Calvin stared in mixed surprise and horror. Bodies, rotting bodies, inside the hole in what looked like a crypt. To Calvin it seemed like hundreds. The bodies were all children, his age and younger. They all appeared to be half-eaten, but it could have been the decomposition. The remaining skin had what looked like severe burns all over it, suggesting whoever the body belonged to had been burned to death.
By now, the smell was too much, and Calvin quickly slid the tile back into place. He then left a single piece of toilet paper on the tile, to remind himself.
"What the heck are those bodies doing down there?" Calvin asked Hobbes, who had turned green.
"I don't wanna know," Hobbes moaned. "I just want to get out of here!" Calvin agreed and they both ran out.
Jerome was standing right there. "Calvin! Thank goodness! We were looking all over for you!"
His expression then changed.
"You are NOT to use that bathroom again," he said, suddenly serious and angry. "That is the... the staff bathroom. Use the one down the hall."
Calvin nodded.
"Okay then, come down the hall. We're playing 'Duck-Duck-Goose'", Jerome said, all sweet and happy again.
Calvin and Hobbes just followed Jerome down the hall.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
For about an hour Calvin and Hobbes tried to have fun, but the thought of what they had just seen scratched at their minds. They couldn't stop thinking about it, couldn't get the smell out of their noses. It was as if the bodies wanted more attention.
The duo went out to get drinks (of water) and saw all the clowns stepping out of the gym.
"We'll be back in just a minute, kids!" Jerome said sweetly before they all went into the camp office.
Calvin and Hobbes exchanged glances, and rushed to the office door. They put their ears against it and listened.
Jerome's voice, all serious again, was first. "Are we almost ready?"
"Yes" Stu's voice. "Just have to get all the kids into the basement, and we'll be set."
"Good." Jerome. "Do we know the story?"
"Absolutely," Jackie said. "We "accidentally" burn down the building, tell everyone we couldn't get the kids out in time, and we look injured, so everyone knows the building collapsed."
"Excellent!" Jerome said. "I bet those kids will taste good, too."
Calvin and Hobbes gaped in horror. They bolted around a corner so they were out of sight.
"WE"RE GONNA DIE!" Hobbes screamed.
"What do we do?" Calvin said. "They're gonna lead us to the basement, kill us, eat us, and then burn down the building so everyone thinks we died in the fire! NOBODY will believe us if we escape, and we can't fight them!"
"The hole must be where they hide the skeletons!" Hobbes said.
"But what does the skull signal mean?" Calvin said.
"I'll tell you what it means, Calvin!" came a voice. The duo turned around. Jerome and his cohorts were standing behind them. "It's only the symbol of our cult. It has branches all over the world. We are only this town's branch."
Calvin and Hobbes stared in fear.
"You are brighter than we thought, Calvin." Jerome went on. "You figured us out. So now you MUST die, for this branch to succeed."
The pair turned to run, but the evil clowns caught them and took them to the basement.
"LET US GO! LET US GO!" they screamed.
"You should've thought before sticking your nose in other people's business," Jerome growled.
The basement walls were covered with the skull symbol. A small table, covered with bloodstains with a hatchet laying on it, stood out.
Jerome plunked them down on the table. He took the hatchet and held Calvin's head down.
Raising the hatchet, he shouted, "In the name of our cult, I make..."
Hobbes crashed into Jerome, knocking him onto the ground. "RUN CALVIN!" he screamed.
Calvin took Hobbes's advice and ran. Jackie tried to catch him, but Calvin slipped under her legs. Hobbes soon joined Calvin running up the stairs.
"Thanks, Hobbes," Calvin panted.
"Thank me later, just RUN!" Hobbes yelled. The clowns were hot on their heels.
They burst out the front door. A police cruiser was parked right on the street.
"Officers, there are guys trying to kill us!" Calvin screamed.
"Hold on there, young man, I'm sure..." the officer began, but just then, Jerome, apparently gone crazy, lunged at Calvin through the door.
The officer saw Jerome, hatchet raised, he took out his handgun and shot Jerome right in the face. Blood trickled out of the mask.
"Whew," the duo breathed.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The daycare was secured and all the kids were sent home. Calvin and Hobbes showed the officer the hole with the bodies, and the remaining clowns were sentenced to life imprisonment with no parole. Jerome was buried, and the duo received a congratulations for helping catch the clowns.
The next day, they held a G.R.O.S.S meeting.
"A medal of honour to all officers for bravery in the face of death!" Calvin announced.
"Hear, Hear!" Hobbes said.
They rested under the tree. A couple birds chirped. The sun cast its rays on the duo.
"Hobbes?"
"Yeah?"
"It's looking like a good summer."
"It sure is."
The End.