Frightful Flash Fiction

The Happy Place

Things are weird where I come from. Everyone is always happy. Well, almost everyone. My classmates seem normal but all the adults in school are so weird. In fact, all adults are like this. Just so happy. This includes my mom and dad. Everyday at dinner they tell me and my little brother all about their amazing days at work. Maybe I'm crazy, but it just doesn't seem right. I mean, how can you be this happy all the time? A couple months ago, my grandmother passed away. Me and her were really close, so you can only imagine how devastated I was when I found out. I remember my little brother trying to console me. I also remember everyone's big smile as they talked and shared anecdotes. Now, don't get me wrong, it's good to smile during times like these, especially when remembering all the good times you had with that person, but this was my mother's mother. And I didn't see her cry, once. In fact, she had that same smile she always has, when she told me Grandma died. I remember talking to my friends about it and they said their parents were the same way. The fact that every adult is so happy makes me uneasy. It's been like this for most of my life, but, it doesn't seem to make it any easier to accept. My birthday was only a week ago. Now, my birthday, was always something I could look forward to. My parents would always go all out. Cake, gifts, and the best pizza this town had to offer. And with my eigteenth birthday, I knew it was going to be good. Especially how my parents told me that they had something special planned. I came home from school that day, and every other birthday, when I came home, I was greeted with a piece of cake. However, this time, when I got home, no one was at the door to greet me. After calling out for my mom and dad, they came out of their bedroom and told me to get in the car, that they were going to take me somewhere special. So now I'm super excited, I've been dropping hints about this cool entertainment center, I'm talking games, food, and crazy wicked prizes. I get into the car, and they ask me to put on a blindfold, so I do. After about 30 minutes we arrive at our destination. My dad takes my hands and leads me inside. They tell me to remove the blindfold, and when I do, I sure was surprised. We were in the local hospital. I asked why they brought me here, but they didn't answer. Then out of nowhere two doctors came and held me down. I kept screaming but my parents assured me that everything would be okay. And that the doctors are going to fix me. Fix me?! I don't need to be fixed, there's nothing wrong with me. My mother looked down at me with that same grin, except this time, I felt scared, the smile, seemed so much more sinister. "Don't you want to be happy sweety? Just smile, smiling always makes me feel better." The doctors dragged me to an operating table and strapped me onto it. Very soon after that, I blacked out. I then woke up in my room and walked to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror, and I must admit, my smile really suites me.