Picture Perfect Novels & Stories

Zara returns, lifting her chin. Click. Flash. A perfect picture—flawless lighting, pristine posture, curated elegance. But behind the lens, the real frame is full of shadows.

Let’s talk about your picture! I’m not going to lie. I had to hold my breath when I saw the pictures you send me. Barista? You’re way too ugly to be a barista, don’t you think? You look absolutely hideous, and I don’t know who called you pretty, but it was a lie! (I only gave you the reaction you wanted.) I can see you’re into bets and deals, so just as promised, here are some pictures of me in return. 🏞🏞🏞

"The man in the suitcase? His brother. Looking for answers. Same as me." "Then who—" "Is pretending to be him?" He smiled. Wet teeth. "Your sister's new project. She doesn't cure people. She becomes them." He dropped over the rail. Gone. The buzzer rang again. Longer. Impatient. I walked to the door. Blind again. Slow. Counting steps I didn't need to count. Peeked through the fisheye. Lin. Alone. Sunglasses. White cane. Perfect victim. *Perfect predator.*

Of course, she's going to see right through my bs - she knows me all too well. “Well, of course, I actually wanted a picture. What sane straight woman wouldn't?” I let out a laugh and she giggles with me. “I believe that's the truth. So...?” I glance over at her from my phone. “Are you saying you want to see?” She nibbles her lower lip. “Well, maybe. Is it a good picture?” “I think so. What makes it a good picture to you? There’s no dangly bits, if that’s what you’re after.” He’d taken a very tasteful photo that showed off his sexy physique without being too graphic or lewd.

Her smile was effortless, and her eyes were filled with genuine affection. Caca looked equally happy standing beside her. In the silence, Baskara slipped his phone from his jacket pocket. He slowly raised it. Click. A new photo appeared on the screen. Aurelia and Caca stood side by side, smiling beneath the playful penguin backdrop. A faint smile touched Baskara's lips. But only for a moment. The smile slowly faded as he continued staring at the image, as though it wasn't merely a photograph, but a glimpse of a future he could never allow himself to have.

"I can send you the results if you want." "Give it to me!" Caraline quickly snatched the camera from Deric's hand. With a flushed face, she scrutinized the shot of the camera. Oh God, her face and her appearance were completely messed up because the lake water was rippling. Unfortunately, Deric's photo looked perfect. As she was about to hit the delete button, Caraline accidentally swiped the screen. She was stunned to find a picture of Helen sitting sideways on a park bench. Her assistant looked so beautiful.

OUT OF FIELD THEORY Brian Palmer shivered in spite of the warm noonday sun. “This is it,” he muttered, staring at the picture he’d taken. “This is it. This picture is going to change my life. This. Is. It.” It was about time. All the other pictures he’d taken with his Nikon hadn’t been worth a damn. The first was out of focus. Couldn’t see the barn on Bassler Road for shit. Another was framed wrong, cutting the top off the old gazebo in the abandoned koi garden down the road. As for the brilliant yellow and orange koi swimming in the old pond next to the gazebo? Red and yellow blobs.

"What a pretty portrait! Shouldn't have expected any less from Misty, honestly. This is probably a birthday gift from her, so take it." My soul was watching nearby, and I was so nervous that my fists curled into balls. 'Take it! Didn't you want to find the person who murdered your father? That portrait's the clue!' In my anxiety, I didn't expect my boyfriend to suddenly flare up in anger, grabbing the portrait and tearing it to shreds. "She wants me to forgive her with trash like this? What a joke! I felt nothing but disgusted!" I instinctively tried to catch the torn portrait, but my translucent fingers passed through the rubbish bin. After a while, I realized.

The familiar stranger of the other night walked in, dressed up in a two-piece pitch black suit that reflected the jet black color of his hair and emphasised the rare grey color of his eyes. This is a dream. I'm dreaming. No, I'm having a nightmare. His eyes landed on me and I froze completely, forgetting how to breathe as my pulse thundered so loud in my ears. “Zayn Cole Santiago.”

His fingers bled as he scraped at the paint, but he didn't stop. Chloe stood nearby, disgusted. "Darling, don't touch that filthy thing! They obviously ganged up to trick you! Your mother is fine in Ohio, how could she..." When Liam finally cleared enough paint to see the kind, familiar face in the photograph, he broke. "Mom..." His voice was shattered glass. That face. The face he'd known his entire life. Those eyes. The eyes that had looked at him with love countless times. That smile. The smile that had greeted him every time he came home.