Scroll comic · Episode 2

Huge, If True

Autumn in the back courtyard. A photo is going round the building's group chat.

Hanne, 68Neighbour · quick thumb, notebook ready

Nuria, 41Neighbour · asks for the original

Scroll at your own pace; you can always go back. Calm version · Scroll version · Episode 1 · Comic archive

Huge, If TrueKeep scrolling: the story unfolds ↓

Autumn in the back courtyard. A photo is going round the building's group chat.

The Group Chat

In the back courtyard, Hanne sits on a bench and holds up her phone excitedly. It shows a photo of a giant sunflower. Nuria is just coming in through the archway.

Building group · forwarded

Photo: a sunflower taller than the building

INCREDIBLE, INOUR COURTYARD!!

NURIA! HAVE YOUSEEN OUR GIANTSUNFLOWER?

OURS? THISMORNING IT WASJUST LEAVES.

THREE STOREYSHIGH! MY SISTERHAS TO SEE THIS.

Taking a Look

Hanne and Nuria stand in the courtyard looking around: bins, bikes, a chestnut tree. No sign of a giant sunflower. In the corner there is just a small sunflower in a pot.

THREE STOREYS? ISEE BINS.

MAYBE IT'S ROUNDTHE BACK BY THEBIKES.

WHO POSTED THEPHOTO FIRST?

The First Post

Nuria sits on the right of the bench, scrolling a long way up on her phone. Hanne sits on the left, leans in and peers over her glasses in disbelief.

Original post · building group · Monday

The first post with the photo, reproduced here

AI IMAGE – ANIDEA FOR OURCOURTYARD PARTY.THOUGHTS?

AN AI IMAGE? IEVEN CHECKED THELEAVES!

THE LEAVES DON'TKNOW. THE POSTDOES.

The Thumb

Hanne holds her phone and hunches her shoulders guiltily, her thumb still raised. Nuria folds her arms, trying not to grin.

Hanne's sister · reply

To the photo Hanne forwarded

AT YOURS?? IHAVE TO SEE IT!

YOU'VE ALREADYSENT IT ON?

MY THUMB WASFASTER THAN MYHEAD.

The Follow-up

Seen slightly from above: Hanne types a message with both thumbs, concentrating. Nuria looks over her shoulder and nods. Hanne's open notebook lies on the bench.

Hanne to her sister

Message, reproduced here

CORRECTION: IT'SAN AI IMAGE, ANIDEA FOR THEPARTY. COMEANYWAY – FOR THEPARTY!

AND THE ORIGINALPOST WITH IT?

ATTACHED. MY HEADCAUGHT UP.

Knee-High

In the corner of the courtyard, Hanne crouches next to a small, slightly crooked sunflower in a pot, holding her notebook. Nuria stands beside her, laughing.

OURS IS SMALLER.

BUT IT'S ACTUALLYHERE.

SHE'LL BE THREESTOREYS TALL BYTHE PARTY.SOURCE: ME.

Hanne’s notebook, the whole page

Group chat: giant sunflower in our courtyard! Three storeys! My sister has to see this.
Checked the courtyard: bins, bikes, leaves. No giant sunflower.
Nuria asks who posted the photo first.
First post: “AI image – an idea for our courtyard party.”
I wouldn't have spotted it in the leaves. In the post, yes.
Forwarded: once. Before thinking.
My sister wants to come all the way over.
Correction sent, original post attached.
Passing things on is fine. With where they came from.
Seen with my own eyes: one sunflower, knee-high, a bit crooked. Real.

This story is made up. We did not test any particular messenger or image generator. You often cannot tell for sure from a picture whether AI made it. It is more reliable to check who showed it first and what they wrote with it.