Jack the Clown
By: Anna Denisch
"Come on. What's taking so long?" Anne asked waiting for her friend Mary to catch up.
"It's these new shoes. They're too big," Mary explained. She walked clumsily alongside her friend bundled up in coats. The winter air blew past them and they fought against the wind as they made their way home.
Finally in the warmth of Mary's house, the two girls ran around her room. They played with their dolls and borrowed Mary's sister's clothes to play dress up in. They chased the cat down the stairs and settled down a little to do their homework.
By the time they got back upstairs both of them were exhausted. "What's that?" Anne asked pointing to a shelf.
The object in question was a figure of a clown. He wore a funny black hat that was too small but complimented his short blond hair. He was wearing normal clown makeup and held an accordion. He wore a long green coat that parted at the bottom to reveal a plaid shirt. He also had on baggy brown pants. His shoes, like Mary's, were large for him, but to a greater extreme. He stood on top of a white pedestal.
"That was a gift from my grandmother before she died. He doesn't leave that spot, got it?" She told her friend.
"Sure thing," but Anne crossed her fingers behind her back. They continued playing their games for a while.
Mary went down to get a snack and Anne picked up the clown. He felt cold to touch but his smile gave him away. He was happy as happy can be. She inspected the toy when Mary walked back in.
"What are you doing?!" Mary asked rushing over.
Surprised, Anne dropped the clown. He fell to the floor below. Mary bent down and lovingly picked up the statue. She carefully placed him onto of the shelf again.
"I'm sorry," Anne said.
"I think we should play downstairs now," Mary led Anne out of the room neither of the girls noticed the smile fading on the clowns face.
That night Mary had sweet dreams in her head. She dreamt of pretty flowers and unicorns like most girls. But she also dreamt of the clown. When she was having a lovely dream about the clown teaching her to ride a whale, she was woken by a noise. It came from the shelf above her bed.
She stood up and stared at the figure of a clown. He looked different. He no longer smiled and his accordion was now by his feet. She looked deeper at his eyes and felt an odd sensation.
She shut her eyes tight and held her breath. When she opened them again she was smaller. She saw the clown, and then his head moved towards her like he was alive. "I must be dreaming an odd version of The Nutcracker," She said.
The clown just shook his head. She jumped back.
The clumsy clown in clumsy shoes clumsily stepped off the pedestal. He tilted his head and leaned in towards her.
"What's happening?" Mary asked.
The clown only shook his head and pointed towards his neck. A small scratch was visible right in the middle.
"Oh you can't speak. Wait! Did that happen when Anne dropped you?" She questioned him.
He sadly nodded his head. "Poor thing," Mary came closer now, no longer afraid. "I wish I knew your name." She said.
The clown put up a finger. He dug around in his pocket. It was like Mary Poppin's bag. He kept going deeper till his whole arm was in the green pocket. Eventually he pulled out paper and a pencil. Slowly he wrote a J.
"John?" A shake of the head. "Jake?" Another one. "Jack?" Quickly he nodded. So fast that his hat fell off. He blushed as Mary picked it up and placed it onto of his head.
"Well, hello Jack. I am Mary," She said. Jack the clown bowed and vigorously shook her hand. Her whole arm flopped around like his. He reminded Mary of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz.
"Can you really play that?" Mary asked pointing to the accordion. He nodded. He walked over and picked up the instrument. He began playing Bella Note from Lady and The Tramp. "You're good," She said.
He bowed and shoved the accordion into his pocket. "So you come to life every night?" Mary questioned. He nodded. "Well what do you do?"
He pulled out a blue polka dot clip-on tie and put it in to place. He offered one hand to Mary and the other to the edge of the shelf. She slipped her hand in his and together they jumped off onto the bed.
They bounced around for a while until they finally lost their momentum. Jack climbed down the sheet and on to the floor. He held an arm out to help Mary as she followed him down. They walked hand in hand to the door. Using their combined strength they managed to open it a crack, just enough to slip out.
They felt their way through the dark until the reached the stairs. "How will we get down it's too steep." Mary commented looking below to the 15 stairs that led to the main floor of the house. Jack blew into a whistle he found and soon the cat was walking around them.
Jack helped Mary onto the table at the top of the steps using the table cloth as a rope. He stepped half on the cat half on the table and guided Mary to sit on the cat. He took a spot down behind her.
Jack pulled out string from his pocket and offered it to Mary. She held one side while he tied the other to his waist. With a small nudge the cat raced off.
They tumbled down the steps and raced into the family room. Turning into the kitchen Mary slipped. She held on tight to the rope that was attached to Jack, the only thing keeping her from falling. She screamed as they turned another corner. She almost was thrown into a wall but Jack pulled her up in the nick of time.
They ran around some more till the cat got tired. It flopped down on the rug in front of the fire that burned warm. Jack and Mary slid down and wandered around. They went to the kitchen. They used the draw handles to make their way to the counter. The walked over to a door. Standing on Jacks back Mary reached up and pulled out a cookie. They split it in half and enjoyed eating in the moonlight that spilled in through the kitchen window. They looked out on the world as it slept.
Mary had fun walking around the house with Jack the Clown, but a question was buzzing in her head. "Jack, did you live any wear besides in this house?" Jack nodded and showed her to a plant. "You live in a plant?" Jack shook his head.
He helped Mary climb onto the top of the pot. He pulled back the leaves. Instead of seeing the wall on the other side Mary was surprised to see a whole kingdom. They walked among dolls, statues, stuffed animals, action figures, all kinds of toys. They slowly made their way up to the castle.
Outside made it look small to the real inside. The doors opened to a large room. On the sides columns held up the grand arched roof. A brilliant red carpet led up to a throne. On it sat a nutcracker king. His doll wife and daughter sat in less grand chairs next to him. A little green man announced us.
"Announcing the return of Jack the clown and his guest!" He bowed and moved aside. Jack led Mary up to the thrones where the family sat.
"Ah Jack! Welcome back! What took you so long, and who is your friend?" The king asked in a deep mighty voice. He reminded Mary of the description Jack Skelington had givin Santa Clause, only with a slimmer body.
"Hello your majesty," Mary said bowing slightly. "My name is Mary. I'm afraid Jack can't talk because my friend dropped him on the floor and damaged his neck."
"WHAT! You allowed yourself to get dropped! You know the penalty for that don't you?!" He yelled ant Jack. He just slowly nodded, his face losing its cheery looks.
"But it wasn't his fault. My friend picked him up and I surprised her so she dropped him. It was an accident." Mary pleaded Jack's case and he nodded in agreement to what she said.
Accident or not, he was dropped. GUARDS!" The nutcracker king yelled.
Two nutcracker guards came out from behind a door and dragged Jack through another. "No you can't do that!" Mary cried.
"As for you, I suggest you go back to your world and forget all about us," The king told the girl in a blue nightgown.
"But father," The doll girl spoke. "Only Jack and his sister Jill can go between the worlds and she is in the other world right now."
"Than Mary here will have to stay here till Jill gets back," The king answered.
"I want to see Jack!" Mary yelled when guards came for her.
"Oh no problem, you'll be right next to him."
On her way to the dungeon Mary made sense of the old Jack and Jill poem.
Jack and Jill went up a hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down (cause his shoes are too big and clumsy) and broke his crown (since he's the royal court jester)
And Jill came tumbling after (supposing she's just as clumsy as Jack.)
Mary was forced into a small cell. She looked around feeling a sense of claustrophobia. "Jack?!" She called as she noticed a figure crouched in the corner. She sat next to him and grabbed his hand. "What will happen?" She asked leaning on his arm.
Jack used his paper and pencil to draw a picture for her. In it she was safely asleep in her bed and he was hanging by a rope in a tree. Mary gasped and her hands flew up to her mouth. Jack put an arm around her and they sat there for a while.
"You must have something to open that door," She wondered aloud. He pulled out a hairpin and unlocked it. Mary ran out, but he closed it and relocked it.
"What are you doing? You can escape." Jack shook his head. On the paper he wrote "2 risky".
"But it's safe!" Mary argued.
"U safe Me no."
"But I need you to take me back!" He drew a picture of a girl.
"You want me to find your sister?" Mary asked. He wrote, "She help U".
"But you'll die," Mary's voice was now just a whisper. Jack slowly waved as Mary retreated to the back door. "Goodbye Jack," She turned and ran straight out into the sunlight.
She walked around asking every body about Jill. But all the answers were the same. She was in the other world. Giving up Mary sat down at a diner and drank some water.
"Heard you been looking for me," A girl sat down from across Mary. She wasn't at all what Mary had imagined.
She was no clown, but what looked more like a gypsy. She had beautiful long brown hair and a soft face. She looked the complete opposite of Jack.
"Are you Jill?" Mary asked.
"Yep," the girl replied.
"I need your help!" Mary begged.
"You're a human girl aint ya?" Jill asked.
"Yes I am. But that's not why I need you."
"What kind of trouble is he in now?"
"My friend dropped him…"
"Oh no!" Jill interrupted sitting straight up.
"Oh yes."
"That execution is my brothers?! We gotta hurry or he'll die in a matter of minutes!"
Before Mary could utter a sound Jill had pulled her to her feet and they were racing to the castle. They ran through the front door unannounced and down to the dungeon.
Jill located Jack and he backed away from the bars shaking his head.
"What's wrong with you?" Jill demanded.
He pulled out the picture he had shown Mary and pointed to the side where she was asleep in her bed.
"No way! I'm not living you here to your death!" Jill began to pick the lock but Jack held a piece of paper out from his other pocket. She looked at it and sighed. "You're not serious are you?" He nodded. "Let's go," Jill dragged Mary away just as some guards walked down. Mary had managed to catch a glimpse of the paper.
I, Jill, am in debt to Jack. This parchment allows him one free favor in return for saving my life. Signed Jill.
"We're not just gonna let him die are we?" Mary questioned as Jill led her back to the other side of town.
"I owe him a favor," she sighed.
"Well I don't!" Mary yanked away from Jill's grip. "I won't just go back home and let him die! He's a clown not a hero! I love him too much! He's my best friend; I won't let him throw away his life like that!" Mary ran back to the castle, tears drenching her face and blurring her vision. Right before she burst into the garden Jill grabbed her.
"If you want to save him you'll need some help. So let's go get my friends."
Once Jill had gathered a variety of people with her they all sneaked under the stands of the viewing area. They waited while the man spoke like most people do before a hanging. He was about to wrap it up and they were about to spring when the man's hand slipped and he sent Jack to his death. Mary yelled out revealing their presence. People in the stands ran and Jill's army ran out after the nutcracker's guards.
Mary ran towards Jack the clown. His neck did not snap so he was dangling there choking every second that she took to get there. All around her a clash of dolls, paper and glass men, fairies, statues, and other toys fought madly against the nutcracker's army.
On her way over toward Jack broken wood of a nutcracker's head flew past her. She also stepped over the green shards of a broken glass man. But she paid no attention to that. She only had eyes for Jack, who was slipping into eternal sleep.
She finally reached the top and cut down Jack's rope. He fell to the ground and Mary watched as so many toys broke and died off. Never to meet a loving child or bring a smile to their face like so many others like them had.
Mary shook her head and climbed down to Jack. He hugged her and she helped him limp over to the castle. His leg had been broke in the fall. The walked into the main hall but the king was waiting for them.
"You won't get away that easily," He summoned a lightning bolt from the sky and Jack pushed Mary away till they were on opposite sides of the room.
"I'll deal with you first," The nutcracker king turned towards Mary. Something flew out of his hand.
Mary thought she was a goner but something heavy fell on her. When she pushed it over she was face to face with Jack. His eyes were closed and his chest was smoking. He had tears on his face, but Mary realized those were hers. He smiled like he did before, but he was still dead. Mary sobbed into his shirt. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder.
When the hand was gone Mary opened her eyes. She was still crying, but Jack's cold body had been replaced with a pillow. She realized she was in her room. She sat for a while sorting things out.
"Jack!" She cried. She hastily jumped on her feet and looked at the shelf. She saw the marble white stone.
But Jack the clown was no longer standing on his throne. Instead there was a note…
Dear Mary,
Don't worry, Jack is fine. I got him out of there before he could get hurt anymore. I know he would love it if you came by for a visit. You know where to find us.
Jill