Crimson’s origin

*This story is underneath my folder titled “Crimson and Shirley”. Gacha Club character designs are under my forum titled “My character designs<33[2]”. This is based off a tale from my story “31 horrific Halloween tales” underneath my folder titled “31 Halloween tales”. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!*

Introduction

Crimson never wanted a soul near her. To her, everyone had something wrong with them, and they shouldn’t pretend otherwise.

For while the other kids went home to their parents, she had no one. She lived alone, and she would die alone.

But Crimson never once thought to give herself friends…not once.

Chapter One

“So, how’d you sleep?” Grandma asked.

Crimson didn’t reply and simply sipped the milk on her spoon. Her cereal spun sadly in its bowl, but that was alright. It would sustain her for a day.

“You can’t stay silent forever.” Grandma said, joining her at the dining room table.

Crimson rolled her eyes. What did Grandma know? She wasn’t there when it happened, she shouldn’t talk.

Grandpa came in to turn on the TV. The same thing, every day. The same news, every day.

Every day, they ate in silence. Tension grew as they waited for Crimson to speak, but why would she? They didn’t deserve to hear her voice.

Sometimes, it felt as though the world wanted everything from her, and wanted to push itself deep into her body to choke words from her.

So yes, Crimson would stay as silent as she pleased.

Chapter Two

FLASHBACK

Crimson tried to wait till morning, but her throat was itching for a tall glass of cold water, so down the hall she went, to the kitchen.

Huh. Her parents’ door was a crack open. That was new. Her parents usually kept the door closed.

Crimson stepped inside, just to see if they were awake.

Mommy and Daddy lay on bed, blood pooling around their bodies, organs strung about like spaghetti. It was real…real..real…

Crimson put her hand over her mouth. Standing next to the bed were two clowns, one guy clown and one girl clown, eyes wide and wild, cackling at her distress.

All of it was real…the nightmare was real…bad clowns were real…real…real…

She couldn’t run, for she was rooted completely in fear and fright.

Chapter Three

Crimson walked through the halls of school, as always, unenthusiastic to be around people.

“I wonder if he likes me!” A girl cried out to her friend.

“He doesn’t like anyone!” Crimson yelled back. She knew not who the girl was talking about or the context of the situation, but she felt the need to say it anyway.

The girl and her friend glared at her, but Crimson could care less. Let the two girls be annoyed, it sustained her!

Ah, right in front of her was a group of friends. Why not push two to the ground?

Crimson stormed past them, pushing two kids to the floor. They mumbled something about how she could have said “excuse me” or just not push anyone at all, but again, she didn’t care.

Their misery filled her heart with sunshine, sunflower joy that was hard to come by most of her life.

Chapter Four

And as always, Crimson sat in the back of class, scrolling through her phone. She knew not what she was looking at, only cared about scrolling away.

“Crimson?! Crimson?!” Mr. Ells called out.

No, she didn’t respond. Only scrolled silently.

“Crimson?!”

If he was going to be like that, she’d put on her earbuds then.

Too late, he was dragging her away again.

Just like last time.

Chapter Five

DETENTION

Again, she was in detention for the stupidest of reasons. Not paying attention to class. There were worse things to get in trouble for, yet there Crimson sat at Principal Chiara’s office.

“So, Crimson, can you think about what you did today?” Principal Chiara asked as if she were a child who did something particularly unsavory.

“What’s there to think about? I didn’t feel like talking. Everyone’s always on my case.” Crimson said with a shrug. It was pure fact, and there was nothing Principal Chiara could do to change that.

Principal Chiara sighed disappointedly.

“Don’t give me that angsty attitude. If you could just move past whatever you’re feeling and talk to me, that would be great.” She said.

Crimson bit down her bottom lip to hold back her laughter. How could she “move past” the pain that was swimming and swirling in her? Her parents were killed by two monster clowns, and no one believed her. She lived with her Grandparents, and everyone always expected something out of her.

She would sit in the office all day long if she had to. Principal Chiara wasn’t getting a word out of her, not after what she just said.

Chapter Six

Again, Crimson got sent home with a note on her “bad behavior”. Why they never actually called her Grandparents remained a mystery to her. Perhaps they knew that her Grandparents weren’t ones to answer the phone anyway.

After a blurry, exhausting day of school, Crimson opened the front door to her grandparents’ house and threw the note in the trash. There was no need to hand it in, they thought unkindly of her already.

Maybe it was her imagination, but did she hear…laughter?

No, had to be her imagination at it again. Her parents’ deaths happened a long time ago, the moment was washed away into a blurred memory.

Nothing more, nothing less.

Chapter Seven

NIGHT

Crimson pulled the sheets up in bed, eager to close her eyes and fade into her dreams for a few hours. Dinner was just as quiet and full of tension as every other meal with her grandparents.

She closed her eyes, hoping to have a happy dream for once…

…………………………………………………..

The clowns crawled towards Crimson, their colorful eyes wide with anticipation. They reached towards with claws that glittered just like her rainbow jellied shoes, a crayon-colored neon lipstick grin pulled back over jagged that held pieces of raw, bloody flesh.

“We just want to play.” The lady clown said, cocking her head. Her red, spaghetti-string hair twisted around her face like veins.

“Come on, little girl. It’ll be fun.” The man clown said, his eyes growing bigger, like the porcelain dolls at her Grandparents’ house.

Crimson recoiled away. She turned to run, but their claws held her in place, their mouths opening wider…wider…

Crimson awoke, her heart shaking within, just as though it wanted to leap out of her chest.

She surveyed her room, the light of the moon shining from her slightly-cracked open window.

Everything was in its place, just as it should be. But Crimson double-checked, just to make sure.

Nothing was out of the ordinary. It was only a dream, she was safe and sound.

Crimson lay back down in bed, staring out her window, for even though her eyes were tired, she wasn’t in the mood to sleep.

Maybe another night would be better.

Chapter Eight

AT SCHOOL

Crimson stormed down the halls of her school, trying her best to shake off the nightmare from the other night. People avoided her because of her “rude facial expression” and her “awful attitude”, but frankly, she simply wanted to exist in peace.

Did she have to smile? To talk? Couldn’t she just disappear? Fade into the ground and die? As a ghost, if they existed, then she wouldn’t have any obligations. Crimson would exist, not tied down to her world.

Wait, who was that girl standing by the lockers? The girl with the blond hair that had the pink streak, blue eyes sparkling behind round-rimmed glasses.

The girl smiled, the freckles on her face seemingly multiplying.

A sweet, soft-faced girl, and yet…something about the way her blue eyes sparkled was…off.

Crimson brushed the feeling aside. No need to worry about anyone else. They’d all want the same thing out of her: To speak.

And Crimson wasn’t ready for that.

Chapter Nine

Crimson walked into ELA class, Mr. Ells at the front, scribbling a lesson on the board with his screeching chalk.

There she was, the blond girl. Sitting right in front of Crimson’s desk.

Why was she in the back? Crimson was the only one who sat in the back, why did the girl move herself all the way down there?

No need to think about it so much. Crimson took a few breaths and walked to her seat.

Just her luck, the girl turned around and faced her, smiling far too uncomfortably wide for Crimson’s liking.

“I’m Shirley! What’s your name?” The girl asked.

Already, she wanted to know her name? What was Shirley’s deal? What was she trying to do, pry responses out of her?

Crimson surveyed Shirley.

Shirley was dressed in a neat, clean-cut dress, styled and primed to that of the 1940s. Her ankle boots had bows on the side, just as a little girl would.

“Did you pull that outfit out of your Grandma’s closet?” Crimson remarked.

Shirley blushed, her smile faltered.

She turned around to face the board, and Crimson sighed internally in relief.

At least Shirley wouldn’t talk to her anymore. Crimson would be existing alone, just as she was supposed to be.

Chapter Ten

FLASHBACK

“911, what’s your emergency?” The woman on the other end asked.

Crimson turned to look at her parents, their bodies twisted and deformed beyond recognition.

How was she supposed to say it? How was she supposed to tell her what happened?

“Hello?” The woman asked.

Crimson blinked back into reality. No matter what, she had to tell her as best as she could.

“C-c-clowns killed my parents! They…they ate their faces! With their sharp teeth and…and…”

She couldn’t do it anymore. Tears streamed from her eyes, snot dribbled from her nose. She was a mess, she should clean herself up, but she couldn’t move from her place on the floor.

“Clowns? I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Where are you?” The woman asked.

Crimson took a deep breath. At least she remembered where they lived.

“My house is 1104 on 242 Whitford Drive.” Crimson said, her voice wet from the sobs.

“We’ll be right there.” The woman said.

The call ended, they were coming, but did they even believe her? Would they even care? Would they listen?

Crimson stayed rooted on the ground, hoping, praying to drown in her own tears.

It was all just a nightmare. She’d wake up soon, and they would be alive.

Monster clowns weren’t real. Mommy and Daddy had told her so. Her parents were always right, they knew what was true.

It was all just a nightmare…

Chapter Eleven

AT RECESS

Crimson sat on a bench, absentmindedly watching the leaves fall from the trees.

It was nice that her school still had recess, even though the students were older and they spent most of the time talking to each other. It was the time for her to be alone, peacefully.

Crimson’s eyes caught sight of Shirley, walking briskly towards her.

Crimson could run, but wouldn’t Shirley chase her? Did she really want to spend recess running from her? Matter of fact, why did Shirley want to talk to her at all?

“Hi Crimson! I feel like we started off at the wrong foot!” Shirley beamed as she sat next to her on the bench.

“You think that you can just sit next to me? We’re not friends. Leave me alone.” Crimson said.

Shirley grasped Crimson’s wrist before she could leave.

“I made you a friendship bracelet!” Shirley squeaked.

Shirley slipped a colorful-beaded bracelet on Crimson’s wrist, grinning widely, as though she had won the biggest prize at the carnival.

“You spent time making a friendship bracelet for a stranger? Please, get a life.” Crimson said.

“This is my life! Making new friends! Enjoy the bracelet!” Shirley said.

Crimson couldn’t believe it, but right before her very eyes, Shirley was skipping away from her, each step more perky than the next.

She tore the bracelet away from her wrist.

Why was Shirley so…happy?

Chapter Twelve

A day of school had passed. Crimson was back home, wrist free from Shirley’s bracelet.

Grandma and Grandpa were in the living room, watching TV. Usually, they greeted her, but it seemed that they didn’t notice.

Perhaps they got sick of me ignoring them. Crimson thought.

No matter. It was her own doing in the first place. She was the one who stopped talking to her Grandparents years ago. It was exactly what she wanted everyone in her life to do.

So why did her heart ache at all?

Chapter Thirteen

Crimson opened the door to her bedroom, hoping to lie down in her sheets and let her thoughts sink away.

Her heart almost stopped.

There, all shiny and sewed together, was the colorful friendship bracelet that Shirley gave her.

But didn’t she destroy it? Why was it still there?

Crimson ran to her bed and snatched the bracelet, throwing it out her window.

Perhaps there was a reasonable explanation…just like the clowns that killed her parents…

Perfectly reasonable.

Chapter Fourteen

FLASHBACK

“Do you remember what you saw? Do you know what killed your parents?” The detective asked.

Crimson swallowed hard. It had been a few days after her parents died, and the detectives wanted to talk to her. The detective man sitting in front of her wanted to listen, but would he even listen carefully?

“Two monster clowns killed my parents. They said that they were going to kill me, too.” Crimson said.

The detective sighed and leaned back, as though he felt sorry for her.

“Do you believe me?” She asked.

“I believe that you’re telling me what you think you saw.” The detective said.

What she thought that she saw. Thought…as though it weren’t true.

Would anybody ever believe her?

Chapter Fifteen

“Good morning.” Crimson said to her Grandparents when she got up.

It was the next day, and she was at the kitchen, preparing herself to make breakfast. Grandpa was watching TV in the living room, Grandma was pouring herself a cup of coffee in the kitchen.

“Good morning to you too. How did you sleep?” Grandma asked.

“Alright.” Crimson said, shrugging. She didn’t want to tell Grandma the extent of what she dreamed about, but felt it best to talk to her.

“Well, at least you didn’t have any nightmares, right?” Grandma asked with a smile.

“Yeah.” Crimson said.

At least Grandma wasn’t ignoring her anymore.

Chapter Sixteen

AT SCHOOL

As she always did, Crimson sat in the back of class. Shirley sat in front of her, paying attention to Mr. Ells writing on the chalkboard.

Crimson wouldn’t say anything about the bracelet. In fact, if she didn’t acknowledge Shirley at all, then perhaps she’d leave Crimson alone.

Like that worked last time. Crimson thought.

Maybe the second time was a charm?

“Did you get my bracelet? I left it on your bed just for you.” Shirley said, turning around to face.

Nope. Just as persistent as before.

“What’s your deal, honestly? Why are you so clingy? What do you want?” Crimson asked.

Shirley only grinned, blue eyes sparkling all too brightly.

“Meet me at the circus after school. Then, we’ll become best friends! The greatest friends to have ever existed!” Shirley exclaimed.

No one ever ventured to the abandoned circus. It went out of business because of money loss, but still, it held an eerie, unholy feeling to it.

Crimson should have probably said no, she should have continued her silent treatment, but…Shirley was beginning to sound intriguing.

Her name was old, her fashion sense was old, and who cared to go to the circus anymore?

If she found out more about her, then she could come out with evidence. She’d tell the whole school who (or what) everything odd about her. She’d record the evidence on her phone.

She’d expose Shirley as the strange girl she was and then, Shirley would finally leave her alone.

“Alright. I think that we can be friends.” Crimson said.

“Great!” Shirley replied, turning her attention back to the blackboard.

All they were going to do was meet at the circus. Shirley was just another kid, like her…right?

Crimson pushed back her worries. She worried enough already. It was time for her to take back her power.

Chapter Seventeen

The day at school had ended. Crimson walked through the abandoned circus, flinching slightly at the sound of the attractions creaking.

Her heart beat rapidly, but still, she put one foot in front of the other. Shirley was going to tell her things she never told anyone before, and Crimson would be certain to record it. Then, they’d all see how odd Shirley truly was.

“Over here, Crimson!” A cheery, happy-go-lucky voice called out.

Crimson sharply turned around.

There was Shirley, grinning from ear-to-ear, standing next to the dirtied, muddied carousel.

Chapter Eighteen

“What’s going on? What do you want?” Crimson asked, heart beating rapidly with impatience.

For the first time since she saw Shirley, she didn’t smile. Her blue eyes were dimmed with tears, her peach skin looked more leathery than real.

“Crimson, it was my parents who killed yours. They were murderous clowns, but I sought not to be anything like them. I sought not to hurt innocent people.” Shirley said.

Crimson took one step back. It was one thing to see the clowns kill her parents, but it was another thing to hear someone else confirm the uneasy truths swimming in her mind.

“But you don’t want to be my friend. You ignore everyone around you. You have so much anger in your heart…you’re such a bully!” Shirley shrieked.

Shirley began to grow three times her size, her blond hair faded to crayon yellow, her clothes coloring and twisting into that of a clown’s impractical and over-exaggerated garb.

What stared back at Crimson was a snake-eyed clown, just like the clowns that killed her parents.

Chapter Nineteen

“What in the world?! You’re a…A FREAKING FREAK! A DEMON CLOWN!” Crimson cried out, pointing at her.

Her own words sounded far too ridiculous, but just like that, from looking at Shirley’s eyes, she was reduced to a small child.

“Yes…I am a demon clown. A 489 year old demon clown.” Shirley beamed proudly.

No longer did Shirley seem upset. In fact, she seemed to be enjoying herself, to anticipate Crimson’s death.

“You’re 489 years old?! How?!” Crimson asked.

What was Shirley, exactly? Was she even a clown? Was Shirley her real name? Was Crimson thinking too much?

Yes, yes she was.

Crimson turned around, about to run, but Shirley grasped a claw around her ankle and dangled Crimson in the air.

“I look good for my age, I know. I don’t look a day over 276. Those were the good old days…but let’s get to the chase. I’m going to EAT YOU and you have nowhere to run!” Shirley cackled.

“Why me? Why not eat any other weirdos from school?” Crimson asked.

It was wrong of her to suggest that Shirley eat others, she knew, but she didn’t care at all. There were others who weren’t honest, others who just pried out what they wanted to hear from someone, not bothering to listen to their true words.

Others who deserved it.

“Because you’re a bully! You see, humans who are bullies have extra salt in their blood and I like salt! Lots of it! So, I’m going to eat you, because you’ll taste good!” Shirley cried out, the claws digging deep into Crimson’s skin.

So that was what Crimson was to her? A bully? That was all she could be?

“Fine. Whatever. Let’s just get this dumb thing over with.” Crimson said.

The blood was rushing in her head, she could feel Shirley’s breath on her ankle growing closer and closer.

So that was how she would die. As someone else’s food.

Didn’t everyone want to eat the terror out of her, in the end?

Chapter Twenty

She could feel Shirley’s teeth searing through her skin, chewing away at her bones. The dirt ground became clouded with red, Crimson’s heart beat with dread.

Would anyone come to her funeral? Would anyone even know that she was dead?

Everything was becoming more blurry, more of her body was beginning to disappear, to become nothing.

Would they even care?

Tears mixed with the blood in Crimson’s eyes.

Epilogue

Though Crimson’s body was not found, everyone gave up on finding her and believed her to be dead.

Her Grandparents felt guilty of ignoring her that one day just to show her how they felt, even if it was only for one day. Crimson wasn’t the sweetest person around, but she wasn’t quite horrible, either.

Poor Crimson. She saw her own parents die and twisted it into something she could believe in. She could never find any friends, and was left all alone.

If only they could find her body, then everyone would be absolutely certain of her fate…