I turn my head quickly to what Zane is screaming at. I'm still clinging to Mark. My eyes land on a figure hunched over in the corner. It's fuzzy red hair is tangled in curls. I hear its muffled laughter from afar.
"I'm scared of clowns," Zane shudders.
"Clowns, really?" Ivy whines.
"Okay... I'm a little creeped out," Mark glances wearily at the clown.
I can see it breathing, it's back moving ever so slightly with its breath. "We should," I gulp, "stick together. Come over here, guys," I motion everyone towards me.
They back up slowly, eventually all of us are huddled in a group in the middle of the room. We hide Zane in the middle, keeping him from his fear even though we know it won't help. The house will surely find a way to get to him.
Cole is in front, his husky arms form a barrier around a few of us. The clowns powdery, pale skin glistens in the dim glow. His head snaps up, his green cat eyes meet with mine. I am on the outside of the group, to the right of Cole. My hand still clings to Mark's. I try to be as still as possible. I keep eye contact with it, but it moves its eyes to another corner of the room. I look where it's looking, noticing another figure. A few gasps sound from the group as we move away from both corners. The other clown looks up as well, both of them now bearing pointed, yellowing teeth. The one who was there first begins flicking it's snake-like tongue through his overly drawn lips. It's red face paint causes it to seem as if it's smiling wider than it already is, his eyes stare at Cole. It's gloved hands are folded neatly at its legs, drumming it's fingers on its plaid overalls. I scan its appearance, noticing every last detail. It wears oversized red boots, the tips are rounded too dramatically. It has a tucked-in shirt, the collar is a dark purple and the rest is polka dotted with unappealing colors. It doesn't have the usual white around its eye, it's more of a brownish yellow. I close my eyes, reminding myself that it's not my fear and that we can all make it through this if we just help Zane.
"Zane. Concentrate. Remind yourself that this is just the house messing with you. These stupid clowns aren't even real," I snarl at it. I call the clown "it" because it just fits the picture.
"Babe, careful. You don't want to upset it sooner than it plans. We don't need an earlier attack," Mark whispers in my ear softly. I try to calm myself, squeezing his hand. He squeezes in return.
"I don't think I will be able to make it," Zane croaks with fear.
"Of course you will. Don't say that," Hazel soothes him.
And then it chuckles. It is laughing to itself. No. It is snarling. It's bushy eyebrows pull in an arch as it looks through us. It's looking behind us. I turn around and see another clown. Of course.
"Oh my god." Alaska jumps back, away from the corner nearest to her.
"What are you doing? Is this a game to you?" I scream at them. Then they are all looking at the last corner. I already know what's there, but I look anyway. I'm right, another clown. The only difference with this one is that it's holding a chainsaw.
With a wild laugh, the newest one yanks the chainsaw to life, it's loud roar rips at my eardrums. It steps forward, the chainsaw sounds like thunder on a stormy night. It inches closer and closer to us, we stay huddled together around Zane. The other clowns come towards us as well, closing in on us. My heart beats quickly in my chest, my palm is now sweaty in Mark's hand.
"This isn't real," I hear Zane whisper repeatedly as a reminder. I focus on his voice. The clowns are only a few steps away. The chainsaw still rumbles, they now start to walk in a circle. They circle us, smiling and laughing wickedly, a fierce spark in their green and red eyes. It is as if they are straight out of a childhood nightmare, the kind that'd wake you up in the middle of the night and cause you to go running to your parents in the hope that they might be able to make the picture in your little child head go away. But this isn't a nightmare, this is real. They can physically hurt any of us, and all of us are at risk of losing our lives. This could be the end of one of our lives and that is a hard thing to accept.
Their laughing and footsteps circle us, I feel like I'm going to throw up. I don't know which direction to look, I turn my head every which way to watch them prance around us. They find humor in our terror, every bit of fear adds on to their wild actions. When will it be over?
Zane breathes heavily in the middle, his breaths uneasy and rough. "I think I'm going to have a panic attack," Zane croaks.
"No you won't. Hang in there," Cole whispers and takes a large step into the clowns pathway. He winces as a clown slams into his chest.
"No!" I scream, lunging at the horrific creature. I feel the fingers of my left hand dig into its skin, my other hand swings around as I plow it in the head with my fist. It squeals with horror, wiggling from my grip. The rest of the clowns stop, looking at me in awe. Cole shakes his head with dismay as he recovers from the blow.
"You shouldn't have done that," the clown with the chainsaw snickers as he holds up the roaring machine.
"Shit, I'm gonna regret this," Mark bounces on his toes before booking it towards me and leaping at the clown nearest to me. I feel the wind breeze past me as he does so, blowing my hair from my face. I watch as Mark beats the clown, nodding at Cole just before I run toward another empty-handed clown. I'm sure that Cole will go after the one with the chainsaw and another one in the group would take the other. But I'm wrong.
Once I reach the clown, I feel it drive it's fist into my stomach. I cough, wincing as I push away the pain just before bringing my knee up and yanking its head down as I bash its face into my knee. It hurt, but it hurt the clown more. As I take on one of the clowns and Mark takes another, I notice Cole staring at the chainsaw through my fists being thrown. It is total chaos.
Just before Cole goes after the clown, Zane shoves his way out of the group. Cole stares in horror towards Zane, thinking he'd give in. I hesitate as I watch Zane as well, before slamming my elbow into a clown's rib cage. It screams in my ear, lacing its fingers into my hair and punching me in the nose. I cry out, feeling my nose throb. I taste the blood running from my nose, spitting it at the clown as I continue beating it. Cole roars at the air before running after the last empty-handed clown. I hear something snap and I look up suddenly. Cole holds the lifeless body of the clown by its head, I realize what he has done. He snapped its neck, just like that, as if it was something he learned in one of the sports he played. I continue wrestling the clown as a few others join in. I hear Alaska scream as she wraps her hands around my clown's neck. Lazaro runs at the clown Mark is battling. Cole stands beside Zane, both of them stare eye-to-eye with the chainsaw-wielding clown. Hazel helps Alaska and I, wrestling the inhumanly strong clown. Yvoni joins in as well, each of us plowing our fists into the clown. Damon joins Zane's side, guarding him along with Cole. Ivy hesitates before joining Mark and Lazaro as they fight the other clown. Nina follows Ivy, grabbing right at the clown's hair as she pounds its face. Alaska jumps into the air and lands her foot on the clown's face, another cracking noise rips into the air as the clown stops fighting back. We breathe heavily, my muscles are sore as I get myself back to my feet. Yvoni stands up effortlessly, reaching her hand down to help Alaska up. Alaska groans before grabbing her hand. I stretch and my back cracks, just as Mark throws the last punch on the remaining clown, aside from the chainsaw one. The clown stops any effort of fighting back as the life leaves its eyes. The rest of us get to our feet as we join in by Zane's side. Everyone stands behind him, aside from Mark. He is still hunched over the dead clown, his head in his hands. I leave the group and run to him. I see the red in his puffy eyes as soon as he looks up at me.
"Are you okay?" I whisper as I kneel down beside him.
"Are any of us really okay?" he asks with exhaustion.
"Come on, this will be over soon. We will make it," I hold my hand down to him. He grabs it and I help him up. We hug for only a moment, though I want it never to end. It hurts when we let go, I know there is a chance that it might be the last time I feel him in my arms. His warm embrace reminds me to stay strong.
We join the rest, all of us glaring at the last clown. It is bigger than the rest, and slightly more frightening. I feel a shiver run down my spine as I watch Zane still standing in the front.
"I will go after the chainsaw. I want to be the one to end it," Zane whispers, strategizing.
"I'll get him down, Lazaro, Mark and Damon, I will need your help. We can get it down to give Zane just enough time to end this for good," Cole directs before running at the clown. Zane follows, his hands latch onto the chainsaw and knock it from the clown's hand just as Cole tackles it. Lazaro and Damon follow, pinning down the kicking legs. Mark nods with a sniff, just as he runs towards it as well. I shut my eyes with hope. When I finally open them, I watch as Mark holds the clown's head in place and Zane picks up the chainsaw. It all happens in the blink of an eye, the ripping of the skin, the cracking of the bone as the chainsaw still held by Zane, cuts through the clown's neck. It's lifeless and pale head rolls away as soon as Mark lets go.
The blood oozes from the torn body, Zane shuts off the chainsaw and slams it to the ground. He begins to tear up, his whole body shakes. "I did it," he manages to speak between his weak shivers.