Chapter 6: Smile jpg

Stage 8.

Jeff ran through Slender's tentacles. The sight of a hundred proxies and only one of him. His mind amiss. The only thing he had to worry about was getting Prudence out of there, she couldn't let Prudence see him like that, not again. The sound of shrieking and howls came from everywhere.

"Jeff!" The sound of a soft male voice came from behind him and Jeff turned around to see May. His hair flew back by the wind.

"May!"

"Take Prudence to the woods near the clearing. We will kill the dog and control master!" He reassured. Jeff nodded. And ran off.

Pads on the wet floor. A muffled growl and a silent huff. Smile howled and slammed his body against the closet door. He was gone. Nothing there but a mass of evil and impurity. Closing his eyes he howled a deafening howl.

"What will you name him?"

"Smile, because he looks like a happy puppy!"

Smile shook his head from any memory. But the soft voice of a girl rang in his head. The poor dog, if he had any cleanliness to him it would have been long gone by now. What once was a middle-aged, happy, beautiful husky, was now a blistered red, wire-haired demon, howling for the taste of impurities.

"Smile! Here boy! You're such a good dog!"

Smile arched his back further out, his human like, long, sharp teeth tried to chomp away that voice.

"You're such a good boy!"

He howled again before the demon took over all control... Smile was gone. Lost inside his own doggy head.

"Smile isn't a name Silly Lilly!" Said the big man with a comforting voice.

"Yes it is!" Said the little girl, her blue yes stood out to the husky puppy. They were the one color that seemed to have popped in the puppy's eyes.

The puppy barked once and smiled in a dog like way and rolled over for a nice belly rub.

"Look how cute you are Smile!" Said the little girl who the large man called Lilly.

It took a while for Smile to know his name was... Well... Smile. And when the little girl and the big man would look at him and say "Smile" he knew they were addressing him. Smile liked being called Smile. He felt like a part of the family. He learned the big man was alpha and the little girl was whom he'd always protect.

Smile grew up into a beautiful pure bread white and grey Alaskan Husky. Smile watched as the little girl grew up. He watched her as she would play. He watched her while she would bathe so she wouldn't drown. He watched her when she played with friends so no one would hurt her. Smile was a very good guardian to the little girl. Almost so much so, the big man trusted Smile to be the little girls babysitter when he was out.

Eventually, through all the years, the girl became sick. She wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat, she barely left her bedroom. The big man would try everything he could. Smile knew he loved her. He was her father. Or so Smile thought. The big man wouldn't let Smile near the little girl, thinking maybe he was the cause of it. The big man called the vet and asked for Smile to be tested for any diseases, just in case. Of course Smile was clean and the vets even said so. But the big man did not believe it. Smile became confused and lost. Not knowing what to do when the little girl begged for Smile to enter her room. The big man always said, "NO! BAD DOG!"

All Smile wanted to do... Was help her.

One night, a storm came. The big man did things that made no sense to Smile. The little girl still did not leave her bedroom.

"It has been months!" Said the big man to a phone. Smile could hear another person talking on the other side of the line.

"Months, huh?"

"People recommended..." The man paused... " Voodoo."

"Ye want meh tew check ye house fur demons, ay? Demons ain't ye problems sir, I can tell ye dat! But, I can dew meh best!"

The man sat himself down at the table, rubbing his scruffy chin. His eyes close and he takes several breaths. "Do what you must, I need my daughter to be okay..."

"I be arrivin' at 12'o clock AM. Be awaitin' fur meh lad," said the person on the other line and hung up.

Smile wagged his tail as the man walked over to him. "I will save her," he said to Smile and gave him a pat on the head. He got up and waited in the living room, pacing and mumbling to himself.

Smile wasn't sure what a demon was. He wasn't even sure what Voodoo was either. Hours had past and the Grandfather Clock chimed at twelve. The door had an uneasy knock and the man swung up from his chair, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. He quickly rushed to answer the door, letting in a large woman with dark tan skin, dreads, and charms in. She had one lazy eye and several scents to her Smile had to cover his nose because they were strong. She smelled of blood, spices and cologne.

"Please, please come in!" Said the man. His hands gestured to everything.

"Ye have a pup, I see," she said bending over to look Smile in the eyes.

"Yes, he is my daughter's dog. Now. Shall I show her to you?" Asked the man.

"Not yet," said the woman. "Allow meh tew familiarize meself with ye house."

The man understood and kept his distance. The woman walked in with a large bag made of rat skin and other animal skins, too many for Smile to even recognize. She touched the walls and pressed a red substance on them, leaving finger prints in different places. She crouched down and smelled the floor and huffed at every door way she passed. She would sprinkle a dust like substance on the passage ways. While the man kept his distance, Smile could not help his curiosity and he followed her.

"Dey say dogs are dee most pure of hearts," she began, talking to Smile. "Do ye think yer pure of heart, lad?"

Smile stopped walking and looked down at the ground. The old woman turn her body around to face him and splashed a red liquid in his eyes. He yipped once and growled. Shaking his head and pawing at his nose. The old woman laughed. "Dogs ain't dee smartest creatures are dey? Ahahahah!"

Smile took several steps back and ran towards Lilly's room. She was still laying in the same place as last night. Her arm stretch out under her head for support and her other arm pressed against her chest. She just watched Smile walk into her room slowly. Smile was careful and slow. He walked up to her bed and sniffed her. She smelled like she was dying. Her eyes were blood-shot. Smile pressed his nose inside of her palm and gently licked it once. She did not budge. Smile was crying, but made sure not to make much sound. She blinked once and Smile could see tears rolling off of her nose to her pillow.

"I love you," she said to smile in a raspy, but very quiet voice. Smile whined in response, nuzzling his head deeper into her arm. She made no effort to move her hand to pet him. She was dying and Smile knew.

"BAD DOG!" He heard the sound of the man from the other room. Smile yipped again and took a step back from the little girl's bed.

"Dogs ain't dee smartest," repeated the old woman. She walked up to Lilly's bed. Smile could tell there was something off about the old woman. She gave off an evil aura that only a dog can identify. He growled at her, softly of course, so he wouldn't disturb Lilly. But he did not like her being anywhere near the little girl. The man attempted to remove Smile from the room, but the dog refused.

"He's fine, sir. It will only take a few minutes," said the old woman.

The man nodded and proceeded to remove Smile from the room. He placed Smile on a chain in the front yard. "It'll be okay Smile, it'll only be a few minutes."

Smile whined and begged with his eyes, but eventually accepted his punishment. The old woman look behind her shoulder at smile and gave off an evil smile. Her eyes glowed a bright yellow and she continued to lift her arms off and splashed the red liquid around Lilly's bed. She said a few chants in repeat and Smile could only watch until he was finally chained outside. He was able to peek through the front window. His eyes wandered to the old woman who would touch Lilly with some liquid than splash her with dust. Like she said... It only took a few minutes. He watched as Lilly was propped up on a pillow and she was smiling. Thanking the old woman. Was she all better? Smile could sense something funny. Something was not right. Lilly didn't look all better. She still had pale skin, sunken in eyes, and her smell was still off.

"I be off now, that'll be fifty shillings," said the old woman. The man pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose than rubbed his face with his palm. He handed the woman money and thanked her for her service. She nodded and walked off towards the door. Smile seen the man walk over to Lilly and tuck her in.

The front door opened and the woman stepped out. She didn't acknowledge Smile's existence, but she stopped halfway down the walkway. Smile sat still, his eyes focused on her. His growls low. She laughed at him. Smile tilted his head and felt confused. She turned her body around and crouched down.

"Do yee happen ta know why I agreed to come hur?" she asked Smile.

Smile didn't budge, he was still growling.

"Fur yew, dog! AHAHAHAHA!"

Smile took a step back. The darkness was eerie. Her laugh evil and echoed in the air. She reached in her pocket and got out a wire. It was a simple wire. Not too fancy. A wire to a computer perhaps.

"If ye think I is way behind dis time yer wrong, lad," she began. She walked closer to Smile. He was cringing now. "Soon ye family will forget about ye."

Smile shook his head and continued to growl. "Dogs ain't dee smartest creatures are dey? But dey are fun teh mess with." She came even closer to Smile with the wire.

"Dis time of wires, technology, computers and phones. I know meh way around dem," she began with a smile that almost reached her ears. "And soon so will ye, lad."

She grabbed the loose skin behind Smile's neck and held it tight, Smile tried to squirm away, but he was too scared to fight back. The woman gave off a pungent smell than, smile can never forget. The smell of blood. She took the wire and bite it, spewing from that wire was blood. She took the wire and wrapped it around the dog's neck and began to choke him with it. The dog could not yelp, nor could he move.

She began to say, "Ropes to wires

Pictures to screens

An evil force with that will scream

Release purity

Banishment clarity

Savor his teeth and crushin' bones

His fur which that will hard like stones

A sharp dagger demon's tooth

Kill this puppies last remaining truth

His eyes were churn back

His skin will rot and crack

Every last eye

Will see yur form and hide

The only way to escape

Is that with a tape

Sickness will unravel from this cord.

Spread the word.

O' ye Spread the word!"

The sound of a million different voices and a hundred different languages came from the old woman's mouth. Her eyes were pitch black and Smile could barely see anything. he could feel his body grow. His claws dug into the concrete and his spine felt as if it were to rip from his skin. He began to howl and his eyes curled backward. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. His stomach wrenched and he howled. She continued to splash blood at him and eventually Smile blacked out.

When he awoke she was gone. Nothing left but a wire around his neck and blood splattered everywhere. He shook himself up. He was still on a chain. He look through the window and the house look vacant. He wasn't sure why things all of a sudden felt eerie. He scratched at the door and tried to see if anyone would let him in. He was able to slide his head out of the chain and wander around to the back yard to see if there was the slightest chance someone could let him in from the back.

When he got there he noticed that the grass was dying and so were all the plants. Some of the windows were actually boarded. It was as if the house was abandoned. He sniffed the whole backyard until he stumbled upon a board sticking out of the ground.

It read: RIP Smile... You were a good boy, a good friend, and a wonderful guardian.

Smile was taken aback. He sniffed the lump on the ground in front of the wood board. It smelled like a rotting dead animal. When he realized it was himself he started to whine. For a dog, Smile was intelligent. When he realized there was no one in the house he began to search for Lilly. Sniffing everywhere. Following his nose. When he reached a cemetery in the middle of a small city, his nose stopped searching and so did he. He found a head stone that smelled like Lilly. The head stone read:

Lilly Peterson

1996-2002

A beautiful young lady,

a loving daughter,

and now an angel. RIP

A fiery rage built up inside of Smile he could not quite understand. He turned his head around towards the sky and began to howl. The sky grew grey and rain began to pour onto him. He arched his back once more and he could feel his body break. He went running back towards his home. The only place he knew.

A month had passed and he did not move from Lilly's old room. The only things that were left in the house were the curtains that covered the windows. Smile wept every night. He was hungry, tired, lonely, angry. He was alone. When he did leave Lilly's bedroom he would catch a glimpse of his reflection in a window or a broken mirror. He was not a sight for sore eyes. His fur was matted and red. It looked of red wire and black coal. His nose was pressed inward and his mouth forever open in a smile. His teeth were human and long. Sharp as nails and caked in his own blood, or so he hoped. He terrified himself.

When the sudden sound of a human voice echoed outside of the house, Smile beamed. Not of happiness, not of anger... But of hunger, and of hope.

"Yeah, I heard the dog myself. It howls at night and everything!" Said a boy around the age of probably thirteen.

"Come on Steven, it sounds like a bunch of bullshit!" Answered another boy around the same age.

"I have my phone, I am going to take a picture of it!"

"So what you are saying is there's a demon dog living in this evicted house?"

"Okay, the story is, a little girl and her father lived here a few years back. Her father got her a puppy and she named the dog Smile or something stupid like that. But the girl got really sick and stuff, and the father tried everything he could and he ended up calling a Voodoo woman to bless the house or something. She ended up instead cursing the girl to die and killed the dog. She put a curse on the dog too!" Explained the first boy Steven.

"Your story sounds like complete bullshit! But hey, I'll humor you and I will follow you into the house."

Smile huddled into the corner of the room. His growls low. The two boys pried the door open and walked in. One had a flashlight and the other had a phone in hand, ready to snap pictures at any given moment. The sounds of their foot steps grew closure to Lilly's room and Smile was prepared.

"Steven, I am starting to feel sick."

"Hush, I can smell a wet dog somewhere!"

"Steven... I think I might throw up..." Said the boy.

Steven felt sick too but he had to continue. He had to accomplish his goal for coming here. It was to get a picture of that dog.

Suddenly they reached a room that was heavy in the scent of blood and dust. The boys slowly step in, "Here boy! Smile!" called Steven. Smile stepped forward out of the darkness of the corner, he was growling now.

"S-Steven... I-I think you were right about their being a dog in here," said the other boy who gripped onto Steven's shirt tightly. Steven turned to face the darkness.

"Shine your flashlight right there," Steven ordered, pointing at Smile. In a quick gesture, the boy shined his flashlight directly at the dog. Both boys go into a state of shock. Too scared to scream. Too terrified to make a move. Smile growled and slowly moved forward. His paws pressed firmly on the ground. He was directly in front of the window and a flash of lightning lit the room.

"Hurry Steven take the damn picture!" the boy finally screamed. Steven quickly took the picture and saved it as smile jpg. The two boys turn around and booked it towards the door. Smile lunged at them, hissing and growling. The other boy was able to make it to the front door, but Steven got pounced on by Smile. Smile's mouth spewed drool and blood. Steven began to cry and begged to be released. Steven looked back at his friend who stood in the doorway screaming at Smile to get off. Smile didn't know what gotten into him. Maybe it was anger, maybe it was hunger.

"H-Here! Take my phone! Whatever you do! Save the phone and run!" Begged Steven. His friend shook his head and caught the cell phone Steven threw.

A flash back of the Voodoo woman flashed in Smile's head and her rhyme.

Spread the word

O' ye Spread the word!

Smile's figure change to an even more gruesome... thing... He didn't look much like a dog anymore, but more like a demon straight from hell. All Smile could hear was, "Spread the word spread the word spread the word." Over and over again in his head. He than opened his muzzle wide, and chomped down on Steven's face. Leaving nothing but a bloody mess. Steven's friend backed up and fell on his rump in the yard. When Smile was finished with Steven a sudden rush of guilt poured over him, but he shook it off. He stepped forward, shaking his body and ramming his body against walls, trying to get off the impurities. He quickly wrenched his face forward, glaring at Steven's friend, no... He was begging with his eyes. Whining and crying. Steven's friend was balling.

"N-Nice-Dog-Please-Don't-Hurt-Me..."

Smile crawled closer to the boy and opened his muzzle once again. Even though Smile was a dog... He figured the only way to kill his demon... To break his curse... Was for him to... Spread the word...

He once again shook his head and looked back up at the boy... His eyes as red as blood... Still begging for forgiveness... Smile felt his muzzle move.

"Sp~read..." Smile began in a rough voice to the boy... "Spreaaaadd- Th-he..."

The boy was shaking... "Are... Are you... Talking-"

Smile interrupted the boys sentence and growled, "SPREAD THE WORD!"

The boy looked down at the cell phone and repeated, "Spread the word?" he began to type something on the phone and a little ring sounded from the cell. The boy was still crying and it took him a few seconds before he ran off. He shouted in the distance...

"SPREAD THE WORD! SPREAD THE WORD! FORWARD THE PICTURE EVERYONE FORWARD THE PICTURE!"

A/N: I am so so terribly sorry for the year wait. I was really really sick. Like I am not even kidding about being sick part. I had a rough year and I was too preoccupied with certain things and I hadn't had the energy to even write a simple chapter. So I apologize dearly. I hope yall can forgive me