<div style="text-align: right;">Bastiaan Pranger ~ The Finishing Touches...<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/3/3f/Bastiaan03.jpg)</div></div><br/><br/>Bastiaan turned from the task of removing the camera from it's mount and nodded to Brandon, “Mr. Frost, it was a pleasure.  I think, since you have freed up Daniel, everything is over except putting things away and the process of developing the film.  Feel free to enjoy the rest of the day though.”  He made his fare-the-wells and pulled the digital cards from the cameras, pocketing them, and rolled the footage from his favored camera up to develop the film.<br/><br/>Leaving the models, to do as they pleased, he made his way over to his office and began the task of choosing the shots to use.  Hours had rolled by before he looked up from his computer screen and noticed the time.<em>Well...I missed dinner...</em>he shook his head.  “Damn, kan ik net zo goed iets te eten...” he said in his native Dutch.  Walking to the kitchen he fixed a small plate of fruit and some vegetables to dine upon.  Taking the plate, with a small glass of wine, back to his desk he munched as he continued working.<br/><br/>The next day was spent the same as the night before.  Bastiaan developed the cover shot, himself, in the his darkroom.  He watched over the developing of the prized shot like a proud parent over the birth of a child.  When it was all said and done he almost hated to send it off with the rest of the shots to magazine for their use preferring, instead, to keep the shots for his portfolio.<br/><br/>With a heavy sigh he relaxed on his sofa before dinner.  Having missed most of the auction in the basement he preferred to stay in for the night, relax and perhaps even turn in early.  The classical music playing over the sound system soothed his mind and relaxed him fully before cooking dinner.<br/><br/>Afterward, Bastiaan cleaned up the studio.  Putting his laptop in it's bag near the elevator, in the morning he would go out and enjoy the park and maybe play a game of chess.  A perfect day after a hard few days of work.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: left;">Bastiaan Pranger ~ Waking early...?<br/><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/06/Bastiaan04.jpg)</div></div><br/>He coughed heavily, waking him up far earlier than he normally would.  Bastiaan glanced at the clock, perplexed and a bit more than annoyed, to see the time of five in the morning.<em>Somethings...not right...</em>he thought to himself as he stretched on the bed.  As he yawned he caught exactly what it was, coughing again at the smell, the odor in the air of smoke.  “God in de hemel, is...is dat vuur?” he thought aloud.<br/><br/>Standing up he sniffed the air again, his fear becoming confirmed.  He moved quickly, grabbing his travel bag and tossing a few belongings inside.  Pulling on a shirt and sandals as he walked out of his room, calmly, and picked up his portfolio and headed to his laptop.  The smell of sulfur in the air became heavier and he turned to the stairwell to leave.  Pausing he quickly turned back down the hallway and removed the platinum framed photograph from the wall,<em>I'd rather burn than forget this...</em>he thought staring at his own image fondly.  And like that, Bastiaan Pranger made his way down the stairwell.