The clowns of the circus

*This story is underneath my folder titled “The clowns of the neighborhood”. Gacha Club character designs are under this forum: https://www.youngwriterssociety.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=116005&start=1305. Enjoy!*

Introduction

Amias had something inside of him that ought to be shoved away, a colorful, wild part. One that drove off his wife, Therese, and had taken many lives before.

But after careful treatment, Amias was “normal”. He wasn’t a monster, he wasn’t a demon.

He thought that it would never come again.

That all changed when something horrid happened to his beloved son, Davien…

Chapter One

“Dad, look!” Davien said excitedly.

Davien just arrived from school, holding a piece of paper in his hands.

Amias raised an eyebrow as Davien handed him the paper:

“COME TO BROOKLY CIRCUS!

ONLY ONCE A MONTH!!!

SIGN HERE!”

The paper was decorated with clowns and balloons, primary colors dominating the theme.

“Are you sure this isn’t a scam?” Amias asked.

“It’s not! I got it from school! Can I go? Please?! I want to go to the circus!” Davien pleaded.

“I’ll think about it.” Amias said.

“But it’s a yes, right?” Davien asked.

“We’ll see.” Amias said, handing Davien the paper.

He’d do more research on it, but hopefully, it was a scam.

He couldn’t afford going to the circus, not after what happened.

Chapter Two

There wasn’t much in the neighborhood of Brookly. Only a grocery store, a few houses, and a sparse area of dry land called a “National Park”. Perhaps letting Davien go to the circus wouldn’t be a bad idea. Perhaps it was just the thing to get his spirits lifted up, to make him smile from ear to ear.

Amias signed the bottom of the paper. If it turned out to be fake, he would find out about it. He’d have a lecture with Davien, and make sure to get rid of anyone who put the idea of lying in his head.

But it wouldn’t kill to go to the circus, would it? Amias had it all under control, everything was okay.

At least, that was what he told himself as he signed it…

Chapter Three

Before Amias would give Davien the paper, he pulled up his computer and typed in “Brookly Circus” in the living room.

“Brookly Circus-Only once a month!

Come one, come all! Clowns, ballerinas, trapeze artists, animals, and all you can eat food!

Sign up before it’s too late!”

Ah, so it was a real place! Well, at least Davien would be elated.

At least Amias was no longer a performer…

Chapter Four

FLASHBACK

Amias’ sixteenth birthday was at the Brookly Circus! Clowns, trapeze artists, acrobats, ballerinas, and animals roamed around him and waited in tents.

He grinned as he bit into a corn dog, Sylvia at his side. Nothing was better than spending his birthday with his girlfriend and friends, who were at different food stands at the moment.

Only, his teeth felt rather sharp…

Chapter Five

Yet another day of life. Davien had gone off to school, Amias was walking in his neighborhood.

Sometimes the neighbors glared at him, other times they looked away. Anxiety crawled up on his spine, but he ignored it.

It wouldn’t do to let fear rule him.

“Amias!” Milan called out.

Amias stopped and turned around, facing his friend.

At least she still cared for him…

Chapter Six

“How is Davien doing? Is he alright?” Milan asked.

Amias and Milan were at her kitchen, Milan fixing up a snack for the both of them.

“He’s doing good. We’re both fine.” Amias said.

“Are you sure?” Milan asked, putting one hand over his.

“Yes.” He said, even though his hand went red and irritated at her touch.

She let go, and it went back to normal.

Chapter Seven

“How are you? Anything new?” Amias asked.

Milan shrugged.

“I thought I saw Mr. Callisto earlier, but I must have imagined it.” Milan said.

Mr. Callisto?! No…it couldn’t be…

“Amias! Don’t squeeze the sandwich like that, you’ll ruin it!” Milan yelled.

Amias looked down. He was squeezing his cheese sandwich so harder that the cheese was beginning to spill out.

He took a bite of it, attempting to drown out his thoughts and to stop his hands from shaking.

Chapter Eight

FLASHBACK

“Are you feeling okay?” Sylvia asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Amias asked. Was there something wrong with his face, did she not trust him?

“You look like you’re about to throw up.” Sylvia remarked.

Amias felt the corn dog drop from his fingers and ran off, clutching his stomach.

No, it wasn’t normal. Everything around him was itching, his teeth felt so sharp, and his stomach felt so empty, even though he had eaten greasy carnival food all day.

He needed to hide…he needed to do something…

Chapter Nine

Amias walked out of Milan’s house and made his way back home. Perhaps the Brookly Circus would be fine, perhaps nothing would happen.

“Amias! Such a pleasure to see you!” A voice boomed cheerily.

Amias turned around. There Mr. Callisto stood, in his glittering ringmaster glory.

Amias ran, far from the past, far from the monster.

It could not happen again.

Chapter Ten

Amias slammed the door shut when he was back home. Somehow, even in the safety of his house, he could still hear the faint calliope music from the Brookly Circus. He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking only one thought:

The music isn’t real The music isn’t real The music isn’t real The music isn’t real The music isn’t real The music isn’t real The music isn’t real

When he opened his eyes, a sigh of relief escaped his lips. The music had ceased.

Chapter Eleven

Davien ran through the open front door, hugging Amias tightly. Amias hugged him back, noticing the purplish bruise on Davien’s hand.

“What happened at school?” Amias asked.

Davien didn’t respond, only hugged tighter.

“It’s okay, Davi. You can tell me.” Amias said.

Davien let go and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“T-t-the b-big k-k-kids hit me!” Davien cried out.

Davien sobbed loudly and hugged Amias again. Meanwhile, Amias felt his heart sink deep into his chest, only one thought on his mind:

I have to find them.

Chapter Twelve

Two girls and one boy. One girl with long, pencil-straight black hair and piercing blue eyes, another with brown hair tied in pigtails and bright green eyes, and a boy with blond hair and brown eyes.

The three of them crowded around Davien, the black-haired girl smacking him on the wrist, whilst all three chanted:

“Freak! Freak! Freak!”

But he wasn’t a freak, was he? Just a young boy. Only those that knew could tell…but they were just strange, awful kids.

Right?

Chapter Thirteen

Amias woke up, the shock of the dream still boiling within.

The whole town knew what he himself was. It wasn’t an absurd thought, to think that they would also know what Davien would be.

Amias almost thought that he heard the twinkle of calliope music, but it was gone just as quickly as he heard it.

Without a doubt in his mind, Mr. Callisto had returned.

Chapter Fourteen

THE NEXT DAY-THE CARNIVAL

Amias was careful to stay in the shadows of the circus tents, so that no one would see him.

All he needed to do was find Mr. Callisto and face him off.

Only, the scent of hot dogs was incredibly overpowering…and why were there so many tents? It seemed so excessive…

He couldn’t move…there were too many tents…he had to try and crawl…but they were pressing into him…

Amias had to keep going.

Chapter Fifteen

Right in front of Amias was a wooden sculpture shaped like a real heart, the clock built in ticking softly.

Amias reached forward, trying to grab the wooden heart…

In an instant, the tents stopped pressing in, and he was thrown back, dirt and dust falling in his eyes and mouth.

Chapter Sixteen

“He bit me!” A girl’s voice cried out.

Amias sat up, facing the source of the voice.

The same kids from his vision with Davien, except the black-haired girl had a bleeding finger.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a dog?” The brown haired girl asked uncertainly.

“Yes!” The boy and black-haired girl said in unison.

“I didn’t bite her! I swear, I’m telling the truth!” Davien cried out, tears in his eyes.

“Whoa, whoa. What’s going on?” Amias asked, getting up from the ground.

The children paled at the sight of him, only because they were shocked to see an adult, not because they knew.

He had to remind himself that.

Chapter Seventeen

“Davien bit me!” The black-haired girl cried out.

From what Amias could see, the kids were in an empty circus, without an adult to accompany them.

“Go, run! Get out of here, you’re not supposed to be here!” Amias cried out, shooing them away.

“But-“

“No buts, get out!” Amias yelled, interrupting the girl.

Everyone except Davien ran for their life, while Davien himself stared up, eyes wide with terror.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” Davien asked timidly.

“No, just don’t do it again.” Amias said, bringing him close.

There was nothing to fear, so long as Amias was near.

Chapter Eighteen

As Amias and Davien were walking home, he had flashes of Mr. Callisto in his mind, taunting him, teasing him, trying to break him, but no, Amias wouldn’t allow it. He was stronger than that, better than that.

“I don’t think that it’s a good idea for you to go to the circus.” Amias said.

“What?! Why?!” Davien asked, eyes alight with anger.

“I don’t think that it will be safe for you. Bad food, bad people. Most who join the circus don’t have the most truthful of hearts.” Amias warned.

“That doesn’t make sense. Daddy, can’t you just let me go?” Davien asked.

He wanted to fit in. He wanted friends. But what was the point in getting friends if they were all going to either leave or die anyway?

“No. My mind is set. You’re not going.” Amias said.

“You’re mean.” Davien grumbled.

“Sometimes I have to be.” Amias said softly.

Davien was just a child, he didn’t understand what he was saying, but still, it hurt to hear that his child, the one frequent person left in his life, should be furious with him.

Davien still loves you, Amias. Calm down, it’s not the end of the world. He reminded himself.

Amias was doing the right thing. Davien would come to understand later, guaranteed.

Chapter Nineteen

FLASHBACK

Amias rushed to an empty circus tent, where he placed his hands on the dirt, vomiting the contents of his food. What would Jace and Milan think? What about Sylvia, would she be annoyed?

“Feeling a little funny? Why, it’s cause you’re a clown, of course!” A voice boomed happily.

Amias looked up. Standing right above him was Mr. Callisto, and staring right in front of him, through a mirror, was a clown with blue and pink faded hair and hot pink eyes…no…the sharp-toothed clown couldn’t be him…he was human…right?

“You can join the circus any time, kid. But you’re a clown forever. Isn’t that a good thing? It’s so much better than living as a pitiful human, isn’t it?” Mr. Callisto asked.

Amias crawled away from him, much like a creature would retreat from their tamer, and out into the open.

There were so many warm bodies…so much fresh blood…so much rich flesh…

So many things to eat.

Chapter Twenty

Amias pushed back the covers on his bed and ran to Davien’s room, just to see if he was still there.

He ran to the room and slammed the door open…

No one lay there.

He ran off to the circus. Amias could feel it within him. Not only that, but he could also feel the itching in his skin, the part of him that desperately wanted to come out.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Amias broke through the flesh of Jace, the boy screaming under his hold, wailing to break free.

No, he wouldn’t let go. Blood was like cherries, bright and sweet.

He pounced on person after person, needing to fill the void within him, needing to hear the screams, the proof that others existed, not just him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Amias ran to the tallest red and white circus tent, the one with a burgundy flag waving at the top, the one where he was turned.

Davien was okay Davien was okay Davien was okay Davien was okay…

He pulled back the flap…

Davien lay on the floor, limbs contorted all around, eyes wide and white. Mr. Callisto stood next to him, along with the three children that had picked on him. The three children whose eyes were glowing a stark blue.

The three children who had been controlled.

“It’s good to see you again!” Mr. Callisto said brightly.

The monster part, the bad part, of Amias that had stayed burrowed within, was beginning to surface once again.

Epilogue

Too many people had seen him for his true colors. Too many people were there at the carnival to see Amias at his worst.

The kids must have heard from their parents, and Mr. Callisto must have controlled them with their own fear to hurt Davien.

But still, the clown within Amias had awakened, as what happened with Davien, and together, they tore apart the circus.

Yet still, the heart of Amias ached when he thought of sweet Sylvia and jovial Jace, gone because of him…