Perry the Clown

Short story.

Perry the Clown

Perry the clown wasn't like other clowns at the circus, he could never make the audience laugh as the other clowns did. Perry was a short guy in his 40's with a double cheeseburger belly and extra fries chin. It wasn't so much that he couldn't make the crowd roar with laughter, it was always unintentional and always at him rather than because of him. I suppose that's what did it- drove Perry the clown to jump off the acrobat's platform, breaking his neck in the fall and so came to end the miserable life of Perry the clown. But our story doesn't begin there, it begins much later, 30 so years later after the reopening of the Marvellous circus. The decision was made by the son of the late owner, sensing profit and ignoring superstition. It was the first opening night when Perry the clown was spotted atop the platform, diving in showmanship and disappearing before hitting the ground. The crowd cheered in awe and Perry the clown became the most popular 'act' the circus had to offer. That was until it grew old and people no longer found amusement in the death defying clown. Eventually the crowd faded and with it, the circus' charm. 

As is the undeniable truth, all that lives must die and all that dies must be forgotten. Hence was the case with Perry the clown. He was soon forgotten and never seen again. The Marvellous circus has been shut down ever since with little to no interest in its revival. Perhaps one day someone will reopen it and perhaps Perry the clown will reappear, to entertain the crowds again.

Author's Note

Any grammatical errors, spelling mistakes are welcome.

Reviews

[daninstockholm]

ha ha,, very well told for such a short piece!

[Eliot Knight]

Thanks Dan! appreciate your review as always!

[Octavious]

An eerie story, I enjoyed it. I'll admit it's no plot that we haven't seen before, but the way it is written force me to over look that, and wonder about the full story, his childhood, the drama behind the scenes, the signs of insanity that he began to show before his last 'breath taking' performance for the crowd.
I really did enjoy this, especially the visual lines such as "...a double cheeseburger belly and extra fries chin." I can do nothing but wish that there was more. Great job, and thank you for sharing.

[Eliot Knight]

Yeah, you're right about it not being very original in case of plots but I'm glad you loved it anyway! Thankyou for the review.

[Insight "MH"]

I agree with Alondra, the descriptions are just crystal clear as if I'm watching it on a tv screen. The story is sad and at some point pragmatic dealing with death and forgetfulness, but are all people forgotten? I say that some people who made a difference in the life of others are immortal, their names live on till today and maybe we could be Immortals if we make something great in our lives. Thank you for sharing.

Insight.

[Eliot Knight]

Thankyou so much for that review, yes I agree, not everyone is forgotten, especially if they have greatly contributed to this world, it was just more fitting to say otherwise in this case.

[Tomoe Tellez]

I must tell you that the descriptions you use are just great, they help you imagine things easily, especially how you described Perry. It's amazing how you told his story in just three paragraphs, you introduced the character in the first one and his problems, you tell a story in the middle and by the third paragraph you leave an open ending which is great for this type of story.

[Eliot Knight]

Thank you, I'm glad you liked it.

[Justin Miller]

Really dark and has a cool setting to enforce the message from the story. Really enjoyed it!

[Eliot Knight]

yeah, thanks!

[Jyoti_Ablaze]

Wow! Intense and dark!
People can be resentful for the only reason of someone being a bit different from them. This is sad, for its high time that we should understand as a society that no two persons can be same. Because they are unique individuals.
Loved this eerie quirky story of yours.
Especially the style and imagery!
Enjoyed reading this very much.

[Eliot Knight]

Thankyou for that nice comment

[Jyoti_Ablaze]

You are welcome.