The Smile

Chapter 1: How It Starts

I lived in New York City for most of my life but decided to move to Alberta, Canada on my 21st birthday since I heard it was nice and quiet there, I regret ever doing that. To make this make sense I've got to take you to the first day it all started. I got a job working at a gas station near the edge of town, normally I worked the day shift but took up the night shift since my boss told me he'd give me a raise. I took up the job because it was quiet, normally there wouldn't be many customers unless they were coming in or out of town so I usually just watched videos or played games on my phone or go out and talk to the local homeless guy named Franky who I'd share snacks and stories with.

 I was playing some shooter game on my phone when suddenly the gas station doors opened, but when I looked over I didn't see anybody. "Hey if you're gonna' fuck around do it somewhere else." I said. I went back to playing my game when the doors opened and closed again. I groaned and went around the counter to head over to the doors, stepping through them and looking outside. "Either come in and buy something or piss off!" I shouted into the empty lot. Then as I stood there I smelled something, something rotten. I covered my nose and went back inside, "Stupid fucking dumpster." I sighed. 

I took out my wireless earbuds and connected them to my phone to listen to some music, I looked at my watch and got started on my closing shift chores. I went to the closet and got the broom out to start sweeping up the gas station which didn't take too long but while I was sweeping I felt something like a breath over my shoulder. I turned around to see nobody around, I simply shrugged it off and finished sweeping. Once I was done I went back around the counter to start counting the cash in the register which again didn't take long since there were hardly any customers.

 As I finished counting I heard the sound of glass shattering over my music, I took out my earbuds and looked over to the doors. I saw the right side door was shattered, "You gotta' be shitting me." I groaned. I closed the cash register and went around the corner to investigate the door, as I got closer I saw something laying a few feet from the door. I kneeled down to look and saw a bloody pocket knife but as I looked closer I realized that it was Franky's knife from seeing his name that he had etched into the blade.

 I don't know why but I left the gas station and went into the lot, "Franky!" I called out. The dim streetlamp on the side of the street hardly lit up even half of the parking lot, but it shined enough light for me to see something hanging out of the dumpster. I mustered the courage to walk over to the dumpster and as I did the rotten smell that assaulted my nose got stronger and stronger. I approached the dumpster and inside was an image that will never leave my mind no matter how hard I've tried to get it out.

 Inside was Franky's corpse, his arms were bent completely backwards and in the dim light I could see that Franky's eyes were gouged out of his head and from Franky's gaping mouth I saw that his tongue had been ripped out of his skull. I took a step back and couldn't help but vomit onto the pavement and fall to the ground in shock and terror. Suddenly as I was recoiling from fear I heard, "Danny." From behind me. I turned around to see nothing, but when I looked back in front of me I saw it. That fucking smile. The smile that was burned deep into my brain was standing, no floating, right in front of me. 

I crawled back and managed to get to my feet, I didn't take a second more to turn back and run back into the gas station. I fumbled to get my phone out but in the heat of the moment I forgot I had no service, "Shit!" I shouted to myself. I then remembered the landline phone, I sprinted into the back of the gas station to find the landline. I turned the light on and grabbed the phone to punch in 911 then put it to my ear. I waited for what felt like forever but I only heard buzzing, I looked and saw that the line was severed. "No no no, how?" I panicked. "Danny." I heard that deep, nightmarish voice.

 I turned to see nobody behind me, "My car." I thought out loud. I ran out of the back and sprinted out of the gas station to make my way to my car, I managed to get my car when I suddenly felt an excruciating pain go through my side making me scream. I was turned around and grabbed by that damn smile and it stabbed its claws into my sides, "You can't run from me Danny." The smile said to me. I could smell what had to be rotten flesh coming from the thing's breath, it took all my strength not to vomit. Out of instinct I punched the smile across the face to get it off me giving me the window to unlock and get into my car.

 I got in and quickly started it before darting out of the parking lot, getting onto the road and driving as fast as I could down it while buckling in. About a few minutes into the drive I started to get lightheaded and started seeing black until my eyes shut. Once they did I shot my eyes open in time to see a car coming my way, I swerved out of the way and ended up crashing through the railing. My car rolled downhill until it stopped in a ditch with my car being turned upside down. I groaned as I sat upside down hanging by my seat belt, my vision blurred by the blood that was now in my eyes.

 I unbuckled myself and grunted as my back hit the hood but then I screamed out in pain as I looked at my leg. My leg was bent almost backwards with the bone sticking out of it, I carefully pulled my leg out from under the dash of the steering wheel. I almost let out a sigh of relief when I heard that voice, "Danny." I looked to my left and saw that fucking smile looking at me through the shattered window of the car door. I hurried and got on my chest to crawl to the other side of the car to try opening the door, but found that it was jammed. "Nowhere to run Danny." I heard the smile behind me as it grabbed my good leg.

 I tried shaking it off but it had a death grip on my leg, I felt its claws sink into it. I tried kicking the freak off but it wouldn't let go so I looked for something to defend myself when I saw the tire iron I kept in the back seat. I reached for it and managed to get it, "Eat this freak!" I shouted before swinging behind me. The metal tool swung across the smile's face causing a black liquid to splatter out, I took the small window of opportunity to break open the window of the car door. I crawled out of the car as quickly as I could and got onto the grass of the ditch spitting out blood as I did. I heard police sirens getting closer and I laughed, before painfully coughing.

 I got to my feet and limped my way to the hill before collapsing from both exhaustion and pain. "He's over here!" I heard someone shout. Flashlights beamed down on me by two police officers before they made their way down the hill. They grabbed onto me and helped me up the hill where I saw four police cruisers and two ambulances, two paramedics came over with a stretcher to get me on it. The paramedics rolled me into one of the ambulances and closed the door but as they did and before I blacked out I saw it. The smile looked at me through the glass, "Get well soon Danny." It said before I blacked out. I would spend three nights in the hospital after being diagnosed with a severely broken leg, three broken ribs, a ruptured liver, and a punctured lung. I'd then spend over 12 months at home recovering where the smile never showed its haunting face. But the night those 12 months were over it started again, making the nightmare continue.

                                                                                         End Of Chapter