This is Why

Jenny hadn’t meant for this to happen.

Alright...that was a lie. As soon as Jenny saw how close Steven was to the girl...Trina? Yes, as soon as she saw how close Steven was to Trina, Jenny knew Trina was going to get involved in some way. That it was only a matter of time before Steven told Trina how Jenny was haunting him. Jenny figured that Trina, being the good-natured, infatuated young woman that she was, would do everything in her power to help her boyfriend.

That was what happened to Jake, the first person on her list, after all.

Not that Jake’s girlfriend had been able to do anything in the end.

However, while Jake’s girlfriend only heard some high-pitched wailing and saw some blood before Jenny pulled the innocent girl away, Trina saw...that. All of that. The waiter and the customers were only supposed to be like lifeless dolls, not...that.

But all of her carefully laid plans went out the window as soon as Steven had said he couldn’t think of any reason why someone would haunt him. That...had been triggering. Maybe if it had been Jake or Mason who had said that, Jenny could have controlled her anger better, but…

Steven’s single comment was the one she recalled the most.

So the fact he didn’t even think it was worth mentioning...the possibility that he didn’t even recall it...made Jenny decide to just speedrun the rest of Steven’s haunting. Right then and there. Even though Trina was right there.

Even though she was completely innocent.

Oh well, it was too late to do anything about it now. And if she thought about it, this was Jenny’s third haunting. She should consider herself lucky that Jake’s and Mason’s haunting went more smoothly.

It wasn’t like Trina was dead anyway.

“W-Why? What are you planning to do with me?” Trina asked, her voice almost trembling as she looked at Jenny in horror. Then, her eyes narrowed. “With Steven?”

Despite the darkness surrounding them, despite Jenny’s skeletal hand still holding the back of Jenny’s shirt, despite the rest of Jenny’s bloody and decaying corpse, Trina was still protective of Steven.

...Oh, this was going to hurt. Trina for sure more than Jenny, but still.

But Trina had to know.

Jenny could only hope that what Steven did to her had really been a rare lapse in otherwise decent character. That it wouldn’t take much more for him to sincerely repent.

But from what she had observed earlier...Jenny had a feeling that her hopes were for naught.

“You’ll see,” Jenny said before she waved her free hand, which still had fleshy fingers. In an instant, a patch of the darkness in front of them cleared up, like a screen in a movie theater, and they could see Steven wailing on his knees.

“Steven!” Trina cried as she tried to run to him, only to bounce back when Jenny’s hand didn’t move or relent its grasp on her shirt.

“He can’t hear you. Neither can he see us. Only I can choose who hears and sees who in this space,” said Jenny. Then she placed her index finger on her top lip, her bottom lip long gone. “So just listen, alright? I promise everything will make sense if you do.”

Maybe it was because Trina was reasonable, or maybe it was because she read something on Jenny’s face, but Trina bit her lip and looked worriedly at Steven.

Jenny took a deep breath and snapped her fingers.

“She’s not dead.” Such simple words, but the impact they had on Steven was great as he immediately stopped wailing and looked up. After seconds of looking at his surroundings, which had not changed in his eyes, he stood up.

“Where are you?” he asked, his voice strained with his previous crying and a rage that was starting to ignite. “What did you do with Trina?

“She is safe,” Jenny said truthfully. “In fact, she is safer now than she was with you.”

“How does that make any sense? You kidnapped her,” Steven said, his voice rising as he clenched his fists. “It’s you, isn’t it? The one who’s been haunting me for the last few days?”

“Yes. I will even admit that I observed you for days before I messed with the water.”

Jenny had to know him. And by doing so, she learned that just like Jake and Mason, Steven was also complicated. A regular man who made mistakes just like anybody else.

She just hoped that he would surprise her and admit his fault faster than the previous two.

“What, are you a creep or something?” Steven asked, which dashed Jenny's hopes somewhat. “Don’t tell me that you’ve fallen in love with me and you were just trying to get my attention. Then you saw how much Trina and I love each other, so you took her away because you were jealous.”

“...No,” said Jenny, perplexed as to whether he had simply watched too many movies or was simply delusional.

Yes, she did care for him. But not like that.

“Then why are you doing this?” cried Steven. “What has Trina done, what have I done to-”

“You’re part of the reason why I’m dead!” All the windows in the restaurant shattered with that reveal. Then pure silence. Jenny was grateful for that. She was too busy getting her angry pants back to a normal breathing pattern for her to reply to anything. When Jenny felt a little more in control, she glanced at Trina and found that Trina was staring at her with a face full of sympathy, confusion, and dread. Jenny looked back at Steven and almost despaired when she only saw denial on his face.

Just like with Jake and Mason.

But Jenny told herself, just like she did with the previous two men, that it was irrational to think that Steven would feel responsible when he probably wasn’t even aware that she had died. When he couldn’t see her face. When he didn’t even know her name.

But at the same time...

“Wha-”

“Does watching a video where a girl makes lasagna ring any bells, Steven? Where in her haste to pull out the dish, she forgot to put on her potholders? Do you remember...after she burns her hand...she’s in pain, but she laughs about it because it is kinda funny? Only...you didn’t find it funny, did you? Instead...you called her a retard.”

Her eyes remained solely on Steven as blood began to seep up through the tiled floor that he was standing on.

But he either didn’t care or simply didn’t notice as recognition fluttered in his eyes before scorn settled on his face.

“Oh, please don’t tell me you killed yourself over that. If so...that’s pathetic.”

Trina gasped as Jenny’s smoldering hopes of Steven’s quick repentance and contrition finally and completely died.

She knew it would happen when she saw how Steven threw that vulgar word viciously around in online game chats, social media posts, and other YouTube videos like they were candy. It was like he was honestly offended when others made small, stupid mistakes that did not affect him whatsoever.

But Jenny had seen how tender he was with Trina, how he loved both dogs and cats, and how bright his smile became when he saw the local ice cream shop had mint cookies n’ cream as an option.

He wasn’t evil. Just like Jake and Mason, Steven was complicated.

She just wished he could understand that the person behind the other screen had feelings too.

“No. But your comment, along with the other awful comments, hurt me so much that I wanted to go get my favorite ice cream. Also, mint cookies n' cream. However, as I was walking to the store...I was preoccupied with what you and the others said, so when I crossed the street...I hadn't realized that the car in the right-turn lane hadn’t seen me either until it was too late.”

The puddle of blood around Steven’s feet stilled as a few tears ran down Jenny’s face.

She never wanted this. She wanted to be alive, eating ice cream, and making more light-hearted cooking videos. Not terrorizing Steven, not after caring for him as she cared for Jake and Mason. But...

“Wow, you really are a retard, aren’t you?” Steven said coldly. “I mean, how is that my-”

They had to understand.

The puddle suddenly became thick and, as if it were alive, raised bloody tendrils that clung to him as they dragged him down. Steven screamed in terror as he tried to escape the bloody, quicksand-like puddle.

Cursed her bleeding heart, despite his harsh words, it still hurt to see him like that.

“Don’t kill him!” Amidst Steven’s screaming, Jenny looked over to Trina and saw the tears streaming down her face.

“He’s...I didn’t know...I...You have a right to...but…”

“I’m not going to kill him. I just want him to apologize.” With this simply stated truth, Jenny finally let go of Trina’s shirt. Then she placed her bony hand on top of Trina’s head.

“I’m sorry that I brought you into this. But you had to know his dark side. And maybe...I was hoping that taking you away from him would humble him enough to be willing to feel remorse.”

“…I’m sorry too,” Trina whispered, with tears still running down her betrayed face.

“I know.” With a snap of her fingers, Trina disappeared. She was now back in the real world, sitting in her chair across from a sleeping Steven in a restaurant that only had living people. Whatever Trina chose to do next would be up to her. Jenny silently sent Trina her best wishes.

Jenny took a deep breath before she looked back at Steven, who was further into the endless bloody puddle, still screaming in terror. She frowned sadly when Steven got desperate enough to scream Trina’s name.

...But he had to understand.

So Jenny steeled her nerves and got ready to terrorize Steven until he truly begged for forgiveness.

Then she would move on to the next person on her list.

And do the same thing all over again.