Creepypasta OC - Gears

Gears

"Chloe! You don't want to be late for school!"

"Coming mama!"

8-year-old Chloe Whately hopped down the stairs, her small pink backpack slung over both of her shoulders.

"Where's daddy?"

"He's in the workshop again, working on those little tinker toys of his. You know him... Now come, isn't today field day? You don't want to be late, sweetheart!"

The little girl eagerly nods and rushes to the car, clinging onto her stuffed doll, Patches, tightly. Off they drove, making it to the school where Katie gave her mother a kiss goodbye and skipped inside.

Field day started just after lunchtime. The girl was happily enjoying herself kicking a soccer ball around, singing softly to herself, when she heard a group talking. One girl and two boys.

"No way, there's no proof that it's true." One boy stated.

"No no, you gotta believe me! Henry said he saw it with his own eyes! And he's a FIFTH grader! So it's GOTTA be true!" The other retorted.

"Derick, there's no such thing as a clown in the boiler room..." The girl piped up, a pout on her lips.

Chloe, intrigued, waltzed over with a curious expression.

"What are you talking about?"

The boy that was over-excited, Derick, looked over her with a smug smirk.

"Pfft, nothing concerning you. You couldn't handle it, Dolly."

Chloe pouts, clutching Patches tighter against her chest.

"Yes I can!"

With a roll of his eyes, the other boy sighed.

"Derick here thinks there's a clown in the school's boiler room, and he wants to go check it out."

"There IS a clown in there, Eli! But I'm not gonna be responsible if Dolly here pees herself!"

"Both of you be quiet. If she wants to come with us, let her." The girl looks at Chloe and tilts her head. "Are you sure you want to come?"

Chloe eagerly nods her head in excitement. "Uh-huh! I really like clowns!"

After agreeing on the plan, they all sneak out of the teacher's view and back into the school, walking down a hallway that was typically strictly forbidden by the school. Until they reached a large cellar-like entrance. No lock, nothing blocking them from being swung open, which all four of them managed to do.

The group all stared down into the inky blackness below, only the first one and a half steps of the stairway visible. Chloe gulped. Derick began to speak, which didn't help.

"Y'know, I once heard some kid walked down there and never returned..."

He was rewarded with a swift punch in the arm by the girl, making him whine.

"What the heck was that for Andy?!"

"You're gonna scare Chloe."

"I-I'm not scared!" Chloe chimes in, resting her chin on her doll's head.

"Then go down there and prove it." Eli plainly stated, putting his hands in his pockets.

Chloe's eyes slowly drifted back down to the dark entrance, then closed, as she took a deep breath, and began walking down the old wooden steps. Each one creaked and groaned, as if threatening to snap at any second. However, she made it to the cold cement floor, followed minutes later by the rest of the group.