Outskirts Press, INC.

Real or hoax?

The Vatican reacts!

The sound was barely a whisper, but the impact would rock Brittany’s soul. The crystal-clear photo, that had never been taken, created an obsession that consumed her through much of the next decade. The family never saw it coming, but when the lava reached the surface, it erupted like none had ever seen. Brittany was adamant. She demanded an explanation and set out to get it. And Nana was with her at every step. Nana knew the history first-hand; she had been there when the alarming photo wasn’t taken. Together they were determined to accomplish what Papa had been unable to do, even if it took them five thousand miles from the safety of home. Would they be successful? Could they solve the mystery? Where would it lead?

The exclamation from the other room was barely audible even though I was right outside the door. It was totally in character for the typically soft-spoken Brittany, but this wasn’t simply speaking softly. It was as if I were listening to her thoughts. "Oh Papa, that's the hand of God!" I could tell the excited whisper also came with tears in her eyes, as if she had really seen the hand of God. She was eleven years old at the time. Although she had always been inquisitive, showing strong emotions was totally out of character. This was clearly an exception. Actually, an eruption. I immediately knew what had occurred. She and Papa were in the small office in our house. She must have seen the picture, the picture that Papa didn't take but was interspersed in roughly the middle of the other 337 photos that he did take. It was the photo that couldn't be explained, at least not by Papa, and on that day the camera never left his hands.