Painted Smile: The Return of Jeffery Woods

Happiness doesn't last forever...

The next night, was probably the worst night of Becky's life. It was stormy outside, the amount of thunder and lightening made you think the gods were fighting. She was slouched down on the sofa watching the tv. But she was startled as she heard something drop, or she thought she heard something drop. She got up and slowly walked to the kitchen and turned the light on. The knife holder had been knocked off the counter. She placed the holder back on the counter and bent down to carefully pick up the knives without cutting herself. What she didn't notice was that one of the kitchen knives were missing. Maybe she was too tired to notice. As she entered back into the living room, the lightening strike startled her. It was the brightest strike she had seen from lightening. She fell down like a rag doll onto the sofa and continued watching her show. What startled her the most, was she heard creaking, coming from her bedroom door. Without turning the tele off, she raised and went to investigate, having a more worried expression on her face. She looked back when she was half way up the stairs to see if something was there. There was nothing, which she was glad to see. Becky finally reached the top of the stairs and slowly entered her bedroom. Her hand flicked the light switch as she walked in whilst her breathing was becoming shaky. There was nothing and no one in her room. But she saw something on the floor. It was a knife. That's when Becky realised that a knife was missing from the knife holder. As she walked over to it, she slightly jumped when the lightening flashed. Once she picked it up, she looked at her reflection. The last time she ever saw her reflection in a knife was five years ago. She turned around to exit her room, but suddenly the light switched off. Becky held out the knife in front of her to protect herself. She spoke with a shaky voice, "W-Who's there?" Surprisingly and frighteningly, a voice replied back, "Let's just say, I'm someone who has really missed you. Someone who just wished they could spend their life with you. But as if that was ever going to happen. I was so stupid five years ago when I thought it would work." The light switch flicked on and when Becky saw the face of the speaker, she dropped her knife and fell to the floor. Standing in front of her, face paler than the last time she seen it, rage seen in the eyes, her hated brother, Jeff. This was impossible. How could this happen? Becky was sure that she had killed him for good five years ago. "N-N-No. This can't be possible. How are you... I killed you." Jeff sniggered at her statement and replied, "No, you never killed me. I've been spending a whole fucking five years in a hospital. After what they did with my skin, this doctor was there. I knew who he was. But he got on my nerves so much. You had no idea how much I just wanted to rip his heart out. The doctor is studying me. Studied the murders, connecting all the victims etc. He plans on helping me but, you can't help a psychopath, right Becky?" Becky didn't know what to say. All she could do was stay on the floor with her jaw hanging down. "Oh, looks like someone is afraid. You have no idea how much I love it when people are afraid of what watches them at night."

"I'm not afraid of you. I beat you five years ago, you son of a bitch. All you think you can do is just grab me and take me into your arms, then we'll both get along and be the best siblings in the world. That's not gonna happen. Not today, not ever Jeff. I'm sorry to tell you that, but it's the truth." Jeff started walking towards his knife and picked it up. He admired his face in the reflection of the blade. "Oh wow, I've missed looking at my face so much. You were beautiful once Becky, I know that. But now look at you, they ruined you." Becky stood up and confronted her brother, "No Jeff. I'm not like you. I'm not gonna turn into a maniac just because you have. It doesn't run in our blood, it's just something you've become in life. You'll never make me beautiful like you Jeff. I don't want a fucked up smile on my face. I'm happy with the warm and happy one that I've got." In his head, Jeff was thinking that Becky shouldn't have said that. She didn't know what he was gonna do to her. It was something that Becky never ever thought would happen. But there was a reason he was going to do it. "Oh you really shouldn't have said that Becky. You don't want to make your brother mad. You wouldn't like it when he's mad. Or he'll have to punish you in the worst way you could think." Becky started to gently bite her lip as she got more nervous. Soon after, Jeff started laughing. The laugh that had always haunted Becky. "Hahahahaha. You should see the look on your face. I swear sister, you're so funny when you're afraid." Becky's face straightened and replied, "I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore." Suddenly, Jeff sprinted towards Becky, but stopped when he was just inches away from her face. Becky shivered. "Are you scared of me now," asked Jeff, sliding the blade of his knife around his bloody smile. The girl shook her head whilst having her eyes locked on the knife. Her psychopathic brother realised what she was staring at and slowly ran the blade on her cheek. Becky got chills as she felt the cold blade on her cheek. "This is just another dream. This isn't really happening. It's all fake, just like five years ago." Jeff sniggered and replied, "Oh no, this isn't anything like five years ago. Right now, this is real. You're not in a coma and dreaming about this. This is very much real." Becky quickly looked and stared into Jeff's eyes. "How do you know I was in a coma? I never saw you after I woke up. Wait, I thought I... so I never killed you? Then why were you in the hospital?" Becky was starting to get confused with reality and her dreams. Only in her dream she killed Jeff, but how does that explain Jeff ending up in hospital for five years? Her brother stared at his reflection in the knife and responded, "Becky you're about to confuse me. Remember, you killing me was just a dream, but you turning into a psychopath was real." Becky quickly asked, "How do you know what happened in my dreams? I never saw you when I was thirteen?" Jeff sighed and replied, "Well, there's no way of explaining that without confusing you and myself. How I know what you dream about, it's complicated." "So I spent five years thinking you were dead, when really you were only dead in my dream?" Jeff nodded his head and replied, "You see Becky? You're getting confused with reality and your dreams. Your dreams are making you think that everything was real. The only thing that was real, was when you turned into a psychopath like me. But now, that asylum broke you." Becky glared at her brother, "They did not break me. They made me better. You're right maybe I can't tell the difference anymore. But I know this isn't a dream, because if it was, I'd be scared to do this." Suddenly, Becky lashed at Jeff and pushed him over. Trying to make a run for it, Jeff grabbed Becky's leg, causing her to fall. "Uh oh, you're in trouble again Becky. This time, your little doggy's not here to help you, so I wonder what's going to happen." Jeff chuckled and pinned Becky on her back. "Baxter's not dead. I think you know that yourself." Jeff replied, "Oh I didn't say he was dead. But how does it make you feel knowing that he's in some stinking adoption centre? Or with another family and have another name?" Jeff's words somehow weakened Becky and she stopped squirming to get out of his grasp.