THE REFLECTION: TRAPPED IN PHOTOGRAPH

Written in response to: Begin or end your story with a character taking a selfie.... view prompt

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Horror Suspense Mystery


The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the tranquil landscape, Sarah could not resist capturing the moment. With a gentle smile, she raised her phone, framing herself against the backdrop of the breathtaking sunset. The hues of orange and pink painted the sky behind her, creating a picturesque scene that begged to be immortalized.


But beneath the surface of beauty, an unsettling feeling gnawed at Sarah's consciousness. The shadows seemed to stretch longer, wrapping around her with darkness. Despite the warmth of the fading light, a chill crept up her spine, leaving her uneasy and on edge.


She snapped the perfect selfie, including the stunning vista in the background. As she admired the image on her screen, she couldn't shake the nagging sensation that something was amiss. The moment felt fragile as if it could shatter at any moment, leaving her exposed to unseen dangers lurking in the shadows.


With one last glance at the fading light, Sarah tucked her phone away, carrying the memory of the sunset with her. As she walked away from the tranquil spot, she couldn't shake the feeling that clung to her like a sinister fog. Every rustle of leaves, every whisper of the wind, seemed to taunt her with unseen threats.


As Sarah continued her stroll through the serene landscape, a sense of paranoia gripped her tightly. The once welcoming shadows now seemed to hide unseen terrors, their depths concealing unknown horrors that threatened to pounce at any moment. She quickened her pace, her heart racing with fear as she struggled to shake off the feeling of being watched.


Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine as she heard faint footsteps echoing behind her. She whipped around, her breath catching in her throat, but there was nothing there—just the empty expanse of the dimming light, mocking her with its silence.


Just as she reached for her phone to call for help, a bone-chilling shriek shattered the silence, freezing her in place. Her heart pounded in her chest; each beat a thunderous reminder of her vulnerability in the face of the unknown.


That's when she saw it; a figure emerging from the shadows, its twisted silhouette advancing towards her with unnatural speed. Panic surged as she realized she was not alone in this seemingly peaceful wilderness. Paralyzed with fear, she struggled to make sense of the nightmare unfolding before her eyes.


With trembling hands, she fumbled for her phone, her fingers barely managing to unlock it. As she raised it to take another photo, hoping to capture evidence of the approaching horror, the screen flickered and distorted, casting an eerie glow over her terrified face.


In a desperate bid for survival, Sarah snapped a quick selfie, the flash illuminating the ghastly visage of her pursuer. But when she looked at the photo, her blood ran cold—it was not just a figure in the darkness, but something far more sinister, its features twisted and contorted in a grotesque mask of malice.


With a trembling hand, she dropped her phone, the image burning into her mind as she turned and fled into the night, pursued by the chilling specter that haunted her every step. And as the echoes of her terrified screams faded into the darkness, the once serene landscape bore witness to a horror beyond imagination, its secrets buried in the depths of the night.


Sarah ran blindly through the labyrinth of trees, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the chilling specter pursued her relentlessly. Every shadow seemed to reach out for her, threatening to swallow her whole in its dark embrace. But amidst the chaos and terror, one thought burned bright in her mind—the image she had captured on her phone.


With a surge of desperate hope, Sarah skidded to a stop, forcing herself to turn. No one was there. Just the shadows. She started to walk back slowly. The only sounds she heard was her owns. After ten terrifying minutes she managed to come back and retrieve her phone from where she had dropped it in her panicked flight. Fingers trembling, she scrolled through her photos until she found the one she had taken moments before, hoping against hope that it held some clue some shred of evidence to help her make sense of the nightmare unfolding around her.


As the image appeared on her screen, she felt a shiver race down her spine. The face staring back at her was unmistakably hers, but it was not the serene smile she had captured against the backdrop of the sunset. Instead, her features contorted in terror, her eyes wide with fear as she stared into the abyss of the unknown.


But what chilled her to the core was the figure looming behind her—a twisted, shadowy apparition, its form blurred and indistinct yet undeniably present. It seemed to pulse with malevolent energy, reaching out from the confines of the photograph to grasp at her very soul.


With a mounting sense of dread, Sarah realized that the horror she faced was not confined to the realm of the physical but had seeped into the very fabric of her existence. The image she had captured was more than just a snapshot of a moment—it was a gateway to a realm of darkness and despair, a reflection of the terror that lurked within.


As the realization dawned upon her, Sarah knew there was only one way to break free from the nightmare that ensnared her—to confront the horrors lurking within the photograph and banish them back to the depths from whence they came.


With newfound determination, she steeled herself for the battle ahead, her heart pounding with fear and resolve. Gripping her phone tightly, she turned to face the darkness, ready to confront the nightmares that awaited her. For she knew that only by facing her fears head-on could she hope to reclaim the light stolen from her.


With every ounce of courage she possessed, Sarah plunged into the heart of the darkness, her determination burning bright against the encroaching shadows. As she ventured deeper into the nightmare realm that had manifested from the photograph, she encountered horrors beyond comprehension—twisted creatures of nightmare and echoes of her deepest fears.


But with each obstacle she faced, Sarah refused to falter. Drawing strength from the flickering ember of hope that still burned within her, she pressed onward, driven by the belief that she could overcome the darkness that threatened to consume her.


And then, just when it seemed that all was lost, she stumbled upon a glimmer of light—a faint, distant beacon cutting through the oppressive darkness like a guiding star. With renewed determination, she followed the light, trusting in its promise of salvation.


She emerged from the depths of the nightmare realm, standing amidst the tranquil landscape she had captured in her photograph. The sunset painted the sky with hues of gold and crimson, casting a warm glow over the world around her.


But this time, there was no sense of dread or impending doom. Instead, there was only the serenity of a moment reclaimed—a moment free from fear and despair.


With a grateful smile, Sarah raised her phone once more. Capturing the beauty of the sunset against the backdrop of the tranquil landscape. As she snapped the perfect selfie, she knew that she had emerged from the darkness stronger than before, that no matter how deep the shadows may fall, the light within her would always prevail.

April 02, 2024 16:43

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2 comments

Michelle Oliver
10:58 Apr 05, 2024

A gripping suspenseful read with some poetically horrific descriptions. I particularly liked this line: And as the echoes of her terrified screams faded into the darkness, the once serene landscape bore witness to a horror beyond imagination, its secrets buried in the depths of the night.

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Darvico Ulmeli
12:30 Apr 05, 2024

I had that sensation once in my dream so I thought it would be perfect to put it in the story. Glad you like it.

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