Night of the Creepy Carnival

by George Ivanoff

You find yourself in the main tent. A show has just finished and the last of the spectators are leaving. But the ringmaster is still there, dressed in a glittering red tailcoat and top hat.

  You tell him about the clowns.

  ‘Ridiculous,’ says the ringmaster, glancing over his shoulder. ‘Utterly preposterous.’ His eyes widen as he looks behind you.

  You turn to see a shadow pass along the canvas where you crawled in.

  ‘Tell you what,’ says the ringmaster in an overly confident voice. ‘How about I pay the clowns a visit and check out your story?’

  You’re not sure that’s a good idea. But the ringmaster assures you that it will simply prove you’ve imagined everything.

  Tim refuses to go. So you leave him sitting on a bench and follow the ringmaster.

  ‘Knock, knock,’ says the ringmaster as he pulls back the flap on the clown tent and enters. ‘Anyone home?’

  The cabinet is gone. Deadbeat has his back to you as he packs something into a box. Slowly the clown turns to reveal …

  That he has removed his make-up. And he looks rather ordinary. Disappointingly so.

  You launch into your accusations anyway, shouting at the clown and the ringmaster.

  ‘Please excuse the kid,’ says the ringmaster, a slight quaver in his voice. ‘He’s been hallucinating. Too much fairy floss!’

  You shout that it’s all true and that Tim can back up your story.

  ‘Tim?’ says Deadbeat in his happy singsong voice. ‘Are you sure this Tim even exists?’

  Tim? Has something happened to Tim? Should you go back and check on him? But maybe the clown is just trying to get rid of you? Perhaps you should persist and search the tent?

  If you want to run back to the main tent and check on Tim, go here.

  If you want to search the tent, go here.

  How hard could it be to get past a clown slave?

  You rush at the clown in front of you, but he pushes you back easily. He’s stronger than he seems.

  You glance behind to see Tim struggling with the other clown. This isn’t going to be that easy, after all.

  Suddenly there’s a blur of pink sequins as someone somersaults over, landing in between you and the clown. It’s a teenage girl. An acrobat.

  The clown lunges at her, but she leaps into the air, kicking him in the face. The clown crashes to the ground and she lands on him. Another swift kick and he’s unconscious. Without a pause the girl backflips over you, landing on the other clown’s shoulders.

  The clown staggers and releases Tim. The girl locks her legs around the clown’s throat and squeezes until he too loses consciousness.

  ‘My name’s Tina,’ she says. ‘And you need to come with me.’ She cartwheels off between the tents.

  You help Tim to his feet, and follow.

  Tina leads you to the acrobats’ tent. There are dozens of them, in spangled leotards of various colours, clamouring to find out what’s happened.

  Everyone is silenced by the arrival of an elderly woman in a sparkly black leotard, her grey hair in a neat bun.

  ‘I am Flowerchild,’ she announces. ‘Leader of the acrobatic troupe. But we are more than just acrobats. We are the Acrobatic Ninja Defenders of the Earth.’

  You reckon she looks a bit old to be a ninja.

  Flowerchild backflips into the air, does an impossible triple somersault and lands gracefully in a crouch, not a hair out of place.

  ‘Do not think me too old,’ she says, standing straight and smiling. ‘Now, tell us about the clowns.’

  You and Tim quickly recount everything that has happened.

  ‘Deadbeat is not a clown at all,’ explains Flowerchild. ‘He is a demon from a nightmare dimension who has broken through into our world. Deadbeat is merely using the form of a clown because so many people are afraid of clowns. He is trying to open a portal into his dimension so that the other demons can enter our world … and devour it.’

  Demon clowns eating the whole world – now that’s a scary thought!

  ‘We’ve been watching Deadbeat and waiting for the right moment to act,’ continues Flowerchild. ‘And that time has arrived. We must prepare.’

  The acrobats all bound off to the screened changing areas, while Flowerchild continues to speak to you and Tim.

  ‘This will not be an easy fight and you have been through enough already. There is no need for you to stay.’

  Tim doesn’t need to be told twice – with a quick goodbye, he’s out of there.

  But you hesitate. Is there anything you can do to help?

  The acrobats come bounding back out. You realise that although they are now dressed in black, they are still covered in sparkling sequins. Not great for blending in!

  Flowerchild shrugs. ‘We may be Ninja Defenders, but we’re also carnival acrobats. We couldn’t possibly give up our bling.’

  All the acrobats are carrying metal sticks. One of them throws a stick to Flowerchild. She catches it, twirls it around and flicks it. The stick extends into a fighting staff. She raises it above her head.

  ‘Let’s go!’

  If you want to stay with the acrobats, go here.

  If you think you’ve done enough already and decide to find your parents, go here.

  You finish your cold porridge and help to set up, avoiding the clowns.

  It’s not long before you hear wailing sirens. As two police cars come screeching into the carnival ground, all the clowns disappear from sight.

  Your parents have listed you as a missing person and the police have tracked you down. It looks like your carnival adventure is over.

  But as you drive off in the police car, you see a group of creepy clowns marching off towards the town. You wonder what they’re up to. I guess you’ll never know.

  You leave the carnival, heading into the town.

  It’s a really small town – a few houses clustered around some shops and a police station. You buy a sandwich from the general store and wonder how you’re going to get home. Running away was a dumb idea, wasn’t it?

  You don’t have a mobile phone. And you just spent the last of your money on food. Maybe you should head back to the carnival and get the ringmaster to call your parents. You start walking towards the carnival, when you see a cluster of clowns marching in formation towards the town. There’s about twenty of them.

  As they pass a man walking his dog, two of the clowns break formation and pounce. The man and the dog are hauled off to the carnival.

  You run back to the centre of town and into the police station. There’s a short man with a large cowboy hat sitting behind a desk. You ask where the police are.

  ‘Ain’t no police here today,’ he says in a cowboy drawl. ‘There’s only one constable and he’s laid up with the flu. So all you got is me. I’m the mayor of this town. And today, I’m also the sheriff.’

  You tell him about the clowns.

  ‘You having me on?’ he asks, staring up at you from under the hat. ‘Run along, kid, before I arrest you.’

  You don’t run along. You try to warn him about the oncoming clowns. But he throws you into jail.

  You look out through the small barred window into the street. The clowns are now in the town … and they’re dragging people off.

  One of the clowns spots you and grins. He heads for the police station.

  As you listen to the screams of the sheriff/mayor in the front of the office … you know you’ll be next!

  You watch from behind the boxes as Deadbeat forces the girl into the cabinet. Closing the door, he operates the controls.

  The red sphere glows bright and the cabinet fills with swirling mist, as the girl pounds on the glass with her fists.

  There’s a short scream and then everything is silent. The door opens and the girl walks out. But her face now looks like a creepy clown.

  She walks past Deadbeat and straight towards you.

  Deadbeat snaps his fingers and suddenly all the clowns are moving towards you, arms outstretched.


  Your scream catches in your throat as white hands clamp over your mouth.

  You can’t stay hidden and watch the girl being clown-ified. You push the boxes aside and spring to her aid.

  You charge at Deadbeat, shouldering him away from the girl. He grabs onto the side of the chamber to steady himself. The girl sprints the length of the tent and is gone within seconds. She didn’t even say thank you.

  You stare at the tent flap, mouth hanging open. Heavy white hands grasp your shoulders and spin you around.

  You are face to face with Deadbeat.

  What does he look like under the make-up?

  You reach out and pull at his nose. It doesn’t come off. It’s real.

  You yank at his hair. It’s also real.

  You grasp his hands. He’s not wearing gloves. His hands aren’t covered in make-up. They are white and clammy and strong.

  The clown snarls and shoves you. You stagger backwards, hitting some boxes and falling to the floor.

  You look up to see Deadbeat stride into the centre of the tent. Placing his hand to his temple, he makes a strange waving gesture with his hand. The clowns all take a step forward.

  ‘Time to step up the plans,’ says Deadbeat in his weird singsong voice. ‘I’m sick of waiting. Get the girl before she blabs and bring her back! Finish off anyone who stands in our way. My colleagues will have to come through early. I should have enough life essence to open a small portal. Go! Cry havoc and let slip the clowns of war!’

  The clowns move in unison, marching out of the tent.

  Deadbeat stalks over to the chamber and operates the controls; the noses make honking and tooting sounds as he presses them. The air around the box shimmers and darkens. Shadowy shapes move about in the red sphere. The tent is filled with a thick, malevolent atmosphere. You can feel evil around you.

  What is Deadbeat doing? Should you try to stop him?

  But what about the clowns in the carnival? What will they do to all the people? Your parents are out there somewhere!

  You jump to your feet, ready to act.

  If you want to find your parents and get them out of the carnival, go here.

  But what about Deadbeat’s plans? If he’s going to take over the world, nowhere will be safe. Perhaps you should try to stop him? Go here.

  You push past the clown and start searching through the boxes, pulling out costumes and make-up.

  ‘You may go now,’ says Deadbeat to the ringmaster. ‘I’ll handle this.’

  The ringmaster nods and hurriedly leaves.

  You look up to see Deadbeat hold up a hand. It’s still white.

  You watch, incredulous, as his fingernails extend into long claws.

  He places the hand on his neck. The claws dig into his flesh. With a quick ripping motion he pulls off his human face …

  It was a mask!

  And beneath it is the ugly clown face. His real face! Evil!

  You back away and stumble over the discarded contents of the box you were searching through.

  Deadbeat’s eyes sink into his skull and disappear. The sockets are filled with a dark emptiness, like twin black holes sucking all hope out of you.

  You find yourself falling into the darkness, never to re-emerge.

  The acrobats cartwheel, tumble and somersault out of the tent.

  You watch them go, before searching for your parents. You find them hanging out at the fairy floss stand.

  ‘Where have you been?’ your dad asks through a mouthful of floss.

  You just shrug.

  ‘Well,’ says your mum, snatching the floss from your dad, ‘anything else you want to see?’

  You shake your head. You’re ready to go home, so the three of you walk to the exit. On your way you see two clowns chasing an acrobat.

  Your parents stop to watch.

  ‘What’s going on there?’ your dad murmurs.

  ‘Probably part of the entertainment,’ your mum answers.

  The acrobat suddenly drops to the ground, curling up, his black sequinned costume making him look like a mirror ball. The first clown trips over him and goes flying – landing with a thud. The second clown stops in time and produces three juggling balls.

  The acrobat leaps to his feet and flicks his metal stick, extending it into a staff.

  The clown throws two of the balls.

  The acrobat intercepts them, hitting them with the staff. They explode.

  The clown grins maliciously and lobs the third ball high into the air over the crowd of onlookers that has gathered, and runs off.

  The acrobat springs into action, retracting the staff and sprinting for the ball. Along the way he snatches a cardigan from the shoulders of an onlooker. He uses it to gently catch the ball mid-air and flings it back at the retreating clown. The ball hits him in the back.

  The resulting explosion propels the clown through the air and into the drinks stand.

  ‘Wow!’ Your dad starts clapping. ‘That was great!’

  ‘Do you think there’ll be an encore?’ Your mum is also clapping.

  You desperately steer your parents out of the grounds.

  You hear an explosion behind you and more applause, but you don’t look back. You just want to get out of here!

  You’re certain that the Earth-defending acrobats will beat the demon clowns from another dimension. At least, you hope so!

  You race out after the acrobats.

  Flowerchild is directing groups to move into the carnival to capture the clowns. Meanwhile, she will lead an elite team to the clown tent and stop Deadbeat.

  You go along with Flowerchild and her team.

  They burst into the clown tent, staffs at the ready. The clowns attack, as Deadbeat frantically starts operating the controls on the cabinet.

  The sphere above the cabinet glows red and fills with dark swirling shapes.

  ‘He’s opening the portal!’ shouts Flowerchild.

  ‘Nothing can stop us now,’ Deadbeat growls triumphantly, as the dark shapes begin to turn into mutated clown faces with enlarged mouths full of sharp teeth.

  You watch, wide-eyed, as Flowerchild jumps high, kicking out with both legs and knocking down two clowns simultaneously. She lands in a crouch, reaches up to her hair, and pulls out …

  Is that a hamster?

  ‘We can still stop you,’ she calls. ‘The Mystic Hamster of Segonax will destroy your portal.’

  A mystic hamster? Is she for real?

  Flowerchild pulls back her arm as if she’s about to bowl a cricket ball, and launches the fuzzy little creature at the red sphere, just as another clown tackles her.

  Deadbeat removes his conical hat and tosses it into the air, intercepting the animal, which drops to the ground and scurries off to the side of the tent. With a maniacal laugh, Deadbeat returns his attention to the controls.

  You drop to your hands and knees and crawl between the fighting clowns and acrobats to the hamster. You hold out your hand and it scampers up. You stand. You have a clear shot at the sphere. But Flowerchild has defeated another clown and is motioning for you to pass it to her.

  If you decide to pass the hamster to Flowerchild, go here.

  If you think you can make the shot yourself, go here.

  You race back to the main tent to check on Tim.

  But he’s not there!

  A clown-shaped shadow passes along the canvas wall.

  They’ve taken him. You’re sure of it. You decide that you’ll have to go to the police.

  You run into the ringmaster as you head out.

  ‘So,’ he says, glancing around the tent, ‘satisfied? Everything okay?’

  You demand to know what happened to Tim.

  ‘Tim?’ says the ringmaster. ‘Who’s Tim?’

  You stare at him disbelievingly.

  ‘Now listen,’ says the ringmaster, talking slowly to you, as though you are an idiot, ‘you’ve had a bit of scare; imagined things that weren’t really there. I didn’t see anything. There’s nothing
suspicious in the clown tent. And there is no Tim to confirm your story. So no one will believe you.’

  You leave, defeated.

  As you go in search of your parents, you see clowns in the shadows watching you.

  You find your mum and dad, who are both carrying a large plastic bag.

  ‘I won some stuff,’ your dad proclaims as he proudly fishes a large clown doll out of the bag. He thrusts it at you. ‘I thought you might like it.’

  You can’t help it – you scream! And you run. In a terrified, blind panic, you run from the carnival. You run all the way home and hide under your bed.

  The next day your parents take you to see a specialist. You are diagnosed with coulrophobia, an irrational fear of clowns. But your fear is rational – isn’t it?

  You’re taken to a special hospital for people with phobias – unreasonable and uncontrollable fears.

  And there you stay …

  Until the clowns come to take you away!

  You have to save your parents, so you run from the tent.

  One of the clowns is already dragging someone back. You see another clown lob a juggling ball at someone who’s running away. The ball explodes as it hits the man. In the distance you hear screams of fright.

  Dodging the clowns, you run across the grass to the main part of the carnival.

  The place is in chaos. People are shouting and panicking, running around and shoving each other, trying to escape the carnival grounds. The clowns are moving through the crowds, grabbing at passers-by.

  You see one clown take the flower off his lapel and stick it in front of a man’s face. The flower releases a puff of smoke and the man collapses.

  How will you ever find your parents in this confusion?

  Perhaps it would be better to return to the clown tent and try to stop Deadbeat? Go here.

  But if you’ d rather keep searching for your parents, go here.