Juniper's Ring | h.s.

- prejudice

I can feel myself begin to sweat. God, why isn't there a panic button for backup if I need it.

"I'm just trying to help you." I try to assure him, my voice sounding whiny.

"You've been to my circus before... you could do the routine just fine." He nearly purrs.

"It wasn't Juniper's Ring that I went to. My father would never take me there!" My voice shakes along with my body.

"You'd never know. Even if you did, you can't remember, can you?"

I try to shake the fear from my shoulders. Sitting up straight, I remember why I'm here.

"I'd name you, Penny." He bites his teeth at me and I flinch.

"Puddles, I'm trying to help you." I repeat.

"Then why are you here? If you really wanted to help me, you'd have shot me on sight in that cage! You know you can't help a tainted mind like mine. Society will never have me. No one will ever have me."

"You're free now, Puddles, you can be whatever you want to be."

"See that's just it! You said 'whatever' not 'whoever'. Even you don't see me as a part of society."

"That's not what I meant... I just mean that you don't have to be afraid anymore!"

"All I am is afraid, Juliet!!" He yells and I flinch, clutching my clipboard in front of my face to shield me from him. I peek over it so I can still see him. "Can't you see it in my eyes?! I'm pissing my fucking pants!"

"I understand but—"

"Juliet, have you ever seen a clown cry?" He sits in his chair once again and leans in closer towards me.

"No..." I lean back slightly, not wanting to see it.

"You know where I got my name from, but seeing it will show you. I'm the world's first crying clown..." he holds his arms out wide before pulling them back in to clutch the front of his chair between his legs. "I'm the world's best crying clown!"

"Puddles... please..." I beg, hoping he'll stop.

He smiles wide, his eyes beginning to tear, causing me to try to decipher between his emotions. I can't tell if he's about to burst into laughter or tears.

He opens his mouth so wide that I fear his jaw might unhinge. And then, he lets out a loud cry, his eyes pouring with tears almost immediately. The streams of tears becoming present as they bleed through his smudged makeup. The blue around his eyes dripping down to mix with the red of his smile.

"Don't you see, Juliet?" He breaks through the sobs, "I was never meant to be a clown... but here I am! The saddest clown you'll ever meet."

"I—" I should know how to respond, but I'm completely baffled by him.

"Can you save me, Juliet?! CAN'T YOU SAVE ME, NOW?!!" He yells.

"I'm trying!" I tell back, but it comes out quieter than I wish it to.

"CAN'T YOU HEAR IT?! CAN'T YOU HEAR THEM, JULIET?!" He gets up on his chair.

He stands, his arms out wide, embracing the scene he's hallucinating around him.

"Puddles, get down from there!" I plead.

"SEND IN THE CLOWNS!" He looks around the room, dissociating from this meeting.

He clicks his heals, jumping straight up from the chair and causing it to rock but then stabilizing it again. I gasp and barely manage to get my breath back once he lands.

"ISN'T IT BLISS?!" He rocks to one side, causing the chair to tilt before he shifts his weight to balance it.

"DON'T YOU APPROVE?!" He strides to the other side, once again shifting his weight to not tip the chair over.

"ONE WHO KEEPS TEARING AROUND,
ONE WHO CAN'T MOVE!"

He leaps forward with his entire body. I lean back, knocking my chair back, winding me and causing me to toss my clipboard.

My back is throbbing as he stands above me to finish his scene.

"WHERE ARE THE CLOWNS?!" He runs around me, stopping above my head and looking down over me. "DON'T BOTHER, THEY'RE HERE!"

"Puddles..." is all I can say.

"Mm hm?" he mutters softly.

"Who are you?" I shake uncontrollably, almost about to cry.

"I'm Puddles..." he grins.

"Who are you really?"

I watch as he slinks around me, straddling me. "I already told you, I'm the next Juniper." He clears his throat.

"You're not a clown?"

His smile grows. "No, I'm a clown, but now, I'm also Ronald Juniper Junior. And no one can take that away from me, not even Ronny himself because, you know why?"

I don't want to ask but I know he'll tell me anyway. "Why...?"

"Because once you're in Juniper's Ring, you'll never get it out of your damn head. Even now I can hear the music. And I know you think I'm insane — some basket-case. But I can assure you, Juliet, soon you'll hear the music too!" He chirps.

That causes a chill to run down my spine once again and my heart to stop.

"Where is Ronald Juniper?" My voice shakes.

"He's somewhere not here and... well, shit, Juniper's Ring just lost four clowns so I guess I've 'otta do something about that!" He gives me a terrifying grin.

"Puddles..." I complain as he pushes my hands down.

His grin bears his teeth and opens his mouth wide to cough a laugh. Tears flood from his eyes once again as he laughs in my face, screaming his laughter and sobbing simultaneously.

"I can't escape it, Juliet! What am I meant to do if I can't escape it?"

"Please... I can help you..." I begin to cry.

"You can't help me! I'm not sick! I'm just a part of the circus." He takes the white tied scarf off from around his neck.

Tears flood from my eyes. I'm so terrified and I don't know what to do.

"And you know what?" he stretches out the scarf. "It's gonna be a great show tonight."

Then, he balls it up and jams it in my mouth, pushing it to the back of my throat and pinching my nose.

Choking on the ball of fabric, I kick and try to push him away but he's stronger than I had thought he would be.

I struggle harder, my lungs empty and praying for more air. The more I try to breathe, the deeper the scarf gets lodged in my throat. There's no escape.

Where did this all go wrong? I'm about to lose my life to a clown — a clown who I pitied.

My vision growing fuzzy and my chest aching, I plead for my life as I look into his eyes, but they don't look into mine with sympathy but rather sadness.

"It's gonna be a great show..." he repeats.