Stay Completely Still

As a photographer, Aaron would often tell people to stay completely still. He definitely didn't want his photos to be ruined because some dimwit decided to turn his head in the middle of a picture. He was a bit obsessive about that. He'd accept nothing less than perfection. This meant he hardly got any work done, but when he got a good piece, boy, was that his pride and joy. One day, he yelled at a man in a group he was taking a photo of. Little did he know, the man had essential tremor.

The next morning, Aaron got up extra bright and early. Another day of work, he supposed. He was still in a sour mood. He hadn't been this enraged in months. Didn't feel too good either. Kept hearing clicking in his head. Sometimes he even heard what he always said, "Stay completely still." He was too aggravated and stressed. That wouldn't stop him from doing today's work, though. Not in a million years! He grabbed his Nikon and went over to the town square. He tried to take some pictures, but the clicking intensified. It got quieter, sure, but much faster. He could hardly focus. It eventually got too intense to handle. He held his head down in shame as he walked back home. Never did he miss a day of work.

He tried hard to relax. He really did. It proved futile. He eventually decided falling asleep would be the best plan of action. It would distract him from the pain. It took quite long, but he eventually slipped out of consciousness. The next day he awoke with a burning pain in his arm and he found it was incredibly difficult to walk. He tried going down to his kitchen to prepare breakfast, but he couldn't muster the strength. In fact, he couldn't even walk. It felt like his feet were glued to the ground. Soon, his knees went wobbly and caved in as well. The paralysis had spread. Soon, his legs followed. Then his torso. Then his arms. At that point, he could only move his head. He was as stiff as a mannequin. Suddenly, he heard glass break on the other end of his house. He was shocked. It was probably an intruder! He wanted so desperately to escape or defend his territory. After all, he had a gun in his dresser he could use. The sound of the footsteps increased in volume. So did the sound of his heartbeat. His bedroom door flung open as a man came in with a big grin, holding a Polaroid camera. Aaron tried to look away, but his head was stiff now too. He could only stare at the man as he said three words that shook Aaron down to the bone. "Stay completely still."

Click.