Young Writers Society

*It’s exactly as the title says. These stories are part of my “Clowns, magic, murder, and lies” series. These stories all take place sometime in the characters’ past. Penelope and John are Nova’s parents. The story containing their characters show them when they are teens, before Nova came to the world. You can check the other stories out underneath my folder of the same name. Gacha Club character designs are on my wall. Please tell me what you think of these stories.*

1. To frighten Nova

Nova didn’t want to be in woods in the first place. Nina and Ava made her go. They wanted their Halloween to be as terrifying as possible, hence, the reason they were going to the woods.

She just wished they didn’t drag her along.

The cold air nipped at her arms. They were ahead of her, which was no surprise. Nova trailed behind in anything involving creepiness, especially if clowns were involved.

“HehahHAheheheHEhahHAehehA!”

Nova stopped. She knew that sound.

That was the chilling, telltale sound of a clown’s laughter.

“Come on, Nova. Don’t just stand there.” Nina said.

“Did you guys hear that?” Nova asked.

“Hear what?” Nina asked. Nova turned to Ava, but her face only creased with worry. Worry for Nova.

“It’s nothing.”

But it was something. She heard it very clearly. She could still hear it in the distance.

The laughter was getting closer with every step they took. Nova almost thought that someone was following them.

No, she couldn’t ignore it anymore.

She turned around.

Standing in front of her was a tall, horribly bright, sinisterly smiling…

Clown.

He wouldn’t stop laughing that awful laugh. On and on his laughter went, the shrill laughter ringing in her ears.

All around Nova, the world began to close up. It was just her and the clown. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream.

She was trapped.

He stopped laughing. He was trying to touch her. Nova could feel her mouth moving. Something was going off in the distance. A siren, perhaps.

Someone yanked on her arm and everything came back into focus.

…………………………………………………

Nina was the one who had grabbed her. Ava and Nina looked at her with worry. Even the clown seemed concerned.

“That’s Quinn in costume.” Ava said.

Quinn? From school? Her lab partner?

Looking more closely, the clown seemed more familiar.

“Quinn? What are you doing here?” Nova asked.

“Nina said I could join you guys if I wanted. I wanted to dress like a clown and really go for the scare factor with the laughter. They warned me about doing this, but I didn’t listen.”

“You were screaming so loud. I tried to help you, but you kept screaming. I honestly didn’t know your fear was that bad.” Quinn said.

Nova shuffled her feet sheepishly. Now, she was just embarrassed. They had all seen her scream. They had all seen her afraid.

“Let’s just get out of here, okay?” Nova asked, changing the subject.

The others nodded.

Together, the four of them went home.

2. What happened to Reagan?

1986-SCHOOL DANCE

Sophia sat on the bleachers, watching everyone else dance. Reagan was nowhere to be found. Usually Reagan was earlier than her with everything, but she wasn’t around.

It was the school dance. The dance she wouldn’t shut up about.

But she wasn’t there.

Sophia got up from the bleachers.

She’d find Reagan herself.

……………………………………………………

Sophia walked out of the school front doors. The night was quiet, save for the sounds of crickets and faint music from the dance.

She stepped down the stairs.

Reagan’s car wasn’t in sight.

Maybe she should look for a payphone to call her-

“Sophia!” Reagan’s voice called out. It sounded like she was behind her.

Sophia turned around.

Nothing.

“Huh?” She asked. Maybe it was in her imagination. Sure, Reagan sounded like she was close, but maybe that was what her mind led her to believe-

“Over here!” Reagan’s voice said right next to her.

Sophia turned around to her left, where Reagan’s voice came from.

Except she wasn’t looking at Reagan.

She was looking at a clown.

3. When Penelope met John

Penelope walked back home, tired after a long day of school. Everything she just learned simply deteriorated in her mind. It wasn’t like she would actually remember anything-

“Hey.” A boy said.

Penelope stopped walking.

The boy was standing underneath a tree. She’d seen him in school, but never really spoke to him. Matter of fact, she never really spoke with any of her peers.

So why was he talking to her now?

“Hey?” Penelope didn’t know how to feel with this sudden kindness.

“I’m John and you are-“

“Why are you talking to me?”

“I’ve seen you in school and uh…I wanted to say hi.” He said. Why did he seem so nervous? She was just a person.

“Okay? You said hi.” Penelope said. She was about to continue walking, but John stopped in front of her.

“And I also want to be your friend!” He said, voice getting a little bit higher.

“Did you follow me home? What are you doing here?”

John fidgeted with his fingers, avoiding eye contact.

“I know this looks bad, but I just…I get nervous talking to you in school and uh…I just wanted to talk to you now!”

Penelope sighed. He seemed like a nice guy so far, but if she got any bad energy from him, then…

She hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Really, she didn’t like being violent.

“Alright. We’ll be friends.” Penelope smiled.

John grinned at her. He had a sweet smile.

“Thank you.” He said softly.

“Don’t mention it.” Penelope said.

4. The poison waited

Philippa stared at the bottle of rat poison in her hand. Dad got it to “expel the rats” but there had been no such creatures in their house. He wouldn’t listen, though. He insisted that it would be useful one day.

Well, it was useful for her.

Philippa removed the cap and gently lifted it to her mouth…

5. It was over

Everything around Philippa became a blur. A blur she was leaving behind, along with Lily, who would be so alone without her.

She’d have no sister to look up to. No one to talk to. Just their parents and Conrad, who never spoke much.

What was Philippa thinking? It had seemed so clear then, but after death, it seemed so wrong. So terrible. Just too much. But there was nothing she could do, was there?

It was over.