Ash and James entered the old Well House slowly, their boots making the floor creak under their weight. Every little noise felt louder than it should—the groaning wood, their breaths, even the distant dripping of water. The air was damp and smelled like mildew, making it hard to breathe. Their flashlights flickered, barely lighting the dark around them.
James held his salt-loaded shotgun tightly, his hands trembling.
James nodded, though his face was pale. Fear clung to him, his childhood terror of clowns eating away at his courage.
The two moved deeper into the house, stepping over broken furniture and crumbling walls. The shadows seemed alive, twisting and shifting as if watching them.
In the middle of the room, they saw it: a large hole in the floor with an old, rusted ladder leading down. The air around the hole felt heavy and vibrated with a faint, unnatural hum.
Ash glanced at James. "That's gotta be it. You ready?"
James swallowed and nodded, though his voice shook. "Let's do this."
They climbed down the ladder one at a time, their flashlights barely cutting through the growing darkness. The air became colder with every step. The only sound was the dripping of water. When they reached the bottom, they found themselves in a large underground cavern. The walls were wet and shiny, and the ground was slippery and uneven.
At the far end of the cavern, they saw a faint, eerie light. Sharing a nervous glance, they moved toward it. The closer they got, the heavier the air felt, like the cavern itself was alive and watching them.
When they turned a corner, they froze. Beverly floated in the air, a few feet above the ground. She was limp, her eyes closed, and a faint glow surrounded her, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Below her stood the clown.
Its grin stretched far too wide, and its jagged teeth glistened in the dim light. Its eyes sparkled with malice as it turned to face them, tilting its head and locking its gaze on James.
"Ah, my favorite little snack," it said, its voice both playful and menacing. "And you've brought company. How thoughtful."
James clenched his fists, his jaw tight. "Let her go."
The clown's laugh echoed around them, bouncing off the cavern walls in a strange, eerie symphony. "Oh, I don't think so. She's delightful. So full of fear. Just like you."
Ash stepped forward, raising his shotgun. "Back off, freak."
The clown grinned wider. "Oh, brave little Ash. You think your toys can hurt me?" It snapped its fingers, and the entire cavern shook. Shadows around them twisted and danced, and the air grew thicker and harder to breathe.
Suddenly, the clown lunged, moving impossibly fast. Ash fired, the salt shot hitting the clown's chest. It screeched and staggered but recovered quickly.
James fired next, his shot grazing its arm. The clown laughed again, the sound wild and unhinged. "Oh, you're fun, both of you. But let's raise the stakes."
The cavern began to shift. The walls seemed to close in, and the ground twisted, forming grotesque faces that snapped and snarled at their feet. The clown grew taller and more monstrous, its form constantly changing.
Ash shouted, "James, focus! We need to start the ritual!"
James nodded, his voice shaking as he began chanting. "Turn bog nohgh, cahn nehwi!"
Ash joined in, their voices growing stronger together. For the first time, the clown hesitated, its mocking grin faltering. "Oh, what's this?" it sneered. "A challenge? How amusing."
The cavern darkened as the ritual took effect and the atmosphere became eerily cold.
The clown stood before them, its form shifting constantly. One moment it was a monstrous spider, the next it was a terrifying version of their worst fears.
"Welcome to my world," it sneered. "Let's see how brave you really are."
Ash stood firm, remembering Ellen's advice. "You're nothing," he said coldly. "Just a parasite hiding behind a mask."
The clown laughed, but its voice wavered slightly. "Big words for someone so small."
James tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. The clown turned its focus to him, its form twisting into an exaggerated version of a clown from his nightmares.
"Oh, James," it cooed mockingly. "You've always been my favorite. So much fear. So delicious."
James's hands shook, his breathing quick and shallow. He tried to fight back, but the clown's laughter grew louder, filling his head.
"James!" Ash shouted. "Don't let it in! It's trying to scare you!"
James squeezed his fists tighter, the trembling in his hands slowing as he forced himself to focus.
The clown moved so fast that Ash didn't have time to react. It appeared beside him in a flash and punched him hard in the stomach, sending him flying across the room. Ash crashed into the wall with a loud thud and fell to the ground, groaning in pain.
James froze as the clown turned back to him, its terrifying face right in front of his. Its foul breath hit him as its mouth opened unnaturally wide, showing rows and rows of sharp, glistening teeth. James couldn't move, fear rooting him to the spot as the clown leaned closer, ready to bite down on his head.
At the last second, James reacted. He thrust his hand forward and unleashed a bright blue flame straight into the clown's mouth. The fire roared to life, engulfing the clown's head. The light filled the cavern as the creature stumbled back, screaming in pain. Its body flickered, like a glitching image, as it writhed under the flames.
Angry and in pain, the clown fought back. It used telekinesis to throw pieces of broken furniture, rocks, and anything else it could find at James. Objects flew through the air, forcing James to block as best as he could. The ground shook under the clown's fury, but it couldn't focus because of the burning flames.
Seeing the clown distracted, James kept pushing. His flames burned hotter, and he decided to use his Essence Sovereignty ability to absorb the clown's essence, hoping to end the fight quickly.
But just as he started the process, he screamed as an inhuman pain shot through him. Blood started pouring from his eyes, ears, and mouth. His whole body shook, and he fell to his knees, unable to control the energy overwhelming him.
The clown saw its chance. It moved toward James and grabbed him, lifting him high into the air with one hand. James tried to struggle, but his body was too weak. He felt like he was being torn apart from the inside.
The clown's mouth opened wide again, ready to do to James what it had done to Beverly. Just as it leaned in, a loud metallic sound echoed through the cavern.
Ash, bruised and battered, had gotten back up. With all his strength, he drove his machete straight into the clown's chest, piercing its heart.
The clown froze, its eyes wide with shock. It let out a horrible screech and dropped James onto the ground. Staggering back, it clawed at the machete in its chest. Its body flickered and started to fall apart, turning into black smoke.
The clown let out one final, terrifying scream before its body completely disappeared, the smoke vanishing into the air.
Ash fell to his knees beside James, breathing hard. "You okay, man?" he asked, his voice shaky.
But James was already unconscious, unable to hear a single word Ash had said.
Ash leaned close to James, checking if he was still breathing. A wave of relief hit him when he felt James's soft, steady breaths. Turning back to the cavern, Ash noticed the glowing light around Beverly fading away. Slowly, she floated down to the ground, her body limp but unharmed.
Ash rushed to her and knelt beside her, checking if she was alive. He saw her chest rising and falling faintly—she was unconscious but breathing. The heavy feeling in the cavern lifted a little, but the silence stayed, keeping Ash on edge. He looked back at James, his thoughts racing. They had a brief moment of calm, but he knew the danger wasn't over.
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Guys, I had fallen sick for a past fe days, so I didn't get the chance to add the final touch to my 'FROM' TV show fanfiction. So I have postponed it's release to the coming Sunday (17 August). Sorry for the inconveniences and thank you for your understanding.
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