The Camera

October 15th
The police put a security camera up on the corner of fifth and main. It was a small white camera with a black dome housing the lens. A red light embedded in the white frame blinked on, and the Camera came to life. From its position, it could see the front of the building beside it, an old red brick building with windows surrounding the old wooden door. Above the window line, there was a large wooden sign.
“Firnox Bakery”
The Windows were dark, and the door was shut. A sign on the far window read, “Grand Re-opening, Under New Management.”
The Camera could also see the door of the building across the way, a large building with a modern exterior, a small sign above the door labeled the building “Edna’s Corner.”
The building also had windows surrounding the door, with bushes along the bottom of the windows, adding a flair of green to the brown building.
The Camera’s view swiveled as the lenses adjusted to the lighting on the street. A voice came from below, under The Camera’s line of sight.
“That’s the fourth one, three more, and I can go home,” the voice said. The Camera’s microphones recorded the sound of a pencil scratching against a sheet of paper. Footsteps came as the source of the voice stepped into view. Picking up tools from the ground, they opened a small box, inside which were other cameras like the one watching from its post. The Camera watched them climb into a dark blue truck and pull away from the curb. Lens following the car as it went down the street, The Camera clicked.
Plate #: A5-9879
Owner: Watchr Security Team
Designation: Government Contractor
As the information was marked down into the Database, The Camera panned back to a broad view of the street; without focusing on the person and vehicle, the lens captured new features of the surrounding area.
It was dark, but the beginnings of sunlight were casting beams of light across the street and the storefronts. Slowly, lights flickered on in houses as the street corner came to life in the morning sun. A wrinkled old woman with thin grey hair stepped out the shop door and stretched. Wearing a purple dress and a light brown apron, she looked up and down the street.
The Camera clicked again.
Name: Edna Vanderbilt
Age: 76
Designation: Citizen
As the information was marked down in the Database, Edna Vanderbilt noticed the new addition on her street corner. Muttering something that The Camera couldn’t quite pick up, she turned and walked back inside, only to come out again a few seconds later with a few chairs and tables. Setting the tables down on the sidewalk, she surrounded them with the chairs, side-eyeing The Camera the whole time.
“Morning, Mrs. V.” a voice called. Panning the Camera saw a younger man with blonde hair on the other side of the street, wearing a red polo and a grey pair of pants. He waved at Edna Vanderbilt.
The Camera clicked.
Name: Thomas Firnox
Age: 23
Designation: Citizen
As the information was marked down into the Database, Edna Vanderbilt smiled and waved at Thomas Firnox.
“Good morning, Tom! Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Edna asked.
“It is a wonderful day,” Thomas called back.
With that, he unlocked the door and went into the building, out of The Camera’s view.
Edna Vanderbilt kept setting up tables and chairs in front of the building she had exited. The Camera scanned up and down the street, marking all new faces and cars.
As the day went on, The Camera watched from its perch. Scanning and clicking each new face and license plate and marking the information down into its database. “Edna’s Corner” attracted a few customers, who entered the building and came out with brown paper bags. While some continued on their way, others sat at the tables and pulled pastries from their bags, choosing to eat right there in the afternoon sunlight.
Across the way, Thomas Firnox put an A-Frame outside of “Firnox Bakery,” talking on his phone.
“You remember Mrs.Vanderbilt, right?” he said, “She just opened a little shop across the street…yeah, said that she wanted to do it as a hobby now that she retired… oh yeah, it’s adorable “Edna’s Corner” she calls it, it’s adorable… love you too, Nat, talk to you soon!”
Thomas finished setting up the new sign. Focusing in, The Camera read it.
“Firnox Bakery Total Menu Refresh, come try our new delights!”
The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the street. Edna Vanderbilt switched off her open sign and stepped onto the street, gathering up the chairs. Thomas Firnox exited his building as well, locking the door.
“Good evening, Thomas. Busy day?” Edna called across the street.
“Not especially.” Thomas responded with a smile, “people are still figuring out we’re open again. Busy for you?”
“Oh, about as much as one old woman could handle,” Edna responded.
“Well, that’s good! have a good night!” Thomas said. He walked down the street and out of The Camera’s view as Edna stepped back into the old building and locked the door behind her.
November 23rd
Thomas Firnox came out onto the street in the late afternoon, wearing a brown sweater and white pants. The Camera focused on his face and marked the information in the database. As the Camera watched, he looked across the way to Edna Vanderbilt’s building, which had a stream of people coming in and out. As he watched, more people went down the street. The Camera clicked.
Name: Levi Kennel
Age: 21
Designation: University Student
Name: Samantha Cohler
Age: 19
Designation: University Student
Levi Kennel walked down the street, holding Samantha Cohler’s hand. Thomas Firnox looked over at them briefly, then returned his attention to the crowded store across the street.
“Look, Levi, it’s that store that was on the news a few weeks ago.” Samantha Cohler said, “Let’s go there!”
“I don’t know. It looks busy.” Levi Kennel said, looking across the street at Edna’s Cafe, “Firnox Bakery is open again!”
“Nooo,” Samantha said, “Amanda says that it hasn’t been the same since Mr. Firnox died.”
“We’ve been trying our best,” Thomas said, not looking at the couple.
Levi looks at Thomas.
“Do you work there?” he asked.
Thomas turned and stuck out his hand.
“Yes sir, Thomas Firnox, Owner and CEO of Firnox Bakery, I would be honored if you two came into my little shop here, and I’ll show you how your friends are wrong,” Thomas said, smiling.
Levi and Samantha look at each other, slightly confused, before letting Thomas guide them into the bakery.
A half-hour passed, and the door to Firnox Bakery opened. Samantha and Levi exited the building quickly, hurrying down the street.
“Their quality really has slipped, hasn’t it?” Levi asked.
“Yeah, they seem more focused on advertising than baking,” Samantha agreed.
The two disappeared from The Camera’s view, leaving Firnox Bakery by itself across from the busy street corner.
As the shadows stretched over the street again, Thomas started locking up his building. The lines in front of Edna’s building had dwindled, and she came out to take the tables and chairs back inside.
“Good evening Thomas!” She called across the street, “It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has.” Thomas responded, keeping his back to the old woman, “You’ve been busy.”
“Just enough for my old body to handle,” Edna responded.
“Good for you, Edna,” Thomas said, his eyes narrow.
“What was that, dear?” Edna called, “I can’t quite hear you.”
“I said I’m happy for you,” Thomas called back.
Edna smiled, then picked up her chairs and brought them inside, locking the doors and turning off the lights as she disappeared into the building.
“Old Hag,” Thomas muttered loud enough for The Camera to hear. Looking up at it, Thomas gave the device a dirty look.
“And I don’t need you filming my business. Not my fault nobody in this town has a sense of taste,” he growled as if the object could hear him. The Camera stood unmoving on its post. Thomas shook his head and walked down the street out of sight.
January 9th
The streets of the corner were covered in snow, and the top of The Camera’s view was framed by growing ice. Thomas Firnox worked outside of his building, shovel in hand, clearing the piled snow from the sidewalk. Street plows came through, digging through the blinding white powder to reveal the black pavement again. Across the way, a truck pulled up in front of Edna Vanderbilt’s shop. Seeing the License Plate, The Camera clicked.
Plate # J5-3908
Owner: Max and Sons Lawn-care and Snow Removal
Designation: Residential business.
Thomas shivered as the team cleared Edna’s side of the sidewalk. As they were finishing up, the old woman came out, carrying the tables and chairs she puts outside.
“Ridiculous,” Thomas growled, then he stormed into his building, taking just a second to stop and flip on the open sign.
As The Camera watched, Edna’s Corner grew lines out the door into the cold winter air. Meanwhile, Firnox Bakery sat empty, save for one man who entered halfway through the day.
Name: Elijah Ferdona
Age: 47
Designation: Accountant/Internal Revenue Serviceman
February 3rd
The sun reflecting off the snow made it difficult for The Camera to focus. Edna’s Corner had a steady flow of people entering and exiting the front door, and for once, so did Firnox Bakery. However, as the people entering Edna’s store left with the same brown paper bags they have always carried, the ones from Thomas’ exited carrying chairs and tables, lights, and kitchen appliances. Thomas watched them from beside the darkened open sign until even that was taken away.
As the sun finally set, reducing the glare on The Camera’s lens, Thomas calmly exited the store and locked the door. Staring for a second, he looked over where the old open sign used to be. Across the street, Edna Vanderbilt put her chairs and tables away, then instead of going inside, she walked across the street.
“Thomas,” she said softly.
“What?” Thomas asked, turning around, his brow furrowed and his eyes nearly burning with anger.
“I saw what was happening today, and I’m sorry. This must be terribly hard for you. Is there anything I can do to help?” Edna asked.
“No.” Thomas said, looking away, “No, you can’t.”
“You’re welcome to come to help me at my cafe as you get back off your feet,” Edna said, “I always respected your father and would hate to see one of the Firnox Children out of a job.” Thomas looked up at the Camera and sighed.
“That would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn’t it?” he said.
“What do you mean?” Edna asked.
“Thomas Firnox, Owner and CEO of Firnox Bakery, driven ruthlessly out of business by some old woman who the public decided they liked better, reduced down to working for that woman to make ends meet,” Thomas spat, “I lose so badly that the woman who started a bakery shop as a hobby becomes my boss!”
“That’s not what I meant, Thomas.” Edna responded, “you’re great at what you do, and you just need a place to get back on your feet. If you don’t want to, it’s okay!”
“Shut up!” Thomas said, stepping away from the old woman and below the view of The Camera.
“You ruined my family’s store. You ruined me! And now you’re trying to give me a ‘place to get back on my feet?’ Tell it how it is, Edna; you just drove me to the ground and want to rub my face in the dirt while you have me down there.”
Edna stepped forward, reaching out her hand.
“Thomas…” she said.
Thomas didn’t say anything that The Camera could hear. Instead, it saw a flash of a young man’s arms, making contact with the elderly lady’s head and sending her sprawling onto the sidewalk. Edna screamed in surprise.
“Wait, no.” Thomas’ voice came below The Camera’s view, “I didn’t mean…I…”
He stepped back, looking up at The Camera on its post. Cursing under his breath, he picked a stick up from the ground.
“This never happened… It can’t happen…” he muttered to himself, then he started beating the Camera with the stick. After a few good hits, The Camera fell off the wall and hung in the air, swinging back and forth as if only held by wires to what used to be its post, a large crack severing its lens in two. The man’s feet stepped out of The Camera’s view. Through the static of the damaged microphone, The Camera heard rapid, fading footsteps.
The Camera watched Edna struggle to stand for hours, staring down at the fallen woman with a cracked lens. Shivering in the dark night and slipping on the ice-covered streets. After a long while, a new set of feet emerged, white boots with fur lining the top.
“Are you okay, ma’am?” a voice asked.
A gloved hand reached down and helped the elderly woman to her feet.
“Yes, dear,” Edna said, leaning on the other person. She glanced up at The Camera and sighed.
“What happened?” the voice asked, holding the old woman steady.
The Camera couldn’t hear Edna’s response through the static of the microphone. The cracked image blinked and glitched as The Camera fell, going black before it hit the ground.
March 20th
The New Camera sat in its position, watching the corner of fifth and main. A young woman walked down the street towards the building next to Its post.
Name: Natalie Firnox
Age: 20
Designation: Citizen
Natalie Firnox stopped and looked at the old, dust-covered building. It was a red brick building with windows surrounding its wooden front doors. Above the windows was a spot where the bricks looked brighter and less worn down. The windows were dark, the door was boarded up, and a for sale sign hung in the window closest to The Camera.
Suddenly, a woman with white hair and a wrinkled face stepped out of the building across the street. It was a large building with a bright sign hanging over the door, declaring it “Edna’s Corner,” bushes lined the bottom of the bright windows. On the sidewalk, there was a smattering of tables surrounded by chairs.
The Camera focused on the woman’s face and clicked.
Name: Edna Vanderbilt
Age: 77
Designation: Citizen
Edna Vanderbilt stood on the sidewalk, supporting herself with a black cane and wearing a purple sweater. Looking across the street, she saw Natalie Firnox studying the empty building.
“Oh goodness!” Edna Vanderbilt said, “Hello, Natalie!”
Natalie turned around and greeted the old woman with a smile.
“Hello, Mrs. Vanderbilt!” Natalie Firnox said, “Beautiful morning!”
“Yes, it is!” Edna Vanderbilt said. She walked across the street and gave Natalie Firnox a hug.
“It’s good to see you, dear,” she said.
“It’s good to see you too!” Natalie Firnox said, “are you okay? Why are you using a cane?”
Edna Vanderbilt glanced up at The Camera, then down at the space below.
“I’m fine, dear. I just had a bit of a fall last winter,” she said.
“Well, I’m glad you’re alright, Mrs. Vanderbilt. Thomas sends his love. He’s been staying with us since the store closed,” Natalie said.
“Good, I’m – glad he’s getting back on his feet,” Edna said, “What brings you here?”
Natalie looked back at the old brick building.
“I guess I just needed to see it for myself. Thomas has been beating himself up since we lost it. He tells me that he was ahead of his time with his menu refresh and changes.”
“I’m sorry, Natalie, the street hasn’t been the same since the Bakery closed,” Edna said.
“Thank you, Mrs. V.” Natalie responded, “But it had been gone since Dad passed, no matter what Thomas said.”
The two hugged and said their goodbyes before parting. As Natalie Firnox walked out of The Camera’s frame, Edna walked back across the street. As Edna was about to go into “Edna’s Corner,” a Police Officer walked into the frame.
Name: Bret Gunsly
Age: 40
Designation: Police Officer
“Mrs. Vanderbilt?” Bret asked.
Edna turned around.
“Yes, officer?” she asked.
“I’m Sargent Gunsly. I was in charge of replacing the Security Camera,” Bret said, gesturing at The Camera, watching from its post across the street.
“How nice,” Edna said.
“Yes, but if you have time before the store opens.” Bret said, “I’d love to talk to you about Thomas Firnox and your fall last month.”