Beneath Her Smile

It started when one of my friends, Jacob, went missing. He'd been at a party off-campus, and no one had seen him since. At first, everyone thought he'd just taken off somewhere—maybe gone home for the weekend or gone camping without telling anyone. Jacob had always been a bit of a free spirit, so it didn't seem completely out of character.

But as days turned into weeks, the concern grew. Search parties were organized, posters went up, and his family was pleading for information. A couple of weeks later, they found him.

He was dead.

The news hit me like a brick. I remember sitting in my dorm, staring at the message on my phone in disbelief. I could barely breathe, a hollow feeling expanding in my chest. Jacob was gone—just like that. There were no answers, no reasons, just a devastating loss that made no sense.

For days, I wandered around in a daze, unable to process it. Sarah was my rock during that time, keeping me grounded when everything felt like it was spiraling. She was patient, offering quiet support and never pushing me to talk more than I wanted to. But despite her help, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread, the nagging fear that this was just the beginning of something terrible.

Jacob's death hit our friend group hard, but Brad took it the worst. They'd been close, practically brothers, and losing Jacob pushed Brad into a dark place. He stopped showing up for classes, barely answered texts, and isolated himself almost completely. He was slipping, and there was a look in his eyes that scared me whenever I managed to catch him around campus.

I couldn't stand by and watch him fall apart. Day by day, I made a point to check on him, sometimes just showing up at his dorm, bringing food or a stupid joke to try to pull him out of his shell. At first, he was dismissive, brushing me off with short answers and a forced smile. But slowly, he began to open up, his laughter returning in fragments, his smiles growing a little less strained.

One night, after hours of hanging out and watching terrible horror movies, Brad finally looked at me with something close to his old self.

"Thanks, man," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I don't know if I'd be here without you."

I clapped him on the back, a wave of relief washing over me. "Anytime, dude. That's what friends are for."

As the weeks passed, things began to feel normal again. The shadow of Jacob's death still lingered, but it felt like we were healing, like maybe we could move on and live our lives again.

Until the day Brad went missing.

It was like a nightmare on repeat. One minute, he was there, joking with us in the cafeteria, talking about the weekend plans. The next, he was just… gone. No one knew where he was. He hadn't answered any of my texts or shown up to any of his classes. His roommate hadn't seen him, and when I went by his dorm, there was no sign of him, as if he'd just vanished.

My heart sank as the familiar dread clawed its way back. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

As the days passed, our friend group fell into a tense silence, the weight of Brad's disappearance hanging over us like a storm cloud. I wanted to believe he'd show up, that he'd just gone off-grid for a while to clear his head, but deep down, I knew. I knew it wasn't that simple.

And I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all connected somehow—that there was something more to Jacob's death and Brad's disappearance, something dark and twisted hiding just beneath the surface, waiting to pull us all under.

The café was packed, but the hum of voices around us provided the cover I needed. I wanted people nearby, witnesses, but I didn't want anyone hearing what was about to go down. I took a deep breath, glancing at Katie across the table. She looked relaxed, almost serene, like she was just happy to be there with me.

"Katie," I started, keeping my voice steady, "I want you to tell me the truth."

She looked up, blinking innocently. "The truth? About what?"

"About everything," I said, my words coming out sharper than I'd intended. "Brad, Jacob, Sarah… I know it was you, Katie."

For a moment, her face fell, as if I'd slapped her. She looked hurt, even offended, like I'd accused her of something unthinkable. "Jason, how could you say that? I would never—I'd never hurt anyone, especially not the people you care about."

I forced out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "You're a damn good actress. I'll give you that." I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small envelope, setting it down on the table. I pushed it toward her. "You see this? This is all the proof I need."

Her eyes flicked to the envelope, her hands tense in her lap. For a second, she just stared, and I thought I saw fear there. But then something shifted in her eyes, and a slow, unsettling smile crept across her face.

"You figured it all out, huh?" Her voice was soft, almost like she was praising me. "I'm impressed, Jason. Really, I am."

My stomach twisted, and I felt my fists clench under the table. "So, you're admitting it?"

She shrugged, that strange smile widening. "What's the point in hiding it now? I mean… you already know, don't you?"

I felt sick. "Katie, why would you do this? These were my friends—people I cared about. Sarah…" My voice cracked as I thought of her. "She was—"

"Oh, please, don't bring her into this," Katie interrupted, her voice suddenly icy, eyes narrowing. "She had no right to be in your life, Jason. I am supposed to be the one for you. I've always been the only one for you."

My pulse pounded in my ears as I tried to stay calm. "Katie… you're out of your mind. This isn't love—it's obsession."

Her expression softened, and she leaned forward, her voice taking on a nostalgic tone. "Do you remember middle school, Jason? When we first met? I was this… awkward, ugly girl who couldn't even look people in the eye. And you… you were the only person who was ever kind to me. You saved me from those bullies and became my friend. My only friend."

Middle school. I hadn't thought about that in years, but yeah, I vaguely remembered her back then. She'd been shy, quiet, always in the background. I hadn't realized she even remembered me from then, let alone… this.

"Yeah… I remember, Katie," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But that was a long time ago. We were kids."

She nodded, her face softening even more, her eyes wide with a strange mix of longing and intensity. "You were my first friend, Jason. The only person who ever made me feel seen. And then you left. You moved away, and I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye."

I swallowed, uncomfortable with the guilt her words stirred up. "Katie, I didn't have a choice. My dad got transferred. It wasn't like I wanted to leave."

"I know," she said, her voice dropping to a murmur. "But I still followed you, Jason. I found out where you went to high school, and I watched you, made sure you were okay. And then, when I found out we'd both be at the same university… I knew it was fate. So I did everything I could to make myself better for you. I got eye surgery, fixed my teeth, changed my entire style… I wanted to be beautiful for you. I wanted to be perfect."

My chest tightened as I realized just how far this went. She'd been following me all this time, watching me, molding herself into what she thought I wanted. "Katie, this… this is insane. You were stalking me. You were controlling everything."

Her eyes darkened, her mouth pulling into a tight line. "I wasn't controlling you, Jason. I was looking out for you. I was protecting you from the people who didn't understand us."

I felt a surge of anger. "Protecting me? Katie, you were manipulating me. You tried to keep me away from everyone else, from people who actually cared about me. That's not love. That's… that's control."

Her face twisted with anger, a look I hadn't seen before, a flicker of something dangerous. "And you listened to them, didn't you? You listened to your so-called friends instead of me. You let them turn you against me."

I leaned forward, my voice low and filled with fury. "They didn't turn me against you, Katie. They helped me see the truth—that you were obsessed. That you were keeping me away from everyone else to satisfy some twisted fantasy in your head."

Her expression hardened, her eyes flashing with rage before she quickly masked it, a cold smile returning to her face. "So I did what I had to do. I started those rumors about you cheating. I thought… I thought maybe if you couldn't trust them, you'd come back to me."

My heart pounded with a mixture of anger and disgust. "But instead, I met Sarah," I said, her name coming out like a whisper. And the second I said it, I saw Katie's face shift, her jaw clenching, her hands balling into fists.

"Sarah," she repeated, her voice dripping with venom. "That little… bitch. She thought she could take you from me. She thought she was so clever, telling me to 'back off.' Like she had any right to you."

"Why couldn't you just leave us alone?" I asked, desperation creeping into my voice. "If you really cared about me, why couldn't you just let me be happy?"

Katie's eyes went dark, her face taking on a flat, empty expression that made my skin crawl. "Because, Jason, you're mine. You were always mine. And that… that thing you had with her? It was a joke. I'm the only one who's ever truly loved you."

My stomach turned. "Katie… you're sick. You killed people—all because you couldn't handle the fact that I moved on."

Her expression softened again, her lips curling into a smile that was somehow tender, even affectionate. "Jason… I did it for us. Everything I did, I did out of love. Your 'friends' were distractions. They were in the way of what was meant to be."

A wave of nausea washed over me as her words sank in. She had killed my friends—everyone I cared about—all because of some warped idea that she was helping me.

"You're a monster, Katie," I whispered, feeling my voice crack. "You took away everyone I cared about, just to keep me isolated. All for some sick fantasy in your head."

Her face fell, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of hurt in her eyes, as if my words had actually wounded her. But then her expression hardened again, a chilling resolve settling over her face. "I thought you'd understand, Jason. I thought you'd see that I'm the only one who truly loves you. But I guess I'll have to make you see."

I stared at her, barely able to breathe, the full horror of her words sinking in. I stood, every instinct telling me to get as far away from her as possible. I turned to leave, feeling her gaze follow me, that strange, possessive smile still lingering in her eyes.

As I walked out of the café, my mind raced, my pulse pounding in my ears. I knew then, without a doubt, that this wasn't over. Katie wouldn't stop until she had exactly what she wanted. And whatever she was planning next… it would be darker, more twisted than anything I could imagine.

As soon as I closed the door behind me, I felt my heart pounding in my chest, each beat heavier than the last. I didn't waste any time. I grabbed my duffel bag from the closet and began throwing my clothes into it, my mind racing as I mentally mapped my escape. I was getting out of here, out of town, as far from Katie as I could possibly go. I knew what she was capable of now—she'd all but confirmed it to me, confessed every single detail. She was a murderer, a manipulator, a monster. And she wasn't going to stop.

As I packed, I pulled out my phone, took a deep breath, and stopped the recording. I'd recorded her entire confession at the café, every sick, twisted word. My thumb hovered over the file as I considered what to do next, my mind frantic with the options: Do I go straight to the police? Send it to someone I trust?

But before I could decide, a message notification popped up on my screen. It was from Katie. My hands trembled as I opened it, reading the words that felt like ice crawling up my spine.

"You thought you could record me? I knew what you were up to, Jason. I thought I could convince you otherwise, but it's too late now. Whatever happens from here is on you."

For a second, my entire body locked up, my stomach turning so violently that I almost thought I'd be sick. She knew. She'd known all along. And now she was blaming me, warning me of some twisted consequence I couldn't even imagine.

I texted the evidence—the voice recording, the photos, everything—to the school's group chat, a last-ditch attempt to get the truth out to as many people as possible. My phone buzzed wildly with notifications as messages flooded in, people asking if this was all real, if Katie was really capable of what I'd shared. But I didn't have time to answer, didn't have time to think. I grabbed my bag, stuffed the last of my things inside, and headed to my car.

I drove, hands gripping the wheel so tightly that my knuckles went white. My phone was still buzzing, each message bringing up new waves of fear, of regret, of dread. But I couldn't stop, couldn't let her get to me before I was out of reach. I drove for hours, not stopping until I found a small, nondescript motel on the edge of town. I pulled in, exhausted but desperate to put distance between myself and Katie.

After checking into my room, I messaged my parents, telling them that I was coming home, that I was leaving town because of… everything. I gave them a brief outline, but it was clear and blunt enough to make them understand the seriousness of what was happening. I'd explain more when I got there, but for now, I just needed to rest, to figure out my next steps.

But sleep didn't come easy. I lay in bed, eyes closed but mind racing, every creak and whisper of the motel making my heart jolt in panic. Finally, exhaustion won out, and I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

A strange sound pulled me awake. It was faint at first, like footsteps, or maybe the sound of breathing just outside my door. Then I heard something familiar, a soft hum—a sound I'd heard only a few hours before. My blood ran cold.

Katie.

I shot up, grabbing my bag and heading for the door, barely stopping to grab my keys as I made my way to the car. As soon as I got in, I threw the car into gear, glancing around in a desperate, panicked haze as I pulled out of the lot, tires squealing on the wet pavement.

But as I hit the main road, my rearview mirror caught a shape in the back seat—a familiar figure, watching me with cold, gleaming eyes.

I opened my mouth to scream, to call out, but before I could, I felt something cold and sharp press against my throat. Katie's hand came into view, holding a small, glinting blade just beneath my chin.

"Jason," she murmured, her voice soft and chilling, "I was heartbroken by what you said… and disgusted by you sharing my words with everyone. Now I can't go back. You ruined it, Jason." Her voice cracked, low and venomous. "And it's all your fault."

"Katie, please—" I whispered, my voice hoarse as I gripped the wheel, my mind scrambling to think of something, anything that could get me out of this.

"Keep driving," she ordered, her voice deadly calm.

I forced myself to obey, my hands shaking as I tried to focus on the road. My mind raced with possibilities, with desperate ideas, but every time I thought of doing something, the knife pressed just a bit harder into my skin, a thin line of blood already trickling down my neck.

"I still love you, Jason," she said, her voice softening, almost sad. "Even after everything. Even after you tried to leave me. I would have forgiven you if you'd just come back."

She sighed, her breath warm against my ear. "But I can see it now. If I can't have you, Jason… no one else can."

The road stretched ahead, long and dark, lit only by the glow of the headlights as we drove up a bridge spanning over a wide body of water. The expanse of black water glistened below, endless and deep, and I felt my heart sink as her words registered in my mind.

I tried to swerve, tried to pull the car over, but she was too fast. She moved the knife across my neck—not deep enough to kill me, but enough to send a sharp, searing pain that forced me to keep the wheel steady, my vision blurring from the blood and fear.

"Just keep driving, Jason," she whispered, her voice as calm and gentle as a lullaby. "It'll be over soon. We'll be together forever."

I could see her smile in the mirror, that same unsettling smile she'd given me in the café. And then, with a sudden lurch, she grabbed the wheel, pulling it sharply to the right. The car veered toward the edge of the bridge, the guardrail looming ahead.

"No!" I choked, trying to grab the wheel, to pull us back, but her strength was surprising. She held firm, her grip like iron as she forced the car over the edge.

In those final seconds, as the car plummeted toward the dark, icy water below, Katie leaned forward, her lips close to my ear.

"I love you, Jason," she whispered, her voice filled with a twisted kind of devotion. "Now we'll be together forever… where no one can separate us."

Her lips brushed mine in a cold, final kiss just as the car hit the water, plunging us into the darkness.

The world spun, cold water flooding in, the shock stealing my breath as the weight of her words and the depth of her obsession settled over me. The last thing I saw before everything faded to black was her face, serene and satisfied, as the water swallowed us both whole.