The Clown

The night was cold. The rain pitter pattered on the roof, if she weren’t so awake it would be almost rhythmetic, enticing...relaxing.
 Summer wrapped her blanket tighter, the cold somehow finding its way into her bed. She was frightened, daddy checked under her bed but not in her cupboard. She knew she should not be scared of such silly things but her four year old mind kept playing tricks on her.
Yes that’s all they were.
Tricks. Her mind was making her think that she could hear shallow breathing, shuffling footsteps and the thump thump of something bumping the wall.
It was just a trick. Thump thump, went the bumping, thump thump, went her heart racing. She closed her eyes and tried to think of ponies and candy, teddy bears, clowns... clowns?
She took in a sharp breath and opened her eyes, something moved from somewhere near her cupboard.
She froze in fear. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes once again, block her ears and forget about everything. Oh how bad she wanted that! Only, she couldn’t.
Her heart kept racing, her head kept spinning and her body kept shaking.
The fear was pulsing through her veins, stimulating her senses making her more awake than ever, making her hearing better, her eyesight keener and her smell and taste enhanced.
Something moved again, thump. Then she could hear something open, creak went the door. All she could do was stare as the cupboard opened itself up, something slowly made its way out.

Then there was the smell, oh how it was enticing! It smelt like daisies on a summers day!
Her heart relaxed a little, her body stopped shaking a little, she let out her breath that she didn’t realise she was holding.
Something giggled a benign giggle, “Ohh Summer...” said the thing making its way ever so leisurely to the foot of her bed. “I am not so scary, don’t you think?”
Lightning flashed and she saw The Clown for the first time.

She held her breath again, yes it was The Clown.
The Clown that everybody talked about in secret, because it was forbidden by her parents, her teachers, her family, everyone. Only her friends talked about it.

The lightning flashed again, she began to relax again, it was hard to be so tense when he had that cheerful painted on smiley face, those benign eyes and that rainbow wig.
“Come with me, Summer. Come with me and all you can be a princess.” He held out a white gloved hand, “Come...”
She let out her breath; his voice was so joyful, so carefree and welcoming. She longed to take his hand and feel a sense of belonging. She smelt candy and mowed grass when she breathed in again, she suddenly felt a sense of ecstasy.
“Come with me...” He whispered now, his voice suddenly so far away.
She didn’t want him to leave, she wanted him to stay forever, and slowly she reached out to take his hand. He smiled a wider smile, her fingertips brushed his gloved fingers and she felt a spark, something in the back of her mind nagged at her. It wanted her to call for mummy and daddy or get out her flashlight. She should go now while there was still time, but she breathed in again and the smell of mowed grass and pancakes smothered the voice. She grasped his hand and he chuckled a carefree chuckle.

Little Summer was never seen again.