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A Cold Smile
Image prompt:

Do not depict: Child Abuse, Suicide, Explicit sexual content or nudity, Extreme graphic violence or gore, Drug/alcohol use. Generate an illustration for a choose-your-own-adventure story. Style: Digital illustration, vivid colours, suitable for a web story. Do not include any text or lettering in the image. A dark ship's storeroom lit by a single small round porthole, dusty barrels and crates stacked in shadows, a heavy locked wooden door, moody and suspenseful. in Gouache style

A Cold Smile


The captain holds up the little green bottle. His smile is cold, like wind off the sea. "Thank you, Tom," he says softly. "I'll take that."

Before you can run, he pushes you into the dark storeroom. The door slams. The lock clicks. You hear his boots walk away.

Your heart pounds. Above you, a tiny porthole lets in a sliver of moonlight. Below, you hear sailors coughing. There isn't much time.


© 2026 Jon Buckle