Young Writers Society

*This is the origin of a character from my “The Playground” stories. Gacha Club character designs are on my wall. Enjoy!*

In the 1900s, there was a young twenty-six year old man named Christopher Jacobs, who performed as a clown,a clown named “Lollie.” He left his family to do so. It wasn’t like they were going to miss him or anything. If he stayed any longer, he’d have been kicked out.

Why would his own parents kick him out? Because he loved making jokes and trying to do cool new tricks, two things which his parents disliked. They would have preferred it if he wanted to do something more “worthwhile.” Like a scientist perhaps. That’s what the men in his family did.

But that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted to entertain people, to make their sadness briefly disappear…

……………………………………………………………….

It was one fateful night at 12:30 A.M. when another circus show had ended, as he walked out, he saw..

Her.

She was a young woman who had appeared to fall on the street. Her head faced down and her long hair drooped over her body. He couldn’t see her face.

But he could tell with the silent shaking she made that she was crying. He did a lot of that in the past.

Maybe she had tripped and fell while walking home. That happened sometimes when people left the circus. They were so overcome with joy that they couldn’t even walk!

The others were walking past her, some even snickering under their breaths, not caring to help the woman up.

He couldn’t bear to see her crying all alone with no help.

“Take my hand.” He said, hand outstretched.

The woman looked up at him with her tear-stained face, confusion in her eyes.

And then he recognized her.

Even though she wasn’t wearing any heavy makeup and she wasn’t dressed extravagantly, one could clearly see that this was what a Henderson lady would like.

There was only one member of the family who was “a mistake” and “a joke.” A young woman by the name of…

Could it really be her?

Surely, it wasn’t another Henderson woman?

“You’re Juliet Henderson, aren’t you?” He asked.

She nodded.

So it was her. How funny that the very lady he’s always had an infatuation for since they were both teenagers were to stumble into his path again.

“What are you doing out-“

“I need to get out. Out of my family, out of this…this life.”

“You need to escape.”

He understood her. He always understood her from the very start.

“You can call me Christopher.” He said, trusting her with his name. He didn’t see Juliet as one that would tell secrets.

“Your real name?”

“Yes.”

“Why-“

“Don’t ask.”

And so, the two of them walked together, away from town and into a clearing in the woods, where he knew Juliet’s family had lived because he played with Juliet once when he was young.

Did she even remember? It was so long ago.

“Well, I must go. Goodbye, Christopher. I’ll see you again.”

“Goodbye, Juliet.”

……………………………………………………………….

Days and weeks had passed. Juliet had been kicked out of her family home and lived behind the circus tent. Usually Christopher was the only one left when the circus show ended. When she wanted to make herself look as presentable as possible, she’d shoo Christopher away and go into the tent.

Christopher, when he had time, would steal food and liquor for her. He didn’t mind stealing. It wasn’t murder.

And what was more was that Juliet was beginning to confide in him, to trust him. After some time, she began to remember that one moment they shared as children. They had also come to…love each other.

Oh, the joy!

He had to marry her, she was his true love! His better half, his…his everything.

……………………………………………………………….

One night, at 12:30 A.M., the same time they reunited with each other months ago, he knelt before her, with love in his heart.

No, he didn’t have a fancy ring. But he did love her so.

“Juliet Rosè Henderson-“

“Don’t say that name.”

“Henderson?”

“That’s the one.”

“Well, you won’t be a Henderson much longer, if you wish to marry me-“

“What kind of a question is that?!” She asked, fury in her eyes.

No, she didn’t want to marry him.

He was fine with that, completely fine with that. It was her choice, after all.

Christopher turned around and began to walk away, not wanting to bother her further.

Then, he heard her sweet voice again, louder, more surer this time:

“Of course I’ll marry you!”

And so, when he turned around, she ran into his arms and embraced him.

Ah, what a beautiful and perfect moment it was.

……………………………………………………………….

That day, the day he proposed to her, was the day they intended to be wed. One more moment couldn’t be wasted.

They would marry near the circus entrance, where the letters telling the name of the circus, “The amazing and wondrous circus of delight!” was high above them, dangerously high. The gate was their altar for that night.

Christopher stood at the entrance, watching his love glide to him.

Juliet had a rare ethereal grin on her face. Her makeup was cheap, the wedding dress was stolen from her sister and had blackened from mold. But the wedding was magical, nonetheless. It was theirs and that was all that mattered.

As Juliet took his hands-

SPLAT

A paper ball the size of a fingernail got stuck in her hair.

He brushed it off.

It was nothing, right?

They recited their vows-

SPLAT

SPLAT

More of the balls were in Juliet’s hair. Some even landed in his eyes.

And then they heard it. The unmistakable and horrid childlike giggles.

They turned around to face the culprits.

Even though they lowered their heads behind bushes as quick as lightning, they were able to catch their faces.

Children. Little, bratty, children.

So their parents couldn’t give them discipline, eh? Couldn’t control the little monsters?

Well then, they’d have to teach those misbehaving aliens themselves.

Before they could teach them a lesson, a young boy, about ten years old, aimed a rubber ball on a slingshot at Juliet, a stupid grin on his face.

Christopher grabbed her and held her close to him, not wanting her to get hit.

The ball landed on the letters, the letters they were standing underneath.

And then-

CRASH!

The giant letters crushed the unfortunate lovers…

……………………………………………………………….

They had woken up in the circus tent, no one around.

Christopher nudged Juliet, who lay next to him.

She shot up and-

“Juliet, your face-“

“What about my face?”

“Your skin is completely purple. It’s purple rot. One of your eyes is hanging out of its sockets. There is black mold on your hands that makes it look like claws.”

“So after we die you don’t love me anymore? Even after everything?” Juliet asked, sorrow in her rasped voice.

He took her hands in his very own black molding ones.

“No, Juliet. You’re beautiful. You always will be.” He said earnestly.

And so, he kissed her.

“What now?” She asked after they were done.

“What do you want to do? The possibilities are limitless,now that we’re dead. No one will bother us anymore.”

“What if we’re not dead?”

“My love, there is no way we could have survived that, looking like this.”

“So, what do you want to do?” Christopher asked.

An evil, maniacal grin spread on his beautiful bride’s face.

“Let’s kill those nasty children.”

“Whatever you wish, my love.” Christopher said, sharing the grin, a laugh bursting out of his lips.

Juliet took on the laugh.

Those kids were in deep and sickening trouble…