horror cover

Contest Entry

Cover Story Contest: Design the cover for a novel that doesn't exist yet.

Published on Jun 23, 2026

^( aricat )^

Close up of a young woman standing in a long dark school hallway at night, her dark hair hanging loose around her face, wearing a school uniform, she faces the viewer holding a small circular mirror up to her face at eye level, in the mirror her reflection is visible but wrong, her reflection is smiling, wide and frozen and completely unnatural, while her actual face is expressionless and pale and terrified, the reflection in the mirror is smiling so wide it has begun to split at the corners of the mouth extending further than a human face should allow, the school hallway behind her stretches endlessly in both directions lit by a single flickering fluorescent tube, every classroom door along the hall stands open except one at the very far end which is slightly ajar with warm amber light coming through the gap, she holds the mirror with both hands and her knuckles are white from the grip, the title SMILE BACK in large slick red letters across the top, the letters each slightly different sizes as if typed on a broken machine,cinematic lighting,dramatic shadows,highres,intricate details,beautiful light,best shadow,color blink,beautiful colors,magical lighting,

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