Fake Smile: A YouTuber Fanfiction

Chapter 11

Austin was walking along the sidewalk, a thick fog surrounding him making him unable to see twenty feet in front of him. He wasn't sure where he was, or where he was even going, but he knew he had to keep going to get away from....it. As he walked, he heard another creaking sound from behind him. Austin gritted his teeth and started walking faster.

How come no matter how hard I try to get away from it, it's always right behind me? It can't be there, it's not real, and even if it was, it can't move. Austin thought. He walked farther and farther away from the creaking sound on the seemingly endless sidewalk, and just when he thought that maybe he was free from what made the sound, he heard it again.

He refused to look behind him, as if looking at it would only prove its existence, and as long as he ignored it, it would disappear. That's when he heard the voice.

Why don't you look? It asked.

"There's nothing to look at." Austin replied, again denying the existence of the nightmare lurking behind him.

Then what's the creaking your hearing?

"I don't hear anything."

I know you want it to stop. Austin didn't say anything in response this time. It will all end if you look, you won't be tortured by the unsettling sound.

"But then I'll be tortured with the image instead." Austin said, and he continued walking.

Just get it over with, not looking at it won't accomplish anything.

"Looking at it won't either, it's not real, I know that's not Jared."

That's what everyone says, but eventually you have to face the truth.

"There's no truth here, it's all lies. Lies to create despair."

Sometimes you don't get a choice, you have to face the truth whether you like it or not.

Then a black, shadowy wall appeared in front of Austin's path, preventing him from going further. The creaking sounded from behind him again.

Turn around, look.

Austin clenched his fist and reluctantly turned around. There he saw what he was afraid of, his worst nightmare.

There, gently swaying left and right, attached to a dead, barren tree by a noose, skin gray and cold, arms hanging limply at his sides, head lulling slightly forward, face drawn with lips shaded blue and eyes bulging out, rope digging into his neck leaving harsh marks, was Jared.

Austin wanted desperately to look away from the corpse, but he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to he couldn't avert his eyes.

"No." Austin said in a small gasp. "No!" He shouted gripping his head. "Jared didn't do it! There's still a chance for him, he's still out there I know it!"

Then Austin started hearing the sound of strangled breaths. It was coming from Jared, his mouth was moving. Then in a raspy voice he spoke.

"Give up, I'm not worth it."

"Jared no." Austin said weakly as he felt himself become half awake. He then started to open his eyes and looked around his room. Another nightmare. Austin thought. It had been nearly a month since Jared disappeared from the hospital, and Austin had been searching practically non stop for him. He was even skipping school to look for places he could be at, and needless to say his friends were getting worried about him.