User blog:Porcelain Horror/The Bully

Note: This is one of my first CreepyPasta's I ever made, so don't expect the best. However, this pasta was real fun to make and I put a lot of effort to this, if you don't like it, that's fine its your opinion which I don't have a problem with at all. I hope you enjoy, I know a lot of people did. :] ~Porcelain Horror

Today was the big day. Annette and I were walking our way to the back of junior high school, just waiting to get our asses kicked. I can’t even imagine putting a little dent on her, she’s huge; she has to be at least 5’9, she may not be fat but she’s very muscular for a 16 year old, she has no friends because everyone’s afraid of her, even Annette and me. There was no way we were going to win this fight, especially Annette who was sweating and breathing really heavily. I never saw her afraid ever since she saw that dumb Scary Maze video, but now she’s petrified. Annette and I have known each other ever since we were toddlers; we would do anything for each other even if it costs our lives, she may be a year younger than me but I must be honest she’s was even more mature than me.

“What are we going to do? Oh, I KNEW we shouldn’t have stood up for ourselves-should we bail?” Annette whined, her face riddled with sweat.

I let out a sigh and put my hand on her shoulder like I was saying, “Everything will be fine, I promise.” The paranoia finally caught up to me, my hands were shaking now, my breathing was now noticeable to Annette; making her worry about me as well.

“Mari, a-are you okay?” Annette stuttered. I looked back at Annette with a nervous smile, “Yeah, don’t worry, she-…” I couldn’t finish my sentence as I saw Bailey Winstead, our bully, just a yard in front of us. Her frizzy black hair rested on her shoulder blade, her sly deep brown eyes narrowing at us, and she had that hatred look like any bully who’s ready to beat up any kid.

Annette and I were now scared to death of what Bailey was going to do to us. Annette looked back at me and then looked back at Bailey, Bailey walked with a crowd of kids following her; they all were obviously excited about the fight since half of the kids had a huge grin on their faces. I was getting ready for the fight, but Annette stood beside me like a statue, now I’m really worried about her, she’s not going to win this fight with that petrified look on her face.

Bailey and the crowd finally reached us and gave us a sinister smile. “Hello, Mari and Annette, remember me? Of course you do because we saw each other a week ago,” she paused and grabbed Annette, “Let’s finish it all here,” I gave Bailey a dirty look, “You let go of her NOW!” I growled then spitted on her face. Bailey squinted her eyes from the spit and chuckled like it was nothing, “Really? That’s all your going to do?” she lets go of Annette grabs me on the shirt instead. I tried everything to get out of her grip. I kicked, I punched, I shouted, but nothing seemed to work. “You think you’re so tough, huh?” when she said that sentence she slapped me in the face, she slapped my face so hard there was now blood on the palm of her hand. I narrowed my eyes with agony, praying that this fight would be found out by a nearby teachers, but the only people around us is the kids, Annette, and Bailey.

I looked at Annette, once again in that statue position, Bailey then forced my head to turn to her face so we could make eye to eye contact. I turned my head around again and kicked her ankle, making her fall hard. I grabbed Annette’s hand and ran as fast as we could, but Bailey caught up with us and grabbed my shoulder, Annette fell down, hurting her arm. My eyes were now eye to eye with her, making her smile once again. I glared back at her and punched her in the nose, making it bleed. I yelled and she let go of me, once again I grabbed Annette’s hand and ran as fast as we could, big mistake, Bailey ran twice as fast as she could and grabbed Annette by the neck. I fell on the ground but quickly got up, kids were now laughing and pointing at us, but I tried my best to ignore the voices.

Annette’s face was going red; Bailey was choking her to death. Now she was taking it too far, she can punch, kick, and even slap me but not try and kill my best friend, I punched Bailey in the stomach, she fell and dropped Annette on the ground, this time I didn’t grab Annette, instead I stomped on Bailey’s stomach, she’s now puking up blood. Uneasiness is coming up to me now; I can’t stand seeing blood, especially in this condition. I wanted to pass out, anything to get away from her. As I did my fourth kick, Bailey grabbed my foot and twisted it, I fell down hard. She then grabbed out a gun and aimed at my stomach. My eyes were widened, my whole body was shaking, and Annette just stood there, blinking. Now the kids were shocked as much as we were, we didn’t know what to do. Then, Bailey smiles like a psychopath and then pointed the gun to Annette instead.

“NO!” I screamed, but it was too late, Bailey pulled the trigger and shot Annette in the stomach. I froze in terror as I saw her fell to the ground, but then I snapped out of it and ran to where she lay; shrieking her name at the process. Thankfully, she was still alive, but she wasn’t going to make by the way Bailey shot her, her clothes were bloodied and a little but torn now, you could tell by her face she’s in agony it’s heartbroken to look at it. Bailey started to laugh at us; Annette’s face was now replaced with anger and hate instead of fear and dread. She coughed up some blood, and then spoke these last words.

“M-Mari,” she spoke, “D-Do me a last favor, p-please…” she said. I nodded my head as tears rolled down my cheek. “End her,” I stared in shock as she pulls out a small hammer. She must have gotten it from Bailey’s pocket while she was getting strangled. But why would Bailey carry a hammer with her? But I didn’t bother asking any questions. I looked at Bailey who was still smiling evilly, then I looked back at Annette, still alive but still in hate and agony.

Just by staring at her sad face, I felt something snapped, my conscious, all I could think about was Bailey laughing at me. And that’s when Annette spoke her final words, “Do it, please.” And that’s when she died.

Everything in my mind was destroyed, every thought of Annette was scattered in my mind, all I could do was kill. I paced directly to Bailey who was still grinning; there was malice on her devilish smile, like it will never leave her face. I raised my hammer and slammed it on her shoulder blades, broken and bloodied now; she screamed in a raspy tone but was still smiling like she didn’t feel anything. I glared at her smile and raised my hammer again and now struck my hammer on her shin, she fell down with a hard thud, that demonic smile was still on her face. I lifted the hammer but before I could impale it on her stomach, a pocket knife came out of her pocket, sharp and pointy. Bailey tried to grab it from what’s left of her body without pain but I snatched it away from her. I dropped my hammer and started cutting her face apart, cut after cut until she was barely indentified. That smile left her face when I made the 12th cut, I made a sick smile and carved a sickening smile on her cheeks, she screamed bloody murder by the sharp pain on her cheeks, I smiled like a psychopath and I heard her say the final words she spoke.

“You think it’s all over, huh? Well, it’s not, you may have slaughtered and tortured me, but it’s not over….it’s not….” Without even finishing her sentence, she died on the ground with a smile ripped into her cheeks.

Kids were now staring at me now with shock and horror; I stared back at them, finally getting back my sanity. I looked with grief as I saw Bailey lying on the ground brutally murdered. I started to cry silently as I saw Annette and Bailey.

After 5 minutes or so, I’m guessing that one of the kids called the police because I felt a hand on my shoulder; I turned my head around to see a cop with handcuffs in hand. My eyes were locked into his middle-aged face, never seeming to close. I finally sighed and stood up, still shaking by what I just done and followed the cop, head lowering every second I’m walking. I’m not proud of what I did, but I just hope it makes Annette happy, wherever she is now. Many of you probably think I’m insane, and I agree, if only I can see that.

7 years later, I’m out of the murder trials, everyone hates me, and I’m lonely in my small house, nothing can satisfy me anymore, but some people forgave me from the murder and are still friends with me. I have a job at an expensive hotel just several miles away from me, so I guess life isn’t that horrible anymore.

I sit in my living room in darkness with the T.V on and my laptop on my coffee table, I barely get on Facebook, since every time I do I get somewhat million death threats or emails saying to burn in hell or die in a ditch, but instead, for the first time in 4 years, I got a friend request by a young woman named Michelle Baxter. In such a desperate mood for a friend, I didn’t even bother looking at her account first and accepted. Then that’s when I noticed that I had a message. I sighed knowing that it’s another death threat, but to my surprise, it wasn’t. It was a message from Michelle.

“Hey! Let me start off is that I know you don’t know me, but I heard about the “murder” trials, and I think it’s SO unfair that bully, Bailey Winstead her name is? I think she DESERVED to die like that.”

I was shocked of what I read, how did she know her full name? I know that sounds stupid, but in the news, it didn’t show much information about the trial, just what happened, no one knew the victim’s names, which I found odd. I continued reading.

“Anyway, I was wondering if you would want to talk at your house tomorrow, just give me your address and I’ll see you tomorrow!” J!! –Michelle

I stare at the message, very confused and suspicious. I clicked on her profile and saw her profile picture, she looked very, odd, she had very long frizzy black hair, her eyes were eerie but still sort of looked human, and her long smile filled with enthusiastic and joy, like it will never go away, but everything else about her looks fine. I message her back.

“Sound awesome that not everybody wants me to die, my address is 173 Blackberry Street, what time are you coming over?” I read my message over and over again, “Am I crazy? Am I really THAT desperate for someone that I don’t even know to talk to?” I thought to myself, thought after thought returned in my head now, anguish now on my shoulders trying to reach my head, but I resisted the feeling and half the thoughts were gone now.

Without even thinking, I clicked on send and now my message was now visible to the viral world. I started to panic now, I tried to delete the message but then I remembered I couldn’t, it’s in the internet for good. I sighed and put my hand on my face, feeling so idiotic of what I just did. I closed my laptop and fell asleep on the couch.

The next afternoon, I woke up by a knock on the door. I moaned and got up from the uncomfortable couch; eyes halfway open, my left leg asleep. I finally reached to the door and opened it with a loud sigh; the irritating screech while I opened it made me get a small headache. When I opened the door it was Michelle, that same smile from her profile picture on her strange face, but everything else about her physical appearance is normal the way I see it. Her turquoise hoodie was covering to what seemed to be a white and black shirt, her hair black as night now in a regular ponytail, and she was carrying to what to be a 2 bottles of this strange light pink liquid.

“Hi, you must be Mari,” Michelle said with a soothing voice it will calm even a toddler down. She lifted her hand for a friendly handshake, I smiled weakly and shook her hand; she had a surprisingly strong grip for a somewhat mid twenties woman.

“Yes I am.” I stuttered, my weak smile still across my face.

I can tell that Michelle’s smile was growing bigger, “You thirsty?”

I gave her another friendly but shy smile, “Uh, yeah, a little bit.” I said with a more confident tone. Michelle stared into my eyes and handed me the unusual drink, “What is this though?” She stared eye to eye to me, her creepy smile changed into a sort of nervous grin, “Oh, it’s some of my homemade pink lemonade, I’m sorry if you hate it, I just….” “No, no it’s fine, nothing to be worried about.” I mumbled.

“Let’s sit down on your little table over there,” She pointed over to my table right by my antique couch; remembering the message Michelle sent me last night. “Alright,” I said, and then we sat together on the couch.

I stared at my lemonade; Michelle stared back at me without me noticing. “You okay?” Michelle stammered. I quickly stared back at her, “Yeah, I’m fine.” “Well, aren’t you gonna drink it?” she said. I stared back her with that a nervous look on my face again, “Uh, yeah!” Immediately I grabbed the bottle and drank it, it was awful; it tasted like a lot of lemon but with some pickle juice in it. I accidently made a gag noise; making Michelle a little bit of anxiety on her face. It may have tasted bad, but I was hooked on it, I couldn’t stop drinking it I don’t know why but it was like, addictive. I chugged it down like I was in a beer drinking contest and finished it in a matter of seconds, Michelle looked pleased.

“Do you like it?” she asked with the same cheery voice when I first met her at the door. “Eh, it’s fine,” I lied. “Awesome!” I jumped from her voice; I wasn’t used to her loud voice at this time of morning.

It may have tasted horrible, but I couldn’t help myself to grab Michelle’s bottle and chugged that down too.

“Wow! You must REALLY like it!” Just when she said that, I felt strange, like I just started a hangover just by those two bottles, but I didn’t feel like puking uncontrollably. My eyes forced them to close for what seemed to be several seconds. Michelle didn’t notice me; her little optimistic mood took over her, like a child in school daydreaming instead of paying attention.

In what seemed to be forever, the hangover feeling was gone but I still felt exhausted, even though I just woke up. Michelle finally came to reality and glanced at me, “Hey, y-you alright?” she stammered, her optimistic mood was fading on her face.

I glanced back at her; my eyes were getting blurry from the strange feeling of suddenly being tired, but I did my best to just ignore my urge to sleep.

Michelle kept questioning nearly everything that happened to me in my social life, annoying me but I didn’t want to hurt her fragile feelings and answered her questions honestly. As time passed by, the hangover feeling came once again, a lot stronger than it was before. As Michelle was talking, I slowly started to doze off into my own little world; Michelle glanced on me and gasped. I looked back with confusion, “Are you sure you’re okay?” She murmured.

“Yeah, just a little headache, that’s all.” I spoke, my words sounding faint at the end of my sentence.

“Well, alright.” She said as her face looked suspicious. I silently grunt, something wasn’t right, but what?

More hours pass by, that hangover feeling still here with me, Michelle asking more questions, and getting more private each and every question, I started to doze off, and that’s when I finally passed out on the cold, wooden floor. The last thing I heard is Michelle screaming bloody murder, desperately trying to wake me up from this unusual slumber, but nothing seemed to work.

While I was sleeping, it was peaceful, for the first time in 7 years, I had something pleasant dreams; none disturbing, none threatening, just perfect. Mostly Annette in them, finally I get to see her without her getting slaughtered, disemboweled, or any harm to her, we were in a abandoned house but with no ghosts, demons, or anything that looks disturbing and threatening, that is until we found an strange looking door we found while walking around talking. I was too scared to open it, very rarely am I ever scared by anything, Annette sighed and opened it firmly. What we saw was horrifying, it seemed to looked like an demonic figure with huge, black eyes, a long horrendous smile mockingly smiling back at us, and bruises all around it’s body. I let out a screech; Annette just stared with horror as the figure walked with a huge thumping noise as it makes its way to us. As it finally came close to us, it lends its hand to where Annette was standing. Annette glanced at me, then to the figure. I stared back at her with confusion and fear. Annette closed her eyes and held hands with the figure. My shocked eyes stare at both of them with a confused whimper.”Why didn’t you save me, Mari, why?” Her voice trailed off when she said that final sentence. The figure was still smiling sickeningly, making my eyes widen. The figure looked directly into her terrified eyes, “I’ll keep you safe here with me.” The figure lisped, making my head get an unbearable headache. The figure and Annette started fading away from the room, their outline still illuminating showing there still there. I screamed and fell on the floor, banging the floor like a madman repeatedly. All I could hear is the demonic figure laughing uncontrollably, until I finally woke up. I’m gasping for breath, until I finally found out that I was fine. But that’s when I notice something, the living room, was torn apart. The wallpaper was ripped to shreds; the couch was bloodied and put to destruction, the furniture was beaten and with broken glass to be seen from the bottles me and Michelle were drinking..But she wasn’t to be seen. How could she have left me? She was screaming like a killer was stabbing her repeatedly when I collapsed on the floor. But there’s only one true question that needs to be answered, where is she?

I tried to get up, but my hand accidently landed on the pile of glass right by the couch. I moaned from the painful new cuts, quickly starting to bleed and drips of it on the floor. Just by looking at it reminds me of Annette, that memorable fight and Bailey.

I stuttered to get up and that’s when I noticed a note lying on the coffee table, it looked fresh and no hints of malice on it. I sighed and picked it up. It looked like an 8 year old scribbled on it, but this is what I read,

“You son of a bitch, you thought you’ll get out of my raging wrath that easily, with no harm or threatening? You’re idiotic for thinking that. You see your tampered living room? I’m not done. Tomorrow, I will come; I will get my revenge, I WILL RUIN YOU. You’re probably laughing at this, you’re probably think a 12 year old wrote this, well, no. No one wrote this but me. 7 years I’ve been waiting, watching you, watching the murder trials, everything. Also, remember Annette? Of course you do, she was your best friend, until I…well, you know. See all the torture in your life now taunting you? I’ll make it worse. You may have killed me once, but I’m coming back, better and ready to kill.”

-Bailey Winstead

I cringed once I saw who this was; the girl that ruined my life was back. But how?

Forget that, the only thing I’m puzzled with is that how did she get in my house? No, it can’t be Michelle, but she was the only person with me when I passed out. It’s gotta be Michelle, no wonder. Nobody could be THAT nice to me now.

Screw Bailey, screw Michelle, there dead to me, her name is Raven, I know, stupid name but it’s all I can think about and also she loved horror stuff back then before she was…killed.

If I don’t prepare, I won’t live, in fact, I need to get out of this house. I grabbed my duffle bag that I always bring to work and started packing. It’s pretty much the obvious I’ve packed to protect myself, a butcher knife, a bottle of water, a flashlight since it’s what seemed to be 4am, and a jacket, since it’s winter and it’s ice cold outside. I put on my tattered jacket that I had ever since that fight, surprisingly it still fits me since I am small in size and walked out. Before I took another step, I turned the flashlight on because I’ll never know if she’ll be watching me or be right in front of me, thank God she wasn’t. In a moment like this, you would’ve expected me to get in my car and start driving, you never know, she might be in there, knife in hand, and then I’ll see myself next to a puddle of my own blood. Forget that. I just walked.

The cold, humid air was already getting to my allergies, I’m sneezing every minute. My eyes are watering from the icy touch in the wind. I should’ve brought more warm clothes to where, but it was no time to go back in the house, I was already out of my neighborhood.

My footsteps; are strangely getting louder, and I was still stepping the same way, I briefly ignored it and continued. The loud footsteps were gone once I stopped and looked behind me, showing that no one was following me, big mistake. As I turned around, a mysterious figure greeted me with a brief blow on the head with a baseball bat, and I collapsed on the ground passed out again.

Once I woke up, I was strapped to a table in a abandoned room that identically looked like the abandoned house in my dream, the untreated pain on the right side of my head returned. My widened, blood shut eyes roamed around the room, blood was smeared everywhere in my sight, entrails of past victims were on the floor, knives, axes, chainsaws, gasoline, anything that considers a weapon was on a lonely table far to the east of the room, and my duffle bag was no where to be seen. I was having a heart attack once I saw the room vividly, my life was flashing into my eyes, revealing that it was the end.

“So, you’re awake.” A raspy, demonic voice came out of nowhere.

I didn’t bother answer; my voice was clogged from all the fear inside of me.

“I see you are.” And that’s when I saw Raven walking steadily, axe in both hands. She looked like herself, but in a demonic way, eyes were completely deep red, her face was covered with cuts and bruises, a long, curled up, smile rested on her face, looking bigger each step she took, she was wearing a long black dress, and she had yellowish, white skin covered in dirt. I didn’t dare let out a scream; if I did it would make everything worse than it already is.

“You missed me? I missed you..” she lisped. I just stared in terror at her, too scared to think.

“You like my room, made it myself.” She replied as she started sharpening her axe with anvil.

“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?” I shrieked, trying to get out of the tightly strapped table.

Raven smiled in an threatening way, “Why…WHY, remember what you did to me? REMEMBER all the kids THAT WATCHED? I WAS HUMILATED BY YOU! I may have killed your beloved Annette, but that didn’t satisfy me, I want your blood to spill, I want YOUR bones to be crushed, I want your entrails to be decoration, but most of all, I want you GONE! She rasped. My mouth was wide open now; I didn’t know what to do. I wasn’t shocked of what she said, but, I honestly didn’t blame her, I mean, I am responsible for her death. This is why she’s like this. Because of me.

Raven looked like she was calming down, at least I thought. Her tainted look on her face was gone and replaced with a face of true horror.

“Done!” she yelled. Confusion hit me, until she reached out her axe and aimed at my chest.

“This is what you deserve, pain, the agony, the torturing you brought me, back to you.” She continued. Now I was in full panic mode; that is until I notice a strap on my right leg strap was loose of when I was struggling to get out. I thrashed as hard as I could, no luck, I was still strapped into the table. Raven chuckled on my failed attempt, and surprisingly put down the axe on the table of weapons. Confused, I then notice she grabs a small knife and slowly made it go puncturing into my left hand, the pressure of the knife and the unbearable pain made me let out an irritating screech as it went deeper into my skin. When it completely punctured through my hand, Raven yanked the knife out as hard as she could, making more agony and pain than going through, I screamed uncontrollably, the flesh in my hand was damaged and can be seen now, making me want to vomit. Tears were now upon my face, the torturing was just getting worse, I just knew it. She then put down the knife and grabbed a small hammer.

“Remember this?” she asked. I remembered, I killed her with a hammer, I can remember it vividly and clearly. She then aimed at my hip and struck the hammer on my hip with the hammer as hard as she could; the agony was growing into this huge, high-pitched shriek for help, even though no one was going to save me. As I was screaming, I didn’t notice I was kicking for a strange sort of comfort and my left leg was free.

Raven glared and grabbed her axe again, before she could swing it on my stomach, she accidently aimed the wrong way and cut my right arm strap; my right arm now free. I was nearly up from the table and tried my best to untie my right leg, then my left arm. Raven held her axe but before she could impale it into my stomach, I kicked her on the shin as hard as I could, and she fell down; dropping her axe. I was able to grab her axe without a problem, but I still needed to untie my injured hand. Luckily, the strap was tattered from my thrashing from the painful wound and my whole body was free again.

“DAMNMIT,” Raven screeched, the tainted look on her face appeared onto her it again. I glanced at the weaponry table and saw tools that could give me a chance to survive. I paced towards the table, and being the idiot I am, I turned around Raven was already close to me and she knocked me onto the floor. My anxiety was getting to my head now, and I’m thrashing, kicking, and screaming. Raven’s dark eyes were locked into mine, making me dizzy for looking at them for too long. Raven gave me a sadistic grin, “Really? I thought you were tough, remember? You killed me, but now you can’t be brave enough to fight me again?” She paused and grabbed a sharp knife, “Such a coward.” She chuckled. And with the knife, she sliced a long, scar upon my forehead. I started screaming immediately once again, this time even louder. It gave me a migraine, but I didn’t care, this was a bigger problem. She started carving another scar on my cheek, until something in my mind was now fully aware of what was happening, my fear, was gone. My screaming disappeared. I may have killed Bailey at the fight 7 years ago, but that didn’t matter anymore, I have to end her, for good. I kicked her on the same shin again and once again, she fell down with a hard thud. I ran to the weaponry table once again and grabbed myself a mallet, it was very heavy and I couldn’t carry it without dropping it, so I grabbed a lighter and a sharpened hatchet. Raven finally catches up with me, but this time I rushed her with the hatchet, blood was all over her dress, some of the blood was on my jacket, but it didn’t bother me, but to my astonishment, she was fine, no remorse upon her face; and the tainted look still on her face. I didn’t bother look in confusion, instead, I knocked her down and started repeatedly hitting her with it, the blood and flesh was like candy to me, I wasn’t grossed out by it, it soothed me. That is until, she snatched my hatchet away from me and twisted my hand, I glanced in a panic as she lifted up the hatchet and was about to struck it onto my chest and stomach, but I thought fast and kicked her into the table, it made the tools on it fall and scarring everywhere on her body. As she screamed, a pitcher of gasoline fell on top of her, she screamed louder as the gasoline got in skin contact, her eyes were affected by the poisonous substance, burning them until it left her blinded, not knowing what was going on anymore. But Raven was still fearless, still wanting her revenge. She tried to get up but each time she tried, she slipped by the gasoline, making more of the fiery pain and agony. I just watched her, my face was blank, not knowing what to do anymore. “Just because I’m blind you think I’m helpless and worthless, I don’t need to see, it doesn’t matter anymore.” Once she said that sentence, I remembered I got a lighter from the weaponry table for no reason, but now I have a reason. I got it out of my pocket and lit it up, “This is for Annette…” Then threw the lighter onto Raven, the fire took seconds to get the gasoline to be working, then that’s when I noticed Raven was now a fiery torch, her screams echoed in the room, her face was formed in a paralyzed by pain position, her burning flesh could be seen now, she was losing a lot of blood and was shaking, and the burning stench of her flesh was everywhere in the room. I backed away from fear and terror as I saw once my bully, then my attempted killer, and now a woman on fire. I didn’t notice a hammer far from the table and I tripped on it. It wasn’t any serious pain, but my elbow was hurt. Raven, who finally succeeded on getting up; was walking steadily to me, nothing in hand to harm me, she was walking. Until she finally got close to me, she said these final words in a horrifying, that’ll never forget. “You win, feel proud of yourself? It’s not over yet, soon, I will come back, demon versus human, knife versus fist, I will win next time, nothing will stop me from my tyranny.” She fell down hard on the floor dead with a smile crept on her face.

I’ll tell you this one and last thing, I’ll never forget her, what she did to my life and me, and most of all, of what she did to Annette, I still have these dreaded nightmares, and got therapy for it, but nothing seemed to work. She destroyed my life. Oh, I got a message on Facebook, her name is Gina Anderson, saying she wants to come to my house tomorrow, she has long black hair, eerie looking eyes, and a ear to ear smile.