Picture day was always a big deal for all the children attending a certain elementary school on a certain New Mexico street. The whole school may come off as pretentious, but this school was made this way for the children. Not to impress the school board or the parents. The children love the colors and the nice things everywhere. They loved these things, but not as much as they loved picture day. Taking a picture of them was a different type of playtime. It was to make silly faces while being told "no, don't do it like that" by the cameraman. All the children were dressed up, for not themselves but the parents. Is picture day for the children or for the adults, anyone might ask here. Not one child was making a sad face or not wanting to take said pictures. When the classes took group photos, it was something magical. With the words "Say cheese!" being shouted, everyone makes a silly face while the teacher feels all the joy. Children are a wonderful thing given to adults by a stork. Can a stork take away a child from their parents, one might ask?

The cameraman doesn't get enough credit for what he does. He comes in when called, propping up his equipment with ease. With every clanking noise, he makes the whole world feel at peace. Cameraman, oh cameraman, they would all love to sing an ode to you. For taking the pictures of them with patience as they don't listen to commands. popping out eyes and sticking out tongues they play with the cameraman. The loud sound of the camera going off was enough for him. Is picture day for the children or the parents he asked himself. Knowing that the pictures he takes with the camera would go on the fridge or in a bedroom. Finishing the pictures, he would converse with the teachers about the children. Some of the children would come up to him with a flower. Sometimes the students will ask him questions the other adults won't tell them. Like how does a stork carry the weight of an infant? He would reject these questions with a smile across his face. He doesn't get enough credit for what he does. After the conversation with the school, he would leave in his car waving joyfully.

Kids would come and go growing up to be in the latter grade to theirs. The growth of the children was fantastic to witness. The cameraman was invited to see some of them graduate to middle school. He soon starting taking pictures of kids in middle school along with tiny ones. Some have said he wanted to follow the class he had gotten used to. So he took pictures of them on picture day, but something was different. The middle school students didn't love picture day as much anymore. The rumor went around at the time that some girl's father left. What also was said was one became an orphan without any parents. They didn't try to smile anymore and it brought down the cameraman with them. Still, he stood strong being the same person he was to the children. Does the stork have a return policy the middle school students might ask? Life wasn't what they expected when they were kids. How could they brighten up with that joy encased inside them?

Later that year some students that went to that same middle school went missing. One went missing making the police get involved. Then more went missing, forcing more of the force to come out. More went missing, then they lost hope for all the lost children. Their fellow students wished for them to come back. The parents wished their adored children would come back to them. If only they were found a few days after they went missing. What would happen if the stork took care of you? A question asked by no one facing these problems. Besides the cameraman with his smile so wide and teeth so white. Waiting for so long the FBI got involved to find the children that were lost to everyone. After a few months, the barely glimmering hope was lost. No more kids were taken from their family and friends during the investigation. Being taken in bulk, it was seen as a supernatural phenomenon, but was it something supernatural? What took their kids away during that month? The cameraman mourned for the children, giving hope for the children that were here. He took pictures of them, reassuring them that they would be found soon.

At the end of the year, those missing children came home for Christmas. The FBI found the children at the cameraman's house. He told them how he was taking good care of them. Would a stork hurt a baby while carrying them? That is a question answered by the FBI when they found the children. Searching throughout the house, all the children were found, but not the way a parent would want them. Unchained, they had food, but still, anyone could see the trauma in their eyes. The children were taken by the stork all those months ago. Taken in his care, he gave what they had wished for. Life wasn't so kind to them, and he had given them kindness. Not hurting them, what was understood is that the harm was self-inflicted. All the children made it out except the ones that were taken away by the stork. All those moments were remembered by him and the parents. He had memories of wearing dresses and such things that go with the season. Those parents will remember what the cameraman did. He will remember how he helped them by using what they loved. Showing each of them each other's pictures sometimes it led the ones to survive down the darkness. They were taken by the stork even though he wasn't there. He was killed by the parents and society alike. It was a picture every day for them, spreading a big smile in every picture. The stork does let the children struggle if he takes care of them.