Lombardus: The Trident Clown

Chapter 9 ☬

Frizzy-haired lady

Made me believe I'm crazy.
She was right. I am

OH, THE STENCH!

"Excuse me, miss," I appeared in front of a woman with frizzy hair that was all over the place. I could swear the hair hasn't seen shampoo since the Middle Ages.

Rupert and Luke stumbled behind me like chicks behind Mama Hen.

"How may I help you, children?" the woman bent lower to level her marble gray eyes with my hazels.

I flinched and scrunched up my nose. The woman's teeth looked like it was coated with the chocolate and caramel I just had - only that hers doesn't seem to melt away. The sticky grime was glued permanently against the whiteness of her teeth.

And also, she didn't taste anything like chocolate or caramel, thank you very much. She had a horrible case of halitosis that is liable to make the Greek sewer goddess, Cloacina, pass out from smelling it.

Suffice to say: Her dragon breath stank!

"A question," I said sharply, stifling my breath and managing to say as little as I could.

"Ask away, dear," the woman fought back an urge to sneeze.

I sighed, giving up on my five-second breathless achievement. "That Clown over there," I pointed to where the Clown used to be.

Used to be? Did I just said used to be? That means he's no longer there?! I stared at the spot in disbelief. As it seemed, it was like no Clown or a throng had ever gathered there.

"What Clown? Achoo!!" The rat's nested-haired woman openly sneezed into my face.

My shoulders slumped in disgusted defeat but I wasn't ready to accept it yet. "There was a tall Clown that played a dare game with us some minutes ago, wasn't there?" I turned to Luke and Rupert.

No reply came. It was as if their tongues were swollen and knotted by Dumbledore's tongue-tying curse. They could only shrug and mumble their dissent.

The woman gazed at me, her filthy oval face expressionless.

I took it as a go-ahead to re-explain myself. Perhaps she's didn't understand. I hate re-explaining myself. "We played a game called the Wheel of Miss Fortuna with the Clown." I took a deep breath, very much to my own peril. "Do you happen to notice where and how he brought the wheel out of? Say from a bag, or - out of thin air - as if by magic?"

The woman frowned. A frown that can be construed, As if by magic? That smells more vile than my breath.

"There's never been a Clown in the Harlin's." She concluded finally, rose up from her semi-crouch posture, sneezed out her eyes, shook her head pitifully and walked away leaving me more confused than convinced.

☬☬☬

I NEEDED TO VENT OUT MY GALL.

Somebody has to be a victim of my pent-up frustrations. And who else other than the new friends I made few hours ago?

Turning, I hissed, "Rupert! How dare you!"

"What?"

"You ditchy, dumpster dogshank!" I cussed. "You were arguing with me about the Clown a few minutes ago. Why didn't you tell the woman you saw him too?"

"What Clown?" a puzzled Rupert asked.

If Rupert were not a large boy that could fell a baobab with a casual nudge, I would have punched him. And real hard. Fortunately, I was able to resist the violent urge by savaging my lower lip.

Why is everyone acting strange? Or am I the one being strange? Perhaps, that's it. I'm gaga! But if I'm crazy, can I even realize that I am? Why can't they see what I see? Why can't - ?

"Luke!!!" A crazy boy whose name was Ian Trevor yelled in the middle of the fairground, transferring his aggression onto his new victim: Unlucky Luke.

"Sheeesh. You'll get us arrested, Ian." An auburn-haired boy that looked... well, Luke said from the crazy boy's perspective.

A boy wearing a green, moth-eaten shirt who can't stop showing his broken tooth ran his large hand through his sandy-brown hair. "He's delirious, Luke. He's kooky. Let's get him to a madhouse." He said, making a twirling gesture with his index close to his temple.

"You're the crazy one!" the mad boy named Ian barked. "Looka how you're dressed. Like a beggar."

This seemed to hit Rupert hard than the punch I had plan to give him. The large boy let out a small sob. An involuntary tear escaped the corner of his left eye. Without a word, he started off in the direction of the Northern Harlin's Gate.

"Stop there!" A familiar voice that made us jump exploded.

Don't Forget to VOTE (*﹏*;). Thank you

Question of the Day: Who do you think the familiar voice belong to?

a) Bigelow

b) Lisa

c) Dolan

d) A new character