“Sm1L3”

I wasn’t going to post this.

I actually deleted everything I had about it.

The world. The screenshots. Even the notes.

I don’t know why I kept doing that.

Every time I tried to write it down, it felt like I shouldn’t.

Like it would be easier if I just… didn’t.

But I still remember it.

And that’s worse.

It started normal.

That’s the part that sticks with me the most—nothing was wrong.

Five minutes after I spawned into a new world, the chat said:

“Sm1L3 has joined the fun”

I noticed it, but not in a serious way.

Just weird wording.

I checked the player list.

No one.

I moved on.

A little while later, I saw him.

Walking.

That’s important.

He wasn’t standing still or glitching—he was walking through trees like a normal player, turning slightly, stopping, then continuing.

He looked simple.

Pink skin.

No armor.

And a small smile.

I typed “hello.”

He stopped walking.

Turned toward me.

Then walked closer.

He didn’t respond.

But he stayed near me.

If I moved, he followed.

If I stopped, he would stop a second later.

Not perfectly synced.

Just… close enough.

It felt like someone playing without chat.

After a while, I stopped paying attention to him.

That’s when things got strange.

Not because he changed.

But because I stopped noticing when he moved.

Sometimes I’d turn around and he’d already be closer.

Not suddenly—just… I didn’t remember him getting there.

I told myself I just wasn’t paying attention.

This continued for three in-game days.

Nothing changed.

Same smile.

Same eyes.

Same movement.

But I started noticing something else.

He was always in front of me.

Not directly.

But no matter which direction I went, I’d end up seeing him ahead again.

Even if I turned around.

Even if I walked the other way.

I didn’t test it.

I didn’t want to.

On the third day, I tried ignoring him completely.

I kept my camera down while mining.

Didn’t look up.

Didn’t check where he was.

That’s when I heard footsteps.

Not mine.

They matched my pace at first.

Then slightly faster.

Then stopped when I stopped.

I didn’t turn around.

The sky went dark.

Instantly.

Lightning struck.

I didn’t see it hit him.

But I knew it did.

The sound was wrong.

Closer than it should’ve been.

Sharper.

Then the chat said:

“Sm1L3 has left you”

I turned around.

He was gone.

For the first time since I joined the world…

he wasn’t there.

It should’ve felt better.

It didn’t.

The silence felt… wrong.

Then the chat said:

“Sm1L3 joined the game”

I didn’t turn around right away.

I just stood there.

Because I already knew where he would be.

Behind me.

When I finally looked—

he was closer than he had ever been.

His color was darker.

Red.

His smile was bigger.

Not stretched like before.

Just… wider.

Like it had grown naturally into something it shouldn’t be.

His eyes were darker too.

Not fully black.

But almost.

He started walking again.

But something was off.

His steps didn’t sound right.

Sometimes there was no sound.

Sometimes two steps for one movement.

He walked toward me.

Stopped.

Then took one step—

and ended up closer than that step should have taken him.

Not teleporting.

Just… wrong distance.

I backed away.

He followed.

I hit him.

He reacted immediately.

Still walking—

but faster now.

Too fast.

I ran.

He stayed behind me.

I didn’t hear him move.

But he was always there when I turned.

I managed to kill him.

I don’t remember how.

The chat said:

“Sm1L3 needs to go see you”

That message didn’t make sense until later.

“Sm1L3 joined the game”
“Sm1L3 has found you”

He appeared again.

But this time…

I noticed something I hadn’t before.

He wasn’t looking at me.

Not directly.

His head was angled slightly past me.

Like he was focused on something just behind me.

I didn’t turn around.

I walked into him.

He disappeared.

The chat said:

“no”

Then:

“Sm1L3 will be back”

I should’ve left then.

I didn’t.

About a minute later, I saw another one.

Same red color.

Same smile.

Walking near my base.

Then another.

And another.

They didn’t appear suddenly.

I just started noticing more of them.

Like they had already been there.

Each one had a bigger smile.

Each one had darker eyes.

Some were almost completely black.

Some were watching me.

Some weren’t.

But slowly…

they all started to.

One by one.

Until every single one was facing me.

At the same time.

No turning animation.

No delay.

Just… all looking.

Then they started walking.

Not running.

Walking.

But faster than walking should be.

Their steps didn’t match their speed.

Some slid forward.

Some paused mid-step.

Some moved without sound.

They reached my base.

Started breaking it.

But I barely noticed.

Because the chat had started filling.

“SMILE”

Again.

“SMILE”

Faster.

Until it didn’t look like words anymore.

When they got close…

I realized something.

Their eyes weren’t all black.

Some still had just a little white left.

And those ones…

were the ones closest to me.

I died before I could understand why.

The chat didn’t scroll.

It flooded.

“SMILESMILESMILESMILESMILESMILESMILE”

When I respawned…

everything was normal.

Completely normal.

Except…

for a second—

I thought I saw one of them.

Far away.

Pink again.

With a small smile.

I didn’t go toward it.

I left the world.

Deleted it.

I tried not to think about it.

But sometimes, when I open Minecraft…

before the menu appears…

I see a message.

Not long enough to screenshot.

Just long enough to read.

“Sm1L3 has joined the fun.”

I don’t think it ever left.

I think it just resets.

And I think the only reason it gets worse…

Is because you stay.