Clowns and Killers
“Do we have to go on this ride?” Lola pleaded.

“Of course,” we all shouted.

“This is our celebration for making it to the championship basketball game!” I yelled.

“GO BEARS!!” Karrie screamed.

“That’s right Jordan, making it all the way, just got to beat those Hawks.” Wendy exclaimed.
“Alright I’ll do it,” Lola sighed, “but only because you guys are going on with me.”
Twenty minutes later, we were all are walking off the exit, laughing and rambling on about the ride, “That was so fast”… “I loved it!”... “I think the girl in front of me lost her shoe….”

“That was so much fun!” Lola screeched. We all froze and stared at her. “Did Lola just say she liked a roller coaster?” I questioned.

“No,” Lola responded, “It was fun in a horrifying way; I mean I didn’t love it.” We all laughed and slapped her on the back. “Hey the park is closing, we better head out to our cars,” Wendy concluded. We began walking with everyone else to the exits until I stopped dead in my tracks. “Something the matter Jordan?” Lola asked.
“Where’s Karrie?” I shrieked. Lola and Wendy frantically looked around but she was nowhere to be seen. “Karrie… KARRIE!!!” we shouted. We ran back to the roller coaster exit but she was nowhere in the masses of people scurrying towards the exit. I shoved through small little families, chatty friends, and almost pushed the poor guy in a sweltering, smiling cartoon kid costume, telling everyone that this park is a blast. My hear t is pounding as I turned my head left to right, desperately searching for that familiar face. Then, I screamed on the top of my lungs, “KARRIE!!!!”.

“What?!” I heard from behind me. I whipped around and saw Karrie gently prying fluffy, baby pink cotton candy off a stick and into her mouth. Her vibrant golden hair was pulled up into a perfect messy bun and she dug her black cowboy boot into the dry dirt. “Where were you?” we all cried.

“This guy was giving away free cotton candy, how could I resist,” she replied, smirking. Wendy gave her a fake punch on the arm and we walked to the exit again. Lola pushed on the gate but it wouldn’t budge. “Ah guys I think we have a problem.”

“What?”

“The gate won’t open.”

“Are you serious?!” We all tried ripping the gate open, but it was no use. I sat down and looked at the gate for a couple minutes and shouted, “There’s our problem!” I pointed to a rusty brown padlock on the gate. “What idiot puts the padlock on the inside of the park?!” Wendy snickered.

“The kind that wants everyone in to stay in and everyone out to stay out!” a stranger hissed. We turned around and saw a girl with a hateful glare as bites down on her deep red lip. Her hair was that pathetic fake blonde color, but I felt small and helpless in her presence. Her dark blue eyes go from one of us, to another, like she’s stalking her prey. She was wearing black basketball shorts and a green and yellow ‘Hawks’ jersey. She had a faded orange basketball under her right arm but, what was most disturbing was the brown handle she had in her hand, and attached to the handle was a clean, silver and red axe. “Clarisse what the hell are you doing here!” Karrie jeered.

“Yea did you have to show up before Friday’s game? Ruining our fun already?” I continued.

“There won’t be any game Friday if half of the Bears team doesn’t show up,” Clarisse sneered. My friends and I exchanged glances, wondering what she is talking about. “Yea whatever Clarisse you crazy weirdo,” Wendy cried, as she eyes a gum wrapper near her foot. “What are you going to do, lock us up here until the game’s done?!”

“I had a different idea,” Clarisse cooed.

“Whatever Clarisse,” Wendy shouted back, “I’m out of here!” Wendy jumped on the iron fence and became to climb. Before we could do anything Clarisse lunged on top of Wendy and the last thing I heard was the slice of metal and Wendy’s horrifying scream. Wendy fell on top of a clown statue as Clarisse leaped down onto her feet. There was a deep gash on Wendy’s neck and judging by her frozen hazel eyes, I knew she was already gone.
“WENDY!!!” we all screech. Clarisse cackled over Wendy’s cold dead body, as she held her blood stained axe.
“You monster!” Karrie screamed, clenching her fist. I begin to run over to Wendy, but freeze when I see the axe in Clarisse’s hand, and the puddle of blood underneath. A red drop falls off the edge of the axe and plops onto the ground below. I slowly back off to Karrie and Lola. “Let’s play a game,” Clarisse sneered, “how about hide and seek? You guys hide and I’ll hunt you down.”
“We’re not playing your sick game you freak!” Karrie shouted.
“I’ll give you to the count of ten to hide,” Clarisse sung.
“You think I’m going to listen to you after you murdered my best friend?!”
“One… Two…Three…Four,”
“Go away you psycho!”
“FIVE…SIX!!” I looked at Karrie and Lola and all at once we sprinted into opposite directions. I pounded my feet on the gravel and dust as I sprinted through the maze of empty stands and eerie attractions. I ducked to avoid signs that read the names of games; Ring Toss, Shoot the Alien, Donkey Derby, Darts and more. I panted heavily as I instinctly listened for Clarisse’s icy voice. There are lifeless heaps of green, blue, red, and yellow deflated bounce houses. The zipper on my orange jacket kept hitting my hand and my knuckles became blue, and swollen. There were gorillas hanging on hooks to my left. They were prizes for first place, but now they seem dead and somber, just like Wendy. I heared footsteps behind me and I quickened my pace. I tried hard not to scream. This was not where I want to die. Not here, not this way. My blue Nike’s were now coated with brown soot. I leapt over a puddle of Coke and I kept sprinting. I reached a line of white and gray trailers. I yanked on the shiny metal doorknobs, but it’s no use, they’re all locked. I cried in frustration as I leaned against the last trailer. “Jordan is that you? I know you’re over here,” Clarisse taunted. I leapt down onto the ground and ran back into the amusement park section. I smelled burnt popcorn and hot soft drinks as I continued to run. I passed the “Rocket Coaster” and underneath the wood tracks was a dusty orange car that looked like it hadn’t been used in centuries. Suddenly I stopped and thought back to Karrie and her cotton candy man. “That’s it!” I thought. I stumbled in the direction of the cotton candy stand. There’s no way he could have exited the park if the exit was padlocked! He can help us! I saw the pink umbrella above the stand and I panted, putting my hand on the silver stand. I freeze and my eyes widen as I saw a hand on the ground. I slowly peeked over and screamed.
The cotton candy man’s eyes were pried open and his mouth formed a silent scream. All over his body, the skin was ripped open in ragged lines. Blood was spilling all over and I could see his pale white bones in some of the cracks. I collapsed onto the ground and I dragged myself away from the silver cart. I heard a faint cackle and I whipped around to an empty Ferris wheel. Before Clarisse had a chance to show up, I sprinted past the empty pink, blue and yellow carts, as they slowly swung back and forth. I heard feet behind me and I heard Clarisse’s icy voice,
“Jordan is that you? Will you be my next victim?” I panted and my feet kept pounding the dust and tiny pebbles on the ground. The hair on the back of my neck was rising even though I felt sweat all over my hands and face. I turned my head every 5 seconds, fearing that the silver blade would be coming at my throat. I couldn’t help thinking where Lola and Karrie are, and if they’re alive. I turned the corner and surged towards the Crazy Café and yanked on the handle. I kicked the door with my sneakers and shouted.
“Is someone there?! Please anyone!!”! I stopped and hid in the shadows. Finally, I saw a tall, thick trunk of an oak tree. I scaled up the trunk and used the ridges as grips. My fingers cracked from the sharp wood, and ruby red blood flowed down my fingers. I scrambled up onto the branch hidden behind the red and brown leaves. I stretched out onto the sturdy wood and prayed that Clarisse wouldn’t find me. I heard small pats of footsteps and saw Clarisse lurking around the tents, her axe raised above her head, ready to strike. I tried to slow down my breathing so she couldn’t her me. As she kept hunting down her prey, I saw Karrie’s dark navy jacket, she was hidden in the batting cage and there was fire in her eyes as she bored down Clarisse. I saw her fingers grasp a bright blue metal baseball bat as she unlatched the black gate.
As soon as Clarisse turned her back to Karrie’s hiding place, Karrie lashed out a furious scream and swung the bat to Clarisse’s arm. I heard a painful crack and Clarisse howled as she fell to the grass. Karrie chucks the bat onto the ground and continues to pound Clarisse’s face with her fists. Karrie stands over Clarisse and hisses, “That was for Wendy, you monster.” Karrie began to walk away to grab her bat and finish the job, when Clarisse sluggishly got up, her broken arm hanging lifelessly at her side. I wanted to scream but it’s too late. Clarisse swung her axe with her good arm at Karrie’s throat. Karrie suddenly stopped like she became a statue. Her breaths became short and raspy as her eyes rolled back and she crashed down in a heap. Clarisse howled, “TWO DOWN, TWO TO GO!!!” and she raced off to find Lola and I.
Several minutes later when I knew the coast was clear, I leapt down from the branch and walked over to Karrie. I crouched down and looked at her white eyes. I turned away as tears rolled down my cheek; with one finger I delicately closed her eyes. I looked around with my teary eyes at this vacant park. My head start to feel really hot and I let out a furious roar. I stomped over to a green garbage can and threw it onto the ground. Empty burger wrappers fell out, along with popped red balloons and orange wristbands. I walked into the batting cage to see if Karrie had anything useful I could have. My eyes caught a rusty bull cutter in the corner. I finally saw Karrie’s plan; kill Clarisse, then use the bull cutter to set us free. I grabbed the bull cutter and charged towards the exit. I looked in all the nooks and crannies of the park, but Lola is nowhere to be found. I marched on my way to freedom in my dirty jeans and smudged T-shirt. My head was hot and my fingers twitched.
“Where are you Clarisse!!!? You’re not the only one with a weapon! Come out come out wherever you are you little coward!” I kept trekking my way to the exit. I was 100 yards from the exit when I saw the huge billboard on top of the exit. In large pink letters, it read “Come Back Soon!!” with a smiling clown on the side. If I make it out of here alive, I’m never coming back here again. 50 yards away and I saw Lola with her stick straight black hair and round purple glasses, trembling behind a red hot dog stand. 25 yards away and she saw me. She was about to scream my name, but I put my finger to my lips and she stopped. I reached the gate and I fumbled with the bull cutters until the padlock snapped into two. It fell to the ground and made a small clink when it hit the dirt. I felt like screaming and crying as I opened the gate. All of a sudden, my legs were pulled from underneath me and I was being dragged through the rocks and dust. I rolled onto my back and I saw Clarisse. Her face was red and bruised from Karrie’s attack and her axe glared at me in the early moonlight. Her fist collided with my jaw and my nose. It felt like someone took a jackhammer to my head. I used all my might to hit Clarisse right on the eye. She fell onto the ground as her eye became blue and purple.
I started to drag myself towards the exit. I was almost there when I felt an instant burning in my leg. I turned around and saw Clarisse with her axe, now covered in blood and flesh. I lied on the ground as I saw red blood and yellow pus pour out of my wound. “Jordan!!!” Lola screamed. She ran out to me, but Clarisse was already there. She carelessly swung her axe and Lola crumbled next to me. Her blue eyes stared at me and there was no one else alive except Clarisse and I. “All gone, the Bears are defeated,” Clarisse screamed, “4 years we have lost to you Bears, but this year is our year all because of me!” She jumped up and down and ran through the opened exit, her quest completed. I tried to move, but the pain was spreading throughout my whole body. I turned my head and saw Wendy. Her skin was ghostly pale, and a sea of blood now surrounded her. My vision was getting blurry and I couldn’t see straight. I think I heard sirens, but it might have been the buzzing noise I heard for the last 10 minutes. I slowly moved my fingers to Lola’s hand and gripped it hard. My eyelids felt like they have weights on them. The last thing I saw was a man in black shoes and a blue uniform running towards me before my eyes closed for the last time.