The Secrets Behind a Smile (Jeff the Killer Fanfic)

Chapter One: Watching

The house alone was far from ordinary. It was old, and from the outside, appeared abandoned. The stone path leading up to the door was faded and could barely be seen over the tall, overgrown lawn. But what really concerned Paige was not the dark, dusty windows or the creaky wrought iron gate. No, Paige thought to herself as she stared out the car window at her new home, it was the isolation. The house stood alone in a small forest, about three miles from the sleepy little town of Henley, Washington.

As Paige opened the car door and swung her stiff legs out in front of her, she couldn't help but feel a little home sick for the streets of Jordan, her hometown in California. Having grown up in a dense city, Paige didn't know what to make of the large trees growing around her new home. She shook her head and hopped out of the car. A strong wind blew her unnaturally red hair out of her eyes.

"Can I pick my own room, Mom?" Paige heard her little sister begging as she too climbed out of the car.

"I already told you, Isabella." Her mother replied in a careful voice, "Your sister gets to pick first."

Paige turned around and stuck her tongue out at her younger sister. It was juvenile, but Paige felt better as her sister crossed her arms and stomped her foot. She shouldered her backpack and opened the black gate that encased the front of the house.

Halfway up the stone walkway, the front of her red Converse caught on a jagged rock and sent her sprawling over the path. As she fell, she turned her head away from the house to avoid hitting her face on the ground. As she lay on the ground, she saw something dart behind a tree a ways off in the woods. Squinting into the mist, she saw it poke it's head out front it's hiding place, as if watching her.

"You need to watch your step, honey." Her mom called from the car.

"Thanks Mom." She shouted sarcastically . Sitting up and dusting herself off, she looked off into the woods, only to find the figure had disappeared. 'Stupid fresh air is getting to my head' she told herself, picking her backpack up and walking the rest of the way up to the front porch. Sitting down to wait for her mother, she started to think of her best friend, Jake, back in Jordan. She wondered who he would play basketball and watch movies with now that she had gone. She felt a tear threatening to fall, so she wiped her eyes and tried to think about her new school instead. There was only one high school in Henley, one middle school, and one elementary. So all the kids in her class would have known each other for ever. Starting high school in a new town where everyone already knew each other was too overwhelming to think about. Paige had never felt so alone.

"Okay, here we go." Her mom set her bags down on the creaky wooden porch and unlocked the front door. Isabella and Paige shoved at each other to get the first look inside. Paige let out a breath as she looked around in the house. It was as though time had stood still. The inside was the opposite of the out. Everything looked bright and welcoming, from the light yellow paint on the walls of the front hall the the oriental rug that hugged the floor. The interior was outdated, but as Paige walked inside after her mother, she felt more at home with each step.

Her mom put her arm around her shoulders and nodded.

"Not so bad is it?" She teased.

"It's alright, I guess." Paige lied. It was more than alright.

"Go pick your room!" Bella shouted impatiently. Paige picked up her bag and, with Bella at her side, started up the stairs.

"I'll be in the kitchen." Their mom called after them.

The upstairs was similar to the front hall, golden yellow paint and old lamps lit up the dusty rooms as the sisters ventured through every door. There was two studies, three bed rooms, two bathrooms and a hall closet. Nothing sparked Paige's interest until they came to a narrow spiral staircase at the end of the hall.