Atlantis Read Online Free PDF

“fragile” stickers. Whoops. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen drawer and broke the tape so I could see what was inside. Packing peanuts, sweet! I sifted through the peanuts until I found what was so fragile.
    A camera.
    I searched the box for a card or a note, anything.
    Finally, I came across a small notecard on the bottom of the box that read,

    When you try to look at things differently,
    you start to see what’s really there.
    Odd. There was no signature. Very confused, I stumbled up to my room with the camera and mystery note in hand.
    I shut myself in my room and plopped down on my bed. I reread the small white piece of paper about twenty times, searching for some indication of what it meant or who sent it. I found nothing.
    The handwriting didn’t look familiar either.
    Finally I gave up on the mystery of the obscure message and turned my attention to the camera. Small, black, digital.
    I turned it on.
    A green light came on. I decided to test it out. Theory was hanging out in my room, as usual, so I aimed the lens at her. Click. The picture showed up on a screen on the back under the eyepiece. Cool, it works.
    I proceeded to shoot a variety of angles of my room, Theory, and myself to test out my photography skills. About ten pictures later, I sat back down on my bed, and tried to figure out how to review my work.
    At first I couldn’t figure out how to access the vault of photographs, since my mystery present didn’t come with instructions. But after a little elbow grease and patience I found them. The last photograph showed up on the screen first. It was a picture of my bedroom window. I fell off the bed at what I saw.
    In the reflection of my window of the picture was a dull ghost-like image of a person. A person with green eyes. Now sitting on the floor, I held the camera tight, and zoomed in for a closer look. The pale portrait of the person in the picture made me gasp.
    It was Elliott.
    I looked around my room. No one was there. I looked out my window. No one. Only me, by myself. I re-examined the camera. It looked normal. The lens looked clean. I scrolled through the other pictures I had taken, only to find the mysterious green-eyed figure hidden in each shot.
    The picture of my desk, he was on the computer screen. The picture of my bed, he was in the mirror. Even in the picture of Theory, I found him hidden as a reflection in her eyes.
    I shivered. An eerie chill ran down my spine.
    The glass of my window was abruptly shoved open, and I jumped.
    “ Hey hoe.” Good. It was just Nicholas.
    “ Hey.”
    “ How's it going?” he said as he let himself in and sat down beside me on the floor.
    “ Eh.” I’m seeing things that aren’t there, but otherwise great. I hurried and turned off the camera and pushed it under my bed.
    “ Come on Lil, you can tell me.” He gave me his best persuasive look, his blond hair in his eyes.
    “ Just silently going crazy.” My thoughts were still muddled by my current episode.
    “ Good.” Nicholas smiled. “I wouldn’t want you turning all normal on me now.”
    I had to smile at him, as I shook my head. “Only you would think going crazy is a good thing.”
    “ Going crazy? You already are. That’s why I like you so much.”
    Nicholas was great. He was like a male version of me. Our personalities complemented each others perfectly.
    He leaned up against me.
    “ Hey, where’s Charlotte? Is she still mad?” I asked.
    “ Yep. She’s still mad at me. I can’t figure her out lately,” he paused reflecting, “or pretending at least. Ugh! Do you know what her deal is? It’s not like we’re dating.”
    Funny. Nicholas had inadvertently stumbled on the magic word. Dating. I just shrugged and gave him my it’s-a-mystery-to-me face. I was determined not to get in the middle. I had enough to deal with.
    Nicholas looked at the clock. “Well I’d better go Lil. I told my mom I would be home for dinner. Seriously though, if you figure out what’s up with