Page 14 of The Fragile Ones
Matt made a salute and left to consult with Emir about some overall shots.
Katie smiled and decided to take a short walk to a dense area and sit down for some water and a snack. Cisco followed.
The rest of the team sat quietly as Katie watched Matt break down the area into individual shots, explaining with enthusiasm to Emir who nodded in agreement. Matt went to great lengths to demonstrate the flow of the story and how it would translate to film, which would have narration laid over the top. There were wonderful areas to film, with remnants of the stormy sky, billowy clouds, and distinct shades of the hillside and trees.
Butch was setting up some reflectors and small lighting systems.
Keith took a quick cigarette break before he organized his sound hardware. He seemed to watch Matt and Emir almost with disdain, his jaw clenched. Katie couldn’t quite read him but there was something about him that bothered her—call it instinct, an unsettled feeling. But in the end, it didn’t really matter if she liked him or not. Her duties were going to end when the day was over.
Ty sat with his iPad on his lap and read notes from his talks with the historian that would help with the areas they wanted to film. He glanced around and took a couple of photos for reference.
“Hey!” yelled Keith.
Everyone turned in his direction.
“Look, there’s some remnants of what looks like a foundation to a house or building,” he said.
The crew and Katie joined Keith to see what he was talking about. Two of the guys moved some of the brush away from the area and revealed what was left of an old wood and stone foundation.
“Wow,” said Matt. He knelt closer, brushing his hand over the stones. “These were set to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.”
Ty pushed his way inside the circle and quickly knelt beside Matt. “How do you know they’re old?”
“Look at the wood and the way the stones have been carved to fit,” the director said.
Ty didn’t look convinced and frowned. “What else is there?”
“You can find remnants of structures all over this area,” said Katie. “When I was a kid, we used to hike around this canyon and would find things from houses like old belt buckles, dishes, and bottles.”
“Cool,” said Emir as he began to get some close-up shots.
“Yeah, well, we need some factual information that coincides with these so-called artifacts,” said Ty. “Let me see if the historian might have some archived photos of old structures.”
“Wait,” said Matt as he scratched around the crumbling foundation. “I think I found some bones.”
“What?” said the group.
Katie slipped in next to Matt and looked at the bones he was referring to. “Those are bones from a small animal,” she said.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yeah, small dog or farm animal. Was probably buried. Maybe a child’s pet?” she said.
Matt shrugged his shoulders and stood up.
Keith pushed his way past them to take a look at the bones. “Cool,” he said, which was inappropriate, thought Katie, as she walked back to where she had been sitting with Cisco.
Matt approached her. “Katie, can you draw us a map for the three locations that we’ve talked about?”
“Of course. I’ll do you one better. I’ll send maps with GPS coordinates to your phone. Will that do?”
“Great. Thank you,” he said and hurried to take some last minute photos.
Katie waited patiently while watching the sky for any changes. She couldn’t help but notice that Keith hovered near the animal’s bones. He glanced around and then bent down to retrieve the small animal skull, placing it carefully in his backpack.
The group separated and began exploring the area more carefully.
Katie and Cisco walked near the canyon. The cool air filled her lungs as she took several deep breaths. The jagged sections of rock, before it completely plunged down the mountain, were both breathtaking and mesmerizing. The sky alternated between darkening and sunlight peeking through the artistic clouds—the crevices and jagged regions below Katie’s feet brightening and fading almost on cue.
