Riley was an introverted 12-year-old girl with one close best friend, Mackenzie. The two shared a lot in common, including their selective interests and tendency to keep to themselves. One of their favorite activities was watching Infinite Days, a drama featuring the young and charismatic Shane Carrington. Shane played a charming newscaster on the show, his words flowing like a river, and his turquoise eyes seemed to dance with every glance. He was Riley’s first major crush, a man she dreamed of waiting for until she turned 18. She had already planned it out: she would find out where Shane lived and meet him in person.
Every night before bed, Riley scrolled through videos of Shane on her phone, his presence making her feel safe. He didn’t know she existed, but that didn’t matter—one day, she was sure he would. That thought comforted her as she drifted off to sleep.
On Monday morning, Riley’s dad, Thomas, was watching the news as usual. The entertainment segment came on, and Riley was instantly drawn to the screen.
"In Entertainment today: Infinite Days star Shane Carrington celebrates his 25th birthday—"
Before she could hear more, Thomas flipped the channel.
“Dad, what the…?”
“Entertainment news is nonsense,” Thomas muttered, landing on a breaking news report. Annoyed, Riley stormed outside.
That night, Riley struggled to fall asleep. She tried watching videos of Shane again to relax, but something felt off. Her body was hot, and she couldn’t stop sweating. Am I coming down with the flu? she wondered. Despite her exhaustion, sleep came in short, restless bursts.
The following evening, Riley crashed into bed at 9 PM, too tired to care about anything. She had plans with Mackenzie the next day, but tonight, all she wanted was to sleep. She lay down facing the wall, as she always did, and drifted off.
Then the dream started.
A projector-like image appeared on the wall, displaying Shane Carrington in his usual gray suit and black tie. "And in breaking news, a new gummy snack, FANtastic Flavorfuls, has officially launched! The ingredients are so naturally delicious..." Shane smiled, his eyes twinkling as usual. But something felt off. The dream left her with a strange feeling that she couldn’t quite shake when she woke up.
On Saturday, Riley and Mackenzie had plans to go to the movies. At 12:05 PM, Riley called Mackenzie, but there was no answer. She figured Mackenzie had overslept and shrugged it off. As the day went on, however, she tried calling a few more times—still no response.
That night, Riley went to bed around midnight after spending hours browsing Shane’s fan page. She was surprised not to see any birthday pictures, even though the entertainment news had mentioned it.
Facing the wall again, Riley drifted into another dream. The projector-like image reappeared, showing Shane Carrington in his newscaster attire, just like before. But this time, things took a disturbing turn. Shane’s face became more lined, his bright turquoise eyes darkened and turned black—empty, like something sinister had taken over. His smile, once warm, morphed into something horrifying as his white teeth decayed before her eyes, revealing razor-sharp fangs stained with blood.
Riley woke up screaming.
It was Sunday, 7:15 AM. As she gasped for breath, her phone vibrated on the dresser. The caller ID read "Mackenzie BFF." Finally. Riley answered.
“Hey, Ri, I’m sooo sorry about yesterday. I got caught up with stuff. Can you come over now?”
Riley thought it was odd that Mackenzie wanted her to come over so early—especially before breakfast. But she figured maybe something had come up, so she agreed to go.
“Hey, Dad, I’m going to Mackenzie’s,” Riley called out. Thomas barely looked up from the television.
"Breaking News," the anchor said. “Three adolescent girls have been reported missing following a Shane Carrington meet-and-greet in New York City."
Riley froze in horror as Mackenzie’s face flashed on the screen. Thomas remained glued to the TV, unaware of his daughter’s panic. Heart racing, Riley called Mackenzie again, but there was no answer. Without telling her father, she ran out of the house and headed to Mackenzie’s place.
The front door was unlocked. Riley stepped inside, calling out her friend’s name. As she entered the living room, her blood ran cold.
Mackenzie was lying in a pool of blood, lifeless.
Before she could process the horror, Shane Carrington appeared, wearing his signature newscaster suit. “Don’t you know by now, Riley?” he said, flashing a smile. “You know how much my fans mean to me.” He held up a packet of FANtastic Flavorfuls, pulling out a single gummy candy. Blood oozed from his mouth as he ate it.
“I think you know now, Riley...”
Riley woke up screaming, drenched in sweat. Was it a dream? A nightmare? It had to be... didn’t it?
Terrified, she stumbled into the living room where her father was still watching the news.
“Dad?” she whispered, tapping his shoulder.
His head fell back.
His throat was slit.
Riley ran out of the house screaming and screaming.
Fictional Story Written By Zainab Ali..
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