SMILE | Jeff the Killer x Reader

4: Research

Gloomy raindrops pattered down on the window of (Y/N)'s room, overcast clouds making everything dimmer than they should be. The rains relentless tapping effectively woke (Y/N) up from her deep sleep. Messy hair sat atop her head and a tired expression adorned her face. Nevertheless, she yawned and stretched a couple times over before picking up her phone and scrolling through her notifications. A text from her mom caught her eye.

'Hi baby! Me and your father had to go on a last minute business trip. We are very sorry for not telling you, even I didn't know. I left you some money on the kitchen table for groceries. We will be back in a week. Love you lots!'

First Stephanie and now her parents. (Y/N) sighed. That is just too many people out of town. But on the bright side she had the whole house to herself for a week! Immediately grinning, she jumped out of bed before heading to her bathroom. A cold chill ran down her spine from the freezing hardwood floor beneath her feet.

After using the bathroom, (Y/N) happily raced down the stairs and made a sharp turn towards the kitchen, using her hand to propel herself against the wall. Popping a couple pieces of bread into the toaster, she spun around and threw herself onto the couch and turned on the TV. The news channel greeted her but not how she wanted it to.

"22 year old Natasha Briggs and 25 year old Anthony Moss have been found deceased at a nearby campsite. The police believe it to be at the hands of the same offender as the Robinson family. Residents are advised to not stay out after dark and to make sure all doors and windows are locked properly. A thorough investigation to catch this new serial killer has begun. Truly a devastating time for Moonsboro."

(Y/N) stared at the screen with a glum expression. She knew Natasha, as she worked at the local supermarket. Poor girl..

Rubbing her hands together, (Y/N) thought deeply about the recent occurrences. To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie. She was alone and living right by the woods, that enough would strike fear in anyone knowing there was a serial killer on the loose. Getting up, she slowly stood up and waded over to her now ready toast. She spread some butter and took a big bite.

As she chewed, she decided to wait around to see if the police announced anything. Curiosity and fear interlinked within her heart and the need to be prepared for anything reverberated in her head. Finishing up her toast quickly, she gripped her phone and resumed her place on the couch. (Y/N) opened up the browser and looked up any articles relating to the cases.

After a few minutes of reading and mindless scrolling, finding nothing that she didn't already know, she spotted a web page with an intriguing title. "Jeff the Killer.. huh.." she muttered to herself. Clicking apprehensively on the link, it led her to an article that was unlike the rest.

"Jeff the Killer is a young man with charred black hair and white leathery skin, however the most disturbing part of his character would be his lack of eyelids and a large bloody smile carved into his face. Jeff has been supposedly spotted by a few lucky people who managed to avoid an interaction with him. Lucky for them, as surely they would be gutted and faced with the same grinning fate as his other supposed victims." Below the paragraph was a singular image, significantly blurry and only showing a corner of a face. A piercing blue eye and the slight upturn of a red oozing smile, the rest a pitch black.

(Y/N) couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the photo despite the lack of any distinct features. It was an incredibly eerie photo and (Y/N) didn't know what to think, her mind spinning with thoughts.

"Surely this isn't real.. his face.." (Y/N) murmured, feeling conflicted. "The wounds do match up with the victims in my town.."

Clicking off the tab, she sat staring off into space for a couple seconds. Even if this "Jeff" person wasn't real, (Y/N) felt compelled to take a couple extra measures just incase. Grabbing a knife from the kitchen and then promptly jogging up the stairs and into her parents room, she located her dads safe. Something he entrusted her with incase of emergencies. Inputting the code swiftly, she retrieved what was inside, a gun.

Making sure it was loaded (Y/N) held a confident gaze, feeling much safer now as she held it tightly to her chest. Taking the two weapons, she went inside her room and placed both under her pillow, right after making sure the gun had the safety on.

Nodding to herself, she smiled feeling a slight relief on her tense heart. (Y/N) knew it was unlikely, but she felt better knowing she had a way of defending herself. With a light sigh, she abandoned her room and began arguing with herself on which movie she should watch, not thinking about recent events for now.

After all nothing will happen, right?