Jeff's just starting high school, and things aren't going well. Besides his younger brother Liu no longer being in the same school as him, his best friend Ben died last summer, and after beating up the one responsible for his death, Randy, the latter develops a personal vendetta against Jeff. The next time they meet leads to the incident that deforms Jeff physically and mentally into a deranged serial killer.
The story can be read on Wattpad here
and the MrCreepyPasta Amino here. An official reading can be found on YouTube here.
This story provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: There are rumors of Randy having an abusive father. The second time Randy meets Jeff, he's prepared to pour bleach on him, which he says his father has done to him before.
Word of God says that Randy is lying and his parents are rather normal, although they may be neglectful of him instead.Randy: One time my dad pulled a bottle of bleach on me. You know, a well-known cleaning product. He heard about all the shit I cause, though that dick is no saint. He claimed that I needed to clean my act up. So, he held me down and poured it all over me. It stung like a bitch but meh, I got out of it fine. So, now it’s your turn. - Adaptation Amalgamation: Two characters from other creepypastas appear here, with elements of their own stories worked into this one. Ben from Ben Drowned is Jeff's friend who died from drowning. There is also Jane Arkensaw, from a Jeff spin-off known as Jane the Killer, who appears as a minor character, being Jeff's neighbor who sees him run from his house and calls the police the night he murders his family.
- Adaptational Context Change: A line carried over from the original story is Randy's "Oh no, I don’t go for even, I go for winning!" Originally, this is Randy's reply to Jeff stating that they're already even since Randy got Liu sent to JDC after Jeff beat Randy up. In this rewrite, Randy initially sees getting back at Jeff as making things even for defeating him and thus making him a laughing stock, before hollering that he might as well go for more than that.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul: Jeff and Liu already know who Randy is since they saw him the day Ben died. In the original story, the brothers didn't know any of the bullies since they just moved into the neighbourhood.
- Adaptational Intelligence: In the original story, the doctor merely assumes Jeff's signs of insanity to be an effect of the painkillers. Mr. Patterson, who helps Jeff's recovery at the hospital in this rewrite, books an appointment for Jeff to see a child psychiatrist out of concern of his disturbing behaviour, but he concedes to Jeff's family's wishes to not go through with it since it would be on Halloween.
- Adaptational Sympathy:
- Jeff's apparent reasons for turning insane in the original story are a mix of seeking revenge on the bullies and learning he enjoys inflicting pain on others, and he otherwise kills his family for no reason (although his mother did plan to have him shot). In this rewrite, Jeff's vendetta against Randy is for causing his best friend's death, and after Jeff's accident, he's more reluctant to kill his family, coming to the warped conclusion that killing them is sparing them from a life of misery.
- Downplayed for the bullies, particularly Randy. While Randy, Keith and Troy appear equally vile in the original tale, this rewrite has Randy as their leader and the other two as his not-so-willing sidekicks who even reform in the future. There's not much to sympathise for Randy considering that he causes Ben's death, but setting Jeff on fire turns out to be accidental in this take instead of deliberate like the original.
- Addled Addict: Randy is an utter mess as an adult. He looks aged and has Exhausted Eyebags from the harder drugs he's been taking, his hair is unkempt and he's spent quite some time in jail.
- Affectionate Nickname: "Benny", Jeff's nickname for his best friend Ben, which he says as he begs for him to wake up, even stammering it in a brief Hope Spot of him still being alive.
- Age Lift: Downplayed, this rewrite slightly increases the characters' ages.
- In the original story, Jeff is 13 while Liu's age is uncertain. In this rewrite, Jeff's entering freshman year at 14 while Liu is starting grade 8, presumably being a year younger than Jeff.
- The bullies are approximately 12 in the original story, while in this story they are all in senior year with Randy being 17.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: According to the senior student's warnings, it is rumored that Randy kills animals just for the fun of it. Per Word of God here, that is one of the few rumors about Randy that is actually true.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Liu is often mellow and rarely yells or gets angry. After Jeff gets hurt fighting Randy, Liu loudly tells him that he wouldn't have lost his self-control like Jeff did, and Jeff can tell that Liu is furious.
- Blinded by Rage: Jeff's short temper has caused him to get into troublesome fights, caused intentionally by the other party.
- Jeff's outburst during an ice hockey game when an opponent insults him leads to a fight that suspends him from the match, and only at that point does the realisation of his actions hit him.
- Randy suggests that he should've pushed Jeff in the water instead of Ben, pissing off Jeff even more to lure him into a fight against him. However, he underestimates Jeff, resulting in both of them getting beat up rather badly.
- Broken Smile: Overlapping with Stepford Smiler; when Jeff reveals his outstretched bloody smile to Liu, he says he carved it himself in a playful, yet sad voice. His words and pained behaviour as he proceeds to stab Liu suggest that he feels forced to kill his family.
- Childhood Friends: Jeff and Ben were best friends since childhood, so Ben's death hurts Jeff the most. The two are reunited years later, as they team up to get revenge on Randy.
- Creepy Blue Eyes: Jeff's crystal blue eyes gradually veer into creepier territory when they tense up with anger, and when they shrink with madness after he succumbs to his insanity. After the burning incident, he Looks Like Cesare as his blue eyes are bordered with black on his white face.
- Distant Finale: The final chapter occurs around 5 years after the preceding chapter where Jeff becomes a killer. 19-year-old Jeff has become one of the most wanted serial killers in the country, and he finds Randy, as an adult drug addict, to get his revenge along with Ben's ghost.
- The Dreaded: Most of the other high school students are scared of Randy. Although his troublesome reputation is perpetuated by rumors, Randy actively plays into the role as The Bully. With all the stories about him, including hurting anyone who agitates him and being called in by cops before, some think he's going to become a school shooter. Keith and Troy, his own sidekicks, are implied to do his bidding out of fear. When word gets out that a freshman served his ass, Jeff gets unwanted attention as the guy who took down a big pest. A senior student tells Jeff about Randy's infamy, warning Jeff of the storm that's coming to him.
- Fiery Redhead: Played with. Randy's hair is dyed red, and he's infamous for having a violent temper.
- Flashback: The third chapter is entirely in italics and shows what happened the day that Ben drowned. Jeff and Ben were on a summer camping trip the former went to fetch sunscreen just before the canoeing activity while Ben ran ahead, and by the time Jeff found people crowding around his body, it was too late.
- Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: Liu is the younger yet more responsible brother, being more sensible than the hot-headed Jeff. After Jeff's anger gets himself hurt, Liu tells him that Ben wouldn't have wanted him to beat Randy up, but rather mourn in a healthy way and move on from his death.
- Foreshadowing: On the evening before Halloween, Jeff smiles madly as he carves a large grin into a jack-o-lantern. On Halloween night, he carves an outstretched grin into his cheeks and his brother's.
- Glasgow Grin: Liu is horrified to find Jeff's carved smile gushing with blood when he takes off his Jason goalie mask. After he kills Liu, Jeff carves a similar smile into Liu's face, tearful that the usually happy boy went out with a frown.Jeff: Now, you can smile forever...
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Jeff always had anger issues, which were mostly minor but worsened after Ben's death, leading him to snap at the smallest things, and making him easily susceptible to falling into a blind rage at times.
- Hiding Behind Your Bangs: As a 19-year-old Serial Killer, Jeff uses his hood to hide his identity before showing himself to Randy, and with it down, his blackened bangs still hang over his right eye, made more prominent by a left side-shave. He's also adopted a more punkish look, with piercings and black ear gauges.
- Hope Spot: At one point while Jeff is at Ben's side, begging for him to get up, he feels a slight grip from Ben's hand in his own. Jeff's hopes of his friend being okay are swiftly dashed as Ben's hand goes limp a few minutes later.
- Horror Doesn't Settle for Simple Tuesday: On October 29th, the day before Jeff is admitted home from the hospital, the doctor Mr. Patterson tells Jeff's family that he may be facing psychological issues from his concussion and booked for Jeff to see a child psychiatrist on the 31st. However, the family convinces him to not have Jeff hospitalised on his favourite holiday, and he returns home on the 30th to celebrate Halloween with his family. Unfortunately, that Halloween night is when Jeff kills his family.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Liu's final words are "W-why?" after Jeff stabs him. He says that he had to, so his family would no longer need to live in this cruel world. Of course, this reasoning is dubious since Jeff has just snapped to his insanity.Jeff: I- I had to Liu. I promise you'll go to a better place now. You'll be asleep with Mommy and Daddy, and not have to live in this sick and terrible world. Please, go to sleep.
- I Didn't Mean to Kill Him: It was assumed that Randy got sent to JDC for pushing Ben into a lake, which caused him to drown. Randy says Ben's death was accidental, but Jeff doesn't believe him.Jeff: Y-you pushed him! What did you expect to happen!Randy: I didn't know that he couldn't swim, you dumbass!! If the cops didn't think it was my fault, then it wasn't my fault!!
- I Shall Taunt You: The centre man of the opposing team in Jeff's ice hockey game taunts the other team to throw off their concentration. He chirps them so often as if his coach told him to. One last insult at Jeff results in him retaliating and fighting him, getting Jeff suspended from the game.
- In the Hood: In the finale chapter, Jeff conceals his face in the shadow of his white hoodie as he shows himself to Randy, before pulling the hood off and revealing who he is.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: Randy isn't arrested for causing Ben to drown as it was thought to be accidental. Getting bleach poured on Jeff and setting him on fire (although the fire was accidental), however, has Randy spend years in and out of jail for the assault after he outgrows JDC. Then Jeff and Ben get their revenge on Randy in the end.
- Last-Name Basis: The rude hockey player and Randy refer to Jeffrey Woods solely by his surname, usually to express contempt or anger at him.
- Lean and Mean:
- Downplayed for Keith, the slim sidekick of the bully Randy. Besides helping Randy in hurting Jeff, it's implied that he just fears Randy's wrath, and even improves himself in the future.
- As a 19-year-old Serial Killer who's supposedly been on the run for 5 years, Jeff is described to be 6'0 with a lean build.
- Let Me at Him!: When a hockey opponent insults Jeff, a fight breaks out. Even after their respective teammates pull the two off each other, the fighting persists. Jeff throws his right glove while his left arm is held back by his teammates, and he even grabs the other player's helmet by the cage mask and violently pushes him away. It takes the referee suspending Jeff and giving the other a timeout to stop the fight.
- Light-Flicker Teleportation: Jeff shows up before an adult Randy by appearing under a streetlight that went off and back on mere moments beforehand. After he identifies himself to Randy, the light flickers again, and Ben's angry ghost appears besides Jeff.
- Loud Gulp: Jeff gulps a huge lump that forms in his throat when a senior student compares Randy to a young Michael Myers to say how infamous he is. Although Jeff is skeptical of the rumors, he can't help being fearful of encountering Randy again.
- Malevolent Masked Man: Jeff wears a costume which includes a Jason goalie mask all day for Halloween, and he still has it on when Liu finds him after he's killed their parents and carved a smile onto his face underneath it.
- Man on Fire: After covering Jeff with bleach, Randy pours what's left of his vodka can onto Jeff. He then tries to light his cigarette with a match, but much to his horror, it slips and lands on Jeff, who screams as flames nearly engulf him until he crawls to the nearby stream to put them out.
- Oh, Crap!: Randy sickly enjoys his abuse of Jeff, but his twisted expression is replaced with shock once he feels his match slip from his fingers above Jeff, who's covered in flammable liquids. He screeches "FUCK!" as realisation hits him hard, and soon all three bullies have Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises of horror as Jeff becomes a Man on Fire.Troy: Randy! What did you fucking do!Randy: I- I don't know! Holy shit!
- Please Wake Up: In a flashback to the previous summer, Jeff is distraught to see Ben's soaked body by the lake, knowing that he can't swim and fell in somehow. While an adult tries CPR and chest compressions to get Ben to respond, Jeff grips his hand, begging him to wake up. Ben does give a slight grip... only for it to go limp.
- Posthumous Character: Ben dies before the story's events, but it greatly impacts Jeff since they were best friends, and explains his hatred of Randy, who pushed Ben into the lake and caused him to drown. Ben reappears as a ghost with a grown-up Jeff to get back at Randy.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Downplayed. For Halloween, Jeff's mother buys him a black hockey jersey with accents of red and white, and a Jason Voorhees mask at the center, with a Jason goalie mask to go with the costume. He wears the same clothes when he kills his family, but despite his Slasher Smile, he doesn't appear too happy doing the deed.
- Reluctant Psycho: Implied, Jeff is in tears as he's about to kill Liu, saying he doesn't want to kill him yet feels he has no choice. He urges Liu not to struggle since he's trying to make it painless, wishing for him to be in a better place with their parents, who he also just murdered.
- Sanity Slippage: Jeff not moving on from his grief over Ben's death leads to his fights with Randy and spending months in hospital. The doctor notices possible signs of Jeff's mental decline, which he suspects is due to head trauma. Although his parents do keep Jeff at home to wait for his mental state to stabilise, they overlook signs like his oddly joyous reaction to his new face and his manic smile as he carves a jack-o-lantern's grin. It all comes to a head when Jeff murders his family in the twisted logic of sparing them from "liv[ing] in this sick and terrible world".
- Second-Face Smoke: When Jeff asks Randy why he isn't in juvie, the latter rolls his eyes and blows cigarette smoke in Jeff's face out of disrespect, making him cough as he's trying to speak.
- Shout-Out:
- Jeff is a big fan of horror films, and has seen all the Halloween movies. Throughout the story, he's worn a Friday the 13th shirt, a Michael Myers shirt, and finally a jersey of his favourite slasher, Jason Voorhees, as part of his Halloween costume, with the Jason goalie mask.
- A senior student warns Jeff of Randy by referring to Rob Zombie's take on Halloween (since Jeff is wearing the appropriate shirt to suggest that he's seen it), comparing Randy to that of a young Michael Myers from those films.Senior student: It’s pretty much the same situation. Abusive father, whore mother, unstable home and siblings. Yeah, it’s a cliche but it happens in real life. It's rumored that he kills animals just for the fun of it.
- When Randy catches Jeff wielding a hockey stick to defend himself against him, he mockingly asks if he's "trying to be Casey Jones or something".
- Sibling Yin-Yang: Liu and Jeffrey Woods somewhat contrast each other. One drawing shows that their side-swept bangs mirror each other's, and Liu wears more orderly clothes than Jeff, who wears torn jeans and movie slasher shirts. Liu exhibits better self-control than his older brother, which he points out after Jeff had blown his fuse and fought Randy.
- Significant Green-Eyed Redhead: Played with. Randy is the main antagonist, and he has green eyes and dyed blood-red hair.
- Sinister Switchblade: An adult Randy flicks out a switchblade in self-defense as he hears commotion in the bushes. Then Jeff, the boy who Randy made insane some years ago, reveals himself to Randy, much to his disbelief.
- Slasher Smile:
- Randy gets an increasingly demented smile as he teaches Jeff a painful lesson in return for humiliating the former. What starts as a mischievous smile evolves into a less sane expression, which greatly concerns Keith and Troy, his own crew.
- Jeff's outstretched smile before he kills Liu is more of a Broken Smile, but he wears the insane smile more naturally in the final chapter as he finds Randy to get his revenge.
- Spared by the Adaptation:
- Downplayed for Randy. He doesn't die the second time the bullies encounter Jeff, unlike in the original story where he dies at Jeff's hands. Here, Randy lives to his mid-20s, but the story ends with Jeff and Ben about to exact revenge on Randy.
- Played with for Jane Arkensaw, Jeff's neighbor. While she doesn't die in her original story (which is a derivative of Jeff the Killer), she barely survives being burned alive by Jeff and is subjected to a life of serial killing as well. In this story, Jeff doesn't attack Jane after murdering his family, unaware that Jane phoned 911 after seeing him flee from his house.
- Teens Are Monsters: Out of the Terrible Trio of teenage bullies, Randy is the most twisted of all. Keith and Troy do help Randy beat up Jeff, but they get even more reluctant the more sadistic Randy gets towards Jeff. Keith and Troy later work to grow out of their dangerous lifestyles and Randy is left alone as an adult.
- Terrible Trio: Randy is the domineering bully with two sidekicks, the overweight Troy and the slim Keith. The two hold Liu back when Jeff fights Randy, then they hold Jeff down for Randy to pour harmful chemicals on him in their next encounter.
- This Cannot Be!: In the final chapter, Randy is in horrified disbelief when Jeff Woods appears before him, saying "N-no- It can't fucking be." When Ben's ghost shows up too, Randy stares in shock, muttering to himself "This isn't real, this isn't real," before sprinting the other way.
- Title Drop: "Go to sleep" remains as Jeff's murderous catchphrase, which he uses as a Deadly Euphemism.
- Jeff's last words to Liu are a pleading "Please, go to sleep." after he stabs him to put him in a permanent resting place.
- The story concludes with the words "Go to sleep" in Jeff's answer to Ben asking what to do with Randy.Jeff: I say it's your turn to make him go to sleep.
- Vengeful Ghost: At the end of the story, a bluish-white ghost with Black Eyes of Evil, Tears of Blood and hatred on his face, accompanies Jeff in gaining revenge on Randy. Said ghost is none other than Ben, in his Ben Drowned getup, who died because of Randy.Jeff: (to Randy) I'm not the only mistake you've caused. [...] I think you owe Ben an apology.
- Watch Out for That Tree!: Jeff sprints into the forest to get away from Randy's gang since he can locate the trails to his home. He looks over his shoulder to see how close they are, but turning his head again, his view is blocked by a branch, which he runs into and blacks out.
- What Were You Thinking?: After the brothers retreat to their home, Jeff spits blood in the bathroom sink from how badly beat up he got fighting Randy. Liu sees this and asks "What were you even thinking!" in regards to Jeff running into that fight in retaliation of Randy insulting him and the late Ben, to which Jeff replies, "I wasn't."
- Wide Eyes and Shrunken Irises:
- Randy taunting "If I knew this emo lookin' fucker was going to be like this I would've pushed him instead." pushes Jeff into a trance-like state of rage. He stops suddenly in his tracks and his change in expression is described as "eyes widened, as his pupils and irises appeared to shrink."
- Some drawings show characters with widened eyes and shrunken pupils in moments of shock, or otherwise in Jeff's case. Randy and his gang wear the same horrified reaction when they accidentally burn Jeff alive. As Jeff's sanity weakens, his smile looks manic as his pupils get smaller, which eventually carries into his Slasher Smile. When Liu discovers Jeff's bloody smile, he has the same shrunken irises as his brother, but from terror instead of insanity.
- Younger Than They Look: The 17-year-old Randy is described to have a bit of facial hair which makes him look a bit older than he actually is, adding to his intimidating aura. As an adult, a lot of hard drugs gives him an even more aged appearance.
- Youthful Freckles: Ben, Jeff's small blonde friend, has Pubescent Braces and is described to have a fair freckled face. He still has a childlike face as a ghost, but it's unclear if the freckles are still there in the illustration.
