Likely Stories

It was around 3 p.m. in Derry. The afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the quiet streets as Rare walked home from the grocery store, her hands full of shopping bags. She hummed softly to herself, completely unaware that her day was about to take a strange turn. As she adjusted the bags in her hands, she suddenly noticed something missing. "My ring..." Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly set the bags down and searched through her handbag. After a few frantic seconds, she found the ring buried inside. Relieved, she pulled it out-but before she could slip it back onto her finger, it slipped from her grasp. "No, no, no!" The ring bounced once on the pavement and disappeared into an open storm drain. "Oh no, what the fuck? My ring!" Rare dropped to her knees and peered into the darkness below. The drain was pitch black, swallowing the light from above. She squinted, trying to spot the tiny glimmer of her ring. Then suddenly- A pale face appeared from the darkness. Rare gasped and nearly fell backward. A clown stared up at her. "What the fuck! What are you doing down there?" she shouted, her heart pounding. The clown looked exhausted and frightened. "There are some boys behind me," he said. "They were chasing me. I was running, and I slipped into this open drain. I screamed for help, but nobody listened. Then I tried to find a way out through the tunnels. I've been walking for hours." He pointed toward the darkness behind him. "Then I saw a little light above me.. and when I came closer, I saw you." The clown looked up at Rare with hopeful eyes. "Can you help me get out of here?" what will Rare do after that.