Jeff, wanting to terrorise little kids as a clown, dresses up and wanders outside. He encounters Harvey, who is more scared of the fact that JEFF is the clown, rather than being confronted by a random clown. Took elements of Pennywise the Dancing Clown for both the clown costume and the way that Jeff acts in character.


EIGHT – CLOWNING AROUND

Heavy white powder caked his face, his smooth red hair parted in the middle and gelled upwards, his hair resembling devil horns. The battered, baggy, black and white clown suit and floppy red shoes were slipped on, the rims of his eyes painted black. Massive white gloves hung off of the ends of his arms, the colourful batch of balloons held tight in one gloved fist.

Jeff grinned at himself in the mirror.

Halloween may be over with, but he wasn't ready to give up trick or treating just yet.

He sneered at his mother on his way out, loathing the way she smiled so sweetly at him. He slammed the front door behind him, his floppy shoes smacking onto the pavement as he walked down the road.

The streetlights flickered as he passed, the darkness swallowing him up until he reached the next light. It was a shame that it was November, as the nights were dark and cold, meaning that all of the little children would be tucked up inside their homes, blankets around them and hot chocolate warming their stomachs.

Jeff growled under his breath. His excitement at striking terror into children's hearts had dulled to annoyance. All of that effort into dressing up and stalking the darkened streets wasted.

'I really should have picked a better night. No one's going to be out now.'

Cursing in his head, Jeff only noticed the other person until they were a few feet away from him.

The stranger stopped dead, eyes widening from beneath the hood of their winter coat. The phone in their hand buzzed, alerting Jeff to their presence.

Stepping into the light, Jeff tilted his head and grinned wickedly, distorting his voice as he crooned:

"Hello. Would you like a balloon? I have red or blue or yellow or green…"

The other person squeaked and inched away. Jeff cackled, his sparkling white teeth glinting in the streetlight. The other person halted, and squinting his eyes, suddenly whispered:

"J-Jeff? Is that you?"

The clown ceased the laughter, white powered lips drawing together to form a firm line. Jeff recognised the voice, it was so familiar, but astonishment had thrown his thought process off course.

Only when the other person started moving backwards again, the streetlight behind them casting light over their face, did it click in Jeff's mind.

"Hunter…"

Beneath his hood, Harvey's eyes bulged. He should have realised that it was Jeff within seconds of seeing him!

'I mean, who else dresses up as a clown on a normal November evening, just to scare people?!'

Regardless of the fact that clowns didn't particularly scare him, Harvey continued to back away. For this clown was Jeff, and Jeff Morgan was more frightening than a horror exhibition!

Now that his favourite victim was in front of him, Jeff wasted no time in breaking into a sprint, giggling insanely as Harvey spun on his heel and raced away from him.

Harvey pounded down the street, heading towards his house, cringing as loud laughter crashed in around him.