I couldn’t believe it. Gary and I had finally gotten our driver’s licenses, and we were ready to hit the road for the ultimate joy ride. I’m Caesar, by the way. Just two teens from La Plata, Maryland, looking for some fun and adventure.

It was a beautiful day, and we decided to drive around St. Mary’s County. As we cruised along the highway, we stumbled upon a town that seemed to come straight out of a storybook. It was quaint, charming, and had this particular atmosphere that made us curious to explore.

“Hey, Gary, check out this place,” I said as I slowed down the car.

“Wow, Caesar, it looks interesting. Let’s see what’s up with it.”, Gary replied.

The first thing we noticed upon entering the town was that everyone had a wide smile plastered across their face. It was eerie, but they all seemed so nice that we couldn’t help but feel drawn to them.

As we strolled down the streets, we encountered an old man sitting on a bench, still donning that creepy yet friendly smile. “Welcome to our town, boys! We’re always happy to see new faces,” he greeted us. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off, but his warmth was contagious, and we decided to stay.

Over the next few hours, we met more townsfolk. They told us about the town’s history and even invited us to participate in their activities. It was oddly enjoyable, despite the lingering feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

The townspeople told us about the town’s founding by a mysterious woman that claimed to be the goddess of happiness. It was said that her enchanting smile had the power to spread joy and contentment to everyone she met. In gratitude, the townsfolk had vowed to keep her legacy alive by always wearing smiles on their faces; it sounded weird but we played along.

As the day went on, Gary and I had an absolute blast. We played games, danced at a local festival, and even tried some of the town’s mouthwatering cuisine. The people, despite their strange smiles, were genuinely kind and welcoming.

Finally, as the sun began to set, we decided it was time to head home. We said our goodbyes, promising to return to the smiley people town the following weekend.

When the weekend came, we eagerly hopped into the car and drove back to St. Mary’s County, trying to retrace our steps to the peculiar town. But no matter how hard we searched, we couldn’t find it.

Confused, we asked locals in neighboring towns about the place with the smiley people, but nobody had ever heard of it. We spent the entire day looking, but the town had seemingly vanished.

Defeated, we headed back home, unable to shake the feeling that we had experienced something truly supernatural. We couldn’t explain it, but we were grateful for the memories and the joy the town had brought us.

Months passed, and we still couldn’t find any trace of the town or its residents. But Gary and I held on to the memories and the happiness we had experienced there.

One day, while flipping through an old photo album, we found a picture of the two of us in the town square, surrounded by the smiling townsfolk. It was funny, neither one of us remember taking a picture but we smiled, knowing that the enchanting town would mark our lives forever.