366: One Story Per Day (2024)

Day 74 - Coulrophobia

   Amidst the carnival's bright colors stood Tommy. His eyes widened in fright as he watched the clown procession pass by, their painted faces and enormous shoes filled him with dread.

     Tommy's fear of clowns, however, was not the result of irrationality or a juvenile whim; it was the result of a memory, one that continues to torment him to this day.

     Tommy had attended a circus birthday party as a kid, and his enthusiasm at the prospect of seeing his favorite acts in action was palpable. However, as he watched the clowns fall and juggle, he began to feel uneasy in his stomach.

     Then, in a terrifying moment that he'd never forget, one of the clowns approached him with a sinister grin, his painted face deformed into a hideous caricature of pleasure. Tommy had recoiled in terror, his shouts drowned out by the loud laughing of the audience.

     Tommy's heart raced with fear every time he saw a clown after that day.

     As he stood frozen in place, a calm voice emerged from the chaos—that of his elder sister, Emily.

     "Tommy, are you okay?" Emily asked, her face wrinkled in concern as she crouched beside him.

     Tommy nodded, keeping his gaze locked on the clown procession as it faded into the distance.

     "I'm fine," he said quietly, despite the terror that clutched his heart.

     Emily sighed and wrapped her arms around her younger brother in a reassuring embrace.

     "You don't have to be afraid, Tommy. Clowns are just people in funny costumes," she whispered.

     Tommy shook his head, the events of that tragic day still vivid in his thoughts.

     "I can't help it, Em. They just... scare me,"  he replied.

     Emily's expression softened as she reassured Tommy with a squeeze of his palm.

     "I understand, Tommy. But sometimes, facing our fears is the only way to overcome them," she told her brother.

     With Emily at his side, Tommy mustered the confidence to take a step forward, his gaze locked on the carnival's colorful tents and flashing lights ahead. Though his heart was racing with fear, he knew he couldn't allow his fear to stop him.

     Emily kept a close eye on her brother as they went through the carnival, delivering words of encouragement and support when he needed them the most. Tommy's fear of clowns had not evaporated overnight, but he found solace in knowing he was not alone.

     It was Tommy's first time in the carnival in more than twenty years. It was also his first time to go there on his own since his sister passed away from leukemia. A lot has changed but Tommy was still on his way to conquer his fear of clowns. With one deep breath, he took a step forward to see a better view of the clown procession.

     "I can do this," he told himself, knowing that even there, he was not alone.