbery?” She said with a calm expression, almost as if it was something normal to say. “Belinda’s been in on this all along. I blackmailed her with those old TikTok's from year 5. I know how insecure she feels about them.”
“Why’d you shoot Angel though? And what was in that camera.” Lizzie said, a tear finally rolling down her cheek.
“I implanted a bullet into the lens and made it so that it would shoot the bullet when the button is pressed,” said Eva.
“Still, why did you kill her?” Megan said, choking out a sob.
“Because I live in her shadow! It's always angel this, angel that, what about me!” Eva yelled angrily, tears streaming down her face.
She gripped the gun tighter.
“You guys have all seen this too, you all need to die.” She said as she shot both Megan and Lizzie.
I watched my friends fall to the floor, before looking at Eva with wide eyes.
“Epi, I’m sorry, you didn’t do anything, I love you.” She said gently before shooting me in the heart.
Just before I closed my eyes, Eva put the gun on her temple.