Microhorror Writing Contest

By the look of this cold and drab-looking carnival, the action and life had seeped into the ground and disappeared for good. Yet, a melodious tune rang out of an old-fashioned musical box, calling visitors. Sarah stood quite still at the gates to the carnival, searching for any signs of life, searching for a friendly face or smile. Sarah heard the music and wondered if a half-alive monkey dressed in a red waistcoat, sitting on top of the music box, trying to attract attention, was there at all. A strange feeling of uneasiness came over her. Something caught her peripheral vision, something to her right—a slight movement. Sarah stared at the ground, where a pair of huge, grimy, stained red shoes stood. Her eyes moved slowly upwards—a pair of faded, yellow, mud-stained, bulky pants ruffled in the slight breeze that arose. A filthy black coat over an even filthier white, perhaps cream coloured shirt, and an uneven bowtie brought a foul-smelling odour of dried blood to the air. A white painted face with yellow eyes, leering at her. A wide, creased, evil red-lipped grin erupted over his face. His ginger hair was streaked with red. He lifted a mangled arm and, with a blood-caked finger, the clown beckoned Sarah forward, saying, “Come here, my sweet.”                                                                                His other hand, hiding something behind his back, shook with excitement, as if it had a mind of its own. Sarah trembled, stepping back, shaking her head.                              Sarah turned and fled as fast as her jelly legs would carry her. The Clown had other plans. His twin, dressed exactly like him, jumped in front of Sarah and caught hold of her.                                          “Not so fast, my sweet. We have not shown you your final act yet. Come along now.”         Sarah wrinkled her nose for the twin reeked of old blood. Sarah managed to say, “I want to go home.”                                  Sarah screamed for help, but no one heard. No one came to help. The clowns carried Sarah between them into the horrifying tent. The tent was red in colour, the same colour as blood. She stood in the middle of a semi-circle filled with all kinds of terrifying clowns, as the audience. They chanted, “String her up, string her up, string her up.”                                                                                      The twin clowns bound her arms and legs and placed a metal rope around her neck. They slowly pulled the metal rope, pulling her upwards. All the clowns sang out, “Bye, bye sweet.”                Sarah dangled. The more she struggled, the deeper the rope cut into her neck, until blood spurted out. The clowns screeched with laughter. This was Sarah’s final moment.

The End.