Riley S. Gardner Circus Freak

[Circus Freak]

Riley S. Gardner

A dare. Me and Eli were dared by Ivan to go to the abandoned circus, yeah yeah, I know that circuses normally move, but this circus had a disaster. Legend says a dad joke clown named Smiley Bear went berserk and killed everybody and if we sing “Smiley, Smiley, You make us laugh, we summon you on your behalf” he will come. Me and Eli arrived, two ten-year-olds at an abandoned circus. As the sun set and the moon rose, me and Eli harmonized, “Smiley, Smiley, You make us laugh, we summon you on your behalf.” Nothing happened. I looked at Eli and shrugged and started walking toward the exit. Then I stopped abruptly as I heard the faint sound of “Pop Goes the Weasel.” It slowly got louder and louder, then it stopped. A maniacal laugh ringed through the circus. A butcher knife flew and sliced my right ear clean off. Me and Eli screamed and ran as fast as we could, Eli made it through the gates and ran down the street. The gates closed. Trapped like a rat…by a bear. I panicked, turned and saw a clown with wild purple hair dressed in a full indigo tuxedo and a five-foot-tall indigo top hat. He laughed and ran at me and the last thing I saw was a butcher knife coming straight for my face.