"A clown?"
"Yes."
"But why would a clown kill me?"
"Because it's funny"
"Killing someone is funny for a clown?"
"No, but killing YOU is."
Julian woke up unsure whether he had truly been dreaming. The difference between sleep and waking felt blurred.
"It's probably because I was too much tired last night"
Said he, assuring himself that it was indeed a dream ignoring the fact that he could use all his senses in it.
"Mhmm, guess I'll freshen up for school"
Julian lived alone, his mother died in an accident and he never saw his father. His mother used to tell him that his father is out for work, always.
He never thought too much about it as he was always busy doing something. Be it painting, music, playing, video games or novels.
Now he doesn't like doing any of this stuff.
He didn't bath today as it was cold and stormy outside. He called his only friend Kenny to ask if he got ready or not. They always went to school together.
On their way to school, Julian told Kenny about his weird dream and that it was very real. Kenny was a bit of schizo, he started making his own stories on how Julian could be the mc of a new fantasy story and there could even be a novel about him.
Julian was very punctual, so Kenny had to bear with it accordingly. They started running as it was already late.
When they reached, they saw that everyone was outside- the students including the staff and they were silent as if mourning for someone.
His Hunch was right. It turns out, Julian's maths teacher had died this morning because of cardiac arrest which was strange as he always looked healthy.
Kenny and Julian also mourned for a while. The principal gave a speech adding "it was unfortunate but the classes have to go on" and concluded the memorial.
Kenny was sad after hearing this. He was more sad after hearing about classes than he was after hearing about the unfortunate death of his maths teacher.
Everyone went to their classrooms. The first period was supposed to be of maths. A different teacher entered the class and as you can guess, he started talking about the former teacher.
It was finally time for lunch. Julian always brought an omelette and some rice. He didn't feel full without omelette.
Kenny ate a whole lot but he never get fat. He had a legendary appetite. He would eat his own lunch and would devour other people's lunch too who refused to eat.
Kenny and Julian had been friends since childhood. Kenny had known Julian's mother, and he often asked about Julian's father—what kind of work he did—but Julian never had an answer.
As for Kenny, fortunately both of his parents were alive and well off. Kenny was rich but he didn't look or act like one. He would always borrow money from other students and wear cheap clothing. He said that "his family needs money". Julian never understood what he means by that.
Break was over. Kenny said he had something to take care of and left ahead of him. On his way back to class, Julian heard raised voices and a sudden burst of noise, like people fighting. when he finally navigated there, he saw Kenny lying on the floor with his one hand on his chest.
Turns out, he was one of the fighter, and the loosing one. On the other end was Bob, a classmate. He said that Kenny had borrowed some money and is now refusing to return it back. Then came Kenny's younger brother-- Kenni (yeah, that's his name) running and threw notes on Bob's face. Bob was furious for a while but his countenance changed after seeing the amount of money his face has come in contact with.
Kenni scolded his brother Kenny, and Kenny brushed it off, saying it was nothing. Everyday events continued when, for a moment, Kenny looked toward the school gates, where he caught a glimpse of what he later described to Julian as a "weirdly dressed man, watching the school while hiding from somebody" nearby.
Julian didn't believe Kenny and why would he? Kenny was as schizo as someone can get.Still Kenny insisted on checking that area and Julian couldn't say no. School was over. Julian and Kenny went to check near the school gates for a 'weirdly dressed man, watching the school in a way as hiding from somebody'.
They didn't find anything. Kenny seemed sad—more so than he had been over the death of their maths teacher. They headed home afterward. It felt like an ordinary, uneventful day, and nothing about Julian's dream seemed strange anymore..
So Julian thought—until, just before they reached home, a building came into view. The sign above it read The Circus. What unsettled them was that it hadn't existed before. They asked each other if the other could see it too. Both of them could. Julian briefly wondered if Kenny's schizophrenia was affecting him, but that wasn't the case. The building was real. They could feel its walls.
"Constructions are done pretty dang fast nowadays", said Kenny.
"Are you dumb.", replied Julian (which was true).
The building was not there yesterday. It was a quite street . Having a building erected here out of all places that too in a night?. "There's definitely something wrong here", said Julian.
"Well, we won't know until we go inside?"
"Are you dumb.", replied Julian (which was again true).
"This looks scary", thought Julian.
Julian and Kenny concluded that the situation was beyond them and resolved to report it to the nearest police station.
They were on their way to the police station when a clown emerged from ahead of them, blocking the way.
"OHHHH-OHHHHHH such cute little kids, say, won't you guys watch the circus.It's just a turn away from here and of course there will be no fee for you guys HO-OH."
Lost in his own thoughts, Kenny flinched at the clown's sudden, loud voice."I guess we should try it—we don't even have any homework today," he said to Julian.Julian's expression froze, a look Kenny had never seen before."Are you all right?" Kenny asked, his tone suddenly serious.
"His shadow, it's not there", Julian gulped.
"OH, sorry to make you scared, it's just uhh.. a kind of trick we clowns do you know.... Say, you guys will come see my circus right, RIGHHHHTTTTTTT", the clown's voice suddenly felt scary.
Kenny was silent.
Julian was silent too.