Living in a painting, she wore the perfect smile given her—the unblemished flesh, coiled tresses, each precisely locked in place.

Eventually, a crack formed in the rosy paint. She longed for someone to spot the flash of movement through it and observe the sad humanity behind her forced grin.

Christa Planko, MA, is a professional writer with a passion for creative expression. She has had her poetry and short stories featured in several publications, including River Poets Journal, Tanka and Haiku Journal, Poetry Quarterly, and Every Day Fiction. Her story, “The Olde-Tyme Village,” won the 2021 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest. Christa resides in South Jersey with her feline muses. For her bio and list of published works, visit christascorner.godaddysites.com.