Being Butch Green || ✓

Chapter 26 - Thank God For Clowns

Our sprint down McQuarrie street wasn't pleasant. A spray of bullets followed us. Luckily all of them missed. My chest heaved quicker and my shoulder ached with a certain annoyance as it bounced along with my heavy footsteps. I wasn't used to such activity after being incapacitated with a bullet wound, but I didn't see the point in dying here.

As I ran, the strip of shops began to build up like an awkwardly placed wall. Shop owners were signing off on early morning deliveries as the brisk sun woke the street. I leapt over a snarling black terrier as it barked at my heels and sprinted on without so much as a 'good boy' to it.

I neared a small fresh produce palace, coated in a dashing green exterior. A large white truck was parked out the front, where two men were unloading crates of fresh fruit. My eyes grew wide as I came to the realization that I couldn't stop and wait for the men to move out of my path with their oranges.

"Oh no, no, no!" I mumbled as I scooted closer. "Not the bloody oranges!"

In a panic, I charged straight for them, smashing straight through the crates and sending oranges flying across the pavement. I jumped over the spilled crates as the trolley men yelled angrily at my back. I stumbled, catching my feet on a rolling orange. Gracefully, my body collided with the ground and I scraped against the concrete.

I lay, wreathing in agony as Hailey caught up. Did I just get jinxed by an orange?

"Come on! Get your arse up!"

She held out her hand, and with one gigantic heave, I latched onto her wrist. She pulled me up, dragging me down the street, her rhythmic panting soothing my own jagged rhythm. At least this time I didn't break my arm on the bloody orange. Nope, Maggie had preambled that one for me.

"There!" Hailey shouted, pointing up the street.

Before I had the chance to look, she grabbed my wrist and tugged me down the road. We were heading straight into the makings of a large colourful swarm. The mass danced in uncoordinated waves as stripes of colour created a strobe light effect in the early light. It made my aspirin filled head swim with the mob.

"What the hell is that?" I wheezed, my body beginning to fatigue with the injuries bruising my body.

She didn't answer as we fled into the growing mass of moving colour, honking horns and unicycles. I panted, making out the individual people among them. Their fake red noses, striped shirts and wigs left me with an expanding notion of insecurity. This can't be serious!? I have to be dreaming!

"Or rather in a nightmare."

I glanced across at the happy, bobbing face and scowled.

"You need a new hobby, honestly."

I swiped my hand at her, knocking her out of my mind. "Why does Melbourne have to be so weird!?"

"Good question," Hailey said, "But right now we should focus on losing your agents in the crowd."

"You've got to be kidding me!?" I murmured, "Fucking clowns!?"

My knees buckled. Clowns. Fucking clowns. Oh shit. Number one on my very long list of ridiculous phobias. I gagged. Hailey didn't seem to notice, dragging me further into the horrendous mess of grown men dressed as children's party entertainers. My legs froze, causing Hailey to pull on my arm.

"Come on! We have to keep moving!" she yelled through the noise as a clown honked a horn in her face, making her jump. Her face morphed into anger as she slapped the clown in question. He mimed out his pain. Hailey ignored him, turning her attention back to me. "What's wrong?"