He Whispers ••Yoonmin••

Chapter 26

"Scars have the strange power to remind us that our past is real." Cormac McCarthy

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A/n This chapter is going to be a history of how the clown was created

Author's PoV

There was a small lonely boy, his life wasn't boring, his family and the boy traveled a lot. The boy has seen a beautiful wide world but for him it didn't bring happiness. For him traveling was a job. A family business. Because his family owned circus.

The young boy was a loving person, yet he needed love too. His parents were always busy taking care of circus life so their child was always left alone. Making friends for the young boy was barely possible, every time he thought he could create a new friendship, they would move away.

So no matter what, the boy would be left alone and lonely.

But the boy was creative and decided to make himself a friend, the one who would understand what it feels living in a traveling circus and who stay with him no matter where he traveled. That's how his imaginary friend The Clown entered his life.

The Clown was that someone, who managed to cheer the boy up showing the tricks he knew. He would play with the boy when his parents were too occupied with their problems and work. Soon The Clown became the closest 'person' to the small boy.

Their favourite game was hide and seek because the circus was full of different areas that made a game harder. It needed a lot of thinking to find each other especially because the circus was constantly changing places and outside would never get too familiar. The Clown would usually look for the boy as the youngster was really good at hiding. The game would never get boring to the two.

When growing up the boy didn't forget the clown. The Clown would always be by his side when he started performing in the family business... and he also was by his side when the business was closed.

That one day when the war fell upon the world. By that time the small boy was a young adult. And he wasn't alone, he had a lover by his side, a girl he met when The Clown still wasn't a part of his life. Destiny made them meet again after ten years of separation and their love has blossomed in the blink of an eye.

The more time the boy spent with his lover, the less he needed his friend. And the more his friend felt alone and left behind. The one who created him betrayed him like that.

But a short perfect relationship had to come to an end when the boy received a call to protect his country. Only one kiss is all he got before entering the unknown, taking a gun in his delicate hands that once held hoops and juggling balls.

Entering a front that would soon become his nightmare. And the war wasn't the only bad thing. His once best friend, The Clown joined him to the war. But being forgotten changed the once sweet and caring clown.

Now he asked for attention in any way possible, he would show the same tricks he did those years ago, he would ask to play like the man in a war field would still be just a little boy.

This time even The Clown was next to him, the man felt more alone than before because now he had a woman at home waiting for his return. And he missed his lover more than anyone.

Their love was so young and they wanted to explore the unknown waters of a relationship but life had different plans. All they could do was hope that one day they will see each other again and that they will get a chance to one day become a family.

A reminder of the times when a boy didn't have anyone didn't help in that situation either. So there was just a matter of time when the man would snap and let go of all the pain and emotions he had inside. It took that one question from his 'best friend'...

...'come and play with me."

It felt like everything around the man turned red. All of the pain and loss suddenly exploded and the man let it all out on The Clown. Screaming, roaring, the man disrespected The Clown as much as he could. The worst- telling him that he's just imaginary, an illusion that was created by a lonely child, and saying that that's all The Clown will ever be. Unreal. Without a shape or form. Just a picture in someone's mind.

For a broken clown that was a final straw. So he answered to anger with anger. "NO! I am real! I will be real and I will make sure you never see your love again. I will make sure you die lonely. And then you'll wish that you never left me. One day you will come to play with me for the last time!"

And just like that The Clown disappeared. It was peaceful for a few days, the imaginary friend didn't show up and the tired warriors felt that the war should soon come to an end. After long years of fighting, the men will meet their families, their lovers again. Even though the war wasn't over yet, for the men it was already finished. They believed that their last battle was long over.

That was until the fateful night. Suddenly, the once peaceful camp was attacked and screams and sound of falling bodies filled the air. The young man was in a panic as the battle evolved further.

The man joined a battle, fighting with all the power he had and soon it looked that they would win. A smile of joy found its way on the man's lips seeing the obvious win. Even though it was unexpected because everyone thought the war was over.

That's when his eyes caught a familiar appearance of a clown standing in the centre of a fight unbothered. A man didn't need to see his lips to move to know exactly what The Clown wanted to say: 'Come play with me."

That was what he would always say. But this time the game was different. It was a survival game. The man was sure that this whole battle had a connection with his once best friend, he promised to come back and The Clown always keeps his promise.

Full of rage the man headed towards The Clown ready to end him not only emotionally but also physically. Soon he stood eye to eye with him, a smile creeping on The Clown's face. 'I found you. No matter how good you would at playing, you always lose.'

This time the voice of The Clown sounded like a whisper, like it was weaker than before because the man who created him destroyed a part of him calling him imaginary and not real. But little did he know the end of this game would be different. They would't just laugh and begin all over again.

Suddenly a sharp pain spread in the man's chest causing him to squint his eyes. The man looked down where the ache was located and saw a puddle of red warm liquid expanding on his white shirt. Turning around he saw another man already walking away with a gun in his hand.

Falling to the ground the young man clutched the cloth around the area where his heart was, trying hard to stay awake, thinking of the love of his life. All the plans they made together: weddings, family, it all seemed so far now.

With the last energy he had in his body the man looked at The Clown, his once best friend, the once closest person to him. Now he was no other than a predator, who didn't care about others' lives.

The Clown came closer to the lying boy and leaned closer. He spoke to his creator for the last time: 'You will never have a family, a lover to save you, to mark you theirs. You will die alone and lonely because people like you betray their friends for a stupid emotion like love. Love couldn't save you, it made you weak. You lost the moment when you thought that she made you stronger than I did. But now, you will be my friend forever.'

And then he stood up and walked away. The young man was too weak to hold on any longer, his mind was blurry and so was the view of a dying battle around him. With a last breath the man whispered the name of the woman that made him happier than anyone else and his eyes shut close.

The man died just like that. Just like that his fight in this world was over.

But The Clown didn't die with him. A need of revenge was stronger than his connection to the creator so he moved to the other person.

The other person who was lonely, who hasn't found love yet. Wanting to make them his friend forever.