Fear Feast

Clowning Around: Appetizer

Clowning Around: Appetizer

 The children of Solemn Valley went to sleep one night and awoke to the next morning to find that the circus had arrived. It had come in the night. In the midst of the valley, in a large clearing, stood the colossal tent. There was a walkway that zigzagged from the main entrance of the tent to the various food carts. The walkway, the tent, the carts and even the caravans were all striped in red, pink and white. Those were the colours of the Clowning Around Circus.

 Jamie Hartley thought it was so peculiar. He felt a circus should showcase a kaleidoscope of colours. Three just did not seem enough. However the colour scheme was not the only strange thing. There was something far more peculiar: the circus, as its name would indicate, featured only clown acts. No tightrope walkers, no trapeze artists, no strong man, no elephants. Just clowns. Even the ringmaster was a clown.

“Splinter,” whispered Jamie, as he gazed at one of the many posters taped to the red, pink and white picket fence surrounding the circus. 

What an awful name for a clown, thought Jamie, but Splinter was indeed his name. The poster read: 

The Clowning Around Circus: 

A once-in-a-lifetime experience

Ringmaster: The Famous Splinter the Clown

Come one and come all

Midnight to Three

One Show Only

 One show only! thought Jamie.

Jamie ripped off one of the posters and tucked it in his pocket. He turned swiftly and broke into a sprint. He ran all the way home and burst through the door, frightening his mother and upsetting the cat. Edith Hartley dropped the tray she had been carrying. Freshly frosted cupcakes flew everywhere. Simon, the tabby cat, hissed and slinked off. His nap on the welcome mat had been interrupted. Jamie ignored Simon. He would appease the cat with some tuna later. He apologized profusely to his mother who had launched into a rant about his “wild erratic behaviour”.

“Mom, mom, listen,” said Jamie earnestly.

 “Yes, Jamie,” said Edith with an exasperated sigh.

 Jamie took out the crumpled poster. He smoothed it out and showed it to her. Edith stared at it blankly.

 “Midnight?” said Edith, her eyes widening.

 Jamie gulped.

“Do you know that a few boys in the neighbouring town recently went missing? They were out galavanting late, playing pranks and poof! GONE!”

 There was a noise in the hall. Jesse came bounding into the room, grinning from ear to ear. Jamie smiled at his twin. That smile vanished as soon as he saw Darius enter the room, following closely behind Jamie. The twins, Jamie and Jesse, had been inseparable for most of their twelve years of life. However, Jesse had recently befriended the troublemaker of Solemn Valley, Darius. This left Jamie to fend for himself. 

Edith began cleaning up the mess on the carpet. Jamie bent down to help her. He felt a pang of guilt. Edith had done her best to raise the twins on her own. She was only thirty years old and had forgone college to start a small catering business that she ran from home. She had always had a penchant for baking and it was her delectable home-made cupcakes, cookies and pastries that had supported the family thus far. Her high-school sweetheart and father to the twins had died in a car crash when she was five months pregnant.

 Jesse and Darius skipped right past Jamie, Edith and the smushed cupcakes without a word. The duo dashed through the door.

 “Mom, so sorry, catch you later, ok,” said Jamie.

 Jamie scampered after them.

 “Guys, guys, wait!” he yelled.

 Darius and Jesse paused at the end of the driveway. Jamie caught up with them.

 “Look!” declared Jamie, brandishing the poster.

 The two boys looked. They turned to each other and frowned. Jamie’s face fell.

 “A circus!” spat Darius.

 “That’s for babies!” he said.

 Jesse shrugged his shoulders but remained silent.

 “It’s not for babies!” retorted Jamie as the two turned their backs on him and began walking away.

 “It opens at midnight and closes at three in the morning. I think that’s way past most babies’ bedtimes,” yelled Jamie at their backs.

 The two stopped and turned to face Jamie.

 “Opens at midnight, huh,” said Darius, an evil glint in his eye.

 “That’s pretty cool, actually,” added Jesse, smiling at Jamie.

 Jamie beamed back.

 “Yeah, it is,” said Jamie, “but I don’t think Mom will let us go. You should have seen her face when I showed her the poster.”

 “Who says you need your Mom’s permission?” asked Darius, rolling his eyes.

 “Well, we’ll need ticket money. I’m pretty sure this circus is not cheap,” said Jamie.

 “So take it from her purse,” said Darius as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

Jamie and Jesse both regarded Darius with expressions of horror. Darius sighed. He brightened when an idea struck him.

 “Or,” Darius said, “You could sneak into the circus.”

 “Sneak in?” said Jamie, frowning.

 “Yeah!” exclaimed Jesse, readily agreeing with Darius, “We just wait t’ill Mom’s asleep and then sneak out of the house and into the circus. Don’t look so troubled, Jamie. We used to sneak out before, remember? We went to the cemetery once. You were trying to contact Dad.”

 “That’s different!” snapped Jamie.

 “I told you,” yelled Darius, looking pointedly at Jesse, “Your mirror image is a coward!”

 Darius strode away with Jesse on his heel.

 “Wait!” said Jamie.

 The boys stopped and turned to look at Jamie.

 “Darius, meet Jesse and I right here, in front of the house, at a quarter to midnight. I think I know how we can get in,” said Jamie.

 A wicked grin appeared on Darius’ face. Jesse smiled. Jamie kept his expression blank.

 “Quarter to midnight,” Darius said, extending a hand.

 “Quarter to midnight,” repeated Jamie.