You were running. You ran as fast as your bare feet could take you through the vast woods in the middle of the night. The moon barely gave any light through the open patches of trees. You were breathing heavily, your heart thumping, blood pulsing in your ears. You could hardly see through the stream of tears falling from your eyes that left streaks on your dirty face.
You could hear the clown behind you, ever so close on your tail. You could hear the amused huffs, the larger soled feet crushing the sticks and greens as it chased after you. You suddenly tripped and crawled forward till you were up and running again. Your lungs hurt from the cold rush of air hitting you as you panted. You were surrounded by only the woods and darkness, and it felt as if they were closing in on you.
Your body was on fire, your legs were shaking, and you didn't think that you could take another step. You wanted to run, but all you could do now was stumble. When you finally reached what looked like some kind of path, your feet bloody and numb, you gave yourself a moment to take in deep gulps of the cold, clear air.
You could almost feel the fiery breath on the back of your neck; you were terrified of turning around and glancing behind you. But you had to look, you had to know how close he was. And sure enough, the mere sight of him was all it took to sap the strength from your limbs. You turned and saw yellow eyes, eyes the color of sulfur. They gleamed in the darkness as the clown behind you lowered his head and charged, aiming those razor-sharp claws directly at you before they hauled you backwards.
You bolted upright in bed, not sure of how long you were asleep. Your heart was pounding and you tried to catch your breath as your wide eyes looked about the room, every limb had become tangled in the sheets while you slept. You were drenched in cold sweat as you sighed in shaky relief. Your abdomen ached and your throat felt dry. You grabbed the glass of water on your nightstand and chugged it, waiting for your nerves to settle. You were in your bedroom, safe.
Slowly, your breathing returned to normal and the irrational terror of your nightmare subsided, though the discomfort in your abdomen remained.
It was that same damn clown showing up in your dreams again. No, it was more of a nightmare, there wasn't any other word to describe it. This had been occurring for God knows how long now. Every night you would see him. The clown. You believed you would have gotten used to it by now, but his unpredictable ways of frightening you didn't make that easy. You knew it had to mean something, you just didn't understand what exactly. They felt too real, far too unsettling. But it had to be a figment of your imagination... right?
You were restless most nights, sometimes unable to catch a wink of sleep because he simply would not permit it without visiting you in some twisted way.
You turned back to your nightstand to grab your cellphone after taking a moment to calm yourself, only to find several missed calls as well as several text messages from your best friend. You must have lost track of time. You were supposed to do your homework but of course you were only able to answer one question before you drifted off to sleep. This damn clown was fucking around with your sleep schedule, there was no reason for you to be taking a nap an hour before her big Halloween party.
You weren't in a party mood whatsoever, hell you weren't up for much these days, and the bags under your eyes was proof enough but of course your friend couldn't take the hint. She wasn't going to stop nagging you until you gave her an answer and the only answer she deemed acceptable would be an enthusiastic 'yes'.
Just when you were about to return one of her numerous phone calls, your phone obnoxiously rang once again, and with a sigh you answered.
"Hello?" you said groggily.
"It's almost 7pm! You're on your way right? Please tell me you are because I don't want to be around all these cool people without you! I need my ride or die! You should be done with your homework already. And you were supposed to help me decorate the place and get the snacks ready! I had to ask Jessica because you've been ignoring my calls and you know how I feel about her! But turns out she's more reliable than you right now. You're usually early, you should be here already!" she babbled, so much so that you couldn't make out everything she was saying, mostly because you were already exhausted and weren't willing to give the effort to understand.
"Okay, okay, I hear you, Hanna. Calm down I'll be there, I just need to get dressed real quick," you reassured, knowing it was best to keep your cool when she started panicking like this.
"You're not even ready? Oh my god, hurry up! Please don't ever do this to me again," she complained. "I'm going to hang up now so you can get ready, see you soon."
After the phone call ended, you heaved a dramatic sigh before throwing your head back on the bed in annoyance. It was going to be a long day.
Dead leaves fell silently to the ground below; colors of golden yellow and crimson red detached from the branches of trees that covered the city streets. The small feet of gleeful children stepped on the lifeless foliage that covered the area with little care as they ran along the sidewalks with their buckets waiting to be filled with candy, giggling with joy under the ghostly light of a full moon.
A cold wind brushed against your face as the dusk air was sinking into a more chilling temperature. It was a short journey to your friend's place and the glow in the dark skeletons amid the leering jack-o'-lanterns of the suburban neighborhood did little to get you in the Halloween spirit. You could hear the house booming with music and the stomping of people's feet as they danced. You felt utterly ridiculous as you contemplated whether or not you should go inside. On one hand, you were freezing, a skintight dress did nothing to block out the cold October air, and you knew that Hanna's home would provide the warmth you craved. But on the other hand, you didn't want to be here at all. You would have preferred hanging out with your friend, just you and her, watching bad horror movies, instead of being in a setting where you had to interact with a bunch of people you had no interest in knowing. If you left now, you could always tell her that you had come down with some kind of sickness, which wouldn't entirely be a lie...
You were still deliberating on which excuse to use as you turned from the door to begin the short walk back to your car. Unfortunately, you were instantly halted in your tracks as you heard the door to your friend's house open. Well, shit.
"Hey! You made it, finally!" Hanna said, a little too enthusiastically as she spun around in excitement; only to furrow her brows upon seeing your dress. "You're kidding me, right?"
You frowned as she leaned against the door, tilting her head to the side as she examined you. "Where's your costume at?"
"What do you mean? I'm wearing one," you answered dryly.
You were wearing a strapless lace black dress with a flowy skirt that was cut just above your knees with a black tail attached to it and a black cat ears headband as well as whiskers painted on your cheeks.
"I'm kidding, silly! I mean you kind of half-assed it, because there's like twenty girls here with the same costume, but it'll do!" she giggled with a wide smile on her face as you entered the colorful, loud party. "It's pretty slutty, but hey nothing wrong with that! Dudes love a slutty costume."
"Thanks for slut-shaming me. And you don't think yours is slutty in the slightest?" you joked as your eyes flicked up and down, taking in the details of her Red Riding Hood outfit and how her skirt flared out as she spun on the spot. She wore a red sleeved dress with a low neckline and adorned it with a white lacy apron, a red hooded cloak, and red high heels. She even had a wicker basket to top it all off.
"What are you talking about? It's cute and innocent! Guys like that too, you know! You were supposed to be my Big Bad Wolf! That way I could be the hot one," she teased with a playful giggle.
"Haha, very funny, well I'm gonna go get a drink," you told her and she nodded her head in response before mouthing the words 'hurry back'.
You bobbed through the crowd of dancers in an effort to make your way to the side of the room. There was too many people here, with the key attributes of their costumes being either skimpiness or ridiculousness. But maybe you needed this; a distraction. Distractions were good. The sounds of people laughing and talking and the deafening pop music was somewhat comforting because it was far too loud to hear yourself think, and that was the last thing you wanted to do. It was better to be surrounded by people than be by yourself. And most importantly, you were safe here. Safe from the clown that continued to endlessly plague your dreams.
You took a moment to appreciate the tacky Halloween decor and the numerous jack-o'-lanterns of every shape and size adorning the floor, their carved faces flickering in the darkened room. Black and orange crepe paper hung creatively from the ceiling and walls. Towards the back of the room and behind the swarming dance floor, you could just make out the werewolf costumed DJ and his sound system. Furry spiders and bats floated down from the ceiling along with gauzy spider webs draped everywhere imaginable, and there was a rotating disco ball with sparkling lights bouncing off the walls.
A buffet table ran along one side of the room, the punch bowl surrounded by a slight haze of smoke, which you immediately ran to. You poured yourself a cup of punch and merely watched everyone, far too exhausted to join the crowd. You swayed slightly to the music to act like you were into it. Various guys in costume, some not, asked you to dance and some offered you drinks. You politely turned each of them down. It wasn't just that they didn't have any charisma to get your attention, but you weren't in the mood to entertain them. You hardly had the energy to talk to any of your friends, let alone even be here in the first place, so you figured it was best not to waste your time.
You stood in a corner and sipped your punch, and you absently figured that Hanna was probably looking for you by now. You grabbed a piece of candy in one of the buckets filled with sweets and just when you were about to walk away a white gloved hand grabbed your shoulder and turned you around to face them. You jerked a bit, slightly taken aback from the sudden contact, and your eyes finally met the stranger's face. It was your ex.
"Please tell me someone spiked the drinks," your ex commented with a long sigh as he made his way next to you.
"There's already alcohol in them. It's a shame though, I was looking forward to spiking the punch," you grinned and pulled out a flask that you had stuffed in your purse. You chuckled when you saw his Dracula costume, replete with a floor-length midnight black cape, white ruffled shirt, wine-red velveteen waistcoat and black trousers, along with white fangs in his mouth.
He held up his red cup. "Spike mine. I don't think I'm drunk enough to endure Amy's come-ons without running away screaming."
You topped up his drink and then did the same to your own for good measure. "That girl sure is persistent, I'll give her that," you added, spotting her across the dance floor in a frilly white, glittery angel costume.
"Yeah it's a miracle I was able to slip away and find you here," he laughed before taking another drink. "By the way, you look really hot as a cat," he told you with a flirtatious smile. You two weren't together anymore, but still occasionally flirted with one another because you were on such good terms.
"Thanks, I would say the same about you, but Dracula is really lame," you teased.
"Rude much. Should I have dressed as a clown? Would you have liked that more?" he joked, and your eyes widened just from hearing that word. It was just a stupid joke but now the clown crossed your mind again.
"No, that would have been way worse actually, don't ever do that by the way," you warned with a frown before quickly changing the subject. "Anyways, instead of standing around like losers, do you want to have some fun?" you suggested with a smile.
Yeah, fun. That's the perfect distraction. You don't have time to think about frustrating shit you can't fix when you're having fun.
You gulped down more of your drink but then you saw it. You swallowed hard. An eerie feeling washed over you once your eyes met a single red balloon floating amidst the dance floor that was once swarmed with people, but the surrounding space around it was oddly cleared. You couldn't keep your eyes off the balloon as it slowly floated towards a corridor. Your ex was trying to engage in conversation with you, but it fell on deaf ears. Suddenly you couldn't hear the booming music anymore or see anything other than the stray balloon, it was like a strange blanket of silence had settled over the area upon its arrival.
You dropped your cup and the drink instantly spilled on the floor. You didn't understand why but you felt compelled to follow wherever it strayed off to. There was nothing you wanted more than to see where it was headed, like it was the only thing that mattered.
You ran off without saying another word to your ex.
"So I guess that's a no? Am I that bad of a dancer?" he called out, but it was too late, you were already out of sight.
The balloon continued down the corridor and then another before it reached the opened front door. It wandered off into the dark woods and you followed closely behind. Once it left the building, it started floating faster, much to your dismay.
The full moon was suspended in the dark blue sky, lighting the way through the woods as you ran through the familiar path between the trees. You were swift and light on your feet, eyes focusing only on the bright red balloon. The crunching of autumn's leaves under your shoes seemed to echo in the woods like a siren's call, betraying your position with every step. The woods were nothing like this when you were a child, so ominous and foreboding. You sniffed the air suspiciously. There was a strange odor abound.
Now you were afraid. Why were you even out here in the first place?
You turned back to where you had come from, but there were too many trees obscuring the path. Thinner branches swayed lightly in the wind, as if waving to taunt you, while the thick ones were gnarled into menacing shapes. They were casting strange shadows on the ground that made you feel a sense of dread. You looked ahead hesitantly. There was a bizarre aura as the trees got thicker. Almost as though you were being watched. If you squinted, it seemed like hooded figures sat far, far ahead. And did you hear whispers now?
Your head turned swiftly at the murmurs, and you tripped over a thick root, landing you on your hands. You felt a thick liquid coat your costume and the foul smell made your nose scrunch. Slowly you stood and examined yourself. Your dress was drenched in blood.
You covered your mouth, to stifle your scream once your eyes darted back to the ground that was now soaked with a wide layer of blood that seemed to stretch all the way back to Hanna's house. Your stomach was in knots, and you were certain by now that your body was covered in goosebumps.
When you looked back up, you spotted the balloon hovering in a small clearing in the woods. The hairs on the back of your neck raised in alarm, you thought you had lost track of it but it appeared to come to a halt.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, you stood in front of the balloon as it started to lift higher.
Until it finally popped.
The balloon was gone and now there was a tall clown in its place.
It was the same clown in your nightmares.
Words refused to surface in your brain as you drew up a blank, mouth agape as you took in the fact that he is actually standing in front of you. The clown. You thought you would only ever see him when you were sleeping. You were convinced you must have fallen asleep back at the party. He couldn't be here. This couldn't be real. There was no way. You were peering at him with equal parts curiosity and fear. And he was grinning wide in amusement.
You couldn't stop analyzing every part of his appearance because you had to be sure he matched the description of the one in your dreams. His face was pale white with tufts of orange hair on either side of his head as well as the top, full lips that seemed to be coated with red lipstick, glistening blue irises that seemed almost friendly at first glance, but then you remembered they weren't always that color. He was wearing a baggy gray costume that resembled a worn-out dress with bright red button-like pompoms and white clad gloves along with his brown pointed shoes. You were sure every detail was to the letter.
"Why hello there, Y/N!" he broke the silence with what he probably thought was a warm welcome, the sound sending a shuddering chill down your spine.
You didn't say anything, just merely stared at him, and swallowed nervously. You wanted to run and never look back but your body betrayed you because it was still in shock.
"Were you looking for this?" he questioned in a faux friendly tone, and then all of a sudden, he was holding another red balloon by the string between his fingers. He leaned over as he held it out for you to take. "You went all the way out here just to get it. Wouldn't want you to get lost, that sure would be a shame."
You were reluctant to take it, but he leaned closer and persistently kept it within your grasp.
"C'mon, take it, don't be shy now," he insisted. His smile grew wider once you reached the balloon and accepted it. You expected to be hauled to the ground and seized away violently as you thrashed about trying to escape his strong hold, like what would regularly happen in your nightmares. But it didn't. No, maybe he was waiting for the right moment.
"But I thought it popped," you murmured as your shaky hand held onto the string.
"It must be your lucky day because I always carry balloons with me, you came to the right place," he told you with a chuckle.
"Who are you?" you asked point-blank.
"Ah, how rude of me! I didn't introduce myself. I'm Pennywise, Pennywise the dancing clown!" he announced, bowing afterwards as if he just finished performing an act at the circus.
"What... what are you doing here?" you managed despite the hammering of your heart against your rib cage.
"I wanted to join the party, it looks like a lot of fun! A party isn't complete without a clown, wouldn't you agree? That's like the cherry on top! So, won't you invite me in?" he asked with a sinister smile playing on his lips.
"I-I have to get back now. My friends are probably looking for me," you replied shakily, ignoring his offer.
"Such a pity. And we were just getting to know each other!" he said, his voice deep and rumbling. "Well then, until next time."
"Thank god, I finally found you! What the hell are you doing out in the woods for? Why aren't you at the party? I've been looking for you for God knows how long!" Hanna called out from behind you with a bright flashlight in her hand as she walked towards you with a frown marring her features.
"Hanna, let's get out of here, now," you begged and sprinted over to her.
"Are you okay? You shouldn't be out here, there's like dog shit everywhere and rats with rabies, you're going to get your costume dirty! We're supposed to be having fun," she complained, shaking her head in disapproval.
"There's a fucking clown out here!" you told her as you grabbed her hand and started running off with her, but she had trouble keeping up and stopped in her tracks so you would have to as well.
"What the hell are you talking about? What clown?" she asked, clearly confused. She looked about the woods before turning back to you. And when you turned back, you could still see the clown. There was a maniacal smile stretched across his face. You didn't have the balloon anymore. It was in his hand.
"There's a clown – I saw him, okay? Please believe me, there was this clown that I've been seeing in my nightmares. They are recurring nightmares that just won't fucking stop and he was standing there. He's still standing there! Right there! With a balloon! Can't you see him?" you pointed in Pennywise's direction, who was still devilishly grinning. "We have to go now!" you implored and gripped onto her hand as tightly as you could without hurting her.
"There is no clown. I seriously have no idea what you're talking about! Was your drink spiked with something other than alcohol? Or have you just lost it?" she accused.
You weren't crazy. You didn't want to think of yourself as being crazy. No, he really was there. You knew for a fact that he wasn't a figment of your imagination.
"Can't you see the blood on my dress?" you quavered, gesturing your other hand at your blood-soaked dress.
"I don't see anything. There's nothing there. It looks as good as new!" she told you, her tone making you feel like you were completely bonkers. "You're starting to freak me out."
"Let's go back, I just wanna go back," you repeated. It was futile. She couldn't see him, and apparently anything he left behind. Maybe your mind was playing tricks on you. No, you refused to believe that. Everything felt so real. But there's no way someone had that kind of control, that kind of power.
You continued to run and she allowed you this time. "I mean if you say you see it, I believe you. I just don't see it, or have any idea what the hell you're talking about," she attempted to reassure you. There was an uncomfortable silence for a short while on the way back, neither one of you really knew what to say to the other. She didn't believe you and you didn't know how to convince her that it was true when there wasn't any proof. She finally said, "By the way, I really fucking hate clowns."
"Me too..." you agreed.
Your eyes darted back again to the spot he was standing at when you came face to face with him. He was still there.
"Until next time!" Pennywise croaked, waving goodbye to you. "Until next time..."
And with a final smile, he vanished into the woods.