Detective James Morgan had seen a lot in his twenty years in the force, but nothing quite like the case of Jingles the Clown. Reports had been pouring in from every corner of the city: children disappearing from parks, playgrounds, and schoolyards. Each time, a witness would claim they saw a clown with a painted-on smile, blue eyebrows, baggy yellow shorts and a red nose just before the child went missing.
James hated clowns and anything related to them. They reminded him of his childhood when he had an absolutely terrifying encounter with them during a friend’s birthday party. Now, a clown was the face of his latest case which was going to determine whether or not he would be promoted. It wasn't just the strange nature of the abductions that disturbed him, but the number of children who had vanished without a trace. This clown’s mode of operation was nothing like James had ever seen.
James scrutinised every single word in the files he was given, all the while, the devastated faces of the parents kept lingering in his mind.
One dull evening when James was at the brink of giving up, a major lead presented itself . A frantic mother called the station, claiming her son had been taken by Jingles the clown. She said that Jingles had been seen leading the child into an abandoned building on the outskirts of town but she was too terrified to follow him. Without wasting a second, James gathered his team and rushed to the location.
The building was formerly a residential building but due to the incessant recurring flood, residents moved out. Its rusted doors creaked eerily as they pushed them open. Inside was cold and dark but James’ determination kept him moving forward.
They found Jingles in a dimly lit room, surrounded by the missing children. To James’ surprise, the kids didn't seem frightened. In fact, they were smiling, their eyes wide with excitement as Jingles performed a magic trick, making cards appear and disappear in plain sight.
"Freeze!" James shouted, his hands placed carefully on the trigger of his gun. Jingles turned slowly, his painted smile unwavering.
"You don't understand," the clown said, his voice surprisingly calm. "I'm trying to save them."
"Save them? From what?" James demanded, his grip tightening on his weapon.
Jingles' pupils dilated and darkened. "From the shadows. A creature that comes for them at night. I can see it and I know how to keep it away."
James was skeptical, but something in Jingles' voice gave him solace. He lowered his gun slightly. "Prove it."
“I call it the shadow monster and this monster marks all its prey”, lifting one of the kids hands, Jingles continued “Look here,” he instructed.
James carefully observed the kid’s hand. There was a mark on it; a mark similar to that of the rest of the kids.
Just as James was about to make a dismissive comment, a chilling breeze swept through the building. From the shadows emerged a twisted, grotesque figure, its hollow eyes fixated on the children. The kids huddled close to Jingles, who produced a handful of brightly coloured powder from his pocket and threw it at the emerging creature. The creature immediately retreated back into the darkness.
James couldn't believe his eyes. The clown had been telling the truth. He put his gun away and turned to Jingles. "What is that thing?"
Jingles sighed, his painted smile now looking weary. “It feeds on fear and innocence. It comes for the children at night, but I learned how to protect the kids with magic. That's why I've been taking them; to keep them safe."
A newfound respect for the clown grew within James. "Then let's stop them together." James blurted.
With Jingles' knowledge and Jame's determination, they set out to rid the city of the shadow monster. They gathered the children in a safe location, protected by the clown's magic, and tracked the creature to its hideout.
The final battle against the shadow monster was fierce but James and Jingles emerged victorious. The abducted children were returned to their grateful families, and Jingles the Clown vanished into the night, his mission complete. On the other hand, James was given the ‘hero of the city’ award alongside his long awaited promotion. Once again, peace reigned in the city.
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