SYNCHRONICITY (Dream Walker) 🖋

The Clown

Alison crept wearily along the long creepy narrow corridor and rounded the corner to the door to a long forgotten room, the sound of the baby's cries growing louder with each step as keeping a sharp eye for her nemesis, The Clown.

She nervously opened the door only to hear the baby's cries cease abruptly. She walked in, followed closely by Puppy and looked around. It was once a nursery, bright and cheery, now dark and derelict from non-use. The dust on the floor pluffed in the air as she walked further into the room. She opened the curtains to let the light in and looked around. She was happy that she thought to bring her black corn broom...this job had the potential of being its own ritual. She removed the cobwebs from the corners at the ceiling. She dusted the old wrought iron lamps, peeled away the ugly outdated wallpaper, ripped down the moth-eaten curtains, dusted everything she get her hands on and swept and mopped the floor...Puppy sat back and watched her run around like an idiot.

"Oh, do you like supervising me, huh?"

The wolf-hybrid sneezed. He picked up a discarded hand puppet and flipped it into the air, landing it on her head.

"You funny. Not."

Puppy barked at her happily.

She removed the puppet from the top of her head, only to realize that it had grown long spidery fingers and had clamped down at the roots of her hair. The harder Alison pulled to remove it, the tighter the puppet's hold on her was.

She all but ripped it from her hair and threw it to the floor only to watch it melt into a fiery-colored goo, then grow into The Clown. It stood before her and smiled, it's long needle-like teeth bared.

"Hello Alison," it said, it's smooth voice chilling her to her very soul.

"Go away," she said.

"Oh, but why?" It pouted. "Don't you want to play?"

"Not with you..."

"Aww! How come? I thought we were friends..." the Clown crept closer. "Closer even...?"

"Friends don't hurt friends," she replied.

It clamped it's boney hand with its long clawed fingers on her shoulders and loomed over her. "But friends tell each other the truth, no matter how much it hurts..."

_____

She opened her eyes; the morning sun was blinding.  "No wonder Sally liked this spot," she grumbled.

Sebastian's body flinched. "Hmm?"

"Sally..."

He hunkered down beneath the sheet and duvet, taking her with him and nodded. "Gotta get up and feed 'em soon. She won't leave us alone if I don't. Won't take long...I'll start the coffee while I'm up." He yawned and stretched. Then sat back down from the aching in his entire body.

She moved closer and stroked his hair...then he opened his eyes.

"Fuck."

"I'm sorry," she whispered and she kissed his shoulder.

_____

Alison told him that she was going to help with the dogs after having seen a note that Alfred had his doctor's appointment that morning; he'd already prepared their food bowls; on some level Sebastian already knew that...his brain was foggy.

"I need coffee," he said sleepily.

Sebastian went to check on James only to learn that he'd already headed for home. Sebastian shook his head and sighed...it meant that he walked the bike out, making him a possible target. He had to remember to talk to him about that...especially since he was now on the Evil Doer's radar...he had to remember to use magic to leave the premises. He also realized that he'd have to ramp up security at all three properties. He turned on the coffee machine.