Couple’s Photo Goes Viral, Then Spot Background

A Living Nightmare

Kate’s hands shook as she stared down at the tiny screen in her hands. She couldn’t believe her eyes. What was supposed to be an innocent Instagram post had turned into a living nightmare.

As she stared down at the pictures, a shiver ran down her spine. How could she not have noticed what was in the background?

If she had known, she never would have posted them.

Nothing Special

It all began on a normal Saturday afternoon. When Kate first decided to post the photos to her Instagram account, she didn’t think anything of it. She and her boyfriend, Alex, had spent the afternoon in the pool, and she wanted to share some of the adorable photos they had taken.

She expected to receive a few likes, and maybe even a comment or two, after all, she didn’t have that many followers.

But when she checked her phone that evening, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

Going Viral

Kate and Alex were enjoying a meal in front of the television when she noticed the strange pinging sounds coming from her phone. They were continuous and obnoxious. When she checked, she had received dozens of texts from friends and family.

“Check Instagram, you’ve gone viral!” She read a text from her best friend, Moira.

Kate was confused and quickly opened the social media app, but when she did, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

Good News

Over the last few hours, Kate’s Instagram post had accumulated over 30,000 likes, and 4,000 comments. She couldn’t believe her luck as a wide grin appeared across her face.

Showing her boyfriend the post, Kate had excitement coursing through her veins.

She had always dreamed of becoming an influencer, and she thought this was the start of her dream come true. But she was very wrong.

Her Accomplishment

Kate wasn’t sure why the photos had blown up. They weren’t anything special. Perhaps people liked the swimsuit she wore, she thought. But she was very wrong.

Alex was over the moon as he congratulated her on her accomplishment. Over the last few hours, she had gained nearly 10,000 new followers.

But the smile fell from her face when she received another text from her best friend.

A Confusing Text

Moira’s name appeared at the top of the screen, and Kate wasted no time opening her text. But when she did, she read something truly bizarre.

“You are so brave for posting those photos. I could never!” Moira’s text read. Kate was confused. Did she dislike the photos? Did she think they were ugly?

It didn’t make any sense. “What do you mean?” She responded.

An Alarming Detail

Kate frowned as she waited for Moira’s response. She couldn’t understand why her friends would say something like that. A second later, her phone pinged once again. “Read the comments!” Moira said.

Confused, Kate opened the app and scrolled to the post. But when she saw the first comment, her heart dropped.

She hadn’t noticed an alarming detail in the background of her photos.

A Normal Girl

Born and raised in Trenton, New Jersey, Kate Coleman was your average twenty-year-old student. When she wasn’t working on her Marketing degree, she was hanging out with friends and family.

Life was simple for the young woman. She still lived with her parents, Jim and Susan, and she enjoyed every second of it.

But Kate had a dream she kept secret from the rest of the world.

Her Dream

Since she was a teenage girl, Kate wanted nothing more than to be a social media influencer like the girls she followed on Instagram. She dreamed of modeling for big brands and promoting some of her favorite items.

Over the years, she had put a ton of effort into her Instagram photos, but nothing ever came of it.

She was left with only 600 followers, most of whom were friends, family, and acquaintances. But one day, that would change.

All The Wrong Reasons

The only person who knew of Kate’s dream was her boyfriend, Alex. They had been together since high school, and over the years, he saw the effort she had put into her social media accounts.

He supported her every step of the way, despite her dream seeming impossible to reach.

But one day, one of her posts would attract attention for all the wrong reasons.

Unaware

That day started like any other. It was a Saturday, and Alex had decided to come over. It was the middle of summer, and they wanted nothing more than to go for a dip in the pool.

At first, everything seemed normal. They ate watermelon and sipped smoothies as they floated in the cool water. Kate had just bought herself a new bikini, and she wanted to show it off.

But they were unaware of something truly alarming lurking behind them.

If Only

Alex had grown used to posing for his girlfriend’s Instagram photos. There was nothing she loved more than showing him off to her followers. They smiled at the camera as Kate took a few selfies.

To her surprise, they had come out well, and she didn’t have to edit them before posting them to her social media.

But if she had edited those photos, she would have noticed something in the background, staring straight at them.

Lower Her Expectations

When Kate first decided to post the photos to her Instagram account, she didn’t think anything of it. Over the years, she had learned to lower her expectations. She expected the post to receive no more than 100 likes.

Once the photos were posted, she placed her phone down and enjoyed the afternoon with her boyfriend.

She had no idea what had unfolded the second she hit “post”.

A Strange Sound

They spent the rest of the day hanging out by the pool until it was time for supper. Kate had decided to order them a pizza to share. They were enjoying their meal in front of the television when Kate noticed the strange sound.

At first, she wasn’t sure where it was coming from, but then, she realized what it was.

Her phone was pinging continuously and obnoxiously.

A Text From Her Best Friend

She reached for her phone and when she checked it, she had received dozens of texts from friends and family. She decided to open her chat with her best friend first.

“Check Instagram, you’ve gone viral!” Moira’s text read. Kate was confused, her eyes growing wide as she quickly opened the social media app. Her stomach was bubbling with nervous excitement.

When she opened the app, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

A Viral Post

Over the last few hours, Kate’s Instagram post had accumulated over 30,000 likes, and 4,000 comments. She couldn’t believe her luck as a wide grin appeared across her face, and had been trying for four years, and now, she had finally gone viral.

She showed Alex the post, excitement coursing through her veins.

Kate had always dreamed of becoming an influencer, and thought this was the start of her dream come true. But she was very wrong.

Becoming A Reality

“What?” Alex gasped, taking the phone from his girlfriend’s hand. As he looked down at the screen, a wide grin spread across his face. He couldn’t believe what had happened.

For years, Kate had spoken about her dream, and now, he was watching it become a reality in real-time. But even he failed to notice the detail in the background.

They had no idea what danger had lurked behind them just hours ago.

Proud

Kate wasn’t sure why the photos had blown up. They weren’t anything special. Perhaps people liked her new swimsuit, she thought. But she was very wrong.

Alex was over the moon as he congratulated her on her accomplishment. Over the last few hours, she had gained nearly 10,000 new followers.

But the smile fell from her face when she received another text from her best friend.

A New Text

Moira’s name appeared at the top of the screen, and Kate wasted no time opening her text. But when she did, she read something truly bizarre.

“You are so brave for posting those photos. I could never!” Moira’s text read. Kate was confused.

Did she dislike the photos? Did she think they were ugly? It didn’t make any sense. “What do you mean?” She responded.

An Alarming Detail

Kate frowned as she waited for Moira’s response. She couldn’t understand why her friends would say something like that. A second later, her phone pinged once again. “Read the comments!” Moira said.

Confused, Kate opened the app and scrolled to the post. But when she saw the first comment, her heart dropped.

She hadn’t noticed an alarming detail in the background of her photos.

An Innocent Post

Kate’s hands shook as she stared down at the tiny screen in her hands. She couldn’t believe her eyes. What was supposed to be an innocent Instagram post had turned into a living nightmare.

As she stared down at the pictures, a shiver ran down her spine. How could she not have noticed what was in the background?

If she had known, she never would have posted them.

A Loss For Words

Alex noticed the frightened look on her face. “Are you okay? What’s going on?” He frowned, concern evident in his eyes. Kate was at a loss for words as she handed the phone to him, her eyes wide with fear

He took it from her grasp and stared down at the screen, but it wasn’t immediately obvious to him.

He was staring at the photos, but he couldn’t see what everyone else saw.

Missing The Details

Kate noticed the confused look on his face. It was obvious that he had missed the detail just as she initially had. “In the water, behind us. Look!” She said.

Alex squinted down at the screen, but he didn’t notice anything at first until he decided to zoom in.

He noticed something right behind them, in the water, but at first, he wasn’t sure what he was looking at, until he scrolled to the next photo.

He Understood

Goosebumps covered his arms as he looked down at the photo. Suddenly, he understood exactly why his girlfriend seemed so afraid.

It turned out that while they were swimming, a snake had joined them for a dip in the pool.

In the background of each photo, they could see the snake coming closer and closer to where they stood.

Exhausted

“What the heck?” He asked with wide eyes. How could they not have noticed the creature in the pool? Alex and Kate quickly arose from their seats and made their way outside.

The snake was still in the pool, its head just above the water. It was clear that it couldn’t get out, and it was exhausted.

But what kind of snake was it?

The Snake

Alex quickly identified what kind of snake it was, as he had seen a few in his garden before. It was a common garter snake. It is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent.

Although these snakes are quite aggressive, and will readily strike and bite, they are non-venomous.

“We have to save it, it’s going to drown,” Kate said, concerned.

Saving It

Alex agreed and was willing to help. He knew that the snake must’ve been exhausted after hours in the pool. Its chances of biting him were low.

Kate watched from afar as Alex got onto his knees and gently scooped the thin snake from the ice-cold water.

He placed it on the grass and watched as it slithered into a nearby bush. Luckily, it seemed to be okay.

Stir

Kate laughed about the matter. She couldn’t believe that one little snake could cause so much of a stir online. They headed back inside and sat down on the couch once again.

As Kate scrolled through the comments on her post, many people seemed concerned about the snake.

“What if it drowns?” One commenter wrote. “I don’t think it can get out on its own,” Another said.

An Update

Kate decided to post about it on her Instagram story, informing all of her followers that Alex had scooped it out of the pool and that it was alive and well. Her new followers seemed relieved by the update.

That night, her account continued to grow.

She was getting hundreds of new followers by the hour, and she couldn’t believe her luck.

A Boost In The Algorithm

This viral post seemed to boost her account in the algorithm, and before she knew it, her account was thriving with new followers.

Her content began performing well, and just a few weeks later, she had her first brand deal.

In the end, the strange occurrence helped Kate become the influencer she had always wanted to become, and she couldn’t be any happier.