Never before had I ever understood what people found so scary about clowns. Even standing here, watching this short, chubby clown juggling bowling pins, I felt nothing even resembling fear. My friends, on the other hand, informed me that something felt off about him. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary about this clown. Nothing other than the fact that his eyes were locked on me. Even though he was clearly smiling, the look in his eyes was nothing but concern. Perhaps I was one of the first few people he'd met that he couldn't mesmerize by his clown talents?
I moved over to the right of this small group of people I was in that surrounded and watched the clown. His eyes were still on me, his body, nor his face, following suit. I now understood what my friends meant, this clown was truly giving me the creeps. I backed away slowly, hoping he wouldn't follow. When I knew I was safe, I casually made my way over to my friends, who were over at a game stand that was set up on the sidelines of the fair.
The moonless night sky that loomed overhead shone no stars, which only made this night feel all too much like a dream to me. The air smelled almost sickeningly sweet, with the smell of cotton candy and kettle corn. The game my friends were actively trying to win was a game where you throw darts at balloons that were slightly inflated and taped to the wall. My friend, Sam, was on her last dart. She closed one eye, lining up her shot. She threw the dart and a loud popping sound could be heard. "congratulations," exclaimed the high energy man who was running the game. "Take your pick of any of these posters!" He pointed to the wall behind him.
After making her pick, we waited for our other friend, Jamie, to finish his turn. He missed every shot. "That game sucked anyway," he said quietly, as we walked away from it.
"You guys were right," I told them as we got in line to get cotton candy from the booth at the center of the fair. "That clown over there," I pointed. "There really is something wrong with him."
"Why, what'd he do?" Sam asked.
"I dunno," I replied. "He just kept staring at me. He was looking at me like-"
"Like he was flirting with you?" Jamie said, trying to hold back laughter.
"No dude, for real, he looked like he was afraid or concerned or something." I told them. "He just kept watching me, even as I was backing away."
"You're just paranoid," Sam said after being handed her cotton candy. "Don't worry about it," she said while taking a bite. "He's just some circus clown, he'll be gone tomorrow."
That night, I was tossing and turning in my bed. For some reason I was unable to sleep. Everytime I shut my eyes, all I could see was that clown. I could feel his eyes burning into mine. The smile that never faded. The sweat pouring down the cracked white paint on his face. His eyes following me everywhere.
I heard a sound outside my window, a light tapping. I sat up and walked over. There's no way it would be one of my friends, not at this late into the night.
When I got to the window, I stared in horror at the clown outside. The same creepy grin on his face, the same concerned look in his eyes.
I opened up my window to tell him to go away. Before I could open my mouth to speak, he stretched his arm out and grabbed my head. I felt his fingers grip the top of my head tightly. All I could feel was sharp pain coursing through my body. I could see nothing but blinding darkness.
After what felt like forever, he let go and the pain faded. As the pain was fading, my vision was coming back. The man that stood before me was no longer a clown. He looked like just a normal person, like the clown before but without the makeup or the silly costume. What had happened?
"Finally!" He cheered. "I'm free!" He excitedly patted his face before running off out of sight.
I had no idea what had just happened, what he had done to me. That is, until I shut the window, my reflection in the glass staring back at me. I jumped back and screamed. My face was covered in clown makeup. I looked down to find I was dressed in a silly clown costume with random patterns and colors sprinkled throughout.
I tried leaving my room and running to my parents, only to find that I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried.
Before I could even begin to understand what was happening, I felt my mouth twist into a wide grin. A silly clown laugh escaped my lips.
I no longer felt like I was in control of my own body.
My body began moving on its own, carrying me to the front door and walking outside. I grabbed a set of three bowling pins that were laying by the door, and began to juggle them. As my body juggled them, my legs carried me forward. Where was my new clown body taking me? All I could do was watch, any noise I attempted to make turning to the same silly clown laugh.
I moved over to the right of this small group of people I was in that surrounded and watched the clown. His eyes were still on me, his body, nor his face, following suit. I now understood what my friends meant, this clown was truly giving me the creeps. I backed away slowly, hoping he wouldn't follow. When I knew I was safe, I casually made my way over to my friends, who were over at a game stand that was set up on the sidelines of the fair.
The moonless night sky that loomed overhead shone no stars, which only made this night feel all too much like a dream to me. The air smelled almost sickeningly sweet, with the smell of cotton candy and kettle corn. The game my friends were actively trying to win was a game where you throw darts at balloons that were slightly inflated and taped to the wall. My friend, Sam, was on her last dart. She closed one eye, lining up her shot. She threw the dart and a loud popping sound could be heard. "congratulations," exclaimed the high energy man who was running the game. "Take your pick of any of these posters!" He pointed to the wall behind him.
After making her pick, we waited for our other friend, Jamie, to finish his turn. He missed every shot. "That game sucked anyway," he said quietly, as we walked away from it.
"You guys were right," I told them as we got in line to get cotton candy from the booth at the center of the fair. "That clown over there," I pointed. "There really is something wrong with him."
"Why, what'd he do?" Sam asked.
"I dunno," I replied. "He just kept staring at me. He was looking at me like-"
"Like he was flirting with you?" Jamie said, trying to hold back laughter.
"No dude, for real, he looked like he was afraid or concerned or something." I told them. "He just kept watching me, even as I was backing away."
"You're just paranoid," Sam said after being handed her cotton candy. "Don't worry about it," she said while taking a bite. "He's just some circus clown, he'll be gone tomorrow."
That night, I was tossing and turning in my bed. For some reason I was unable to sleep. Everytime I shut my eyes, all I could see was that clown. I could feel his eyes burning into mine. The smile that never faded. The sweat pouring down the cracked white paint on his face. His eyes following me everywhere.
I heard a sound outside my window, a light tapping. I sat up and walked over. There's no way it would be one of my friends, not at this late into the night.
When I got to the window, I stared in horror at the clown outside. The same creepy grin on his face, the same concerned look in his eyes.
I opened up my window to tell him to go away. Before I could open my mouth to speak, he stretched his arm out and grabbed my head. I felt his fingers grip the top of my head tightly. All I could feel was sharp pain coursing through my body. I could see nothing but blinding darkness.
After what felt like forever, he let go and the pain faded. As the pain was fading, my vision was coming back. The man that stood before me was no longer a clown. He looked like just a normal person, like the clown before but without the makeup or the silly costume. What had happened?
"Finally!" He cheered. "I'm free!" He excitedly patted his face before running off out of sight.
I had no idea what had just happened, what he had done to me. That is, until I shut the window, my reflection in the glass staring back at me. I jumped back and screamed. My face was covered in clown makeup. I looked down to find I was dressed in a silly clown costume with random patterns and colors sprinkled throughout.
I tried leaving my room and running to my parents, only to find that I couldn't move, no matter how hard I tried.
Before I could even begin to understand what was happening, I felt my mouth twist into a wide grin. A silly clown laugh escaped my lips.
I no longer felt like I was in control of my own body.
My body began moving on its own, carrying me to the front door and walking outside. I grabbed a set of three bowling pins that were laying by the door, and began to juggle them. As my body juggled them, my legs carried me forward. Where was my new clown body taking me? All I could do was watch, any noise I attempted to make turning to the same silly clown laugh.
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