Clowning Around

The tree lined street was pitch black, much to the chagrin of the residents in the neighborhood. Their pleas for new street lights went unheard by city officials. Only the sounds of the Autumn party at the very end of the street could be heard. Most of the neighborhood had gone early and then retired for the evening. All that was left was a group of teenagers.

Ryan stumbled out of the party, his girl falling after him. They looked at one another and laughed. Their lips were drawn together, the same magnetism forced his hand up her shirt.

"What the f--" Carly screamed. Disoriented, Ryan looked at her confused.

"Babe, no one is around!" Carly turned his head so he could see what she did. Bathed in green lights was a clown. It was like nothing that they had seen before. The Clown was in a black and white jump suit, which matched the make up caked on his face.

A wide smile from The Clown, followed by a beckoning for them to follow him. Carly let out an ear splitting scream and clung to her boyfriend.
Their friends piled out of the house, to see what the fuss was about. Sean looked at the group, then to Ryan, "What are we going to do about this, bro?"

Halfway through his shrug, Ryan remembered his dad's gun. It was locked in a drawer in his office but he knew where the key was. He ran across the street to his house. He noted that The Clown was moving closer, so he had to be fast.

As quietly as he could, Ryan moved through the house so he didn't disturb his parents. He grabbed the gun and hurried back to his friends. As he walked out the door, he noticed that The Clown had moved even closer to his friends and there was a shiny object in his hand. Without thinking, Ryan lifted the gun into the and fired off three rounds. The sound broke the quiet of that October night. Which knocked him to his feet.
Residents rushed to their doors to see what was happening. Older men approached the group of teens to check on them. Ryan's dad put his arm around him, and guided him into the house. He took the gun and wiped it with a towel. His voice was stern but gentle, "This never happened. Do you understand me? When the police show up, I was the one who shot that guy."

Ryan nodded his head slowly. As his eyes closed, he heard one of the other men say that The Clown didn't have anything in his hand. He tried to speak but his voice was lost in his throat. Through the haze he heard his dad say, "We'll put a knife in his pocket."

A Few Weeks Later

"Party at my place tonight!" Carly exclaimed in the middle of the hallway, snuggling closer to Ryan. He kissed her forehead, a smile on his face. "And yes there will be some refreshments."

She had to watch what she said with teachers hanging around, listening to everything that was said. A piece of paper caught Ryan's attention. He bent down and picked it up and let out a small gasp. It read:

You've been a naughty boy.

Eye for an eye.
Knife for a knife.
Watch your back!

Carly read the message over his shoulder. Unconsciously she rubbed his back, and made a mental note to let his dad know that another note was found. It had been happening quite a bit and while Ryan's mom wanted to go to the police, it wasn't an option. Instead they hired a Private Detective to see where the notes were coming from.

They jumped into Carly's car and sped off. They stopped at a red light, and Ryan went in for a kiss but stopped. In one of the carports of the coin-operated carwash was a clown. He pointed a prop gun, and pulled the trigger. A flag popped out that said "Bang." The light turned green and Carly didn't see what he had.

Once home, Ryan kissed his girlfriend goodbye and promised to be at her house in a few hours later to help her set up. He went to lay down and take a nap, sleep was elusive to him since the fateful night.

After another fitful hour of sleep, he stumbled downstairs. He was surprised to find no one was home. Quickly he changed his clothes and decided to head for Carly's. Something seemed off to him but he couldn't figure out what, until he opened the door and saw the garage.
His father hung from the garage door, his body twirling around. There was a huge knife in his back, blood soaked his shirt and dripped down to the floor. Ryan let out a scream that drew the attention of the neighborhood.

The video camera his father had installed after the incident caught his eye. Ryan ran to his Father's Office and rewound the tape. It was spooky watching his dad come home from work and act as if everything was normal. That is until someone in a clown costume appeared from the woods and plunged the knife into his back.

The killer looked right into the camera and wiped the makeup off of his face. Ryan gasped when he saw that it was him. He had killed his father but he didn't remember doing it, nor did he remember seeing Carly after she dropped him off. But after the make up was reapplied, she came over and was shot.

He found her body, she was white as a ghost. Another note was pinned to her shirt:

You killed me for a joke.
Now you will be forced to do my bidding.