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Okay, so I had to write this short story for my English class (Woo! A-. Makes me happy  ). I thought I'd share it with you guys, so let me know what you think! It might be a bit lengthy, I know, but I think it's worth the read. (It's the first bit of writing I've done in ages that I'm actually not saying is stupid. xd ) Enjoy!
November 2, 1982
Stray leaves floated to the ground in a race as Chase Cassadine walked down Vine Street in the opposite direction of the Kevarian Middle School that’s at the very end of the one way street. She fixed the dark red scarf around her neck, being sure none of her black hair was caught, when she started to come up to a white two-family apartment building. She walked up the front steps and rang the doorbell.
A tall, middle-aged woman answered the door. She smiled warmly.
“Hello, Chase. Come on in,” she said and stepped out of her way. She started down the hall and into the kitchen.
“Thanks Mrs. Spencer. Are Johnny and Abby ready?” Chase asked. She took a step inside and turned to shut the door.
“Chase!” She turned, only to get bombarded with a little nine-year-old ball of energy. “You’re finally here and it’s about time,” said the little girl as she wrapped her arms around Chase’s waist.
Chase smiled and ruffled her dark brown hair. “I’m sorry, Abby. But hey, we can still make it if we leave in a bit,” she replied. “Where’s Johnny?”
Abby frowned, crossing her arms. “He’s in his room. He said he doesn’t want to go.”
“Figures.” Chase took the little girl’s hand and led her down the hallway and into the living room. There was another door there that led to another room, which was Johnny’s bedroom. She opened the door and brought Abby inside.
Johnny was lying on his bed across from the doorway. A TV set sat on a dresser beside the door, tuned in to MTV. Some posters of KISS, Metallica, and Black Sabbath hung on the walls. He raised his chocolate brown eyes to them when the girls entered.
“Are you ready or not?” Chase asked.
“Not,” Johnny replied, with a hint of a smile that caused her to smile a little also.
“Hm… Sweatshirt, check. Jeans, check. Shoes, double check,” she said like off a check list. “You look ready to me, now get the ******** out of bed and let’s go.”
“Nope,” he replied simply, though sat up.
“Why not?”
“Getting too old for circuses.”
“Johnny, we’ve been going to the Everett Fall Festival every year since forever. Besides, just because we’re juniors, doesn’t mean we’re too old.”
“I want to go!” Abby exclaimed. She let go of Chase’s hand and pouted again, crossing her arms.
“What’s the harm in missing one year?” he asked.
Chase looked down at Abby to suggest they go by themselves, but she saw the way the little girl glared at her older brother. It made Chase smile because it was kind of funny. There was still the look of admiration on her face and the knowledge that she had him wrapped right around her little finger.
Johnny looked at her, silent, then rolled his eyes, the clear sign he was giving in. Abby’s face lit up and she jumped up and down happily.
“I knew it!” she squealed and took off to her room that was by the front door.
Chase’s light blue-grey eyes trailed after her and she looked back at Johnny as he stood off his bed. “Remind me to get your sister when I want you to do something for me.”
“Shut up,” he replied. They both smiled as they went into the living room and then into the hallway where they found Abby fumbling with her baby pink jacket.
Johnny went and pulled on a black hat over his head as Abby took off for the door, excited.
“Hold it,” Johnny commanded. When she looked around, he took a pink and purple striped scarf and a matching hat off the coat rack on the wall and held them out toward her. “If we’re going, I don’t want you to freeze.”
Abby put on the hat as her brother put the scarf into place.
Chase followed the two of them back into the cool November air. She slipped on a pair of dark red gloves as the three of them walked down Vine towards the Kevarian School, turned left onto Nichols Street and then turned right on Ferry Street. They walked up Ferry heading towards Glendale Park. She stayed beside Johnny as Abby held his other hand.
“I see it!” Abby exclaimed. Her grin could have brightened the dark cloudy sky.
Up ahead, the bright red and yellow tent was set up, ready for Everett’s yearly fall festival. The tent loomed against clouds that threatened of rain, though they were supposed to be just passing.
The festival was the city’s way to celebrate the fall before the snow fell like there was no tomorrow and the temperature dropped so low you’d freeze where you stood. The entertainment was different every year, this year being the circus.
The three of them walked by a few more sub shops, and maybe a pub or some Chinese restaurant along the way. They crossed over Elm Street and entered the park’s gate entrance at the corner.
Chase went into her jacket pocket and passed Johnny money. She stayed with Abby as he went to get their tickets.
“Come on,” Johnny said upon returning. He held up the tickets to show he got them. Abby snatched his hand and tugged the both of them inside, then over to a couple of seats in the front. They were just in time for the show to begin.
Chase watched at how Abby’s eyes lit up at all the different animals that came out and she laughed with the little girl at the clown acts. Johnny sat, arms crossed with his eyes drooping. His attention could only last so long.
The crowd was ready to go until the Ring Leader, a chunky short man with a weird mustache and top hat, came out and stood where all could see him. He held up a pair of fat hands to get the audience’s attention. “Boys and girls, ladies and gentleman!” His voice boomed enthusiastically. “I am pleased to announce we have a very special here today to close the show. Please put your hands together and welcome Mr. Giggles!”
The Ring Leader waddled off as music started playing and a clown wearing a bright yellow one piece with orange patches made his way out riding on a unicycle. There were three batons in his hand. His hair frizzed out to an afro, leaving a small bald spot at the top of his forehead. It was red, but natural, unlike the synthetic wigs. His red make-up smile was painted on very pale skin. There were blue triangles above and green triangles below a set of yellow eyes.
Johnny rolled his eyes as the clown stopped the unicycle, remaining perfectly balanced, and then started to juggle the batons. “Boring,” the boy said.
“Quiet, Johnny,” Chase said to him, making a glance his way.
Mr. Giggles looked their way, the yellow stare creepy. He grinned and turned his attention to the batons. His mouth was a big O as he looked mockingly surprised, and then he giggled. The end of the batons had lit themselves on fire as he juggled, and he kept on juggling.
“This is so lame!” Johnny shouted. Abby ignored him. Chase sighed softly, shaking her head. He never had a problem with letting people know when he didn’t like something.
Mr. Giggles looked back towards them once more with a grin. Chase could feel the chills running up and down her spine. The clown’s grin frames two rows of razor sharp teeth that matched the eerie yellow gaze held by his eyes.
Chase looks over at Johnny and he looked unimpressed. Apparently the act no longer held the need of his attention.
The crowd cheered as Mr. Giggles blew the fire out and ended his act by making a back flip off the unicycle.
“I want to see the clowns!” Abby said. They stood with the crowd and started to leave.
“Chase can take you. I’m going home,” Johnny said.
“Come on, Abby. Johnny’ll play dolls with you when you get home,” said Chase.
“Promise,” Johnny said to his sister. “I’ll see you guys later.” Chase was about to reply, but Johnny had all ready turned and left. Her gray-blue eyes watched as he walked around the side of the tent, then up the hill, to take a shortcut home.
It was almost an hour before Chase got Abby to head home.
“I wanted to tell Mr. Giggles how cool that back flip was,” Abby said. She held on to Chase’s hand as they walked down Vine Street.
“No one seemed to see where he went,” Chase commented. “Maybe you’ll see him next year if we have the circus again.” They walked up the front steps of Abby and Johnny’s apartment.
“That’s okay. I had fun anyway.”
“Good. I’ll come over tomorrow, okay?” Abby grinned and nodded before going inside. Chase made sure to hear the inside door shut before turning and walking to her home that overlooked the park on the hill.
* * * * *
Chase’s alarm clock sat on a bedside table and read 6:21 PM as she picked up a bedroom phone beside it and dialed a number.
“Mrs. Spencer? … Has there been any sign of Johnny yet? …It’s been four days all ready,” she said into the receiver. She ran a hand through her hair, unsteady. “I know, I’m worried, too, you have no idea… Tell Abby she can come over if she wants to.” They talked a little longer, Mrs. Spencer arranging for Chase to eat over next week as she was almost part of the family, before saying goodbye and they hung up. It took Chase another try to set her phone down in the holder, her hand was shaking.
Johnny hadn’t made it home and still was no where to be seen. Naturally Chase and his family were worried.
She folded her arms and walked over to her bedroom window. It over looked the park. The circus had packed up and moved on two nights ago. Now the park was normal again. A group of kids were throwing a game of football and Chase noticed two people, who were further up on the hill, digging at a small area.
What perfect timing. A couple of cruisers sped by and stopped by the park. A pair of cops came from each car.
Chase peered closer, blinked, and then dashed out of the house into the cold, leaving her jacket. She ran towards the cops who went over to the two that had been digging a small hole and a small crowd started to form. She managed to push her way through to the front of the crowd and heard one of the men explaining to one cop how they thought something was buried, because the patch of dirt surrounded by well kept grass seemed off, and they wanted to know what it was.
Chase got close enough to see what was buried. Tears stung her eyes as she backed away, covering her mouth to keep from vomiting.
The rain that threatened to fall from the clouds, clouds that were just passing, began to fall.
26 Years Later…
“It was Johnny down in that hole. His face was so contorted in horror, eyes wide, that he had to have been scared to death. His arms and legs were bent in all different odd directions and he was found buried right here. Found right here where this very school now stands.” Dan spoke like a true storyteller, his voice never faltered as he sat on his desk with his white sneakers on his chair. He had his homeroom gathered around him, listening intently.
“That isn’t true. No way that happened,” Chris protested, then grew curious. “What about Mr. Giggles?”
“Never seen from again. Someone actually found an obituary for Charlie Ray, the guy that played Mr. Giggles. He died eight years before that incident, though. No one had picked up the character out of respect for Ray.”
Kara, a short girl with brown hair, covered her ears. “I don’t want to hear any more of it!” she whined.
Dan smiled, pleased. “You know, they say if something just moves when nothing is there or you hear a scream, that’s Johnny reliving his death. But if you hear that high-pitched giggle, you’ve got to watch out. If Mr. Giggles’ spirit can get Johnny, he can get your a**, too.”
Kara opened her mouth to tell him to shut up, but she stopped.
There was an eerie high-pitched giggle coming from the hallway. The entire homeroom looked over towards the door. Through the door’s window, a ghostly figure of a clown in a bright yellow outfit with orange patches started to walk by. He stopped. Turning towards the window, looking at the kids, he sported that frightening sharp grin, then continued walked, giggling again as he continued walking by.
The class sat silent, you could hear a pin drop, but no one moved. The equal silence from each student seemed to confirm not one of them hadn’t heard the giggle and not one of them hadn’t seen that ghostly clown with the grin of razor sharp yellow teeth walk by.
They all jumped as the bell of the intercom went off.
“Goood morning Everett High School! Today is Day 5. Would the student body please rise for a moment of personal thought...”
 OrliDeppgrl1526 · Sat Dec 13, 2008 @ 02:10am · 0 Comments |
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