Negative Film

by Leonard Petracci

  Then there was the center wall, the objects here in the prime position for viewing. There was a book so old it appeared that the pages were ready to disintegrate, but its spine still stood proud against gravity. Gold and silver coins were neatly sandwiched between glasses in another section, some ancient enough that they still bore hammer marks from smithing. And there were other objects, things that I couldn’t recognize— tools from another age, a headdress that looked half feral and half royal, arrowheads chiseled from flint, and the half-charred remains of a wooden humanoid carving.

  “Welcome to my collection!” Leonidas exclaimed, throwing his eyes wide, then squinting at our faces. “Only three of you made it, then? Pity about your other friends, but we shall travel light! Most likely for the best.”

  “They didn’t die; they’re still coming,” I said, my tone flat. “But the fact that you thought it was dangerous enough for them to die, then said absolutely nothing about it, doesn’t exactly make me eager to use you as our guide.”

  “Then we’re both in luck,” he said, his smile so wide that he flashed a gold tooth I had not yet noticed. “Because I have no intention of doing so. You’d have to be absolutely insane to travel where you want to go.” He paused, his stare lingering as he lowered his voice as if to let us in on a secret.

  “And that’s why you’ll be taking my brother!”

  Chapter 51

  “Wait up a second,” spoke up Lola, somehow managing to look down on Leonidas despite their height difference. “Just how did you know where we are trying to go?”

  “Because every time your conversation turned towards a guide, the stench of danger became unbearable,” answered Leonidas without missing a beat. “You reek of it, absolutely reek, and there aren’t many places that stink so bad while being so far into the future. You’re going into the jungle, and you’re going deep. Where exactly, I cannot say, but definitely deep. And you’re going to bring me back some trinkets as payment.”

  “You mean bring your brother payment,” I corrected. “Since you’ve obviously lured us here for his business.”

  “Don’t be so quick to judge,” said Leonidas, holding up his hands in mock innocence. “We’re a team. I’m the businessman, he’s the business. You pay me trinkets, I pay him food.”

  “Sounds like a crap deal if you ask me,” said Lucio. “We just got out of an arrangement like that. And the food wasn’t even good.”

  “Ah, but I also pay him what he craves— adventure,” said Leonidas with a sparkle in his eye. “You see, he’s the absolute best guide you can possibly find. That doesn’t happen without passion.”

  “And if he’s the best guide, why are you offering him a bunch of kids?” Lola countered. “From a return on interest standpoint, the numbers make no sense. I’m sure you could find better options.”

  “Ah, but you’re not just a bunch of kids, are you? You’re the son of the great Ficher!” He cast Lucio a wry smile, then continued without giving him a chance to speak. “But don’t you worry, I saw right through that one. You might have the hotel strung up like puppets, but I can smell lies a mile away. Anyways, business has been a bit tight over the last few years. And due to my strict code of business ethics, and my dedication to ensure I retain repeat customers, there is a small detail about my brother that I am compelled to disclose. Tiny, really.”

  He held up his thumb and forefinger, letting only a sliver of air exist between the skin.

  The three of us looked at each other, then I spoke.

  “Go on,” I said, unsure if I wanted to know the answer. “We’re listening.”

  “Like I said, a tiny, miniscule, infinitesimal detail. But a detail no less! The jungle is a dangerous place, you see. Accidents do happen, no matter the guide. And there was one of my brother’s customers who did not heed all of his advice. Walked right into a viper nest— boy had more holes in him that a kitchen sponge, his blood more parts venom than cells. Dead before he reached a stretcher.”

  “Kid was a fool of the lowest caliber intelligence,” came another voice from the door to the next room. “He deserved what he got. Wouldn’t listen to a word I said, tried to defy the jungle. And the jungle will not be defied.”

  The man stepped into the light, the gold coins from the shelving casting medallions of light on his face. He was shirtless, though the mat of hair on his chest provided more coverage than fabric, barely managing to conceal the lean ab muscles residing just under the surface. His eyes were sunken, long silver bags clinging to their undersides, and the irises nearly as dark as the pupils. His hair tumbled down to his shoulders, some pieces cut shorter than others in ragged ends, and streaked light from days in the sun. In one hand, he held a metal lighter, flicking it open and shut with a click, sparking and snuffing the flame so it brushed against his skin. And likely not coincidental, that hand had almost no hair compared to the other.

  “Zeke,” chided Leonidas. “Perhaps a tad bit of empathy could be employed here, considering the boys’ age?”

  “Mother birds push their hatchlings from the nest at mere weeks old, while this imbecile was a teenage. Plenty old to die. I said don’t step left and he tested me. Stupid choice, stupid consequences. Now you’re not going to make a stupid choice, are ya?” He pointed at us, using his ring finger since his pointer was severed at the knuckle.

  “Well, I’m not making any promises there; sometimes those are the most fun, aren’t they?” said Lucio. “But first, who’d you turn into a kid’s meal?”

  Zeke stared at Lucio, his face hard, then broke into a rocky laughter that switched on faster than a lightbulb.

  “This one, I like this one,” he said, nudging his brother. “He’s not afraid to die. Those are my favorites.”

  “But to answer your question,” continued Leonidas. “It was on a natural expedition, intended for education. Zeke was the best, is the best, and was naturally selected for the job. Well, the kid got himself killed, and his daddy wasn’t too happy. Considering his daddy is a senator, Zeke found himself in some hot water. The president tried to hunt him down.”

  “Pretty hard to catch me when I can feel the danger coming,” stated Zeke.

  “Right. Point is, Zeke’s not so welcome around public places. There’s a small fortune on his head, so he’s best suited in the jungle.”

  “Like it there better anyways,” Zeke growled.

  “And when he isn’t in the jungle, he stays here, in our safe house. Where we keep all our neat little trinkets! Better collection here than most museums, mind you, and started by my grandmother nearly seventy years ago. Crazy old bat,” he said and knocked on the walls. “Built this place herself and it’s rock solid. Hasn’t failed me yet— in her later years, she claimed it could even keep the ghosts and spirits out! Like I said, she lost her wits pretty young. Too much lead in some of these artifacts if you ask me.”

  Chapter 52

  “You’re going to need new clothes,” said Leonidas, looking us up and down. “The jungle will tear you to shreds dressed like that.”

  We’d fetched the rest of our group and introduced them, catching them up on the guides. Now our bags were open on the ground, and Leonidas had gone through them searching for anything of use, gutting them and throwing their innards into mounds on the floor. After a few minutes, he’d pushed them aside, exasperated. Behind him, Zeke picked at his nails with a knife, only casting the occasional cursory glance upwards..

  “Hey now, we made do with what we had,” said Lucio. “Believe it or not, the jungle section of the superstore is smaller than you’d think. Besides, he doesn’t seem to care.”

  Lucio pointed at Zeke, and Leonidas sighed.

  “That’s because Zeke prefers to traverse the jungle as the animals do, in nature’s clothing, but something tells me you might not hold up so well. He dressed up for you in shorts; you should appreciate it.” He looked at Arial, noting the hue of her skin. “He’s practically leather, where you’ll be needing sun block. Profusely.”


  “Considering the state of our financial affairs,” said Slugger. “We’re in not position to buy anything new. You could say unemployment in our group is at an all-time high. The numbers don’t look pretty.”

  “Numbers are always pretty,” mumbled Lola to herself.

  “So is treasure,” said Leonidas, his eyes dancing over his shelves, resting particularly long on the ones still empty and dusty. “But I am interested in value, not cash. Which is fortunate for you, as we have plenty lying around. I’ll front the amount for supplies and secure your permits, but you’ll need to plan better in the future if you want to survive. The jungle does not forgive easily and bears quite a grudge. The smallest of cuts can become infected and cost you a limb. Spider venom can stop your heart before you realize one has made a nest out of your shoe. A lack of sources of fresh water will make you delirious in hours, and if you’re lost, you might as well write your suicide note. I cannot emphasize it enough: plan well.”

  Lucio avoided his eyes, and Zeke played with the flame of his lighter behind them, flicking it with his wrist in such a fashion that droplets of fuel would splatter onto his palm, then catch with the flame. Before the fire had a chance to burn, he’d close his hand, extinguishing it in darkness, before repeating the process again. Leonidas shifted, flinching each time the flame flared up.

  “Now, this does take us to payment,” Leonidas continued, looking away and stroking his chin, and letting his gold tooth shine. “Zeke knows my rates, and he’s an honest man. Honest enough. Well, likely more honest than anyone else you’ll find at this hour. So in the jungle, you don’t leave until Zeke says I’m paid.”

  “And what if we do?” I asked. “Or what if our mission fails?”

  “There seemed to be those who would pay a hefty price to get their hands on you. I’m sure I could work something out with them,” he answered with a knowing smile. “But of course, that’s not the preferable course of action for either of us. You have your mission to accomplish— please, spare me the details. I’ve come to learn that it is more dangerous to hold secrets than hot coals. And I have a financial interest. So do we have a deal, then?”

  “What kind of artifact exactly are you looking for?” asked Lola, suspicious. “How can we be guaranteed to find something?”

  “Well, that would sound like your problem, wouldn’t it? Surprise me, but nothing I already have. Variety is the spice of life, is it not? If I see another golden coin, I might vomit. Bring me something fresh. And of course, should our transaction go as planned, you would have a new source of cash for future expeditions. I assure you, I can be quite useful.”

  “Now hold on right there,” Darian interjected. “What’s the point of us coming along? Why not just send Zeke on his own, if he’s such a great guide?”

  “Because Zeke knows the ways of the jungle, and has already searched where he is familiar,” said Leonidas. “But there is another reason as well. Zeke’s power will push you away from danger, but it will not pull him towards value. That’s where you come in. You will each serve as each other’s guides and keep each other on task. Plus, Zeke has a tendency to stray off course— forgive me for the comment, brother, but you’re far more effective when someone else is holding the compass. Now, partners? For this deal and for future ones?”

  “I think we’ll take just the one,” I said, and Leonidas smiled, clasping my hand and shaking it. “Coming back isn’t in our itinerary.”

  “We’ll see, we’ll see. I smell danger on you yet, and not the type that fades away quickly. No, this is a dull ache. It’ll be years until you can sleep safe at night,” he said then brightened and laughed. “Which means I have made a wonderful investment indeed!”

  Chapter 53

  We spent that night with Zeke and Leonidas, on a nest of pillows and blankets that they provided from a small closet, dusting off layers of spiderwebs from fabric as they laid them on the floor. Most looked to be hand-knitted or quilted, intricate designs covering their surface— about half were maps, some as far as Moscow, while the others appeared to be portraits of people I couldn’t recognize.

  “Are you sure we can use these?” I asked, cradling the fabric. “They’re not some of your collection, are they?”

  “Just don’t wet the bed and we’ll get along fine,” said Leonidas. “And no, they were free. Family gifts.”

  “If you say so,” I answered, noting Zeke’s scowl as we settled into them and remembering his words when we mentioned we had no place to spend the night

  “Always be prepared, always have a plan B,” Zeke instructed, dragging the edge of one of the blankets away from the closet door’s hinge. “The jungle will not have one for you.”

  “Look, we’re on about plan ten right now. We’ve tried,” said an irritated Lucio. “You’re just seeing the fallout.”

  “The other nine must have been bad plans,” said Zeke. “Who made them?”

  “I did, and they would have worked perfectly if some unexpected visitors didn’t show up,” Lucio retorted. “They were good plans.”

  “Reality disagrees. Strong plans bend, not break,” intoned Zeke, his voice deep. “But this is good; I now have someone to teach. It will make the trip less dull.”

  “Oh, and what makes you so great at it?” asked Lucio.

  Zeke held up his hand with four fingers, wiggling the stump. “Over one hundred expeditions, and only one permanent injury. But this is good; skepticism is the first step to a good plan.”

  An hour later, I lay awake on the wood floor of their house, surrounded by artifacts glaring down at me from the shelves. Just outside these wooden walls, the city continued to bustle, unaware of the treasure directly beneath the current of normal activities, that just across the street from the convenience store robbed on a near daily basis and a slew of failing food stands, there was more wealth than most would see in their lives. And not just wealth, but mystery.

  I shuddered as I met eyes with a carved monkey that stared at me from near ceiling level, his face engraved in a permanent snarl and his fur looking strikingly like human hair. If superstitions and curses were to be believed, just spending an hour here would be enough to derail the rest of my entire life. At least, what remained of it after Leonidas’ comments earlier today.

  We awoke to the sound of the door closing, Leonidas returning with several carts of bags, and the sun just starting to peek in from a hairline crack in the wood high above. He placed a bag in front of each of us, then rummaged in another closet, pulling out several worn packs and shaking a layer of dust off of them.

  “Clothes are in the bags,” he said, then turned on the stove for breakfast, “while the other supplies should be delivered shortly. Did my best to guess your sizes. After breakfast, I’ll fit you each with a pack— you’ll want it snug, or the journey will be quite painful. The city clerk owes me a favor, and with a small bribe as lubricant, your permits are on the way— not even counterfeits, so consider yourselves in the best of hands. Now, there will be plenty who might to try to figure out your business— avoid them, but if you must, feed them a consistent tale. Based upon what you told me yesterday, you already have camera equipment and a half-baked backstory there, so a documentary team will do nicely. They get more common every year, and its boring enough that no one will want to know the details. Pick something mundane like birds or bugs to pretend filming.”

  “Sounds real boring to me,” commented Lucio, looking wistfully at the camera. “Almost, could you say, a waste of talent?”

  “Boring is good. What’s bad is getting caught sneaking valuables out of the jungle,” said Leonidas. “Now breakfast is almost ready— this will likely be your last full meal before freeze-dried portions and whatever Zeke can find, so I suggest you eat up unless you enjoy grub and snake stew. And one of you go wake him— tread lightly; he can be a bit jumpy in the mornings.”

  I volunteered while Arial and Slugger started filling of packs, while Lucio started the emptying of breakfast. Darian and Lola moved to
help with the dishes, Darian attempting to squirt her with water and succeeding in splattering the wall as she momentarily disappeared, much to Leonidas’ annoyance. I crept down the hall, reaching the second door, which was still shut tight, then creaked it open to step into the darkness.

  And instantly, I realized I was not alone.

  There was a flurry of motion before my eyes adjusted, accompanied by rustling to both my right and left. I tensed, freezing as my pupils dilated, and the contents of the room became apparent.

  A dozen terrariums lined the wall, each with a specimen that started towards the fresh light. I could just make out the shape of a scorpion the size of my fist in one, and the outline of a coiled snake in another. A tarantula skittered two feet from my face, its eight eyes swiveling to get a better view of me. Crickets chirped, likely their unfinished supper, and heat radiated away from pads underneath several of the containers.

  “Zeke?” I whispered, not willing to step further into the darkness and turn my back on them. Then louder, I repeated, “Zeke?”

  There was a sharp breath, and the covers at the far end of the room came off with a kick. Zeke jumped upright, his hands slashing at the air, hyperventilating as his head whipped wildly around, his expression feral. After a moment, he calmed, shrunk in a defensive posture against the wall, and I spoke again, keeping my voice level to not startle him.

  “Breakfast is ready.”

  Then I shrank away, shivers running down my spine, and wondering just who exactly we had committed to guiding us through the jungle.