Character Relationship Map: Smiley

Characters

• Ashley (played by Caitlin Gerard) — protagonist

  The protagonist and Proxy's roommate. After testing the Smiley myth and witnessing a murder, she suffers intense guilt and paranoia, believing she is being stalked. Her attempts to warn the police are...

• Proxy (played by Melanie Papalia) — supporting

  Ashley's roommate who initially urges her to stay silent about the witnessed murder. Later, she becomes hysterical after losing contact with Zane. During a video chat with Zane, she questions their mo...

• Binder (played by Shane Dawson) — supporting

  A friend introduced at a party who visits Ashley to check on her. He is accidentally shot by Ashley and subsequently killed by Smiley. He is later revealed to be part of the fringe group that created...

• Zane (played by Andrew James Allen) — supporting

  A friend Ashley meets at a party. He goes missing, and Ashley finds him dead in his apartment, shot with his own handgun. He later video chats with Proxy, dismisses her moral concerns, and dies after...

• Smiley (played by Michael Traynor) — supporting

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Binder → Proxy (Alliance Co-Conspirator) — They share membership in the group behind the fabricated myth.

  The ending reveals that Proxy and Binder belong to a fringe Anonymous group that created the Smiley myth as a large-scale prank.

• Zane → Smiley (Conflict Victim) — Zane becomes another casualty of the Smiley myth after treating it as a joke.

  Zane is found shot in his house, and later dies after jokingly typing the phrase three times while video-chatting with Proxy.

• Zane → Proxy (Social Video Chat Contact) — Their remote conversation reveals Proxy's fear and Zane's dismissive attitude.

  Proxy video-chats with Zane while questioning their morality.

• Proxy → Smiley (Conflict Victim) — Proxy is ultimately killed by the myth she helped test and conceal.

  After Zane types the summoning phrase three times, Smiley appears behind Proxy and kills her.

• Ashley → Smiley (Conflict Targeted Survivor) — Ashley becomes the central human target of the Smiley threat and survives the apparent fall.

  Ashley believes Smiley is stalking her and intends to kill her; Smiley later attacks her with multiple apparitions.

• Ashley → Binder (Social Friend) — Binder is part of Ashley's broader social circle and attempts to visit her during the crisis.

  Binder is introduced as one of the people Ashley meets at a party and later comes to check on her.

• Ashley → Zane (Social Acquaintance) — Their connection begins socially but becomes important after Zane's death.

  Ashley meets Zane at a party, and later goes to his house after Proxy loses contact with him.

• Ashley → Proxy (Social Roommate) — They share a living space and participate together in testing the Smiley myth.

  The plot explicitly states that Ashley and Proxy are college roommates.

Story Analysis

A guilt-ridden student confronts an Internet murder myth that continues beyond the pranksters who created it.

Plot Progression

1. The Lulz Summoning — Ashley and Proxy test an Internet myth by typing the same phrase three times. They witness a stranger's murder and choose to remain silent.
2. Guilt Becomes Fear — Ashley develops guilt, nightmares, and the belief that Smiley is stalking her. Her friends and the police dismiss her warnings.
3. The Handgun Trap — Proxy loses contact with Zane, and Ashley discovers him dead with his own handgun. Ashley tries to summon Smiley deliberately but accidentally shoots Binder.
4. The Window Escape — Smiley kills Binder and multiple Smileys attack Ashley. She throws herself from a window in an attempt to escape.
5. The Myth Survives — The prank's Anonymous origins are revealed, but the threat continues beyond its creators. Proxy is killed during a later video chat, while Ashley is revealed to have survived.