The Man Behind the Picture

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Some Indian cultures believe that if their picture was taken their soul would become trapped in that photograph. Others believe that a camera captures the true essence of a person. That when you look into the photograph you can see who that person truly was. When you click on that button on a camera you are capturing that moment in time. Later when you examine the product of that moment you can see what that person was feeling at that very moment. Pictures can be moving, they can tell a story, and they can preserve a memory.
They can also be a bit unnerving. Having the feeling of someone watching you, eyes following your every move, and of witnessing every intimate moment creates the feeling of spiders crawling up and down your back. Every hair stands on end and this feeling of not being alone can be overwhelming for some. Everyone at some point have had this feeling come over them at some point, though they chalk it up to an active imagination. I am included in that group. I never realized how wrong I could be.
“You are becoming obsessed.” My best friend Emily stated from her place at the bar.
“I am not. I am just curious.” I was beginning to think she was right though. She would be too though if she was having the dreams I was having. If it were just the dreams I would pass it off as stress, but there was also the feeling of always having someone around me, even I was alone. It all started with a picture I bought at a yard sale a year ago.
“It is just a picture of some guy. Some guy that you do not even know. Makes no sense for you have to bought it, let alone hang it up in your house.” She has given some form of this line over the past year. I just could not bring myself to take it town. Just like I felt compelled to buy it...

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...lly curious about who the mysterious man in the picture was. I started doing research and so far nothing. The only thing I had to go on was the house where the picture was found, the family who owned the picture and the military uniform the guy was wearing. There however was no identifying numbers or name tag on the uniform so that did not leave me much to go on. It did not look like a traditional military uniform, but from what I could gather soldiers fighting for America in the revolutionary war did not really have uniforms. They either wore their best clothes or their work clothes. In the picture he was wearing a Jacket that maybe someone high in rank would wear and he was holding a Kentucky long rifle. Very common in that time period. So that would put the time period anywhere from 1773 to 1785. That is the extent of the knowledge I have of the mysterious man.

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