The clown wore a red and white polka-dot clown suit with a bright-red
ruffle around his neck. He had blue hair, a white face, a red bulb nose, a
red-and-black grin painted from ear to ear.
" Duo, do you want your face painted?" asked Hilde at a card table." It's only a dollar." I didn't answer her. I had my eye on the fat, ugly clown. He was squeezing a small plastic horn, honking it in kids' faces, bumping his pillow belly against kids, bellowing out his booming laugh.
I tried to keep away from him. But the aisle was very crowded and I got trapped. The grinning clown bounced up to me and messed with my braid with his gloved hand. Beneath the makeup he had watery brown eyes. Sick- looking eyes.
He laughed at me and honked that annoy horn in my ear. I tried to back away. But I was pinned against the wall of a dart-throwing booth.
He laughed again and brought his grinning face close to mine. " Are you ready to die, kid," he whispered. He honked his horn in my ear before I could say anything. "I said are you ready to die" said the clown again. And that's
When I totally freaked. I opened my mouth in a shrill, terrified scream. Trowa just happened to be there knocking the clown out cold. Yeah my buddy Trowa, what would I do with out him. Trowa told me to leave the gym as fast as I could. Because all the other kids were starting to look at me funny. So I did what I was told to. I ran knocking over thing on my way out the gym. "Duo!" I turned to see my teacher, Miss Helen. She came running after me, her coppery hair bouncing, her eyes wide with worry." Duo! What happened in there?"
"The Clown," I choked out. "He threatened me! He-he's gonna kill me!" Miss Helen placed her hand on my shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at me and pursed her lips " Duo, you're twelve. You know that it's true."
"Yes, it is! He was gonna kill me! I shrieked. "If Trowa wasn't there to knock him out!" "Trowa! He shouldn't be here in the 1st place." She yelled. Oh goody I got my buddy into trouble! Me and my big mouth. I could have just kicked myself for that.
Miss Helen called my parents. They were waiting for me, stern and solemn, when I got home. Mom kept biting her bottom lip. "We have to do something about this, Duo," she said. "Your father and I are worried about you." Dad placed his hand on my shoulders and lowered his face to mine. " Clowns are funny-not frightening," he said " I thought you got over your silly fear when you were four." "It isn't silly," I told him. " That clown. he said I would die if I tried to laugh and then he said if I was ready to die." "That's because he's funny," Mom said. " Die laughing is just an expression." "We have to cure you of this," dad said, shaking his head. " We have to."
The next Saturday Mom and Dad forced me to go to the circus. THE BLOOSM CIRCUS. Well that least I get to see Trowa again if I go. I ran but mom and dad got me and dragged me into the car. " This will cure your clown problem," mom said. " You'll see," dad insisted. " Clowns are funny. Everyone loves clowns. You'll see." We sat in the front row of the circus tent. I crossed my arms tightly in front of me and watched the circus acts. I gritted my teeth until my jaw ached. I was so frightened. when the clowns came tumbling and bouncing into the ring, I gripped the arms of my chair. My hands were cold and sweaty. I saw Trowa on the balancing beam then he jumped off of it and joined the other clowns. The silly clown music rang out over the tent. Some clowns honked their horns and whistled. Not all ran around the ring in a wild circle, big shoes flapping loudly on the sawdust. " Our clowns need a VOLUNTEER!" The ringmaster's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. " We need a VICTIM from the audience!" Before I could move or try to hide, a tall, skinny clown with yellow mop hair and an enormous bow lifted me into the ring. I shut my eyes as the spotlight washed over me. I could barely hear the cheers of the crowd over the thudding of my heart. "Nooooo," I moaned. " Please. Pick someone else! Not me!" I tried to climb out of the ring, back to my seat. But the yellow-haired clown spun me around. Trowa ran over to him and said " Bro. Why don't you leave Duo Alone." " I can do what ever I want Trowa and there's nothing you can do about it, little Bro." Said the yellow-haired clown. " Now move it!" Then he pushed a huge daisy into my face and squirted a cold stream of water on me. I heard laughter and cheers. I struggled to breathe. " Please." I begged weakly. But the clown pulled me into the act. Now four clowns surrounded me. " Trowa get over here now," said his father " yes father I'm coming" said Trowa. Towa did back flaps towards were the other clowns were surrounding me. " Trowa you will do as I tell you son. You under?" said his father. Trowa nodded a yes. So the other clowns started to bopping me with a big shoes. The shoes were real. The clowns swung them at my head except for one Trowa. And then pounded them into my stomach until I double over. Trowa stood by me help me back up. " Hey. Wait! That hurts!" I gasped. "Sorry Duo" said Trowa. The audience roared with laugher. Trowa was once again pushed way foe me as they poured buckets o confetti over my head. Then they smacked me with brightly painted tow-by-fours." "Owwww!" yelped. The boards were real wood-not fake. Slap. Slap. They smacked my back, and my shoulders. Pain shot through my body. I raised my hands to protect my head. The audience cheered and laughed. But it wasn't funny. They were really trying to hurt me!
" Duo, do you want your face painted?" asked Hilde at a card table." It's only a dollar." I didn't answer her. I had my eye on the fat, ugly clown. He was squeezing a small plastic horn, honking it in kids' faces, bumping his pillow belly against kids, bellowing out his booming laugh.
I tried to keep away from him. But the aisle was very crowded and I got trapped. The grinning clown bounced up to me and messed with my braid with his gloved hand. Beneath the makeup he had watery brown eyes. Sick- looking eyes.
He laughed at me and honked that annoy horn in my ear. I tried to back away. But I was pinned against the wall of a dart-throwing booth.
He laughed again and brought his grinning face close to mine. " Are you ready to die, kid," he whispered. He honked his horn in my ear before I could say anything. "I said are you ready to die" said the clown again. And that's
When I totally freaked. I opened my mouth in a shrill, terrified scream. Trowa just happened to be there knocking the clown out cold. Yeah my buddy Trowa, what would I do with out him. Trowa told me to leave the gym as fast as I could. Because all the other kids were starting to look at me funny. So I did what I was told to. I ran knocking over thing on my way out the gym. "Duo!" I turned to see my teacher, Miss Helen. She came running after me, her coppery hair bouncing, her eyes wide with worry." Duo! What happened in there?"
"The Clown," I choked out. "He threatened me! He-he's gonna kill me!" Miss Helen placed her hand on my shoulder. She narrowed her eyes at me and pursed her lips " Duo, you're twelve. You know that it's true."
"Yes, it is! He was gonna kill me! I shrieked. "If Trowa wasn't there to knock him out!" "Trowa! He shouldn't be here in the 1st place." She yelled. Oh goody I got my buddy into trouble! Me and my big mouth. I could have just kicked myself for that.
Miss Helen called my parents. They were waiting for me, stern and solemn, when I got home. Mom kept biting her bottom lip. "We have to do something about this, Duo," she said. "Your father and I are worried about you." Dad placed his hand on my shoulders and lowered his face to mine. " Clowns are funny-not frightening," he said " I thought you got over your silly fear when you were four." "It isn't silly," I told him. " That clown. he said I would die if I tried to laugh and then he said if I was ready to die." "That's because he's funny," Mom said. " Die laughing is just an expression." "We have to cure you of this," dad said, shaking his head. " We have to."
The next Saturday Mom and Dad forced me to go to the circus. THE BLOOSM CIRCUS. Well that least I get to see Trowa again if I go. I ran but mom and dad got me and dragged me into the car. " This will cure your clown problem," mom said. " You'll see," dad insisted. " Clowns are funny. Everyone loves clowns. You'll see." We sat in the front row of the circus tent. I crossed my arms tightly in front of me and watched the circus acts. I gritted my teeth until my jaw ached. I was so frightened. when the clowns came tumbling and bouncing into the ring, I gripped the arms of my chair. My hands were cold and sweaty. I saw Trowa on the balancing beam then he jumped off of it and joined the other clowns. The silly clown music rang out over the tent. Some clowns honked their horns and whistled. Not all ran around the ring in a wild circle, big shoes flapping loudly on the sawdust. " Our clowns need a VOLUNTEER!" The ringmaster's voice boomed over the loudspeaker. " We need a VICTIM from the audience!" Before I could move or try to hide, a tall, skinny clown with yellow mop hair and an enormous bow lifted me into the ring. I shut my eyes as the spotlight washed over me. I could barely hear the cheers of the crowd over the thudding of my heart. "Nooooo," I moaned. " Please. Pick someone else! Not me!" I tried to climb out of the ring, back to my seat. But the yellow-haired clown spun me around. Trowa ran over to him and said " Bro. Why don't you leave Duo Alone." " I can do what ever I want Trowa and there's nothing you can do about it, little Bro." Said the yellow-haired clown. " Now move it!" Then he pushed a huge daisy into my face and squirted a cold stream of water on me. I heard laughter and cheers. I struggled to breathe. " Please." I begged weakly. But the clown pulled me into the act. Now four clowns surrounded me. " Trowa get over here now," said his father " yes father I'm coming" said Trowa. Towa did back flaps towards were the other clowns were surrounding me. " Trowa you will do as I tell you son. You under?" said his father. Trowa nodded a yes. So the other clowns started to bopping me with a big shoes. The shoes were real. The clowns swung them at my head except for one Trowa. And then pounded them into my stomach until I double over. Trowa stood by me help me back up. " Hey. Wait! That hurts!" I gasped. "Sorry Duo" said Trowa. The audience roared with laugher. Trowa was once again pushed way foe me as they poured buckets o confetti over my head. Then they smacked me with brightly painted tow-by-fours." "Owwww!" yelped. The boards were real wood-not fake. Slap. Slap. They smacked my back, and my shoulders. Pain shot through my body. I raised my hands to protect my head. The audience cheered and laughed. But it wasn't funny. They were really trying to hurt me!
